Leading with Courage, Connection, and Continuous Growth

Rachel Vandenberg highlights a leadership journey defined by service, resilience, and continuous growth. She shares how stepping into hotel ownership, navigating the hotel’s expansion, and managing complex relationships revealed her drive to learn through challenge. Rachel emphasizes the value of radical candor, transparent communication, and building partnerships grounded in shared purpose - practices that strengthen leadership and deepen trust.

She also underscores the importance of self-reflection and wellbeing. From confronting self-doubt to using simple daily grounding questions, she describes how staying centered helps her refocus on strengths and contribution. Rachel explains that with public speaking, preparation and practice are essential for being seen and building credibility.

Notable Quotes/Highlights

• “I was willing every time to grow and learn, and persevere through adversity.”
• “That idea of radical candor . . . being able to be direct and sharing thoughts and feelings . . . that is so critical for the relationships that you work with.”
• “It's all about uncovering every stone possible, and using all your resources... to overcome those challenges.”
• “Public speaking is a way for you to be seen in your career.”
• On overcoming adversity: “[After] having my moment of grief and doing all of the things: being angry, being sad, shedding tears, whatever . . . I just dug really deep, and I said:  This needs to happen.”

Closing Reflection

Rachel’s insights remind us that growth begins with self-awareness and courage. By fostering connection, practicing candor, and investing in learning, we can expand our impact and lead with grounded confidence.

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