We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachel Carson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel, how does your business help the community?
HERillestlife, Inc is a non-profit organization that was created to be a safe space that educates, encourages, empowers & elevates black female chronic illness warriors, regardless of ability, age, religion, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. The organization’s purpose is to create an inclusive community while reimagining what it means to be ill.

HERillestlife’s impact includes outreach and awareness; educational resources; patient engagement, empowerment, and advocacy; creating patient community; and addressing stigma and isolation; to underserved populations facing healthcare disparities as there is a high unmet area of need in education and access to care amongst African American women with Multiple Sclerosis and other chronic illnesses.

Over the next year, priority initiatives of HERillestlife include the following:
Piloting a podcast that will feature guests who wish to get to the deepest part of their vulnerable truths while sharing their journeys with others so they feel both seen and heard; it will be a place where health success stories are told and health resources are shared.
Providing reiki, crystal healing, meditation, mindfulness and life coaching services to African American women diagnosed with chronic health conditions in order to help to improve our community.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’d say that the very thing that I am proud of is also what sets me apart from others: taking on the platform of sharing my journey as a plus-sized woman of color that has Multiple Sclerosis. In a digital world that is inundated with bloggers, fashion designers, models, makeup artists, so on and so forth, it has been difficult finding a voice that is of my own. I want to be intentional about each and every one of my interactions that I have. I want to inspire people to be better versions of themselves, ready to make the world better than they found it. While I have some favorite influencers in the game that I look up to and admire and of course serve as a source of empowerment and inspiration, I still want to create a lane that caters to my own audience that gives off a vibe that is slightly different than the rest!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Atlanta is such an amazingly eclectic city with a plethora of things to do, which is why I love it here! If any of my best friends were visiting and I wanted to make their stay memorable, I’d have the following itinerary set up for them:

Monday:
Thumbs Up Diner for breakfast
MLK National Historical Park
National Center for Civil Rights

Tuesday:
World of Coca Cola
Georgia Aquarium
Early Dinner at Suite Food Lounge

Wednesday:
Atlanta Botanical Gardens
Picnic @ Piedmont Park

Thursday:
Visit Little Five Points
Take pictures at The Jackson Street Bridge

Friday:
High Museum of Art
Happy Hour @ Boogalou Restaurant & Lounge

Saturday:
Brunch @ BQE Lounge
Trap Music Museum

Sunday:
Old Lady Gang for a late lunch or early dinner

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my therapist. I remember being in a very dark place when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in September of 2019. The coping mechanisms that I previously had in my tool kit did not seem to be enough. I felt as if I was drowning. I felt alone. I felt scared. Therapy helped me to process those feelings. This conduit of healing relieved my emotional distress, equipped me with healthy strategies & solutions and helped me turn my pain into my purpose.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/herillestlife

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/herillestlife

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/465221234826126

Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCtgUO0yw3AnOKeBIizChoYg

Other: linktr.ee/herillestlife

Image Credits
Howell Designs

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