Rachel Beck is the author of “Finding Your Way When Life Changes Your Plans: A Memoir of Adoption, Loss of Motherhood and Remembering Home,” she lives in Des Moines, Iowa, and is a rising voice in the movement of women’s storytelling.

Her story is rooted in a cross-cultural, adoptive-family love story unlike any other. Lifted by wings strengthened through struggle, Rachel’s story flies in the face of society’s expectations for women to look a “certain way” and slip comfortably into the American Dream.

“Take the time to build relationships because, in business, it is not about what you know; it is about who you know.”

Rachel Beck

Worst investment ever

Building friendships instead of business relationships

Rachel has always put her heart and soul into every project that she handles. Unfortunately, this has caused her to put emotions first, especially when dealing with business partners. Doing this has cost her a lot as she conducts her businesses.

Rachel’s nature of being an empath has led her to make friends instead of building business relationships. Being friends with her business partners has lead her to trust people who have often not kept their part of the bargain.

After a couple of mistakes, Rachel has learned how to build healthy business relationships founded on mutual trust.

Lessons learned

Look for the red flags

If something is too good to be true, then it is. Learn to keep your eyes open and look out for any red flags.

Learn how to ask for help

Find role models who are successful in your area of interest and let them guide you. Do not let ego stop you from asking for help whenever you need it.

Build healthy business relationships

Take time to invest in healthy relationships. You have no excuse not to do it because a smart entrepreneur knows that it is not what you know but whom you know that is important in business.

Always be professional

Just because we are in a virtual world right now does not mean everything else goes away. This is not the time to stop being professional.

Andrew’s takeaways

Trust your intuition but choose logic over emotion

Always listen to your intuition but remember that your intuition is different from your feeling. Your feeling goes longer, deeper, and stronger. But the point is, in business, you must choose logic over emotion. Put your feelings aside and focus on reason.

Trust is critical in business

Businesses should be based upon trust. Build trust with your business partners if you want your business to succeed even when you have contracts in place.

Actionable advice

Do the research. Invest time into researching, do it, and then do it more.

No. 1 goal for the next 12 months

Rachel’s number one goal for the next 12 months is to keep lifting people. She wants to shine a light on people in her network and give them the platform to get out there and tell their stories.

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