Rachel Kyllo: And I said, "Do you think I could do a marathon?" I was feeling like, oh my gosh, I'm 62. There's no way that's gonna happen. And she was so confident, and she said, "Yes, there is no question in my mind." "You can finish that, you can finish that marathon and cross that, you know, cross the finish line." And so I went home and thought about it, and then pretty soon I signed up
Genell: Welcome to RenewHer, a podcast for women over 50 ready to reignite their energy and explore what's next. I'm Genell Lemley, brain fitness coach. Here, you'll hear real stories from women taking on new challenges after 50 along with brain health tips to boost focus, energy, and the mindset to move forward with confidence. Let's dive into today's episode.
Hello, and welcome back to the RenewHer podcast, where we talk about renewing your body, your brain, and your life. Today's guest is someone I've known for almost 46 years. Rachel and I met during our freshman year of college, and actually, one of my earliest moments is sitting in her dorm room with our roommates listening to REO Speedwagon, which, if you were in college around 1980, was pretty much the soundtrack of our freshman year.
And like so many college friendships, life eventually took us in different directions. There were careers, marriage, raising families, and even living in different states for a while. We weren't in close contact for a number of years, but we never completely lost touch. Christmas cards, mutual friends, and really the kind of friendship that never really goes away. Then, over the past few years, we've had the chance to reconnect, and it's been so much fun getting to know each other again in this season of life.
And one of the things I've always admired about Rachel is that she doesn't stop growing. She spent nearly four decades with the same company, eventually becoming chief marketing officer.
She decided to run her very first marathon in her 60s. She's developed an incredible passion for gourmet cooking and food photography. And now, as she prepares to retire later this year, she's embracing yet another new chapter.
So today, we're talking about staying curious, trying new things, and proving that it's never too late to discover a new passion or try something new.
Rachel, I'm so happy you're here. Thank you, Genell. It's so great to be here with you. So before we talk about marathons and gourmet cooking, I'd like to read your bio so the listeners learn a little bit more about your corporate career.
So Rachel is currently serving as chief marketing officer for Dairy Farmers of America, a large dairy cooperative with annual revenue of 23 billion. In her role, she leads brand marketing strategy and consumer engagement for the company's portfolio of 25 brands. She has spent her entire career in food brand marketing. She served on the board of directors for several industry groups, including serving as chairperson for the MilkPep Program, which exists to drive consumer demand for milk.
She is a self-proclaimed foodie and is passionate about reading about new foods, exploring new restaurants, learning about cooking techniques, and sharing love with family and friends through good food. She and her husband, Rich, live in Bloomington, Minnesota. They have three married daughters and seven amazing grandbabies.
Rachel received a BA from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, and completed her MBA at St. Thomas University. She has completed executive education courses at Harvard University and Northwestern University, including the Chief Marketing Officer program.
So again, welcome. So you spent practically your entire career with one company. That's really incredibly rare today. So can you tell us a little bit about your career journey, and what did you enjoy most about the work you did?
Rachel Kyllo: I think you're right. The idea of being in one place for 40 years is really unusual, and especially as I think about maybe younger generations coming into the workforce. With three young adult daughters, the idea of, you know, 40 years in one place just seems, sounds really foreign to them. I think the reason... Well, I've always been in the food space.
So I was with another company in food marketing before I joined, which, the company that was called Kemps at the time, and Kemps is a large regional dairy company with ice cream and milk and all of that. And it just, it grew to be a passion.
I love the company. I love our mission of getting these great, nutritious products to consumers, and the idea on the ice cream side, which may be not quite as nutritious, but it brings joy to people. And so in my little corner of the world, I felt like I could deliver great nutrition that people really needed, get it to families, and make people happy, bring them joy through these great ice cream products.
And I've been really fortunate, Genell, to have great teams to work with. The piece that has kept me here all these years, it's just a great bunch of people. I love the mission and I love the work, but I really truly love the people. And so it's honestly, it's been a, it's been a pleasure, and I'm so grateful for having had this opportunity.
And now as I look at the next chapter, and a little part of me says, "Ah, it's hard to say goodbye," because I've just really thoroughly enjoyed it,
Genell: That's so fabulous that you've had such positive experience through that entire time and working with such wonderful people, 'cause you said the community makes such a big difference.
Rachel Kyllo: Absolutely. Absolutely. And the company culture is... I think it's a little bit rare in that it is such a warm and inclusive culture that just makes you feel like part of a bigger family. And I think sometimes that is unusual in corporate America, but that absolutely is the experience that I've had.
Genell: Yeah. So as your responsibilities grew throughout the years, what would you say you learned about yourself as a leader?
Rachel: I would say, number one, the importance of building community and never forgetting that it is, you know, making sure these folks feel engaged, that they feel rewarded, they feel part of the journey that we're on together, and really putting people first, has been something that I've learned and kind of grown into over the years.
I think as you start in a role, you're more of an individual contributor, and you're head down and you're doing your job, and, you know, trying to take care of all the tasks on your desk. And then one day, you're promoted, and you become a people leader, and oftentimes there isn't training. Like, you work hard and you've mastered your basic work, but then, then these, this team of people have been entrusted to you, and it's like, "Okay, let's go."
So I would admit, Genell, there was some learning on the job, and I probably wasn't as good as I should- Well- ... have been at it initially. It just... I had to grow into that and kind of understand what it really took to build a team and keep folks engaged. But that's been something that I've enjoyed and have learned a lot about through the years.
Genell: When you say that the company has such a great culture, obviously you have embraced that, and you've brought that to your teams as well.
Rachel Kyllo: Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. And it starts here in our company with a, an attitude of servant leadership. You know, really trying to serve the people that work for you and with you on your team, and how can I take barriers away for them, and how can I make them able to do their jobs in a way that's more satisfying to them? We're really putting them kind of in the center of the manager relationship, and that really truly is part of the culture here at this company.
Genell: And I'm sure they really appreciate that, and I would see that they are willing to work that much harder and want to really contribute to the company because of how they are being treated by the company.
Rachel Kyllo: Yes, absolutely, and having a culture where folks are truly engaged makes such a difference, and actually has been proven to show that it impacts a company's bottom line. You've got a team of folks that love what they're doing, and they're really committed to the mission of the company. It shows itself in the earnings of the company.
Genell: That's fabulous. Well, thank you for sharing that. So moving forward, one thing that I've noticed about you two is that when something sparks your interest, you don't just try it. You really commit to it. So I saw that firsthand at our college reunion a couple years ago, because I remember you mentioning that you were thinking about running an all-women's marathon, and I thought, "That's really a cool idea."
Then the next thing I knew, you'd hired a coach, you were training, and before long, you crossed the finish line. So can you tell us how that came about? Had you done a lot of running before you decided to run the marathon, or what did that look like?
Rachel Kyllo: I was a casual runner, Genell, I would say for most of my adult life, you know, 5Ks, maybe an occasional 10K.
And back about 10 years ago, my oldest daughter was running Grandma's Half Marathon. And she said, "Mom, why don't you, why don't you train for this? I think it'd be a really fun experience." So that felt really daunting to me, but I trained and crossed that finish line, and frankly, kind of thought like I had done what I was gonna do in the distance running world, and kind of casually did 5Ks and 10Ks.
And it honestly wasn't until I learned about this marathon called the Every Woman's Marathon. And the idea behind the marathon was that anybody can run a marathon regardless of your, you know, kind of physical limitations, you know, kind of any issues that you might see that might prevent you from being able to do that.
And it was... It felt like such a positive opportunity, but yet in the back of my head, I thought I could never run a marathon. It just felt like I couldn't do that. And frankly, it was exactly what you said. It was at that college reunion. And we started talking about running, and I asked somebody who was there, another friend, you know, "Do you..." Who had done marathons, and you've done marathons. So you know exactly what it's like. And I said, "Do you think I could do a marathon?" I was feeling like, "Oh my gosh, I'm 62. There's no way that's gonna happen." And she was so confident, and she said, "Yes, there is no question in my mind." "You can finish that, you can finish that marathon and cross that, you know, cross the finish line." And so I went home and thought about it, and then pretty soon I signed up.
And, and then, yes, had the benefit of having this, I call him darling coach, because he was just... He was so kind and helpful. And I found that every morning, the way he, he helps his clients, he sends an email in the morning.
You wake up and you see it, and it tells you exactly what to do. And so I felt like I had this really prescriptive process to kind of help me, you know, along this very unknown territory. So anyway, so went down that journey, and I have to say, and I've said this multiple times, that particular day was one of the top 10 days of my life It was such a, it was a, such an impactful experience just personally.
Genell: How so?
Rachel Kyllo: And it was the, it was the, the overall kind of just the, the emotional kind of experience. My husband Rich was with me, and two of my three daughters, and it was this incredibly supportive group. I think the final count was, like, 6 or 7,000 runners, and it was 90, probably 99% female, but this supportive group that just wanted to help each other every step along the way. And it was just, it was, it was kind of overwhelming.
At the finish line, it was, yeah, it just, it was really emotional, but it was, it was really impactful. It was a great experience.
Genell: So when you decided to run the marathon, did people... I mean, were people, like, looking at you, "What are you doing? Why are you doing this?" Or was it more, "Yay, rah, rah"? What were you met with, if you will?
Rachel Kyllo: You know what? I was afraid to tell people. Oh. Because I thought if I, you know, share this with a lot of people, then what happens if I don't make it? You know, what happens if I don't get through this training? So I was a little bit cautious, honestly, with, you know, kind of how I shared it. But as I got closer and felt more confident that I would make it through this training program then started, started to share. But I'd say in general, people were super encouraging, just, you know. And, you know, there's so many other runners in the world that just, you know, are, are happy to see others take on that challenge. And so I found great support.
And I have to say, along the way, my husband was amazing. He, on the days of the longer runs, he'd drop me off. He'd track me on his- Oh ... you know, on his phone, see where, how I was doing. He'd make sure everything was going well. He'd come pick me up at the end, so I didn't even have to worry about walking to my car. And honestly, his, uh- That's great ... his support through the training process was really, really helpful.
Genell: That's so nice. 'Cause it's so important to have that support, I think- Yeah ... you know- Yeah ... along the way.
And what would you say, what was the importance for you of having a coach for the first time that you were doing this?
Rachel Kyllo: Yeah, I think, you know, and I could have gone online and found training, you know, training pattern- training instructions, but I felt that this coach, he, he obviously knew how old I was. Yeah. And the fact that I was a slow runner, and, and he kind of built that into the plan. And he had, you know, had strength training things, and things that he just based on his deep knowledge knew would help me kind of in the overall, you know, training and development process. So it, that gave me confidence, honestly.
His name is Sam. It felt like if Sam was taking me through this process, he knew what he was doing. Yeah. He had run so many marathons on his own and coached so many other people, so it made me feel confident, and I think that was super helpful in, you know, continuing on down the process.
Genell: So I, at least for me, when I've had a coach for different things, it's also an accountability piece. Yes. Because there could be days where, "I really don't wanna do this." But because someone's expecting you to, then you, at least for me, I have a tendency to do it. So I'm curious.
Rachel Kyllo: 100%. 100%. I didn't wanna let him down, and so I felt obligated. Even if I woke up and I felt like, "Oh my gosh, I just don't wanna do this," I didn't want Sam to see that I hadn't done what he told me to do.
So I... So there was absolutely that accountability piece to that, and that was also, I think, pretty critical in, you know, just continuing with the six months of training. Yeah.
Genell: So being in the position as a chief marketing officer, I mean, you have a lot of demands on you from a work perspective. How did you manage and work in the time to train? What kind of discipline did that take?
Rachel Kyllo: Yeah, it was... I kind of just got to the point where I built that into my weekly plan. So I knew that I was gonna run on, you know, this number of days and on these specific days, and I just built it into my calendar and made it a, made it a important part of what I was gonna get done that week.
And Sam also knew that I was working full time, and he was really helpful. And, and also with some business travel. He would help me think ahead, understand where I was gonna be, and then help me figure out, okay, what's reasonable in that situation with that amount of time. So that was really helpful, too. But I just, yeah, I just tried to build it into what my life was gonna look like for that period of time.
Genell: So what was that feeling when you crossed that finish line, thinking a few months before you just had that idea, and now you crossed? What was that like, and how was the, how was the race itself?
Rachel Kyllo: So the race was in Savannah, Georgia, and Savannah has the benefit of being just a beautiful... well, the, the race path was just a lovely run through kind of old neighborhoods, and there was a lot to see along the way. And again, because of this particular race and the support for the race, there were so many people cheering you on along the way and, you know, all kinds of fun things going on, you know, throughout the 26 miles. So the race, and it was beautiful weather, luckily. So that was good, and the, the experience was good.
I did have a tough experience right at the end, and this is a little bit of a newbie kind of occurrence, but I, for some reason, I didn't understand that you needed to have electrolytes during the race, and toward the end had really bad, like, calf cramping and almost didn't finish.
Oh. But the help of some folks a lot, close to the end of the race, with a quick little massage on the calf, was able to pop up and, and cross the finish line. And it was just such an emotional sense of, I never knew that I was actually gonna be able to do this. It was done. And yeah, it was just a moment of a little bit of disbelief, honestly. And kind of just celebration. Right. Yeah.
Genell: So when you did cross that finish line, what was your thought? I can't wait to do another one, or okay, I've done that, I'm checking it off the list?
Rachel Kyllo: Yeah. I don't know that I thought that right at the moment, but, you know, couple days later I'm feeling, ah, I did it. Cross it off the list. I'm feeling, you know, let's figure out plan B. What else are we gonna do here? Yeah. Yeah.
Genell: But then what happened?
Rachel Kyllo: Yeah. Then this particular race, the Every Women's Marathon, things started popping up, and, you know, seeing that it was taking place again in November, the race was November the first year and then November again the second year.
It was gonna be in Scottsdale that second year. One of my daugh- my middle daughter decided that she was interested in running. And so with that in mind, I just said, "You know what? I'm gonna do another one," because that would be really awesome to be able to have that challenge and, you know, finish that cross, or cross that finish line with, you know with your daughter. And so that started the training process, and I have to say I was incredibly proud of my daughter, Anna. She has Type 1 diabetes, which makes running, and especially distance running- Oh ... really difficult because managing carbs and, and managing, keeping yourself, keeping your body the way it needs to be as you're running a long distance is very hard with Type 1 diabetes. And she was committed to that, and she wasn't gonna give it up, and she trained, and we both crossed the finish line the second year.
Genell: Well, congratulations on completing two. That's fabulous.
Rachel Kyllo: Thank you.
Genell: So there's another side of you that I absolutely love, and it's one that has nothing to do with running.
It's your passion for cooking. I mean, honestly, you are an absolutely incredible cook, and I'm not talking about everyday meals. We're talking restaurant quality, I call them gourmet dishes, that honestly look like they belong in a fine dining magazine.
Rachel Kyllo: You're way too kind.
Genell: Honestly. I, for me, who maybe will cook a casserole or maybe spaghetti with Prego sauce, what you do is absolutely amazing. So I am curious, where did that passion begin?
Rachel Kyllo: You know, I have loved everything about food, honestly, since I was probably a teenager. I just, yeah, at home growing up, I loved to cook, I've loved to bake. My mom was a really good scratch cook and a great baker. And, and I always had a passion for that.
Probably a little bit of a, I feel like I was maybe a little old for my age in my passion for food, but I always, I've always been super interested in reading about food and finding out new facts about food.
And one of the turning points actually was while I was at St. Olaf between my junior and senior year, and I don't know, Genell, if you remember this at all.
Genell: You did an internship, right?
Rachel Kyllo: I was a Betty Crocker tour guide. If you can believe that that kind of job even existed. General Mills at the time, they would recruit from colleges in Minnesota, and hired six or seven college kids in, in a communication or marketing track to lead these tours through the Betty Crocker kitchens.
And I loved the job because it gave me a chance to see into what all these people were doing with food and kinda learn how these products came together, and it was just a great experience, and came back and decided that that's what I wanted my career to be. But also at the same time, it's just continued to be a personal passion and, and frankly just kind of a hobby. And the ability to kind of plan what I was gonna make, kinda research it, and then, you know, put it together.
And then during the pandemic, it kinda blossomed, honestly, because we all were home and had so much extra time. And I took an online food photography course at that point, and tried to hone my skills, although they're very amateurish, but tried to hone my skills in, you know, kind of taking food and putting it into an environment that makes it look really pretty and appetizing.
And along the way, found a cookbook that I really liked and committed to making every single recipe in that cookbook until, until I had mastered all of them, and that kinda gave me a little bit of a goal and passion, and learned to make some fun stuff in that, in that little journey. And- But it's just, I've been, it's, I've always been interested in food.
Genell: Just one thing to add, 'cause it wasn't just any cookbook. I mean, it was a cookbook, it was created or written by one of the top chefs in Minneapolis, Gavin Kaysen, who has fabulous- number of fabulous restaurants, but his meals are top-notch. And so this cookbook had not your basic everyday meals. They were fancy, I think.
Rachel Kyllo: There were some that took a little bit of, yeah, that, that were maybe a little bit more on the fancy side. But the, the name of the cookbook is At Home by Gavin Kaysen, and his idea was to make these recipes that taste fabulous but also are accessible. Okay. So most of the recipes didn't include...
They included ingredients that you could easily find. He- his recipes always have a very fresh element, so there was a little bit of kind of new technique, and there were some new things I hadn't made before. But at the end of the day, honestly, I can say everything we made, and my husband Rich was grateful for the hobby that year because he was my primary sampler. But it's a great cookbook, and it just, again, that kind of expanded my world a little bit when it comes to trying new and different things and figuring out how to make things that I hadn't made before.
Genell: But you didn't stop at that challenge, 'cause then you moved on to recipes inspired by the show The Bear. Is that right? I never even knew there was such a cookbook, and I'm guessing maybe a lot of people don't know. So what was that challenge like, or can you talk about a little bit about that one?
Rachel Kyllo: Yeah. Yeah. And so that wasn't a cookbook per se, but it was a collection of recipes that had been put together to replicate some of the things that had been profiled in The Bear.
And yeah, there were some really great things, too. The one that sticks in my mind, that was probably the putziest thing I've ever made- ... was this three-layer chocolate cake that had so many different steps and pieces and layers and whatever, but it was just like, it's the best cake I think I've ever had in my life. But it was the chocolate cake that was featured in the show The Bear. Okay. , Yeah. Well, that's fun. Yeah, so that was a fun little challenge, too.
Genell: So nice that, like you said, Rich and your family could benefit from all of it. So I thought it would be fun to end our food conversation with, with a few quick, like, rapid-fire questions.
Yeah. So, well, the first one, I guess, I don't know if it's rapid fire, but you and your family once went in search of went on this quest for the best donuts in the Twin Cities. So was that over, I don't remember, was that over a summer, and did you sample a new one every week, or what was that all about?
Rachel Kyllo: We've done a couple of family food tours. We started with ice cream. Okay. And we did ice cream back, I don't know, Genell, it must be now, it might even be 10 years ago. But we looked and we plotted all of the, all of the ice cream shops across the Twin Cities, and over the course of probably eight weeks or so, we went to all of them, and then we ranked them- and chose our favorite. And then we did our donut tour, and that was probably five years ago or so. Okay. And same kind of thing, and we mapped the donut shops in the Twin Cities, and went one by one, and it was a great experience because we tasted so many different things and different kinds of pastries. I guess it wasn't just donuts, it also was, you know, different kinds of pastries. But again, there we, we chose our favorite at the end.
Genell: Was there a standout, or were they all really close?
Rachel Kyllo: Yeah, there were so many nuances, so we oftentimes had to say, "Well, we like this aspect of this one." "We like this type of, you know, whatever pastry about this one." So they're, they all were good, and there were pros and cons to each one.
But there was one food tour, and I don't know if I told you about this.
Genell: I don't think so.
Rachel Kyllo: But my youngest daughter, Libby- ... who is als- she's got a shared passion in food and actually studied French pastry. I saw in the Wall Street Journal one day that there was this mapped journey of the best pastry shops in New York City.
Oh. And so I texted Libby and I said, "Are you game?" And she said, "Absolutely." And so we booked a trip and went to New York last spring. It was actually in May. And we followed the path that , had been described in the Wall Street Journal shop by shop, and over two days went to 12 different bakery- and pastry shops, and it was amazing. I mean, the quality of of bakery and pastry products in, in New York City, and wide variety. And, and then we, of course, we had to take in a Broadway show while we were there. So it was a- ... it was a foodie trip with a couple little extra things. Yeah. But again, yeah, it was just... that, that kind of fills my cup when I think about curiosity and interest in food. Was just, was super fun.
Genell: And what's so nice is y- I mean, that you're able to combine your love of food with the love you have for your family and making it an experience, you know- Yeah ... out of it. Yeah. That's pretty cool.
Okay, so what is your favorite thing to bake?
Rachel Kyllo: Oh, goodness, that's a good... Well, I have to say, I don't know if this is my favorite thing to bake, Genell, but it is the thing I bake the most. So, and this also has a St. Olaf tie, believe it or not. But at our cabin, and we've had a cabin in Northern Minnesota for over 30 years, and every weekend that we have company, we have blonde brownies.
Oh, good. And one of our dear friends at St. Olaf baked those at St. Olaf- Yes ... and we've made that very same recipe every time since, and they're fabulous. They're chewy and buttery, and, and so that is probably the baked thing that I, I make the most. But I really enjoy any kind of baking, whether it's, you know, some kind of a layer cake or a fruit-based product or chocolate lava cake or you name it.
Genell: Who knew that even though at the time back in college that would become- Yeah ... your most made dessert? What is then your favorite thing to cook?
Rachel Kyllo: That's a good question. I love making pasta. I love making homemade pasta. That's probably right up there. I love seafood and different salmon dishes. I'd say probably either, yeah, some variety of pasta or some kind of seafood-based dish. Have a variety for, of salmon recipes that I just love and we make time and time again, so probably something in there. Okay.
Genell: So is there one dish that everyone seems to request that you make?
Rachel Kyllo: Let's see. That's... Well, there is one dish that I do make a lot, and this probably sounds super simple, but it's from Gavin Kaysen's cookbook.
And all of his things have a little difference. As an example, all of his stocks are made from scratch, so you would make your chicken stock first. But he's got a wild rice chicken soup that every time I make it for anybody, they just rave about it. . So that's kind of on one of the favorite go-to lists.
And it's unique in that- Yeah, it's got leek and it's got... It's just made in an interesting way that gives it a very different kind of fresh flavor, and is just, is really good.
Genell: Yum. I'll come over.
Rachel Kyllo: Yeah. Any time.
Genell: So next is, okay, is there one kitchen gadget you can't live without?
Rachel Kyllo: Probably a garlic press. Yeah, gotta have that. That and a microplaner. Yeah, those two tools.
Genell: So before we move on, I just have to tell everyone listening that if you love cooking, or even if you are like me and simply admire people who can create beautiful meals, I encourage you to check out Rachel's Instagram account, Cabin Food Love, if that's okay to mention.
Yes, absolutely. That's been a hobby, and that was- Yeah ... that hobby started during the pandemic. Okay. And it was, as I mentioned earlier, you know, the idea of, of wanting to understand how to better photograph food and kind of create something that looked attractive to, you know, to whoever was looking at it, and started that process, and I've... it's kind of just my little hobby.
I think- I think that's wonderful- Thanks ... I mean, to, to embrace that passion and that hobby. So again, I'll put it in the show notes, but it's- Okay ... @cabinfoodlove. And I remember when she would photograph, when she was doing that challenge, and you would photograph the different meals that you were making, and it was really fun to see. So it's definitely worth following, especially if you're a foodie.
Rachel Kyllo: Well, thank you for that.
Genell: But as much as you love cooking, another thing that's obvious is how much you love your family. And what would you say is the best part of being a grandma?
Rachel Kyllo: It is this, this experience that I don't think you can really understand until you've, you've kind of been, you've kind of walked that that path. It is this intense love for these little, these little peanuts that just is... They're just so unique, and each one in their own way, and just the, the deep love for them and the desire to be with them. You mentioned our cabin, and we found having these little tykes at the cabin and just being with them and experiencing things with them for the first time at the cabin has been just such a pleasure.
And we just wrapped up the 4th of July weekend, and we had all of them there. And so we had six little ones, age six and all the way six down to five weeks. So , it was a busy weekend, but- ... together with our three daughters and their spouses and these little ones. There honestly, there's nothing that brings me more joy than having them all together under one roof. I just, I love that. That's really special.
Genell: And I remember seeing, Rachel had pictures of the 4th of July, and there she had a USA cookie that you had made
Rachel Kyllo: That was a pancake That was a, oh, that was a pancake. Well, still, I mean It was a waffle. It was a- Okay it's a waffle maker that makes waffles in the shape of the-
Genell: and then they had cupcakes with frosting with red, white, and blue sprinkles on them, right? Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. So I'm sure the grandkids just love that And I guess you could say eat that up, but
So speaking about new chapters, let's talk about what's coming next. You're retiring later this year and choosing a new season. So was that a difficult decision for you to make?
Rachel Kyllo: It was. It was, and one that I've contemplated for a while. And, you know, as you see, as you see the number... Every year you have a birthday, and you see that number go up, and you realize at some point you need to decide, you know, not gonna work forever.
But it was as I described to you, I just, I, I enjoy my job, and I get up and I'm excited about going to work every day. So there was this angst about, "I'm not gonna have that in my life anymore." You know, how are things gonna, you know, how are things gonna go when that doesn't exist in my life?
So yeah, there was a lot of thought that went into it, but it's the right time. And Rich is, is actually retired the end of June. Okay. So he is now in the land of retirees, and so it was the right time. And excited about having more flexibility and being able to do things with Rich and travel and spend more time with our, our family and-
so yeah. Now, while there was a lot of thought that went into and a little bit of trepidation, I feel like it's absolutely the right thing.
Genell: So do you have, if you want to say, a list of adventures waiting, or are you just intentionally leaving room to discover what happens and what comes next? Yeah. Kind of the latter, honestly.
Rachel Kyllo: Yeah, we've got kind of some things that we would like to do, but we've also decided, you know, at the end of December, getting into January, we're gonna take a while and kinda just let it- kind of let it happen. Yep. And kind of see, you know, be super flexible and see what pops up that we might wanna do and, and not feel like we have to have everything- Right mapped out at this point. So we'll just, we'll take it as it comes and, yeah, kind of chart the, the course over time.
I'm looking forward to see what unfolds. Yeah. It's exciting for you. Exciting time. So when I look at your life, as we've talked about, I see someone who keeps learning, keeps trying, keeps growing.
So where do you think that mindset comes from?
I think if you're wired to be naturally curious- you know, if you're just always curious about things, I think some of that is, I think that's innate, and a desire to kind of continue to just learn about new things and have things spark your interest.
And once that spark goes, then following through and kind of, you know, absorbing as much as you can about what, what that spark was all about. So I think it's just, you know, continuing to be curious and, and that's something that I really want to do too once I retire, just being able to have more time to learn new things and- You know, kind of add experiences to the, whatever, personal database I guess.
So before we close, I've started asking every guest a version of this question, and that is RenewHer is about renewing your body, your brain, your life. When you hear the word renewal, what does it mean to you personally?
I think being... Yeah, when I think about that, Genell, I think it, it, in my mind It's being really mindful about the things at this point in my life that I want to make sure happen and that I continue to foster. And kind of when I think about renewal, and I think about that in the context of retirement what am I gonna renew that maybe I've let go a little bit as I've been busy working, renewing relationships. You know, you mentioned reconnecting several years ago, and I'm excited about the opportunity once I'm retired to just, you know, be with people and, and reconnect and kind of renew those relationships.
So I think maybe those would be the kind of renewing and sparking new activities, and then renewing relationships.
Genell: Nice. Beautiful. So Rachel, I really love that your story reminds us that life doesn't stop offering new adventures simply because we get older. Whether it's running your first marathon, learning gourmet cooking, becoming a food photographer, or preparing for retirement, you've shown us that it's never too late to challenge yourself, discover a new passion, and create a life that continues to grow."Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us today, and I also wanna thank the listeners for joining us and sharing their time with us. Until next time, stay curious and keep exploring what's possible.
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