Rachel Tilghman

I think it's been a lot of trial and error, and being willing to try things. I would totally say the resilience piece, and I would also say I've reframed how I think about failure, and then also how I think about community, and I find those two things to be actually inextricably linked. I spent a lot of time in New Zealand for a couple of years, and that was really defining for me in terms of how I thought about community. I learned so much there. And so I would say it's not about... failure is gonna happen, it's who you're going to get through that with, and how you have the community around you. And I think it also plays into the, you know, if you want a village, you also have to be a villager. Every time I've had a failure or a moment of doubt, it's actually been my community that's helped me see a different path, and so I think that's really important and kind of the constant.

I mean, so many women have influenced me throughout my career. I can think of quite a few that... I think every workplace I've had, I've had deep female relationships and friendships that have been super inspirational for me. Right now, I think about Lindsay Swanson, I think about Abby Tucker. There's a lot of women that I work with, and even at my past company, like Sherry Lynn, women that I've worked with that have really taught me and brought me along, and not only working with them, but also, you know, I've held their babies and been to their weddings. I think I was always taught that there was a level of professionalism that you needed to have, but I actually find that women in the workplace who truly support each other on all ends of that is so beautiful. I learned a lot of that early in my career. There were a few women early in my career, two jump out at me, or three, but one has since passed away. She was a huge mentor. But Julie Payne Kirchmeyer and Kelly Schaefer at Northwestern University at the time, early in my career, showed me two very different styles of leadership that complemented each other beautifully. And they were all so incredibly compassionate, empathetic, thoughtful women who modeled for me a lot of the types of leadership that I knew I would want to adopt. But, you know, I've had it at every step of the way and I constantly look to that.

I think my favorite advice is that whatever you're most nervous about is probably what's going to make you stand out. And what I mean by that, and, like, tactically, and I've actually kind of turned it into, like, a reverse interview question, but a lot of people will talk about, like, oh, like, you know, are you going to be a culture fit for our organization? I actually reject that, and I encourage people to think of it as, like, a culture add. Like, what are you going to bring that we don't have? Things that we're most nervous to put on display, and I would say, actually, like, run with that.

Rachel describes her growth as a process shaped by trial and error and a willingness to take on new challenges. Over time, she has developed a strong sense of resilience and a reframed understanding of failure, viewing it as an opportunity for learning and redirection rather than a setback.

A formative experience in this perspective was her time living in New Zealand, where she gained a deeper appreciation for the importance of community. She emphasizes that challenges are rarely faced alone and that strong support systems often play a critical role in navigating moments of uncertainty.

Rachel also believes that community is reciprocal, noting that building a strong network requires active participation and contribution. In her experience, her community has consistently helped her gain perspective and move forward during moments of doubt, reinforcing the importance of connection throughout her personal and professional journey.

My personal leadership philosophy, but also my life philosophy, I've spent a lot of time refining what that would be, and it's do lofty things with love. And so, how I define that is, like, if we work together, if we're friends, if we do stuff, like, we should be able to do big, amazing things. Like, you should feel like anything is possible, but we should also feel like they're coming from a place of love and community and support. And I think that aligns both with my values, but also, I believe inextricably in my leadership philosophy, my work philosophy, and my personal life - they have to be intertwined, because I have to show up as who I am, or I'm gonna get exhausted. It's nice to kind of have that center. I volunteer a lot in my community. I'm involved in the Junior League, I'm involved in Rotary. And I think it's just so important to have an outlet to give back and connect to others, so that's been really important. And, you know, everywhere I've lived, I've lived in a lot of different places, I've tried to find community in that way, and I find giving back fulfilling. In my free time, I actually ride horses, which I have been doing since I was a kid. I have a horse, his name is Elmo. I love him, and I think for me, it's actually also a lot about resilience as an adult. I look at a lot of the mistakes I've made riding, or, you know, I've had bad falls, I've broken bones, so to speak, but still riding and competing and finding it something that brings me joy has been a big source of strength as well in my personal life. And then I also firmly believe that most leadership skills I've learned and communication skills I've actually learned from horses - they're incredibly intuitive nonverbal communicators.