Meet Rayna | Professional Speaker, Doctoral Candidate, Nomad Adventurer

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

Hi Rayna, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
In the beginning I didn’t realize I was starting a business. I had a moment where I realized I loved my volunteering and mentoring work but it would be nice to get paid for my time. I was great at teaching people soft skills, empowering them, and helping them reach goals they had never even considered. I looked into Professional Speaking and Consulting and realized there was not only a market, but I would excel in it.

It was at that point that I started to grow my career as a professional speaker and consultant. I have 2 topics I speak on: Building a Positive Self-Concept and Holistic Leadership. I am finishing a doctorate in Organizational Leadership so I have the Knowledge, the experience and the will to be successful. After starting the process I decided it was best to form an LLC so that way I could set myself up for long term growth.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My career path has never been linear and I’ve never focused on only one opportunity. I started my college careering thinking I wanted to be a child psychologist. I then made my way into Operations and now I have focused on Training & Development and Process Improvement. I have collected many degrees and certifications along this journey. It has been exciting and fun to grow with my career. Now that I work remotely I can travel 100% of the time, build my own business and finish a doctorate… all while enjoying life!

I am proud of myself for finding things that I enjoy professionally and allowing myself to pursue them. There are not a lot of people who say what they want and then actually go for it. There are of course challenges to living an “out of the box” lifestyle. I had to work hard to negotiate the career and professional life I have build for myself. The most important thing to remember is that most things are possible. Build a plan, acknowledge the challenges and road blocks, and then start working towards your goals.

I’ve learned too many lessons to count! One great lesson I learned was to ask and accept help when I need it. I have struggled with hyper-independence and I struggled with the idea of anyone willing to help me. Having an entire network of people supporting my career and goals makes the journey so much better.

My company’s tag line is “I am building an army of overly confident and kind people.” I used to say it as a joke but I stopped that when I realized it was impactful and people supported it. I want to help every person feel like they’re worth something, that they bring value to the world. I know what it’s like to feel unloved, unsupported and unwanted. I felt that my existence wasn’t important. I’ve learned ways to help myself and others conquer those feelings and live successful lives. And I plan on helping many more people throughout my career and travels.

I’m currently traveling the world while growing my business and learning new skills. I have met so many amazing people and seen so many wonderful communities along the way. I am not at my final destination professionally or in my travels. I’m going to look forward to new learning opportunities and to see what the future holds for my next crazy change!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Denver was a fantastic city to visit! I am a vegetarian so I can only suggest vegetarian/vegan food options but there’s so many great restaurant options! I like City O’City for their friendly bartenders and brunch options. Fire On the Mountain has the best seitan wings in the city! They also serve regular chicken wings if that’s more your vibe.

I also am very much in EDM music and the scene. If you’ll be in the area for a week it’s definitely worth checking out the music industry. There’s no specific venue that I enjoyed over the others, but the EDM community is strong in this city. Look up some groups on Facebook and they will help you figure out what DJs are playing and what you need to know about the venue.

I am also very much into botanical gardens and arcade bars, Denver has both! If time allows make sure to add these to your list. You could do a nice lunch, go to the botanical gardens and then hit up an arcade bar for HH. I’ve done this exact thing and it’s delightful.

Denver has a plethora of cocktail bars and speakeasy style bars as well. I went to a bunch but I won’t give away the secrets to the speakeasys. If that sort of thing interests you I would suggest doing some research to find some that call to you.

All of the things I suggested will lead you to meetings fun people and a good time… at least they did for me!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This is such a hard question because there were A LOT of people who helped me along the way. My top 3:

I am grateful to the people who bring me success stories of when I was able to help them, they showed me I was doing useful work. They put the idea in my head that I could do more with my skills.

I also have to give a shoutout to my closest friends who encourage me to go after any crazy idea and support me any way possible.

Lastly, I am very thankful for the new speakers I have met during the journey of launching my speaking business. There are a couple that I get to meet up with regularly. We share our stories and advice and just genuinely support all of our small businesses. Without them I’d be so lost!

Website: www.SpeakerRayna.com

Instagram: I have two: AdventureRayna and SpeakerRayna

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/speakerrayna/