#31 - From Radiology to Rooted Healing: Rachel’s Journey of Motherhood & Business (Kingdom Mothers in Business) Ft. Rachel Borntreger

In this episode of Kingdom Mothers, I sit down with Rachel to hear her inspiring journey of leaving a career in radiology to pursue her calling as a Doctor of Naturopathic Health. We talk about what it looks like to step out in faith, steward both motherhood and business, and embrace God’s direction in building a life of impact and wholeness. 

Connect with Rachel Borntreger:

https://www.facebook.com/rborntrager

https://www.instagram.com/purposefulhealth4u/

Purposefulhealth.net 

Transcript

13:35:02 Whatever. Okay, whatever your hour is, where you're at. Okay, perfect. I'm gonna hit record.
13:35:07 Yeah, yeah.
13:35:16 Hey, Kingdom Mothers! Welcome back to another episode. I'm your host, Brandi Thomas, and I'm so excited to have Rachel Borntrager on with us today to be continuing our series of Kingdom Mothers in Business.
13:35:26 And just how we steward that motherhood, business, all the things well. Before we get started, like usual, I want to just kick us off with prayer, and then we'll dive into our conversation, so… Father, I just thank you so much for the opportunity to just see my dear friend Rachel again and have this conversation, this raw and real conversation.
13:35:45 Um, about this journey of motherhood and business and marketplace ministry, we just thank you for the opportunities that you do give us to steward, and.
13:35:53 Just the blessings that you… you give us to hold, and so we just pray that this is, um, an episode that blesses, that.
13:36:02 Gives people some practical wisdom, and just continues to guide those listening. So we just thank you and ask your blessing and favor upon us today, and I pray this in your name, Jesus.
13:36:14 Right, well, welcome, Rachel. Thank you so much for hopping on with me today.
13:36:12 Amen!
13:36:18 Thank you! Thank you for having me.
13:36:20 Um, yeah, of course. So, I'm so excited because you… I'm not actually had a guest like… like you with your background on, because you… so for those of you who don't know, Rachel is, like, my naturopath doctor. She actually lives in Montana, and I'm in Indiana, so we're, like, telehealth again with each other.
13:36:39 For the most part, and then we try to meet with, uh, business conferences that we attend, and she'll, like.
13:36:44 Kind of do my in-person. I don't… what do you call that? Like, health checkup? When we…
13:36:49 Console. Yeah.
13:36:50 Yeah, consult when we finally get to travel together, so… Um, so I'm…
13:36:58 Rachel, where your business is geared toward in the health space and naturopathic space.
13:37:03 So why don't you share a little bit… I know I had your bio that I read, but share a little bit about your journey and your background, Rachel.
13:37:09 I would love to. So, my first career is what I like to say, is in radiology. So, traditional medicine, um.
13:37:16 I worked in healthcare for over, um. It was around 20-some years that I was in radiology, and.
13:37:25 From then, we… my family, my husband and I, we adopted children. So, at that point, we… realized that family was not going away, and we needed to nurture it, and.
13:37:36 Really invest in them, and um… so I stepped back from radiology. Well, in that process of stepping back, I realized what stress was doing to my body.
13:37:46 What stress was doing to our whole, um, family, and what we could do to navigate that. So.
13:37:52 I went back to school to be, um, Integrative Health. Health coach, and then, um, fast forward to when the world was crazy, um, a couple years ago, uh.
13:38:07 My nephew had an anaphylactic reaction to dairy, and. From that moment, it was, you know, being in traditional healthcare, we were searching for the answers, and they were not giving us the reasons why, and I am a person that clearly asks a lot of questions.
13:38:21 And want to get to that deep root cause. And, um, everyone's like, well, if you just stay away from X, Y, and Z, he'll be fine. And it was not the case.
13:38:31 Um, so we went down a different path, and from that path led me to another path, which then I ended up getting, um.
13:38:39 Trained and board-certified in, um, Doctor of Natural Medicine. So. That is where I'm at to date.
13:38:47 And I'm so grateful, because you've definitely helped me on my fertility journey, my, like, autoimmune journey.
13:38:52 Um, so I'm… and I feel like every time I look on social media or get a new certification or a new… a new… Cool!
13:38:58 Well, I figured out that the more I know, the more I know I don't know, so when I am helping people, not only get to the health root issue of their physical health, but also getting to that spiritual.
13:39:12 Component, or touching on that spiritual component, because they're all so intertwined.
13:39:16 Yes.
13:39:16 Intertangled, intertwined, however you want to say it. Um… Because we're… we're God creatures, and we're just, um…
13:39:24 So wonderfully made.
13:39:27 Yes. So, I didn't need to have you on for another episode where we actually dive more into that topic. This episode's more about how do you steward your business and all the things in motherhood.
13:39:39 But that would be… okay, people listening, if you want me to do an episode with Rachel where we dive into, like, our bodies and the spiritual connection and our health.
13:39:48 Uh, comment like this episode, and we will… we'll get that on the books.
13:39:53 Um, okay, so you are a naturopathic doctor, you have all these certifications, you're… you're just amazing in that area. Tell us more about your family, um, and what are the ages of your kids, and… Then we'll dive into how do those actually work together?
13:40:08 Yes, so when I started this, obviously, they were younger, um, but now I have a, um, 19-year-old.
13:40:17 A 17-year-old, a almost 17-year-old, and… 14 and a 12.
13:40:23 Um, so they're all busy. In school stuff, and home life, we are…
13:40:31 We're always in something. So, managing all of those things, plus.
13:40:35 Working the business, has been… definitely had its challenges. Um, one thing that I do really like.
13:40:42 Um, as we are… as they're growing older. They have more of an investment in what we do here at the office and the business.
13:40:52 They're coming, they're helping out, is it… Simply stalking shelves, taking out trash.
13:40:57 To, um, inputting and scanning in my paperwork into the computer. So there's lots of different things that they help with, which has been so… amazing to see them grow and see them interested. I actually have one of them, um, the almost 17-year-old.
13:41:14 She is interested in… diving into even the… the hands-on stuff, so to get her trained and…
13:41:22 Um, where she feels comfortable with that.
13:41:26 That's so cool. I love that you're involving your children into… your business? I think that's so important as entrepreneurs that we do…
13:41:34 Get our family's buy-in, I think that, for me, like, getting my husband on board with what I'm doing in my business, so he understands why I'm on a call, maybe at 8 p.m. At night, or.
13:41:44 Throughout the day or whatever, um… My son's 5, so he's not… He just knows he might get to watch a TV show or something if mom doesn't recall, so for him, he's like, yeah, do you have a work call, mom? Go work, because then I get to watch the show.
13:42:00 If my husband's not home to help out. Um, so I love that you're actually doing practical things and teaching your children skills with that. That is such a…
13:42:08 I think one of the blessings of being an entrepreneur is we do get to bring our children into.
13:42:13 Are rolling a little bit, because… They do intertwine.
13:42:18 Um, so I would love for you to share, what are some of the lessons that you've learned over your entrepreneurial.
13:42:25 Journey in your career. Um, that, you know, maybe you're like.
13:42:29 You know, hindsight's 20-20. You're like, man, I wish I would have known this, and if I could help the new mom.
13:42:35 Entrepreneur, somebody like me who's… I've got a 5-year-old, so I'm still kind of figuring out.
13:42:40 Motherhood and business, what were some of the lessons learned that you would share?
13:42:45 Yeah, I feel like there's so many on that topic, but one of the ones that sticks out so clearly to me is, first of all.
13:42:51 Um, there's seasons. There's seasons of, like, you are maybe building a business, and you are committed to working and kind of, like.
13:43:00 Um, really into it at the moment. And be a… give yourself grace to realize that.
13:43:08 That's a season. It's not forever, um, and being okay with a messy house, or things not… in perfect spaces that you want them. Um…
13:43:21 You know, we could go down a whole bunch of rabbit holes. We could have help come in if that's something that's super important to you.
13:43:27 But, um, for me, it was… it was kind of like.
13:43:31 Laying down control, because, um, I didn't have the time to manage my home cleaning.
13:43:38 Necessarily, because I was investing in my brick and mortar and office space and stuff like that.
13:43:44 Um, really being in the moment. And I know this is something that I have had to work on, and I've been, um.
13:43:53 As your kids get older, they will be blunt and willing to show you your faults.
13:43:58 Um, so being aware of just taking their feedback and saying that, um.
13:44:03 For me, it was really working all the time. And not being in the moment. So taking… if I knew.
13:44:10 If I could tell a different… a younger mom that's building a business.
13:44:13 Be in the moment. When you're at work, be at work. When you're at home, be at home. Um… when your kids are wanting to come talk to you.
13:44:21 It's okay to pause what you're doing. And really focus on them, listen to them, and be intent… intentional.
13:44:31 No, that is so good. I think. For me, since I don't have a brick-and-mortar office, my office is, like, just a room in my house.
13:44:39 That can be challenging when you're like, okay, this is my… office time, my focus time, and then you get interrupted, and so that's something I've had to learn how to steward and.
13:44:49 Set boundaries with my son, or, you know. Because they're, like, he'll come in in the middle of a podcast episode, and I'm like, I can't really pay attention to you right now, like, where's your father?
13:44:59 What's going on here? And so, yeah, like, but you also, like you said, you have the blessing of.
13:45:05 You can pause. Most of the things you're doing in your business are not more important than your child.
13:45:12 Or your family, and that's something I've been learning as well, is like.
13:45:16 Okay, is… causing… yes, is it… am I gonna have to kind of maybe think about what I… where I was at and get back in my spot?
13:45:25 But is this editing a podcast episode, or… you know, working on it some client.
13:45:31 Project, is that really more important than what my 5-year-old wants to tell me about his car or something? And I've had to kind of learn to prioritize, okay.
13:45:41 Making sure I am creating that space for my family, and they do… recognize I value them.
13:45:47 While also holding boundaries for mommy does have a business that.
13:45:53 Is trying to provide income for our family, and it is a priority as well.
13:45:57 So, have you experienced that? So, you just said you have a brick-and-mortar business, but do you bring your work home as well? Do you have a home office, and how have you been able to… sister of those things.
13:46:09 Yeah, I do have a home office, um, and then. When 2020 happened, I felt like my office.
13:46:16 There was a lot of things, like my basement flooded, um, my… my kids were at home, I'm trying to homeschool 5 kids, and build a business from home.
13:46:26 And, um, so I think there's been shifts, like I said, it's not… it's… there's seasons.
13:46:31 Um, but right now, my office space is the kitchen table.
13:46:37 All right. Um, and I… what I do is I get up Saturday mornings, my morning starts at 6 AM.
13:46:46 And, um, I am on different calls. I'm on calls until about 11, and then I'm done.
13:46:51 So, the kids know that it's their morning to sleep in, um, but then I'm working, and then I have the time to do their stuff and fun stuff. So that has worked out good. This is something new that we're trying, and they're older, so that is definitely something that's a little bit more.
13:47:06 Feasible for this season with them.
13:47:10 I love that. I love that you talked about seasons, because I do think that is important.
13:47:14 And another lesson that I've been learning is that, okay, Elijah being a baby.
13:47:19 And being able to take him with me. Versus him being an active 5-year-old boy who wants my attention now and doesn't understand the concept of time and schedules and routines yet.
13:47:29 Are different… She knows they bring different challenges, and you kind of have to pivot some of your expectations.
13:47:38 Around your business a little bit, and like, I love that you said earlier, like, letting some things go, or really, truly identifying, okay.
13:47:46 If I'm in a season of building. Can I either delegate my house cleaning? Can I…
13:47:52 Um, just let it pile up, and you know, on Friday night, that used to be me, on Friday nights, I would do the dishes, and they would kind of sit in the sink for the week.
13:48:03 Right.
13:47:59 And… but they would get done eventually, right? So, I think that is… I think that's a key thing, is giving yourself grace. First, identifying the season that you're in.
13:48:11 What are the constraints? What are the priorities? What is your capacity?
13:48:16 And kind of holding things more loosely. And just shifting maybe some expectations for that season you're in.
13:48:26 But I'm going to add one more thing, though, to that.
13:48:25 Because a building season… Go, please.
13:48:29 It's okay to say no to outside commitments, and you don't have to give a reason why.
13:48:36 Um, a lot of today's society. They want to know why, why you can't do this, or why you can't do that, because, you know, you… they may look at you as someone that can accomplish lots of things.
13:48:47 They don't need to know the reason why you're allowed to have those boundaries.
13:48:51 And said them firmly.
13:48:53 Mm-hmm. Yes, I love the… The no is a complete sentence.
13:49:01 Yes.
13:49:01 Say… Oh, man. Okay, so let's pivot a little bit and just talk more about stewardship with marriage, motherhood, family life in general.
13:49:11 And… and business, and how have you been able to steward well?
13:49:17 Um, what are… how are… what are some ways that you found, like, this is how… this helps me actually steward my marriage, my… my motherhood journey and my business well.
13:49:28 I think one of the things for me has been, um.
13:49:32 Morning times. And really being, um…
13:49:37 Allowing yourself to, again, back to the boundaries, and setting time management.
13:49:42 Um, my kids all know that if it's not in mom's calendar, it will not happen.
13:49:47 Um, so everything that, you know, from family to marriage, um.
13:49:53 Even making sure that. You're setting time for yourself, and again, there's seasons with that. I'm married to a farmer, so, um, in…
13:50:02 Springs work. It ain't gonna be date night every night, or every week. In harvest, it's not going to be date night, but in getting those moments, even if it's grocery shopping together.
13:50:13 Um, you're together and having those times. So, really be intentional.
13:50:18 On building those relationships and cultivating them so that. They don't get lost.
13:50:27 Yeah, RJNA, it looks like school pickup lines sometimes, now that Lynch is in kindergarten.
13:50:33 I love it.
13:50:34 But it's also nice to be like, okay, but babe, you don't go to work until… because he's night shift, so I'm like, okay, you're doing pickup, and I'm gonna stay home and finish some business stuff up before I switch into ball mode, so… Yeah, I love that you said, like, day and night can be grocery shopping, it can be the school pickup line together, it can be… it's all about that prioritization, I think, and being intentional, like you said, so…
13:50:55 I love that you shared that. Is there anything that you would do differently if you could go back?
13:51:03 Um. If I was to go back, like.
13:51:07 The things that I've talked about is being… making sure that you're in the moment, because.
13:51:12 Um, we all are busy. We all have our devices so easily in our spaces.
13:51:20 Our phones are right there with us. And such a distraction.
13:51:24 Um, and yes, it is something that I work on daily.
13:51:28 But really taking a distance from some of that, and being in the moment. Really.
13:51:34 Whatever it is, if you're working, if you're with your kids, with your husband.
13:51:39 Be intentional, and really focus on what's in front of you.
13:51:46 Yeah, I love that. Is there anything else that you're implementing today that you're… like, this is working… Versus, this is not work… working, and you've had to kind of pivot some areas.
13:51:56 Oh, goodness. Um… Some things that are really working for me is definitely morning times and getting those days set up, um, looking at your.
13:52:08 You know, plan an ideal week doesn't mean that it's going to happen the way that you plan it, but planning it out, because if you set yourself up for success.
13:52:17 Um, there's going to be success. If you plan to fail.
13:52:22 And not have a plan. That's where the struggles, or even, um…
13:52:29 Things come in and sit at your table. That may not be wanted.
13:52:34 When you don't plan properly.
13:52:38 Yeah. I think, yes, I can totally agree with you on planning.
13:52:41 Because if you aren't, like, your mom, you're a wife, you have a business, like, you have to plan.
13:52:48 And set the boundaries, like you said. And, like, this week, we had an electrician here. We were supposed to have a sump pump installed, and that got canceled to reschedule to next week.
13:52:58 We've got… I'm leaving for a business conference tomorrow, but then a septic person's coming out, so having to, like, organize all of that, and what's gonna happen when I'm not here.
13:53:09 The only way that's going to be successful is… for me, I have to plan it all out and then delegate, okay, Jeremy, this is where you need to be, this is where your mother needs to be, this is where my mom needs to be.
13:53:19 And I love that. Making the plan, because if we plan to fail.
13:53:26 All right, but how's the thing is, like, if you fail the plan, then you… you're planning to fail, right? So… So true.
13:53:32 Yeah, and I like how you brought in your tribe, like, really have a tribe that supports you and is there for you. It's not… Um, I just love that. I love how you have your in-laws, your mother, um, and all the support.
13:53:48 Yes, let's talk about that, because having your tribe, your village, I've learned it does take a village.
13:53:54 Part of me, though, there's been seasons where I've isolated, and I can see, like, how that has.
13:54:01 There's some… Some of… some of… some isolation, I think, is good when you're like, I just need to isolate and have that quiet time with God and figure out, here are my own thoughts.
13:54:11 But then also, like, not refusing help, and actually creating space for people to come in and.
13:54:16 And help you in asking for help is a strength, not a weakness. And I know over the years, I've had to start to shift that perspective of.
13:54:24 Oh, if I ask for help, I'm weak. And you're like, no, I'm asking for help, that's actually a strength of mine, because I don't have to do it all. I don't have to control everything.
13:54:33 And help is… we were called to be in community, we were created to be in community.
13:54:40 Um, so what is… let's talk about, like, your village, your tribe, what does that look like for you?
13:54:47 I love that, um, question. I feel, as I marinate on that a little bit, I feel like my tribe, my village.
13:54:55 Shifts sometimes. Um… being a mom that has adopted children with special needs.
13:55:04 It's not… not everyone understands that, and I say that with grace and love, but… finding the people that.
13:55:11 Um, support you, even when it's hard. And sometimes that means that.
13:55:19 Friends go, new friends come. Um, and being okay with having those little shifts.
13:55:25 So, um… not just finding your village, finding your tribe, but being truly safe.
13:55:33 And having that bi… Um, that, that highway that goes both ways, not just.
13:55:41 One always giving, where you say, um. It's… it takes strength to ask for help.
13:55:47 It takes strength to, um, be vulnerable in those spaces.
13:55:53 Yeah, that is so true. Um, yeah, and finding, like, the people you trust, the people who will… you can actually rely on, and…
13:56:02 Cheer you on, like my mother-in-law is gonna help out. Thursday nights, my husband works, and she's gonna take Elijah to school, and my sister's gonna drive down and.
13:56:11 And, you know, my mother-in-law's like, enjoy these next. You know, I'm driving to Georgia, she's like, enjoy them, like, reconnect with yourself, like.
13:56:19 And she sees what I do. At home, and as a mother, and… As I'm doing business stuff, but…
13:56:27 It just felt really nice for her to actually acknowledge, like, you do a lot, and it's okay for you to take this weekend and allow yourself to be poured into.
13:56:35 And I get to speak at this conference, too, but she's like.
13:56:39 Be breathing. By just go and be brandy for the weekend. Don't be mom, don't be wife, just, like, be Brandy, and so… Finding those people who can cheer you on.
13:56:49 Have her back when you maybe need to go and step away.
13:56:54 Is so good, and be praying for… I love the saying.
13:56:57 Um, get friends that pray behind your back. I don't… I feel like that's a new saying that's been going around on social media, but I'm like, yes, like, half of the people who are praying for you, that are worrying for you.
13:57:09 Behind your back, and… check in on you, like, that has been such a blessing of my entrepreneurial journey, is actually getting to connect with people who are like-minded and, like.
13:57:19 Light-hearted, and bring those people into my tribe, even from a virtual.
13:57:25 Support system, not just a physical support system. Somebody like you, Rachel. We definitely…
13:57:33 I've been praying, we pray for each other, and… You know, have been able to build a relationship outside of just our…
13:57:39 Patient. Doctor. Relationship.
13:57:40 Yeah. So true, I love all of that.
13:57:47 Is there anything else that, as we wrap up, that you would, um… want to share any lasting wisdom or nuggets that you're like.
13:57:56 If I could tell you one thing, this will be that one thing.
13:58:04 Allow yourself… I've said it before, allow yourself grace. In the moment.
13:58:10 But don't stay there. And fall to the victimized. Um, pick yourself up.
13:58:17 Dig deep into the Scripture, and… circle back to those friends that pray behind your back.
13:58:25 I love that, Rachel. Thank you so much for being on, uh, the Kingdom of the podcast today. It was so great to hear from you, and I'm excited now for our next episode, because I'm definitely going to have to have you back, I think, to dive into.
13:58:39 More of where your, your, uh, your niche is, is the healthcare and the spiritual connection, too, so… Um, thanks for giving me that podcast episode idea, Rachel.
13:58:49 Oh, thank you! We'll talk soon.
13:58:52 All right, ladies, we'll see you back here on our next episode of Kingdom Mothers.