Beauty Pageants, Self-Care, Job Rejections

Can you imagine being told you’re “too bubbly” and that’s why you didn’t get the job? Rachel Bronson experienced this firsthand as she was interviewing for a recruiting position for a college. She laughs about it now and reflects how this experience actually propelled her to pivot and go back to school to get not just one but two masters degrees. If it wasn’t for this experience, she wouldn’t have moved back to Mississippi, wouldn’t have met her long-time boyfriend, Matt, and wouldn’t have had all the adventures they had… “We wouldn’t be living here in California together if it wasn’t for me taking that leap and leaving because they didn’t appreciate who I was”.

An adjective that was once used against her, is how she describes herself now: bubbly and outgoing, “I embrace it and know that it’s appreciated by the people that really value that in me”. As an only child, she had to learn to make friends and how to talk to people. Being bubbly is what has helped her along her career path, in school, and in social life. Its all about making connections, “I love talking to people, getting to know people in all walks of life and that’s really drive me, helps me become who I am”. Whoever said that wasn’t a strength in a person, is very much mistaken.

Growing up, part of Rachel’s childhood also included beauty pageants. An experience that developed her public speaking skills and her outlook on the evolution of strong women. “If you look at the history of the Miss America Organization, it’s not just a beauty pageant or a scholarship fund. It’s really highlighting and embracing women of different backgrounds, whether that’s women in STEM, women in education, women in sport, women in the arts.” The idea of what a strong woman is continues to evolve and is notable for younger generations to see, especially in roles that haven’t been seen in the past. This just serves as a reminder of how much women have evolved in society as their own person and how they show up for others.

Rachel is a strong representation of showing up for others. She shares, “I give energy to those I love and care about the most. My love language is giving. I like to give and take care of people and support my friends”. At this stage of her life, she’s not giving time or attention to things that don’t make her happy or don’t fill her cup. This includes relationships that aren’t reciprocated. This is a big component in what she calls her current era; her Self-Care Era. Rachel describes, “Self-care can come from multiple things. A lot of different things can fill my cup whether that’s hanging out at home playing Phase 10 on the couch, hanging out with friends and be more social, or that’s sitting outside on the porch by myself with a glass of wine. I’m definitely trying to embrace the things that make me happy”. Self-care is a beautiful concept, as it’s subjective to everyone.

One of the reasons Rachel was attracted to A Side of Sass is because of our motivation to be bold. She says, “I’m bold and passionate and loud and am proud of who I am. I get to embrace that”. Anyone that knows Rachel can feels her passion and the confidence she has in her own authenticity, another aspect of A Side of Sass’ mission. From her viewpoint, bold can mean different things, “Be bold in your own way and own life. Make choices, choices that take you out of your comfort zone. Bold is moving on to something that could give you a bigger platform but may not be the most outward facing choice”. There can be a misconception that bold is ONLY something loud or that stands out to the masses. While that can be a version of being bold, it’s not the only kind. Rachel highlights, “Be bold in who you are but don’t change yourself to be bold in a different capacity… don’t force another personality trait because you’ve been told that bold means something that doesn’t relate to you”. Being bold is within all of us. It’s just a matter of when we choose to apply it.