#105 - What Actually Matters: 25 Years of Motherhood, Career & Intentional Parenting (The Long View) - Rachel Vecht

Alex and I are in the thick of it—children aged 3-5, so we were excited to ask someone on the other side: Rachel, who raised 4 kids while building a business over 25 years.

"Looking back—what actually mattered?"

Not achievements. Not milestones. Relationship.

Rachel: teacher → founder of Reading Matters → 25 years raising 4 kids (now 15-24) → the long view.

She chose slow growth to be present. Built a business ahead of its time. And now looking back, she reflects out loud.

In this episode:

Why relationship is the foundation of everything—without connection, you can't influence or teach.

How teaching emotional regulation starts with regulating your own (and why their prefrontal cortex isn't fully developed yet).

The iceberg framework: all behavior is communication—what you see is just the tip.

Helping her children navigate their own grief taught her when to guide and when to hold space.

Why reading together isn't just education—it's connection, windows into other worlds, relationship through story.

This is wisdom from the other side. From someone who's already raised the kids you're raising now.

Timely note: It's Children's Mental Health Week—this conversation about emotional regulation and seeing behaviour as communication couldn't be more relevant.