On September 10th, Ann spoke with guest Rachel Noall a poet, English professor, and the CEO of RN Marketing Collective. She told the story of the first time her poetry was shared which led to making an unexpected connection with a poem and inspiring her to take more leaps of faith.
Interestingly, Rachel never initially planned on becoming a poet. She loved writing, but she had never considered specializing in poetry. However, as poetry became more popular on social media over the years, Rachel shifted her focus from writing longer works to shorter poems. She hoped to reach wider audiences, especially since the market for poetry is small outside of the internet.
Around the same time, Rachel began watching a CNN series called Great Big Story. This series features 3-4 minute video segments highlighting people from around the world doing notable things. One story about a woman who photographs abandoned places, Finding Life (and New Friends) in Abandoned Places, inspired Noall to write a short poem about lost memories and friends. She posted her poem on Instagram and tagged Great Big Story as well. Little did she know that she would finally get the validation she had always been hoping for from this one poem.
The Stranger’s Message
Shortly after posting her poem on the internet, Rachel received a direct message from a stranger with exciting news. It was the photographer from the CNN video. She said that a producer from the CNN series sent the poem to her after coming across it on the web. Rachel could not believe her eyes- a CNN producer thought that her poem was worthy enough to share. Finally, someone had noticed her for her writing.
At that point in her life, Rachel was still at a crossroads about her writing career. Was she going to continue creative writing, or was she going to focus on teaching? There were many voices telling her to focus on the latter because it is hard to make a living on art. But this one event was all it took for Rachel to validate her writing talent. She realized that people care about her work, and that she should not give up.
A snapshot of Rachel Noall’s Instagram Feed @rrnoall
“It was definitely the nudge I needed… I was at the point where I was at the top of the rollercoaster and it was the little tap I needed to go down the hill.”
– Rachel Noall
What This Unexpected Connection Taught Her
At the time, Noall had just begun posting her poetry on social media. She had not tried to make connections before that point, so this event in her life was truly a turning point. Rachel understood how some people have the ability to change her life for the better. She now works together with other creators on a regular basis. Rachel also does her best to help people find others to network with in various fields. She believes that if you have the ability to mentor someone else, you should. It is rewarding for both parties.
“Reach out to people, sometimes the world does crazy things for you. The worst someone can say to you is no.”
-Rachel Noall
In all, Rachel Noall’s first time story highlights how forming connections can be the catalyst for confidence. By making efforts to form new relationships, you can find people who have similar interests. Especially with the internet, there are multiple ways to get in touch with the right people. She also emphasizes the importance of being that mentor yourself. The producer of the CNN series drove Rachel to pursue her passion without even knowing it. Therefore, everyone should be a mentor because you never know how you can help others.
You can follow Rachel Noall on Instagram or visit her website to view her other poems and purchase her latest books.
Interested in being a guest? Find out more here.
