One Step. No Plan. Nine Years Later

I Thought I Was Building Separate Things. I Was Wrong.

A race. A book. A podcast. A community. The Lenz. I thought I was building separate things. I'm starting to realize they're all connected. In this FIO Friday, I'm sharing what I've been noticing about curiosity, connection, belonging and the thread connecting everything I'm building. The question I keep coming back to is: What could we figure out together? Come along for the journey. Subscribe free on my Substack [https://rachelmartinmaine.substack.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] and stay curious. Rachel

Lessons I'm Collecting, No. 1: The Fenway Lesson

Rachel is back from an intentionally quiet summer with a new series: Lessons I'm Collecting. In this first installment, a Noah Kahn concert at Fenway Park becomes a powerful reminder that people don't remember what happened, they remember who they became. She shares why every race, business, and event is just the vehicle, the real work of creating belonging, and one question that changes how you lead, parent, and show up.

Brain Tornado? Control the Controllables.

Rachel shares the two-decade-old phrase that rewired how she handles anxiety: see things how they are, not worse than they are, then control the controllables. She breaks down the brain dump method that turns a spiraling mind into a clear action list, and gives this week's FIO Move. Want more like this every Friday? Join FIO Friday: https://thefiomindset.kit.com/d33acbd37e [https://thefiomindset.kit.com/d33acbd37e] ORDER THE FIO MINDSET book here: https://a.co/d/0d5I39xQ

What would your transcript say?

What if you could see a transcript of everything you complained about today — and had to read it out loud to someone? Gary V dropped that challenge this week and Rachel Martin couldn't let it go. In this episode, Rachel connects that question to something she watched unfold in her own backyard: South Berwick's 9th annual Tuskegee Sister City gathering — a decade-long project built entirely on one decision to ask "how do we make this better?" instead of "why is this so broken?" The result? Musicians collaborating across state lines, hard conversations held with love, and 45 people sitting down to dinner in the rain because that's what happens when you choose building over complaining. This is the FIO flip in real life. Rachel breaks down why awareness is always step one, why this isn't toxic positivity (Rachel Hollis said it best this week), and why the shift from "why is this happening TO me" to "how is this happening FOR me" changes the energy you carry, the results you create, and ultimately — the life you build. Your FIO Move: catch yourself complaining once this week. Flip it. Watch what shifts. New episodes every Friday. Join the FIO Friday email list at thefiomindset.kit.com/d33acbd37e.

One Step. No Plan. Nine Years Later

The most meaningful things in Rachel's life — Pumpkinman, Race Across America, the Tuskegee sister city project — had zero master plan. Just a feeling, and a first step. This week, Rachel shares what's happening in her hometown this weekend, why your next big thing doesn't need a blueprint, and the one move you can make in the next 48 hours to stop waiting and start. FIO Move included.Want this in your inbox every Friday? Join FIO Friday at thefiomindset.kit.com/d33acbd37e