Meet Trailblazer Rachel Overvoll

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Overvoll.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Rachel. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am a first-time author living in Denver, Colorado. Finding Feminism is my memoir depicting the power and strength all women hold within ourselves. The power we have to overcome situations which hold us down, and the power we have to fully fall in love with who we are. In my memoir, I discuss my unique upbringing, growing up in an extreme and fundamentalist religion in Indiana. The religion specifically centered on patriarchal views of women’s roles as well as women’s beauty, so growing up in this environment indoctrinated me with many toxic views about my personal abilities as well as my role as a woman in society. About seven years ago, at the age of 21, I finally found the courage within myself to leave the toxic community and begin a journey towards my own independence. At this time, I uprooted my life from small-town Indiana to the vast mountain city of Denver. I sensed that my life could be so much more, and I knew that as a woman I had the power within me which the religion wanted to suppress.

Has it been a smooth road?
Since my transition to Denver, I have worked diligently to overcome the toxic beliefs I was raised with, becoming a feminist and body-positive activist. Leaving fundamentalist religion did not happen overnight. I did not wake up one morning and say “I am done with religion.” Leaving the church and unlearning the indoctrination the church instilled in me took several years. It took thousands of small decisions. Small daily mindset shifts from my once held patriarchal beliefs about my body, my worth, and my voice. And through these decisions and mindset shifts, I slowly found myself. I found a vulnerability and independence. My goal and passion is to show women how to believe in their power and help all women to fall in love with who they are. I want to use my story to empower women, to choose the life they want and step into that life in courage and vulnerability.

The biggest challenge I have been working through in the last year is the vulnerability that this book has forced me to showcase for an audience. It is an incredibly scary experience sharing your entire story with the world and strangers. In sharing authentically though, I have found immense freedom. When I first began writing, I hide a lot of my experiences from my writing in fear that someone might think I am “crazy” or “weird”, but as my writing unfolded I realized the importance of sharing my story fully and with vulnerability. When I decided to include all of my experiences, even the traumatic and heartbreaking ones, I felt freer than I have in years. I hope that when people read my story, they also find freedom and therapeutic release in the vulnerability I shared with them. There is power in women sharing their struggles with each other, and even if it was difficult for me to detail all of my trials and triumphs I believe that this will provide other women freedom from their own trauma.

Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
In this process, I have learned that writing and having your book published is an unending process. I am still working with publicizing Finding Feminism and speaking at women’s events.

I also have some exciting projects coming up!! The first is Rise Up Denver – a Women’s Vision Summit I am co-creating with my dear friend Hannah Moon. The second is a sex podcast. Stay tuned for details.

So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well-positioned for?
I believe that there are challenges women face (it would be naive to say we have achieved equality) and that we still have a lot of work to do to break the glass ceiling, specifically for marginalized female groups (women of color and LGBTQ women). But one thing I have seen and experienced in the last several years is the intentionality of women banding together to support each other. When women support each other and collaborate over compete, amazing strides are made. I do believe that we are starting to see this more and more, and I am here to fight for it to be seen even more vividly.

Contact Info:

• Website: rachelovervoll.com
• Instagram: @rachelovervoll
• Facebook: @rachelovervoll
• Twitter: @rachelovervoll
• Other: @riseupdenver

Image Credit:
https://www.instagram.com/carlym.miller/ 

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