Rachel Reilly

Rachel Reilly is a television personality, actress, and host. She's best known for her time on reality TV winning the 13th season of Big Brother and meeting and marrying her husband on its 12th season. She was also on seasons 20 and 24 of Amazing Race.

As an established host Rachel has had her own shows, Reality Relapse and Adventures 4 Pets. She has also been a host on network and cable TV shows such as her time on Hollywood Today Live.

I had the opportunity to chat with Rachel and what an awesome conversation. She loves her family, career, and living in the moment and I’m thrilled to share our interview.

InFluential Magazine: Who is Rachel Reilly?

Rachel Reilly: I’m a mommy, a wife, a Rottie rescue owner, and scientist. I go through open doors and enjoy adventure, trying new things, and never say no to opportunities. This mind set led me to follow the path to reality TV, acting, hosting, and entertainment. I’ve been a technological chemist, yoga instructor, correspondent on network and cable TV, had guest roles on soaps, been in commercials, in movies, and am best known for my stints on reality TV. I love to make good TV and to do that, you have to live in the moment and not worry about what you look like but to be real and genuine, even if it means allowing yourself to be vulnerable. Currently, I’m enjoying being a mom on the go and that leads me to many different adventures every day. I’m enjoying my exciting journey.

InFluential: Is your life what you expected?

Rachel: I don’t think you can predict life and I enjoy moving forward daily and not spending too much time looking backwards. I love to be open to whatever the world sends me daily and wake up not really knowing what my day is going to look like. I couldn’t have predicted I’d meet my hubby on TV or would spend almost ten years involved in modeling, TV, and entertainment but I am loving every minute of it. I wouldn’t say life is what I expected but I love the saying that LIVING is what happens when you are busy making and following your plans.

InFluential: How do you choose what you’re going to do next?

Rachel: I honestly don’t really choose, I go through open doors and typically say yes to any opportunity that presents itself. In my home we like to just be spontaneous and try everything. We don’t hold ourselves back and we take risks.

InFluential: What’s the best advice you’ve been given?

Rachel: Enjoy the journey of life, don’t settle in one spot for too long and go after all your dreams. IT’S NEVER TOO LATE!

InFluential: How do you create a personal life?

Rachel: My husband and I ar big outdoors people; we love to be outdoors. We love to camp and hike. and go out to parks and gardens and of course teach our daughter all about the world and the beauty there is in it. We live in Los Angeles so there are so many parks, museums, and cultural centers. We check out the events going on in our city and make it our goal to experience as much as we can. You never know where life will take you next and we want to make the most of every day.

InFluential: People who really know you use what adjectives to describe you?

Rachel: Spontaneous, driven, determined, and unstoppable.

InFluential: Three people you’d like to have at a dinner party, living or dead?

Rachel: Jesus, Julie Chen, and Ellen DeGeneres.

InFluential: Do you have a favorite possession?

Rachel: My paint brush because I can create anything with it. A camera because it captures my daughter growing up and growing older with us as her parents.

InFluential: A favorite quote?

Rachel: “Around here; however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious...and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” ~ Walt Disney Company

InFluential: Fill in this blank, Ten years from now, the world will be . . .

Rachel: A better place, because my family and I are working toward lessening our environmental impact, helping others, spreading joy, and helping others with their human experience. Also, in ten years the world will be more technological so who knows what fun things lay ahead.

InFluential: Ten years from now, I will be . . .

Rachel: Traveling the world with my family, helping people, experiencing all the beauty of the world and life, teaching my daughter, celebrating another ten years with my hubby, and working toward new goals and dreams. AND, crossing fingers, I’ll finish my DPT (dr. physical therapy) by then.

InFluential: What’s the lesson that has taken you the longest to learn?

Rachel: Patience.

InFluential: The lesson you would want to teach your younger self is . . .?

Rachel: Always work on educating yourself in whatever you’re going after. Do things right the first time, even if it takes you longer. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.

InFluential: How do you ground and center yourself?

Rachel: I wake up early to do yoga, meditate, and read my Bible before Adora and Brendon are up.

InFluential: When you face scrutiny – what do you do with that negative energy?

Rachel: I take all criticism and work on myself, I look at criticism as a positive thing to help me grow. Truthfully, it used to be hard on me to read negative things on the internet or deal with people that emit negative energies and comments. I used to read this and get defensive but now I accept myself and all criticism and I acknowledge my own weaknesses and work on growing myself; thank God I’m not where I used to be.

InFluential: What worries do you have for your own child?

Rachel: I want my daughter to experience everything in life. I want her to try everything, learn everything, and enjoy life. I want to work on all her strengths and interests and I don’t want my reality to influence how she grows, which is the hardest part of being a parent. I want her to follow her own journey and me to be part of that experience.

InFluential: Are you happy?

Rachel: In my family we celebrate everything, the little things and the big ones. I’d say even when life’s not perfect and things don’t go how I want them to or how I “expect”, I’m still very happy. Obviously when exciting new things happen, and I finish things or overcome goals, I’m super happy. Happy is an emotion but being able to enjoy life is a state of living. It’s not always 100% but even on hard days there’s always something to look forward to and someone to hug. I’m very blessed, life is a blessing and every day is a change and can be exciting and fun and happy. Everything is temporary; good and bad. I try to be present and even when I’m experiencing sadness, I know it’s ok, it’s ok to be human and cry and it’s ok to be human and be angry or upset, it’s ok to be super happy and excited and celebrate the little things. There’s so much beauty in the world and so much more happiness coming your way and you want to experience it all. Also, that’s why it’s fun to test yourself in these reality shows, you experience all kinds of emotions, and stress you don’t in everyday life. It’s nice to come home to hug my family and it makes me appreciate them even more.

InFluential: Are you fulfilled?

Rachel: Yes, because I’m finally at peach with living my journey of life; when I’m succeeding and when I’m failing. We all have mountains to climb and things to overcome but you must put it all into perspective. My life is awesome and I’m enjoying every bit of it, and like I said before, we celebrate it all.

INTERVIEW CONDUCTED AND WRITTEN BY WILLIAM JACKSON, CHIEF BUSINESS OFFICER OF INFLUENTIAL MAGAZINE, SPANISH INFLUENTIAL, AND TEEN INFLUENTIAL RACHEL REILLY / IG @RACHELREILLYVILLEGAS / TWITTER @RACHELEREILLY PHOTOS ISABELLE RUEN / IG & TWITTER @ISABELLERUEN MAKE-UP ARTIST/HAIR STYLIST DANIELLE ROTELLA / IG @DANIELLE.ROTELLA / TWITTER @HOTDAMN6 STYLIST ALI LEVINE / IG & TWITTER @ALILEVINEDESIGN / WWW.ALILEVINE.COM PHOTO ASSISTANT JEREMY LYNN / IG @FILMNFUN