Because apparently, producing unscripted shows, casting, raising two kids, and working in Hollywood wasn’t quite enough to keep me busy.
Well, friends. I’ve officially lost my mind.
I’m applying to business school.
Yes. BUSINESS SCHOOL.
As in an MBA. As in professors, homework, studying, and possibly having to remember how to use a calculator without immediately reaching for my phone.
And before you ask, yes, I already have a college degree.
In CHEMISTRY.
Because obviously, the natural career progression from studying chemical reactions is screaming at people on reality television, winning Big Brother, and eventually becoming a television producer.
Makes perfect sense, right?
Except here’s the thing.
The more I’ve thought about going back to school, the more I’ve realized that my career actually makes a lot more sense than it looks on paper.
And maybe yours does, too.
Wait… How Did I Get Here?
When I graduated from Western Carolina University with my chemistry degree, I don’t think anyone looked at me and thought, “Now there’s a future reality television personality.”
I loved science. I loved learning how things worked. I loved figuring out why something happened and what would happen if you changed one little variable.
Which, now that I think about it, is basically the premise of Big Brother.
Put 16 strangers in a house. Change a few variables. Add competition, alliances, a little paranoia, and absolutely no privacy.
Observe the reactions.
Honestly, it’s just one giant social experiment.
So maybe I never really left science after all.
When I decided to pursue entertainment, I wasn’t following some perfectly organized five-year plan. I was curious. I was ambitious. I wanted to see what was possible.
And I was willing to look ridiculous trying.
Which, as anyone who has watched my television career knows, is a skill I have absolutely mastered.
I Didn’t Just Want to Be on Television. I Wanted to Know How Television Worked.
Winning Big Brother changed my life.
It opened doors. It introduced me to opportunities I never imagined. It gave me a career that has taken me around the world and allowed me to do things that little Rachel growing up in North Carolina would never have believed.
I’ve competed on The Amazing Race three times. I’ve been on The Traitors, Celebrity Fear Factor, and plenty of other shows.
I’ve won. I’ve lost. I’ve cried. I’ve screamed.
I’ve even been pushed into a volcano by a dinosaur.
Not exactly something they prepare you for in Chemistry 101.
But somewhere along the way, I realized something.
I didn’t just love being on television. I loved making television.
I wanted to understand who came up with the ideas.
Who found the contestants.
Who decided what made a good story.
Who hired the crew.
Who paid for everything.
Who convinced a network that an idea was worth millions of dollars.
So I started learning.
And I mean really learning.
I’ve worked in casting, producing, writing, development, talent recruitment, and content creation.
I’ve hired editors, camera operators, lighting teams, sound professionals, and producers.
I’ve pitched networks, negotiated brand sponsorships, scouted filming locations, and personally managed a $300,000 production budget.
I’ve led casting teams for major television projects, worked with six-figure casting budgets, and helped turn creative concepts into actual productions.
And here’s the wild part.
I learned so much of this by doing it.
Not because someone handed me a manual.
Not because I had the perfect connections.
Because I kept asking questions and volunteering to learn something new.
Sometimes I succeeded.
Sometimes I failed spectacularly.
And sometimes I realized halfway through a project that I had volunteered myself into a job that required about six other people.
But I figured it out.
The Business of Being Rachel
Somewhere between producing television, appearing on television, raising children, and attempting to locate my car keys, I accidentally started building a business.
Actually, several businesses.
There’s Rachel’s Reality, my website and media brand.
There’s my work as a content creator, where I develop concepts, film videos, negotiate partnerships, work with brands, and build relationships with my audience.
I’ve grown my Instagram community to nearly 300,000 followers and my TikTok audience from 20,000 to approximately 80,000.
And I know what some people think when they hear “content creator.”
They think you just take pretty pictures and post them online.
I WISH.
Because behind one seemingly effortless Instagram Reel is sometimes a full day of brainstorming, filming, editing, negotiating, reshooting, answering emails, and attempting to convince everyone in my house to stop making noise for 30 seconds.
Oh, and then the algorithm decides whether anyone gets to see it.
Fun!
But the truth is, building an online audience has taught me an incredible amount about marketing, storytelling, consumer behavior, branding, and business development.
I’ve worked with companies including META, Amazon, Disney, and L’Oréal.
I’ve developed original show concepts, explored new digital platforms, started writing, and continued looking for opportunities to expand my work beyond traditional television.
And now I’m asking myself a much bigger question.
How do I turn everything I’ve spent 16 years building into something that can grow beyond me?
Because I don’t just want to be a personality who gets hired for the next project.
I want to create the projects.
I want to own the ideas.
I want to build the company.
Oh, and Did I Mention I Have Two Kids?
Here’s where the story gets even more entertaining.
I’m also a mom.
And not the beautifully organized, matching-lunch-containers, everything-labeled kind of mom.
I’m the mom who has three projects open on her computer, needs to finish a brand pitch, has a casting deadline, is trying to edit a video, and suddenly remembers somebody has a school event.
My husband and I are raising two amazing kids, Adora and Adler, who have their own activities, interests, and growing entertainment opportunities.
So in addition to managing my career, I’m also helping them navigate theirs.
Some days I’m on a production call while packing lunches.
Other days I’m reviewing auditions between gymnastics and soccer.
And some days I look around my house and wonder how on earth people manage to have clean kitchen countertops.
Seriously. What’s the secret?
But motherhood has taught me something that business never could.
You cannot control everything.
You cannot be everywhere.
You cannot do everything perfectly.
And you absolutely cannot negotiate with a tired six-year-old the same way you negotiate a sponsorship agreement.
Trust me.
I’ve tried.
What you can do is learn to prioritize, adapt, communicate, delegate, and keep moving forward.
Which, funny enough, are also pretty important leadership skills.
So Why an MBA? And Why Now?
Because I’ve reached a point where I know how to create opportunities.
I know how to lead a production.
I know how to find talent, build an audience, pitch ideas, negotiate partnerships, and manage a team.
But I want to learn how to scale a business.
I want to understand financial forecasting at a deeper level.
I want to build better systems.
I want to learn more about organizational leadership, investments, strategic growth, and how to create sustainable revenue.
Most importantly, I want to learn how to build something that lasts.
I’m applying to the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s MBA program because I want to combine the real-world education I’ve spent years earning with the academic knowledge that can help me reach the next level.
And honestly?
I’m excited to be a student again.
I’m excited to sit in a classroom with people who have completely different backgrounds and experiences.
I’m excited to be challenged.
I’m even excited about homework.
Okay, maybe not the homework.
Let’s not get carried away.
The Biggest Lesson Reality TV Ever Taught Me
People often ask me what I’ve learned from being on reality television.
And after all these years, I think one of the biggest lessons is this:
You don’t have to know exactly how the game will end to be brave enough to play it.
I didn’t know if I would win Big Brother.
I didn’t know if I would ever get another television opportunity.
I didn’t know whether I could become a producer or build my own media brand.
And I certainly don’t know exactly what my career will look like ten years from now.
But I know I don’t want to stop learning just because I’ve already accomplished some pretty amazing things.
Maybe one day I’ll host my own television series.
Maybe I’ll build a production company creating original entertainment.
Maybe Rachel’s Reality will become a much bigger media brand.
Maybe I’ll publish my book, launch a product line, or develop the next show everyone becomes obsessed with.
Hopefully all of the above.
Because why choose just one dream?
Here’s What I Really Want You to Know
If you’re reading this and thinking about going back to school, changing careers, starting a business, or trying something completely outside your comfort zone, I want you to remember something.
You’re allowed to change your mind.
You’re allowed to want something different than what you wanted at 22.
You’re allowed to be successful and still want more.
And you’re allowed to start something new without having all the answers.
Life isn’t a perfectly produced television show.
There isn’t always a script.
Sometimes you have a great alliance. Sometimes you get blindsided. Sometimes you make a terrible decision in front of millions of people.
And sometimes you win.
But you have to keep showing up.
So here’s to my next chapter.
Hopefully one that involves a little less yelling and a little more studying.
Although knowing me, there will probably still be yelling.
Because I’m Rachel Reilly. And apparently, I’m not done surprising myself.
And as we say on Big Brother…
Expect the unexpected.
XOXO, Rachel
Your turn: Have you ever gone back to school, changed careers, or started something new when everyone thought you should already have your life figured out?
Tell me in the comments. I want to hear your story.
And wish me luck. I might need it when I open my first MBA finance textbook.