Welcome to Rethink with Rachel!

In times of uncertainty, when I feel a little lost, I’ve always turned to reading and writing to try to make sense of complex things.

When the pandemic hit, I found it really hard to focus. I wasn’t creating the space to think, I mean really think. Feeling like I was being drained and not making any progress with my work, I decided to start a newsletter called ‘Rethink with Rachel’.

The idea was simple: every fortnight, pick a topic important to our lives and find a way to think about it differently. Honestly, the reason at the beginning was discipline; it gave me a reason to read books and research interesting topics from guilt to doubt to procrastination. Two years later, there is a growing community of 65,000 of us; a highly engaged group of rethinkers finding the space each week for some new and different thinking. I’m so grateful.

What the Rethink community is all about

It’s a space to get out of the noise and to challenge how you think, talk or act about something important. Rethink members tell me the ideas often shift their lens on something or prompts an interesting or even difficult conversation at work. There is nothing better than someone sharing with me how they took an idea and put it into practice.

For over a decade, I’ve been writing and researching about trust. (I’ve written some books, given lots of talks, and enjoy teaching students at Oxford University. More about that here ) You’ll see that I link to studies and books but not in an academic way, I promise! 

Alongside writing, I love to draw sketches to explain ideas. I often share these in my newsletters, but you can also follow me on Instagram to see some of my previous doodles.

Why subscribe? You’ll get:

As a subscriber, you’ll hear regularly from me - a mix of long-form newsletters, discussion threads, reviews, and recommendations. I’ll provide you with thought-provoking ideas and actionable strategies that will make you think differently about how you show up at work. I’ll also give my take on trending topics through the lens of trust.

Here’s my take on ChatGPT (spoiler alert: I think the power of doubt is something we can hold onto as humans).

And here’s a Rethink newsletter edition about learning how to quit at the right time.

Rethink is funded by direct subscriptions from readers like you. So if you enjoy and value the content, becoming a paying member of our growing community costs around £1 per week.

I know that there is so much free content out there, but your subscription makes it possible for me to spend time thinking and writing – and sharing those ideas with you.

Rethinking is important for everyone. I hope that you join us! 

Warmly,

About Rachel

I’m Rachel Botsman. I’ve lived on four continents, given three TED talks, written two acclaimed books, and was the first Trust Fellow at Oxford University. I live in Oxford with my husband, two children, and beloved dog Mack. I’m a gardening enthusiast, book nerd, and artist at heart.