Meet Rachel Montgomery

Hey there Austin Moms! Rachel Montgomery here and I am thrilled to call Austin my “hometown” after 20 years in this amazing city. I came here as a student at the University of Texas. It was at UT that I met one of my closest friends and together we managed to make 6 more of the greatest friends creating a sisterhood that has spanned two decades. Today you can find us on a group chat oversharing or counting the days until our next gathering as the years have spread us across the country. 

After graduating I worked in events and then as an Executive Assistant. I became a sponge of the tech around me, Outlook, Blackberry, Quickbooks, Palm Pilot, etc…I just REALLY dated myself, didn’t I? I pivoted that into an office manager gig at a software start up and am eternally grateful those C-level dudes took a chance on me. They not only opened the door but supported me coming into my own career. After 6 years it was time to take on the next challenge. I was introduced to tech that was doing good in the world and I was hooked!

I have now spent my time mentoring under some amazing leadership, shaping departments, building teams, growing people and stretching myself as a Director in both Support and Professional Services. I don’t just go to work, I feel like I am genuinely part of so many non-profits, educational institutions, and corporations doing good in the world. Now that’s job satisfaction!

I find a strong sense of identity as a fast-paced, ambitious professional but there’s a slower pace to me too. Although, my husband would argue it’s not slow at all. Jonathan and my beautiful girls, Claire (11) and Diana (1) are my center. I live for lazy weekend mornings with them, blanket on lap, coffee in hand.

It took a while to get here, and a few (necessary) bumps along the way but every step was worth it. I had checked all the boxes in order; college, career, husband, house, dog, baby, but something was missing as I neared 30. My first husband, Jeremy, is a wonderful man and not many exes would say that about one another. He handled our divorce with a dignity I admire and an honesty I still cherish. It is for those reasons we are friends and co-parent our brainy, sweet and sassy tween like pros. We all even take an annual family vacation and celebrate Holidays together. We just weren’t supposed to be married, and that’s okay.

So, I relinquished control (yikes!) and managed to find an amazing husband and the kind of best friend you always hoped for. Jonathan has been my champion since day 1, cheering me on, and holding me up or tight, whichever the situation called for. We also couldn’t wait to share the world together! I learned how to pack in a weekender bag for way longer than a weekend and he planned the destinations. There was San Francisco, New Orleans, Miami, then he upped the ante with a goal to get to every football stadium, so we were off to Chicago, Kansas City and San Diego. Throw in a Birthday trip to Paris and a stadium in London and we had some serious frequent flier miles. We put some roots down and bought a house in North Austin then 3 weeks later, in true Jonathan and Rachel fashion, we were off to Istanbul. It was in this magical city between Europe and Asia on the Bosporus Straight that he proposed. A year later we were married in an intimate ceremony at The Driskill.  

In the years since, the stadium quest continues, completing 8 more on the list. We have added new exotic destinations to our passport too but our travel has slowed this past year with the addition of our precocious baby girl, Diana. She has completed this family in a way we never knew we needed and brings out the kid in all of us, especially her grandparents who are local and lifesavers!

I am so excited to have the opportunity to share my passion for writing with you all.

Rachel Montgomery
Born in New Hampshire and raised in Florida, Rachel got to Texas as quickly as she could. She has spent the last 20 years in this amazing city as a student, wife, mother, friend and professional. She met her husband, Jonathan, here in Austin and the two share all things Longhorns, as well as a love of football, traveling, and being amateur foodies. When not carpooling the social butterfly, Claire, or watching the world through the eyes of a toddler, Diana, you can find Rachel researching, planning, and booking their next travel adventure. She is an unapologetic Patriots fan and a firm believer in self-care; eat clean, train dirty, and never under estimate the power of a fresh mani/pedi.

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