A 2019 Interview with Rachel Bond Odio

Who is your favorite Disney character?
Timon.
What is your favorite Disney movie?
Hercules.
What is your favorite food?
Burritos.
What is your favorite animal?
Cats.
What is your favorite color?
Orange.
What is your favorite drink?
Coffee.
What is your favorite tv show?
Friends.
What’s your top three favorite places you’ve ever traveled?
Amsterdam, Miami, Mirabel.
If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
Vermont or Amsterdam.
What does your average day look like?
Two possibilities- 1: spend am with kids, get to work at 11am, work anywhere to 11pm to 1am, sleep. 2: spend am with kids, work by 10am, gym by 630, home 745, family time until 1030, homework until 2am
What do you spend a ridiculous amount of money on?
Stuff for Kids.
If you only had two extra hours per day outside of work, what would you spend it on?
Homework.
What has become more important for you in the last few years?
Education.
What has become less important for you in the last few years?
Friends.
What would you do/have/be if you had $10 million dollars?
I would like to have my current job but probably own a defense contracting company as well. I would definitely hire people to clean my house for me.
What can you do that will be remembered in 200-400 years?
Would be interested in developing some sort of pseudolite program (using advanced tech)
What assets do you have (not financial)?
2 cars, house in GA. I would consider the kids spiritual/mental/emotional assets.
When you think of the word successful, who comes to mind?
Mom/Dad.
What is something you believe that other people think is insane?
With rare exception, everyone should try LSD once in their lives (some under supervision of a professional).
What is the book (or books) that you’ve gifted and/or discussed/referenced the most?
How to talk so small kids will listen and listen so they will talk.
What is your favorite documentary or movie?
40-year-old virgin.
What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your life in the last couple years?
6 Flags Membership.
What are your morning rituals? What do the first 60minutes of your day look like?
Brush teeth, wash face, make kids breakfast, and play games with them.
What obsessions do you explore on the evenings or weekends?
No time for obsessions. Homework.
What topic would you speak about if you were asked to give a ted talk on something outside your main area of expertise?
How to be a good leader and not destroy morale of subordinates.
Do you have a quote you live your life by or think about often?
“Leave it better than you found it.”
What is the worst advice you see or hear being dispensed in the world?
The notion that just because something has always been done one way means it is the right way.
If you could have one gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it, what would it say?
Church of bacon loves you.
What is something weird or unsettling that happens to you on a regular basis?
In the past few months, I have rarely not seen 11:11 both times on the clock. I could not look at the clock for hours and boom there it is haunting me. What's up with that?
What have you changed your mind about in the last few years, why?
How much I like dogs. (Used to love them. Now not so much.)
What do you believe is true, even though you can’t prove it?
That "vibing" is a real thing. There are tons of wavelengths we cannot see nor capture artificially.
What advice would you give to your 20-, 25-, or 30-year-old self? and please place where you were at the time, and what you were doing?
20-year-old self - "don't let dad mow the lawn on 5 July. Ask him to get in shape" (was at DLI).
25 - "start taking college courses now" (worked for agency - sully almost born).
30 - I am 30 and I'm telling myself to go to and finish college.
What is the best or most worthwhile investment you’ve made? could be an investment of money, time, energy, or other resource. How did you decide to make the investment?
Kids. Chose to have them when we found out we were pregnant.
If you were teaching a ninth grade class, what would you teach?
Math would be fun
What do you think financially successful people who are generally unhappy in common?
Lack of passion for what they do?
If you had to choose three herbs or spices to cook with for the next year, what would they be?
Salt, Trader Joe's 21 seasoning salute, garlic
Do you meditate?
No, but I should.
What is the best or most worthwhile investment you’ve made?
As much I hate it, would agree it was the Navy. Catalyst to where I am even if most of the time despite its bullshit.
Who are three people or sources you’ve learned from- or followed closely- in the last year?
Mom, coworkers, Michael.
What is the worst advice you see or hear given in your tradE?
"Because it's always been done this way"
If you were a billionaire and you could give 2-3 books to every graduating high schooler, what would they be?
Whichever books they wanted.
What are some of the choices you’ve made that made you who you are?
Navy, Michael (in that order lol)
What’s the best lessons your father ever taught you?
He let people pick his sunflowers he grew by the sidewalk. He told me he was just happy it made someone else happy.
What’s the best lessons your mother ever taught you?
Don't have high expectations of people.
What are you waiting for?
Parenting to be less stressful.
If you were fired from your job today, what would you do to get things together financially?
Get another job.
What do you owe your community?
Helping those less fortunate within my community.
Is there anything you would die for?
My kids.
What is your idea of happiness?
Walking into the house after work and not having to clean stuff. One day I'll have a maid so I can just focus on kid time/homework.
What is your idea of wealthy?
When you are financially stable enough to "buy back" time you would spend mundane crap like cleaning mentioned above.
How do you ideally see yourself at the age of 75?
Hanging out with my kids
What do you always have with you when you leave the house?
Phone, day planner, purse
If you could automatically learn another language or two, what would they be?
Python, go, java (programming).