Meet Rachel Spiro | Bodybuilding Competition Suit Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachel Spiro and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Honestly, this career found me! When I was a kid, I wanted to be a wedding dress designer. I would literally carry around a sketchbook and sketch wedding dresses, I would look at bridal magazines and be amazed at the detail that went in to these dresses.

As a little girl, my friends would always talk about their idea of their dream wedding when “they grew up”. I never had any of those thoughts, I just wanted to be part of the design process. I remember watching a movie about a wedding dress designer, and I started sketching. While that dream only lasted a short period of time, I always joke about how I used to want to design wedding dresses, and now, for some, designing a competition suit is a lot like picking out a wedding dress.

When the opportunity presented itself to make bodybuilding competition suits, I had no idea this career would take off like it did. I just thought it would be a side hustle, and for many years it just was. And over the past couple years, it’s turned in to a full time career.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I make custom bikinis for bodybuilding shows. I feel what sets me apart from others is the attention to detail, custom work, and customer service. Each suit is handmade to each clients needs, and I try to be as communicative as possible through the process.

This journey has not been easy at all. Many times in the earlier years, I would say “I quit” out loud while frustrated, but always picked back up to finish the task at hand. I feel that challenges are a learning opportunity, and you must always be open to personal growth. If you never get back up after being knocked down, that is when the dream dies. I am pretty sure that anyone who owns and operates a business could say the same thing.

Something I’ve learned along the way is that owning your own business is one of the hardest but most rewarding things you’ll do. It’s just about trusting the process and trusting that all your hard work and efforts will one day translate in to success. I’ve never felt a greater sense of accomplishment.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My business is worldwide, but am based out of Orange County, California.

If my best friend was coming in to town to visit, I would take them to my old stomping grounds of Laguna Beach. Enjoy my favorite more private beaches across from where I used to live, and take them around Downtown Laguna for good food and shopping.

I’d take them to Big Bear another day for a hike, and show them around the small town charm. I would also take them to Idyllwild for the same!

Another day I would probably take them to Disneyland-even though I haven’t been in well over 15 years-anyone visiting Orange County has to check out Disneyland for sure.

My area in Lake Forest is basically a suburb in Orange County right next to Irvine. The Irvine spectrum has great food and shopping!

In Lake Forest, my favorite sushi spot is Minato, which I’ve been eating at for about 15 years now. For a fun weekend afternoon, we’d probably head to Cooks Corner, which is a few miles from home to get a bite and listen to whatever band is playing that day. And for “nightlife” in this small suburb, Big Shots Billiards-where I used to bartend at, has a ton of pool tables, live bands, and country dancing.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First, I’d like to thank all my amazing clients and athletes, past present and future, for their amazing love and support over the years. Without them, all this wouldn’t be possible. I’d also like to thank my family and friends, who I know thought I was a little crazy to start this business, have given me so much encouragement, love and support.

This past year, two business mentors in Montana took me under their wings and really made me step out of my comfort zone. Their mentorship changed my world by teaching me more about business principles and think long term.

Two books they had me read were “the Go Giver” and “the Compound Effect”. The Go Giver touched my heart and really showed me the power of networking, and talked about giving and adding value to others lives. The Compound Effect helped pull that together and show how each small decision you make impacts your destiny. I would highly recommend these two books to anyone!

Website: https://radiantpw.wixsite.com/radiantphysiquewear

Instagram: https://instagram.com/radiant_physiquewear?igshid=NzZlODBkYWE4Ng==

Image Credits
Contest stage photo credit to Mark Mason Media and Ribic Productions.