What if changing your mind isn't failure, but actually a sign that you're paying attention?
In this episode of Surgeon, Interrupted, Frances Mei sits down with Rachel Gerber Kule, a communications strategist, entrepreneur, and self-described Renaissance woman who has built a career by repeatedly pivoting toward what fits her better.
Rachel shares how she went from wanting to be a news anchor, to realizing that path wasn't right for her, to building a successful career in communications and PR—and eventually launching a new venture supporting people going through IVF and fertility challenges.
The conversation goes much deeper than career changes. Frances Mei and Rachel explore what it means to let go of a chapter without feeling ashamed, understand your own values, build confidence, set boundaries, and create a life that actually reflects who you are.
They talk about:
- Why changing direction isn't the same as failing
- How to recognize when a path no longer fits
- Letting go of shame and unmet expectations
- Why knowing your values makes decision-making easier
- How self-confidence gives you the courage to make your own choices
- Setting boundaries at work and in relationships
- Why crying and emotional expression aren't signs of weakness
- How difficult experiences can shape who we become
- Learning to trust yourself when you no longer have someone else to call
- Why uncertainty can actually create freedom and possibility
- Building a life around your own values instead of inherited expectations
For physicians especially, this conversation offers a powerful reminder: you don't have to spend your entire life following the path you originally chose. Frances Mei reflects on what it meant to leave clinical surgery and build a portfolio career—and why becoming clear about your values and boundaries is essential to creating a life that feels like your own.
Rachel's favorite advice comes from Henry David Thoreau: “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.” The question is whether you've taken the time to figure out what those dreams actually are.
Host: Frances Mei Hardin, MD
Guest: Rachel Gerber Kule
Connect with Rachel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelkule
Founder of Pursuit PR, a C-suite communications advisory firm, and Fertilyfe, a community focused on supporting people navigating IVF and fertility challenges.
Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective
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