What March Was Really About

I didn’t plan to spend my birthday month making a case for my own career expansion. That’s not really what this was supposed to be. What it was supposed to be was a simple explanation: here’s why I do all of these things, here’s how they connect, here’s what it means for you. A month of content with a through-line. Tidy, useful, done.

What it turned into was something I didn’t entirely expect. As I spent this month leaning so far into my love of color, it became clear that I was really talking about expertise and what it looks like when you have it, what it costs to build it, and why it matters in a space where “expertise” often just means a good camera angle and a consistent aesthetic.

Photo: Jackie Haxthausen

What this month was really about (and what Rachel Cannon Limited has always been about) is celebrating the uniqueness of every single one of you. That’s the throughline. Design, color, fashion, organizing - they’re all aiming for the same net result: confidence, peace, ease.

It’s been a joy allowing myself the freedom to branch into new territory at this stage of my life and sharing it with all of you. I get to focus on what feels most meaningful to me: helping people feel confident, whether it’s in their home, workplace, or closet. I can’t think of a better way to spend the weeks leading up to my birthday than by sharing the complete elation I feel as I grow into this more realized version of myself and my gifts.

What prompted me to get my color analysis certification was that I was annoyed when I couldn’t figure out the system after having my color analysis done by a professional. I’m a color expert, for crying out loud! Hard as I tried, I could not nail down the nuance between seasons, and eventually, my curiosity got the best of me. Sitting with the learning materials, I realized there was so much overlap in this practice and what I’d learned in my early art and design school days. As the lightbulb started to go off, I began to understand how those same principles could be applied to our own coloring.

Once I’d started wearing my best colors, I noticed immediately how good I felt and how people reacted to me. (One of the saleswomen in a favorite boutique told me one day, “Rachel, you are literally glowing.” It was because I was wearing one of my best colors, my makeup was in the correct shades and tones, and my hair color had finally been tweaked to be perfect!) That confidence boost was undeniable, and I wanted to give that to other women.

This fabulous group of ladies did their color analysis with me as a team! We had the best time learning what their seasons were.

The unexpected gift I’ve found in all of my work is seeing my clients experience so much relief and happiness. My color analysis clients experience this almost instantly during the draping process. They see the right colors next to their face and suddenly understand what I’ve been trying to explain. My design clients who give me complete creative freedom experience the same revelation, just over a longer timeline. One says, “I got so many compliments in this dress!” The other says, “I can’t believe this is my house!” Same feeling, different timeline, identical outcome.

The main difference between color analysis and design work is that I’m teaching during a color session in a way I don’t typically teach during a design project. When I’m choosing paint colors, I’m in my studio with fabric samples, finish samples, and furnishings selections spread out around me. Paint is actually the last thing I choose because it has to work with everything else. My design clients don’t see that process. They see the finished concept, and because design is abstract and conceptual for a lot longer than color analysis is, their a-ha moment doesn’t come until installation day.

Color analysis has more instant gratification. Design is a slow burn. Both require the same expertise, just applied differently.

Photo: Jackie Haxthausen

Any amount of time I can spend creating beauty in any way is time well spent. Fashion designers often have home lines. Interior designers are often also artists. I see this as the same thing. I love beauty and helping people experience the joy and peace that comes with feeling like themselves - in an outfit, in their home, in their office. It all has to do with how we show up in the world, and if my talents can help create the confidence that propels someone to live their best life, I won’t stop!

We get nine decades in this life if we’re lucky, and I decided I was going to spend my remaining decades doing all the things I love to do.

From walls to wardrobe, I’ve found what makes me happy and work that is truly rewarding, and that’s the best birthday present I could have hoped for!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​