"Harmony in life is like a dance between relationships and work – a delicate balance that defines our rhythm and shapes our fulfillment."
Rachel Withers Tweet
Rachel Withers, is the Property Director at Student Facility Management powered by Venite. Her dedication and expertise have allowed her to carve a niche for herself within the student accommodation industry. To date, she manages over 2000 Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) beds.
Rachel’s strategic planning skills have been key to maximizing property performance, driven by her unique leadership style. Her style was shaped and inspired by a background in dance, which instilled discipline, precision, and creativity to her endeavors. These qualities, combined with her ability to adapt to changing trends, have enabled her to steer her team effectively in the dynamic world of student accommodation.
Adding to her impressive portfolio, Rachel co-authored the book ‘Success’ with Jack Canfield and ‘Cracking the Success Code Vol 2’ with Brian Tracy. These works not only showcase her understanding of success principles but also demonstrate how she applies these principles in her professional life.
At the heart of Rachel’s work is her commitment to creating a supportive, safe, and thriving environment for students. She firmly believes in providing more than just a place to live; she strives to create a holistic and purpose-led home that fosters personal and academic growth. Her unwavering dedication to support students as whole humans make her a standout figure in her field.
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Table of Contents
Rachel, your career begin as a dancer before shifting into your role at Venite. What led you to pursue a career in student accommodation and housing?
Rachel Withers: Thank you for having me to speak today! Yes– I did begin my career as a dancer, which I believe has a profound impact on the way I conduct business to this day. I have such a passion for creating an environment where people are able to thrive.
In the student accommodation and housing field, there is such opportunity to pour into our students and to provide an amazing experience for them where they are able to flourish and grow. At Venite, this is what I seek to do: create a space where students feel safe, secure, and ready to tackle the world of unviersity.
You believe that students thrive when they are taken care of in all areas– emotionally, physically, socially, and mentally– versus simply giving them a place to stay. As the CEO of Venite, how do you ensure that emotional and social wellness of students remains a top priority for your company?
Rachel Withers: All apsects of our lives are equally important. As humans, no one part matters more. If we are struggling with our relationships, we may struggle with our work. Conversely, if we are overworking, we may struggle in our relationships.
At Venite, we believe that all things are connected and seek to apply that perspective to the students we serve as well. We seek to address every aspect of student life so that our students will feel wholly and fully supported.
Venite is launching a new project within the student wellness realm: The Campus Chronicles Podcast, which focuses on having authentic and open conversations with world-renowned experts around a wide range of topics that impact student’s lives. How do you envision the impact of the podcast?
Rachel Withers: We envision The Campus Chronicles Podcast leading the way for unfiltered, honest, and raw conversations about the struggles with being a student. While University is a wonderful experience, it can be a challenging one as well.
We hope the podcast will open the door for conversations around the emotional, social, physical, and mental struggles that students experience when learning to find their way in the world. Whether struggling with a breakup or learning balance in the classroom,
The Campus Chronicles Podcast aims to be a place where experts share not only advice but actionable strategies that can be put into application as soon as you put down the earbuds.
How do you see these conversations changing the face of holistic student wellness?
Rachel Withers: Our experts diverse life experiences and perspectives ensure that all students feel represented by the conversations– and we certainly don’t want to shy away from some of the more difficult and confronting aspects of being a student.
It’s easy to focus on the physical aspects of a student’s wellness– ensuring they have adequate food and housing– but some of those holistic and invisible aspects, such as boundaries or commitment to overcoming adversity, are topics that we hope to shine a light on.
We don’t want this podcast to be another source for inspiration, but truly, a source for transformation around how students approach their University experience inside and out.
I love your emphasis on tackling topics that might not always be highly publicized and your commitment to supporting students wholly and completely. What type of challening or “taboo” topics do you hope to dispel myths around in The Campus Chronicles Podcast?
Rachel Withers: With the rise of platforms such as TikTok, there is so much opportunity for information. Some healthy. Some… less so. With The Campus Chronicles Podcast, we hope to create a place where students can come for advice and information on the struggles in their life and learn from world-renowned experts in their field.
Contrary to a TikTok Video, our episodes are long-form and take a deep dive into the topics we cover– discussing their root causes as well as strategies to keep them at bay. So far, we’ve had the chance to cover everything from boundaries to gender differences to neurodiversity and back again.
Our hope is that no topic is left untouched and that we provide all helpful information to students, as they are the core focus of everything we do here at Venite.
Your work at Venite touches on the theme that healthy students create a healthy world. How does your company keep those values at the forefront both in your Podcasting adventures and your day-to-day work?
Rachel Withers: As I mentioned above, the students we serve as the core focus of what we do at Venite. In all of our decision making, we consider the student perspective and student experience. How would our students feel? How would this impact their overall health and well-being? All of our team members are aligned and committed to the same vision, which helps us move with efficency.
Keeping those values at the forefront has meant many conversations around our vision, our goals, and our desired experience for each student that walks into our building. As much as strategy, we have conversations around our shared vision for the company.
Emphasis on the shared portion– because we if we not share our vision with our team, how we do expect it to grow? Communication and Consideration have been the two tools that have allowed us to uplevel at a rapid rate.
- We communicate with one another our shared vision
- We consider our students at the forefront of each descision
And to this, we feel we owe our success!
Your accommodations are not just focused on providing a 5-star physical space, but a 5-star-experience throughout. What makes Venite different from other accommodation companies?
Rachel Withers: It’s easy to provide a physical space for a student to sleep and live while at University. It is much harder to provide a place that feels healthy, safe, and home for students.
We hope to provide a home away from home for our students with our keen attention to detail and our commitment to their health– socially and emotionally as much as physically.
What is next for Venite and The Campus Chronicles Podcast?
Rachel Withers: As far as what is next for Venite, we will continue to provide great experiences for our students! You can learn more about us at https://venite.com/.
For The Campus Chronicles Podcast, we hope to uncover deeper conversations and opportunities for growth for our students.
Jerome Knyszewski, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Rachel Withers for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Rachel Withers or her company, you can do it through her – Linkedin Page
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