Living out LOUD with Leo Ra’Chel

Tiffany “Leo Ra’Chel” Anderson is a Creative Goddess and creator of dope things. Her impressive titles include being the CEO of The Phat Girl Chronicles blog/podcast, author of her first published project, The Phat Girl Commandments, founder of Royal Outkast Artistry, and the Lead Stylist for Royal Outkast Styling Academy, a fashion and wardrobe styling company. We had the chance to learn more about her story, her journey, what she hopes to help others achieve, being true to yourself and LIVING OUT LOUD!

Thanks for sharing your story with us. Let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.

I was born and raised in Gary, Indiana — yes, the city where Michael Jackson was born — as the fourth of five children. Living and growing up with a mother who never put limitations on the things that we were able to believe, be, or do in life really made it easy for my imagination to run wild. At one point I wanted to be a chef and a teacher; I also thought that I didn’t want to do anything other than be a mother. I had no idea that I would be creating a movement. A movement for changing the narrative on plus bodies by creating a platform to give the unheard and underserved a way for their voices to be seen.

I have been blessed with this mission to help those around me embrace their bodies where they are, while also teaching the importance of LIVING OUT LOUD!!! Seeing people be their truest selves, looking their best, and accomplishing their goals is my passion in life. I am a speaker, podcast host, producer, radio personality, author, writer, designer, artist, mentor, coach, and fashion stylist extraordinaire.

Please tell us more about your work. 

I started my business as a stylist because as a full-figured woman, clothing options were minimal, leaving us with no way to express our individuality through style. As I have grown, so has my business, which made me dig deeper into my life's purpose. I expanded my business to provide a plethora of services that is not only about the clothing itself, but also about the transformative emotional and spiritual power that clothing, and the arts can provide.

I began my journey as a podcast host in which I decided to speak from the perspective of a plus size woman on all aspects of life — from finances and relationships, to travel and fitness. My goal is to always give a voice to those who feel unheard, unappreciated, and left out!

My artistry began initially as an outlet for me to deal with grief, depression, and anxiety. But the more I continued to create, the more I wanted to share it with the world. I create intuitive paintings, one-of-a-kind fashion pieces, and also help others create and publish their stories which, in turn, helps people find their freedom through writing.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

My inspiration comes from my family and my community. As a child, seeing my mother work so hard and give so much of herself to others so freely is still an inspiration to me today. Her love and desire to help those around us has helped me navigate life in a way that most don’t. And it also helps me love and nurture the people around me as well. My community continues to inspire me because I see people overcome so much on a regular basis. It's easier to keep going when I see so many excelling with the bare minimum.

Has it been a relatively smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles you’ve faced along the way? And how did you stay motivated?

The road has not been a smooth one. I have dealt with a lot of loss — in more ways than one. Deaths of loved ones, homelessness, PTSD, anxiety, and depression. After dealing with all of that, the thing that kept me going was my understanding that my life had meaning and a purpose outside of the things that I endured.

I also have started therapy which has helped me heal, refocus, regroup, and recognize the importance of living and not just existing. In this life, it is your responsibility to heal the things that have hurt or destroyed your spirit. So, my motivation has been to become the best me that I can be so that I can fulfill my legacy and make my family proud.

What are you currently focused on? Most proud of so far?

I am focused on my journey of healing and working to bring all the pieces of my creative spirit to fruition. I have a lot of goals and dreams, so I hope to keep making a positive impact for the greater good.

I am most proud of myself for not allowing the things that happened in my life to change my heart and make me a hard person. Instead, they have helped me to love more, believe more, and allow my free spirit to soar more now than ever. It takes a special kind of person to keep their heart pure in a world that inflicts so much pain on good people.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?

I would have started loving myself more, believed in myself more, and put myself out there more. Then I could have started working on my dreams sooner and taking advantage of opportunities. I don’t regret anything that I have been through, but I do wish I would’ve done some things in this life sooner rather than later.

What can we expect from you next?

I am in the process of working on another book or two, a few more planners, and several new podcast shows along with some merchandise for the shows. I will be implementing some online podcast courses and a few eBooks to help those that want to get into podcasting. Knowing where to begin and how to build a show that keeps your authenticity intact is important in the podcasting world.  

I will also be building management courses for creative business owners who are working on multiple businesses all at the same time, as finding a good work-life balance is often difficult for creatives. So many ideas, so little time. And doing it mostly by yourself is hard but we always find a way, and I want to help more people find their way as well.

You can find The Phat Girl Chronicles on Instagram here, and watch more from Leo Ra’Chel and Company on her You42 Channel.