Q and A with Rel from Arlington, Texas
“Define yourself, because the world is definitely trying to do it for you.”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: I’m actually in this beautiful, shifting phase where I’m leaning into the fact that my passion doesn’t have to be just one thing.
Priority one is building a beautiful life as a wife and mother, but that domestic passion is actually the fuel for my entrepreneurial spirit.
What I’m truly passionate about is ultimate flexibility and freedom for my family.
That drive for freedom is why my husband and I run a diverse portfolio of businesses.
We co-own Access Your Place (rental arbitrage) and Penny Works (AI website generation) on the corporate side.
On the lifestyle side, I channel my “mommy-loving heart” into Reign & James Co. (baby gear rental/sleep coaching) and The Bad Bitch Club, a community for women who refuse to choose between building an empire and raising phenomenal humans.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: It was the best of times and the absolute worst of times, all rolled into one.
I grew up in Arlington, Texas. The defining factor was being born with Peter’s anomaly, a rare form of glaucoma.
I lost my right eye super early, around age three, but I don’t actually remember that.
What I do remember is just being a normal kid: beating my older brother at video games, riding my bike, and obsessing over Dragon Tales.
Having one eye just meant I had to cozy up a little closer to the TV.
The real shift happened right before my tenth birthday when the glaucoma traumatically spread to my left eye.
I went from seeing to not seeing in less than 24 hours.
That kind of abruptness shatters everything.
I spent years in a really dark place, hating it.
But what I know now is that my blindness isn’t a flaw—it’s my flavor. It’s my superpower, and I had to hate it fiercely before I figured out how to use it.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: My biggest takeaway is that strength is not the absence of bad days.
You can be utterly confident and still need a minute to cry in the shower.
I used to think resilience meant bouncing back fast, but it really means choosing to stand back up, even if it takes a week.
Also, for the moms out there: You are not failing your kids because you are blind (or busy, or tired). At the end of the day, you are literally only who you say you are. Define yourself, because the world is definitely trying to do it for you.
Q: What does feminism mean to you?
A: It’s simple: your gender is not a pre-written contract for your life. That’s the baseline.
Whether you’re building an empire or raising phenomenal humans—or both—it’s your choice. It’s about autonomy and options. F*ck a glass ceiling. Shatter that sh*t for good.
MORE ABOUT REL: Entering 2026, my main focus is health and happiness. I’m on a journey to heal my body and prioritize myself, because you can’t run a business or a family if you aren’t taking care of the vessel that does the work.
Thank you for reading!
Let’s connect!
Connect With Me:
The Woman Wednesday Blog 