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Rachel Mardoian Mercado

@rachmardo

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🇦🇲 loves fun. ocean beach, SF dweller. from chicago.
⚡️ marketing @bottlerocknapa
🌊 yoga teacher @yogabeachsf + retreat leader @sunset_retreats ◡̈

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What a gift to get to spend some time this afternoon with Rachel Mercado. I met her when she was a college intern and later my first day to day manager when we were at Aware in Chicago. She has a warmth and spirit about her that is so infectious and centered in purpose. Today nearly 15 years later I got to finally meet her husband and her sweet daughter Armene. For an hour we walked the beach near her home and talked about work (she’s now at Live Nation as a lead marketer for Bottle Rock Festival and teaches yoga part time), parenting and trusting one’s gut & pursuing purpose driven choices. No one loves Chicago more than Rachel. She once told me she’d never leave Chicago even if that meant passing on opportunities. I told her that was the dumbest thing I had ever heard. A decade ago she called me and said she felt pulled to quit her job and move to San Francisco without any job prospects. I told her that was the best thing I had ever heard. I was proud of her & wrote her a letter that I made sure would be the first thing ever delivered to her new SF address. I wanted to encourage her because I believed in more for her. She still loves Chicago but her beautiful life now overlooks the ocean in a city she once never saw herself in. Years ago when I was dating Katie, Rachel was one of my biggest encouragers. I had previously told her I never imagined I’d get married and she’d look at me like that was the dumbest thing she’d ever heard. When I told her I met the woman who would be my wife, I think she realized I was no longer being dumb but had a purpose and she made it clear she believed in more for me. I love Rachel & her friendship is something I cherish. Life is about choices and I’m grateful where our choices have taken both of us.

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September was a dream. Simmer pots, hawks, bread baking, cuddles with my fur babies, dips in the Pacific, so much quality time with friends, subbing at YB, and LOTS of live music. My cup hath runneth over! Thank goodness for Fall in SF ✨

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Our little one will learn to love disco 🪩! Thank you to our family and friends for such a special night celebrating baby boy Mercado. We can’t wait to meet you 🥰

#babyshower

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August eclipse season was a true whirlwind that I’m still processing but here are some glimmers from along the way ✨ thankful to be entering my favorite time of year 😍 🍂

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last weekend was simply magical. there’s just something so beautiful and powerful about a big group of women coming together to breathe, laugh, move, hug, share, grow and connect. we feel so honored to have had the opportunity to cultivate this experience for such an amazing group for our third year @yokayo_ranch. the retreat to the ranch has always been rooted in friendship and love & it felt especially like that was reflected in the relationships that came out of our weekend together this year. grateful!!

special thanks to our amazing partners - @ladyfalconcoffeeclub @eatlovebird @btr.nation @nanajoesgranola @el_chatosf

and our incredible team 🍽️ @go.goodcompany 📷 @carlyahackbarth 💆‍♀️ @encyesthetics @acupop 🍷 @obf415cc
🤍🤍🤍

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really turned the energy around in July 🌀

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one year ago my besties put on the greatest bachelorette in history during the best weekend of the year in SF, PRIDE!!!! i miss my bridal era so so so much!! CHAMPANGE PAM 4EVA 🥂🚬🧜🏼‍♀️💍💃🌈🤍✨🌞💅🏼🔥

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APRILS ALREADY OVER

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year 3, let’s go! we are truly so excited to return to @yokayo_ranch for another special long weekend together. join us august 13-16, 2026 for a weekend of sisterhood, yoga, breathwork, nourishing meals, connection to self, community, a multi-course locally sourced dinner + wine pairing and much more. learn more + sign up at the link in our bio - space is limited! ☀️💕

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2025 was a big, beautiful year of reclaiming my breath, moving with nature and the seasons, stepping into the role of teacher, and devouring every book I could find on the ancient Celts and the Wheel of the Year. It was a year of committing to continued self-study, and of slowly allowing inspiration and growth to arise.

This passage from the Anam Cara stayed with me all year:

“Traditionally, the breath was understood as the pathway through which the soul entered the body. Breaths come in pairs except the first breath and the last breath. At the deepest level, breath is the sister of spirit. Breath is also deeply appropriate as a metaphor because divinity, like breath, is invisible. The world of thought resides in the air. All of our thoughts happen in the air element. Our greatest thoughts come to us from the generosity of the air. It is here that the idea of inspiration is rooted, you inspire or breathe in the thoughts concealed in the air element. Inspiration can never be programmed. You can prepare, making yourself ready to be inspired, yet it is spontaneous and unpredictable. It breaks patterns of repetition and expectation. Inspiration is always a surprising visitor.” — John O’Donoghue

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In no particular order

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