Rachel Shelmerdine - The Design Industry Whisperer.
- Isobel Arden
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
Develop your own profile, network, career, and/or business by joining us at The Arts and Culture Network as a full member.
From just £10 per month. Cancel any time.
Benefits are here. This profile is just one of them.
Meet Rachel Shelmerdine.
In this interview, Mark invited Rachel Shelmerdine to create her own fantasy cultural year from the answers to some easy questions where there are no wrong answers. Enjoy her journey below.
Rachel Shelmerdine is a coach, facilitator and founder who helps people untangle the complicated stuff—identity, purpose, and the quiet (or not-so-quiet) feeling that something needs to change. As the driving force behind Alchemy Inside, she specialises in guiding individuals and groups through meaningful personal and professional transformation, without the fluff or corporate jargon that often comes with it.
Her work sits at the intersection of coaching, behavioural insight and honest conversation.
Through Alchemy Inside, Rachel Shelmerdine creates spaces where people can step back, reflect, and actually hear themselves think—something that’s surprisingly rare in a world obsessed with speed and productivity. Whether working one-to-one or facilitating group programmes, her approach is grounded, practical and refreshingly human.
Rachel Shelmerdine didn’t arrive here by accident. Her career has evolved through a mix of corporate experience, leadership roles and a deep curiosity about how people work—both professionally and personally. That blend means she understands the pressures of modern working life just as well as she understands the internal shifts needed to navigate it.
What sets Rachel Shelmerdine apart is her ability to balance depth with accessibility. She isn’t interested in vague inspiration or quick fixes. Instead, she helps people ask better questions, sit with uncertainty, and make decisions that actually stick.
Her work often focuses on themes like identity, transition, confidence and clarity—particularly for those at a crossroads or feeling slightly out of sync with their current path.
Through workshops, coaching and her wider platform, Rachel Shelmerdine has built a reputation for creating conversations that matter. The kind that don’t just sound good in the moment, but quietly reshape how people think and act long after the session ends.
If there’s a common thread running through everything she does, it’s this: change doesn’t have to be dramatic to be powerful—but it does have to be honest. And that’s exactly what Rachel Shelmerdine helps people find.
Rachel Shelmerdine's Fantasy Cultural Year ... with a magic wand and time machine to hand.
Mark introduced the idea of a “fantasy cultural year” - a way to get to know each new full member that's far more spontaneous than a traditional interview — allowing imagination, travel, culture and Rachel's creative vision to collide.
Rachel Shelmerdine’s journey begins not in her favourite place, but with her favourite building: the Minnesota State Capitol.
In this imagined moment, she’s sitting outside the Capitol on a warm June evening with a Negroni in hand, reading Room at the Top by John Braine—a sharp, post-war story of ambition and moral compromise (later adapted into a film starring Laurence Harvey). In her headphones? The hauntingly beautiful “She Remembers” by Max Richter, whose modern classical sound she’s recently discovered and fallen for.
First stop: South America
Rachel heads to Patagonia—a long-held dream. She’s drawn to the raw beauty of Argentina and Chile, and the sense that their design cultures deserve more global recognition. She imagines a slow, scenic journey—ideally by train—ending in Buenos Aires.
While travelling, she commits to a year of listening to just one genre: jazz—specifically the cool, expansive sounds of Miles Davis and his era.
In Buenos Aires, she’s treated to an unforgettable evening: a raw, authentic flamenco performance reminiscent of 1920s Spain—intense, rhythmic, and deeply emotional. Afterwards, despite being in Argentina, she cheekily opts for Italian cuisine—her favourite—ordering a seafood risotto.
Next: Italy
Inspired by that meal (and her love of all things Italian), Rachel flies to Venice. With personal ties to the country—having lived in Siena—Italy feels like home. Here, her cultural pick is sport: a thrilling match of Hurling, featuring a visiting Cork hurling team—a nod to her Irish heritage and the sport’s exhilarating intensity.
Then: Norway
She ventures north to the dramatic Lofoten Islands, fascinated by Norway’s reputation for happiness and its stark natural beauty. Here, she explores a futuristic gallery experience, stepping inside the world of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec—immersing herself in the lively, slightly seedy atmosphere of Parisian nightlife, complete with visions of the Moulin Rouge and a hint of absinthe.
Back to London for a cultural week:
Armed with a time machine, Rachel curates her perfect lineup:
Concert: Early-to-mid 1970s Fleetwood Mac, during the era of Stevie Nicks.
Play: Equus by Peter Shaffer—ideally its original, shocking 1970s run (famously revived later by Daniel Radcliffe).
Musical: The Producers by Mel Brooks—a riotously funny favourite.
Opera: Madama Butterfly—a long-time wish.
Film: A classic Tit for Tat starring Laurel and Hardy—timeless, perfectly paced comedy.
She also fondly references Blazing Saddles and High Anxiety, praising Mel Brooks’ genius and the brilliance of Madeline Kahn.
Finale: Hero lunch
Back in London, Rachel’s ultimate companion is Andrew Graham-Dixon—her long-time intellectual crush. Bonding over shared passions like Caravaggio and Sicily (where she once lived), she imagines them as a kind of art-world power couple—perhaps a more moderate version of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.
Alchemy Inside website
Would you like to be profiled and promoted this way?
This is just one of several benefits of full membership from just £10 per month (€13/$13 ish) and you may cancel any time.
Join us here.
Mark Walmsley FRSA FCIM AGSM
Chief Culture Vulture
Arts & Culture Network
Join us as a full member for "done for you" profile, network, career, and/or business development support for just £10 per month. Cancel any time.
Here are some of our full member testimonials:
"Had to write and say a huge thank you for the networking sessions you are running. Met some great people today, thank you so much."
"Great speed networking session today - I really enjoyed it and got some really relevant and valuable connections!"
"I've just joined!! £10 a month for a 1:1 business growth session, free networking, and access to all the events (on top of everything else!)?! This is INSANE value for money Mark and I'm so grateful for everything you've done to build such a supportive network of likeminded creative professionals."
Mark Walmsley FRSA AGSM
Chief Culture Vulture
Arts & Culture Network
Comments