Rachel Botterill is a 35-year-old West Sussex, UK content creator who balances her day job as an NHS Associate Practitioner with a social media presence focused on rare diseases and chronic health conditions. 

Her journey began eight years ago when she turned to Instagram to document her medical challenges. She quickly discovered a community of individuals facing similar struggles. 

“I found that other people were going through really similar things in their lives, looking for similar support networks like me,” Rachel recalls.

As her following grew, her content shifted from personal narratives to collaborations with health-related companies and brands.

Rachel’s pivotal moment came when a major campaign company approached her to lead a global initiative. They wanted her to be one of the few to drive their vision forward and implement change.

Rachel’s candid approach has transformed her from a solitary voice into a beacon of hope for thousands. 

She discusses her path to becoming a content creator, her challenges, and her vision for a more diverse and accepting creator economy.

Passion and Purpose

Rachel’s journey as a content creator is driven by passion and a desire to inspire others. 

She describes finding her niche as a visceral experience: “It’s what made my heart burn the most. It’s something that gave me that fire in my gut. It made my heart beat hard in my chest.”

Rachel’s content focuses on living with rare diseases while maintaining an active lifestyle. 

“You can have these rare diseases but still be a content creator,” she explains. “You can still write articles about things that matter and attend events about entertainment.”

Maintaining motivation and keeping her content fresh presents challenges, but Rachel highlights the authentic nature of her work. 

“I feel it’s very important to offer real, raw content,” she states. “Some of it is going to be a little bit off because that’s the real side of my life.”

Despite these hurdles, Rachel remains focused on empowering others. “I want to lead the way for all the women who want to do that and for all the men who are trying to do that as well,” she says. 

The content creator aims to show others with rare diseases that they can participate fully in life and the creator economy. “You can walk through the same door. I’m going to help show you how,” Rachel affirms.

Building a Community of Acceptance

One of the challenges Rachel faced was addressing industry expectations that often prioritize a polished, perfect image. 

“I’m trying to break into a world where people look a certain way, women dress a certain way,” Rachel explains. “I’m, by far, perfectly polished. I’ve got many broken parts and pieces and am rough around the edges.”

Rachel’s visible medical devices and health struggles initially posed obstacles to working with brands. However, these challenges became valuable learning experiences. 

“It gave me a thick skin going into the influencer space, and it also gave me a little bit of understanding of my self-worth,” she reflects.

Her attitude has resonated strongly with her audience, particularly women. “Thank you so much for being so honest about what you’ve been going through,” Rachel recounts as a common sentiment from her followers. “You’ve made me feel less alone, less isolated.”

Her empowerment extended to her community. “No one was ever born into a perfect mold,” Rachel says. “And that’s what makes us all individual: that we all bring something to the table.”

Sintillate Talent Partnership

Rachel’s collaboration with Sintillate Talent marked her journey as an influencer. She proactively sought this partnership, driven by a desire to make a statement.

“I wanted to break into an agency of perfection and stand out as the one person who is very proudly here as being very much not perfect,” Rachel explains. 

Sintillate Talent’s decision to sign Rachel reflects a growing trend toward inclusivity in talent representation. “I’m not treated any differently. I’m treated like everybody else there,” she notes. “It’s great because they’ve embraced inclusivity, and I think that’s amazing.”

Rachel’s content creation process is rooted in her daily experiences. 

She explains, “If I’m doing something that sparks me to think, ‘Oh, that was a bit tricky,’ or ‘Oh, I’m pleased I achieved this today,’ then that’s when I think, ‘Okay, there’s content there.’”

The Power of Shared Experience

Rachel has cultivated a thriving, engaged community on social media through her candid approach to sharing her health struggles. 

Her partnership with Guts UK, a charity that supported her in the early stages of her condition, has been instrumental in connecting her with a wider audience facing similar challenges.

“I can say, ‘Look, I’m over here. I’ve been in your shoes. Drop me a message. Let’s chat,’” Rachel explains, describing her role as a “big sister” figure to her followers. 

Rachel’s advocacy work transcends her personal experiences. She collaborates with multiple charities, prioritizing those related to the conditions she faces. 

“I’ll always choose a charity that supports a condition that I suffer with because I think it’s important for me to create content based on my experience,” she states.

Her commitment to these causes is unwavering. 

“As soon as something becomes available and they need someone to speak up and be a spokesperson or be a face or offer an experience or a day in the life, they could all ask me on the same day, and I will still say yes to every single one of them,” Rachel affirms.

Advocating for Inclusivity

Rachel envisions a more inclusive future for the influencer industry, calling for brands, agencies, and companies to embrace diversity in their collaborations. 

“I would just love to see agencies, companies, brands to make decisions about the kinds of people they work for with conviction,” she states, highlighting the unique value that individuals with health conditions bring.

Rachel argues that these creators offer compelling narratives and resilience often overlooked in the industry. 

“There’s more to us than meets the eye,” she explains. “And I don’t want us to just be disregarded because we don’t look how we should look, or we don’t post what everyone else is posting.”

For content creators looking to advocate for awareness, Rachel offers powerful advice: “Be fearless. Be unapologetically and authentically yourself.” 

She encourages creators to embrace their unique experiences, noting, “It is almost guaranteed that there is somebody else going through what you have already been through, that is looking for someone like you to lead their way.”

As for her aspirations, Rachel is focused on expanding her advocacy work. She’s gearing up for the fifth year of the “I Am Number Seventeen” campaign, which successfully engaged politicians at the House of Parliament last year. 

“This coming year, we’re going to be moving more around the country,” she reveals, hinting at plans to increase the campaign’s physical presence across various cities.

Rachel also anticipates further collaborations with her talent agency, aiming to continue demonstrating that individuals with disabilities and rare diseases can thrive in the influencer space. 

Above all, she remains committed to creating “raw, honest content across social media,” staying true to herself, which has defined her journey as a content creator and advocate.