Meet Rachel Russell | Assistant Director, Brand, Marketing and Communications at EY

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachel Russell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel, what do you attribute your success to?
My personal brand is one of the most important factors behind my success. As I built my career, I invested time and effort into creating a personal website, developing my social media presence, speaking at industry events, and applying for awards. My personal brand on LinkedIn is how I received the opportunity to be a keynote speaker at the B2B Marketing Expo at The Business Show, which took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center. It also led to a recruiter at EY reaching out to me about a job opportunity, which is my current position running the Entrepreneur Of The Year® Greater Los Angeles program.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started my career as a Senior Event Planner at Deloitte, owning the end-to-end management of 250+ marketing campaigns. I strategized with the West Region Managing Partner to enhance Deloitte’s sponsorship of the 2015 Special Olympics World Games at the LA Memorial Coliseum, and I implemented a first-of-its-kind tech check-in system that is now used on a nationwide scale at thousands of events. When the pandemic occurred, it was incredibly challenging and most of my work time was spent canceling the in-person events I had so carefully planned. Rather than accept defeat and question my job security, I decided to spearhead the transition to virtual events and ultimately trained a team of Zoom Producers. One of my most successful webinars was The Power of Women at Facebook and Deloitte. This event featured a performance by the first female beatboxing world champion, interview with WNBA President Nneka Ogwumike, female trivia questions, and gift boxes mailed to attendees’ homes.

I switched jobs to work at a startup called ONE, a fintech unicorn backed by Walmart and Ribbit Capital that is now valued at $2.5B. As the Field Marketing Manager, I consistently sought innovative, new ideas to create memorable experiences that reflected positively on the brand. For a conference in Las Vegas, I planned a cocktail reception where attendees could design custom Nike sneakers on an iPad and the shoes were shipped to their home as a follow-up gift. This successful reception had a 78% attendance rate and led to 34 sales meetings.

Given my experience at a Big Four and startup, a recruiter at EY reached out on LinkedIn to discuss the Entrepreneur Of The Year program. Founded in 1986, the program has recognized over 10,000 top business leaders of high-growth companies throughout the US and has expanded to nearly 60 countries globally. I was excited about combining my passions for B2B event marketing and the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and it led to my current role as the program manager for Entrepreneur Of The Year Greater Los Angeles.

In my free time, I serve on the Board of Directors for the nonprofit, Arts Bridging the Gap. I am the Jury President for the Global Eventex Awards, and I am on the jury panel for the Best of America Small Business Awards and Global Power Women Awards.

I am incredibly grateful to have received awards for my work in marketing and events. I was honored with the Lakers Women’s Business Award, Beverly Hills Living Forty Under 40, Top Event Marketers of North America, and Marketer of the Year by American Business Awards.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I pride myself in planning trip itineraries and have a Google document with LA recommendations that I share with out-of-town visitors! I am currently working on visiting every spot in the 111 Places in Los Angeles That You Must Not Miss and 111 Places in Hollywood That You Must Not Miss books. They are written for locals, intended to uncover hidden gems that most residents aren’t aware of. There are so many unique places in Los Angeles, so I would want to show my friend a different neighborhood each day.

Day 1: Downtown
We would start with brunch at Perch, a French rooftop restaurant with views of the downtown skyline and incredible French toast made from croissants. I dined here on an almost weekly basis during college. We would stop by The Last Bookstore to view the unique book sculptures on the second floor e.g. walk through a tunnel of books and see the flying book display. We would also ride Angels Flight, which is the world’s shortest railway and is featured in the film La La Land. Venturing to Montecito Heights, we would visit Heritage Square Museum, a collection of eight Victorian homes from the late 1800s and early 1900s that were saved from demolition and restored. Coming full circle, we would have dinner in the same building as Perch. Instead of heading up to the rooftop, we’d go down to the basement for Mrs. Fish, a sushi restaurant with a fish tank at the entrance. Before this was a restaurant, Mrs. Fish was a club and I celebrated my 21st birthday there. We would end the night with drinks at Clifton’s, a bar that first opened in 1935 with a massive indoor redwood tree and taxidermied animals. I have many fond memories here from college, and the bar recently reopened after several years of being closed. Be sure to stop by their hidden tiki bar Pacific Seas, which you can find on the fourth floor of Clifton’s.

Day 2: Pasadena
We would enjoy a light breakfast at Coffee and Plants, an Instagram-friendly café that partners with National Forest Foundation to plant a tree for every 100 cups of coffee sold. We would then go to the Rose Bowl Flea Market, which features over 2,500 vendors and 20,000 buyers. Held on the second Sunday of each month, the flea market is known for its unique finds. After shopping, we would tour the Tournament House and Wrigley Gardens. These tours are free and offered in April – August. Now used as the Tournament of Roses headquarters, Wrigley Mansion was once the home of chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. and his wide Ada. There are over 1,500 flower varieties in the 4.5-acre garden. We would then have afternoon tea at The Langham Huntington. My aunt held her baby shower here many years ago, and the property is still as beautiful as ever. If you don’t manage to finish all the scones, sandwiches, and pastries, you can take some home in a takeout box that is the Langham’s signature pink color. We would walk down Burlington Arcade, a small shopping plaza that transports you to London, and enjoy happy hour at The 1894 wine bar at Vroman’s Bookstore. Here you’ll find literary-themed cocktails that pair with your favorite novel, such as 50 Shades of Early Grey, A-Vodka-Kedavra, and Pride and Pearjudice.

Day 3: Hollywood
When people think of Hollywood, they imagine red carpets and glamorous celebrities. What they find, however, are trash-filled streets and homeless sleeping on the ground. Many visitors have told me they were disappointed by their trip to the Walk of Fame. Having grown up in Southern California and now living in Hollywood Hills, I can attest that there are many great spots – you just need to know where to look. Starting in Los Feliz, we would eat brunch at Cara, an outdoor courtyard restaurant with a reflecting pool and olive trees. We would then head to Barnsdall Art Park for a tour of Hollyhock House. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for oil heiress Aline Barnsdall, Hollyhock is Los Angeles’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Venturing to the heart of Hollywood, we would have a picnic at Lake Hollywood Park. Where else can you sit on the grass directly below the Hollywood sign? We would stop by the Hollywood Bowl, which unknown to most locals, is open as a public park in the off season. You can climb the stairs for a workout and enjoy a different vantage point of the Hollywood sign. In the summer, you may even catch an open LA Phil rehearsal. We would have dinner at Musso and Frank, a 106-year-old establishment that is known for its unparalleled service, steak and martinis. This has been a favorite restaurant of Hollywood legends, including Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. I recently saw Martin Short sitting in one of the red leather booths. A night out in Hollywood wouldn’t be complete without a stop at the Magic Castle. I am a member, but the public can access this private members-only club by staying at the Magic Castle Hotel. It is truly like nothing I have ever experienced, with jaw-dropping magic, a piano-playing ghost, and celebrity sightings such as Woody Harrelson and Seth Rogen.

Day 4: West Hollywood
We would have brunch at The Tower Bar at the iconic Sunset Tower Hotel, which is known for its sweeping LA views and old Hollywood glamour. After that, we would tour Stahl House, which is my favorite spot in Los Angeles. It became famous from a Julius Shulman photograph depicting two women with a panoramic view through the floor-to-ceiling glass walls. Stahl House was built as part of the Case Study House program, and since it is a privately owned home, you need to buy tickets ahead of time. We would stop by Laurel Hardware for happy hour, which looks like an ordinary tool shop from the exterior but is actually a lively indoor/outdoor restaurant and bar. We would have dinner at Barton G, which is an incredibly unique dining experience. The steak is served with a gladiator helmet, the lobster comes with a fork that is your height, the popcorn shrimp appetizer arrives in a popcorn machine, and the cotton candy dessert sits as a wig on Marie Antoinette’s head. We’d end the evening with Melrose Rooftop Theater at EP & LP, watching a movie on comfy bean bag chairs and wearing blue-tooth headphones.

Day 5: Beverly Hills
Brunch at The Ivy is a staple, known for its patio seating and multicolored roses on every table. Stop by Edelweiss Chocolates afterward to see the shop that inspired the iconic I Love Lucy chocolate factory scene. The chocolate shop has a conveyor belt in the back that used to be open to the public, but unfortunately, the city has put a stop to those tours. Don’t let that stop you from indulging in some delectable sweets though! We would then tour the Virgina Robinson Gardens, which was one of the first estates built in Beverly Hills. Virginia and Harry Robinson, the owners of the Robinson department store, modeled the home after Villa Pisani in Italy and were known to host legendary parties here. We would drive by The Witch’s House, which is a private residence and can only be viewed from the street. The storybook house was built for a silent film studio in Culver City and was moved to its current location in Beverly Hills in 1934. Next on the day’s itinerary would be Greystone Mansion, which was built as a wedding present from Edward Doheny to his only son Ned. The city of Beverly Hills purchased the home in 1965, opening the grounds to the public. You may recognize the mansion from the many movies and shows that filmed here, including The Social Network, Spider-Man, The Big Lebowski, and Ghostbusters. We would then have dinner at Dante, the rooftop restaurant at the Maybourne Hotel, which has stunning skyline views, Italian Mediterranean cuisine, and top-notch cocktails.

Day 6: Santa Monica & Venice
Nick Mathers, CEO of Wish You Were Here Group, won Entrepreneur Of The Year Greater Los Angeles in 2023. His restaurant Elephante is one of the best spots in Santa Monica. The ocean views are complemented by the amazing food and drinks. If you haven’t ordered their whipped eggplant dip, make sure to try that on your next visit. It is served with pita bread that is puffed and filled with air. After brunch at Elephante, we would head to Venice for a tour of the Mosaic Tile House. Open only on Saturdays, the house is a work in progress, with the artistic couple still adding mosaic tiles today. Almost every square inch of the home, inside and outside, has been decorated and the result is a kaleidoscope effect that dazzles the eye. After the tour, we would walk by the Venice canals and look at the unique homes along the waterfront. Despite growing up in Southern California, it wasn’t until the pandemic that I visited the canals. I’m not sure what took me so long! It is a serene area and well worth the visit.

Day 7: Pacific Palisades
Severely affected by the wildfires, Pacific Palisades is not what it once was, but I have faith that we will rebuild. Lake Shrine is still standing and will hopefully reopen soon. The meditation gardens are free to explore Wednesday through Sunday, and the lakeside walking paths are a beautiful area to quietly reflect and relax. We would also tour Eames House, which similar to Stahl House, was part of the Case Study House program. The mid-century modern architecture is situated on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Once it reopens, we would visit the Getty Villa. In addition to the artwork and artifacts on display, the Outer Peristyle garden features a reflecting pool, colonnaded walkways, and views of the ocean. We would have dinner at Inn of the Seventh Ray, which is a romantic restaurant with twinkly lights in a woodland setting. It has a magical ambiance – a fitting end to the week.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am grateful for the unwavering support of the University of Southern California alumni community. Having a mutual sense of school pride has laid the foundation for many friendships and work relationships. My USC accounting professor set up an interview for me with Deloitte, which led to two summer internships during college and a full-time job offer in marketing and events once I graduated. As I’ve progressed in my career at EY, I have loved making connections with my alma mater, such as Lloyd Greif serving as a judge for the Entrepreneur Of The Year Greater Los Angeles program, USC alumni Will Ferrell winning the award with LAFC, and the USC marching band performing at the awards celebration at The Beverly Hills Hotel last year.

Website: https://www.rachelannerussell.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelannerussell

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelannerussell

Image Credits
Beverly Hills Living: Michael Allen Creative
Entrepreneur Of The Year: Richard Anthony Photography
The Business Show: Regina Lynn Visuals