Rachel Carrasco doesn’t believe in New Year’s resolutions. Not even “ins and outs” for 2025. “Why wait for the new year?” she says. “Everyday is an opportunity to become a better person.”
Long before everyone started oversharing their ins and outs, the entrepreneur committed to posting less about her personal life, following a very public feud that tested her. The online scrutiny gave her peace in knowing that not all moments are for public consumption. “My special moments are mine. It was through this very ordeal that I mastered how to be in the moment rather than waste precious time documenting it,” she said.
Neither is she giving up her guilty pleasures, her long-standing love affair with bacon being one of them. She has cultivated this love affair since her youth, eating crispy, crunchy bacon with brown sugar and rice well into her adulthood. These memories inspired her latest venture, Baken, an all-bacon snack in a bag.
In this interview, the seasoned marketer, who splits her time between Manila and Singapore, also talks about her other indulgences (fine dining and travel), having a reputation that precedes her, being a mother in a blended family setup, gossips, and lessons from therapy. “Having been through my journey and having to put in the work for myself, only for someone else to tell my story? I can accept the situation for what it is, but I also take this seriously.”
Fine Dining
“Fine dining is my biggest guilty pleasure. It will never be overrated for me. Never. I will always choose to spend more on the world’s best and unique fine dining experiences over buying a collection of luxury designer goods.
What I love most about the [fine dining] experience is, while I can enjoy it with a group, I can also enjoy it alone. I love eating alone, sitting on counter seats (where I can), and then immersing myself in the magic that happens in the kitchen, the art that goes into every plate, and the goodness that comes with every bite!”
Bacon and Baken
“As a kid, I would eat my bacon with brown sugar and rice. I would mix it all up. Then I learned how to cook and started to candy my bacon, and I really liked it. Nowadays, there’s no breakfast without bacon dipped in honey.
When I was starting Baken, people often asked why I chose this route for a snack brand. The answer is simple: Unless you’re a diehard healthy eater, we all have our own form of indulgences. This is why you see shopping carts with either a bar of chocolate, a pint of ice cream, or a bag of potato chips. I created Baken to be the epitome of true indulgence. Your snack of choice in your moment of indulgence.”
Giving Up Indulgences for Health
“If I really have to and it’s a matter of prolonging my life then, yes, I will do it. But if I’m on my deathbed, I might as well die happy.”
Indulging Kids
“Time with them is a gift. And in those times, you can only hope that you’ve raised them well enough to walk through life as they grow to be their own person.”
Motherhood in the Era of Social Media
“There is nothing wrong with wanting to post your kids online. It only becomes a problem when you as the parent tolerate the intrusion of their private lives.
Regardless of our kids’ age, it is our duty and responsibility to give them the right to choose whether they want to make details of their life public or private.
We need to remind ourselves that we are our children’s first line of defense and if we are unable to protect their basic right to privacy then we have failed as a parent.”
Cultivating an Online Persona
“Be vigilant of the people you follow online. What you think you know about them in relation to what they create as a persona of themselves and the content they share does not necessarily translate to who they are in real life. It’s like watching a supposed documentary about someone’s life turned into fiction. It’s funny and sad at the same time.”
On Participating in Social Media Trends
“I draw the line at creating and participating in photo trends.”
Posting Less
“These days, every time I feel like posting, I always ask myself three things beforehand: First, am I posting with the right intention? Second, can I live with what my children will potentially see? And lastly, am I ready to accept other people’s opinions?
If the answer is ‘yes’ to all, then I will post away. What you see on my page is always done with careful consideration and thought. On top of that, I always make a conscious effort to keep the moments that I really treasure to myself and for the eyes of people that matter to me the most.”
Influencers
“There are people who have made great careers out of influencing and if their platform is for the good then by all means they should continue on their path. However, if their influence and platform is anchored on encouraging hate and leveraged as a weapon against others, then they should be moderated and stopped.”
ASMR
“When we launched Baken, I sent a box of samples to my goddaughter. I asked her to post it and she did ASMR on it. My initial reaction to her post was ‘Why is there no music? This is so uncool.’ And she goes ‘No, ninang, it’s ASMR.’ I said, ‘What the hell is ASMR?’ Then she sends me all these links about ASMR. That’s when it dawned on me that I now live in a different era.”
Gossiping
“It is a form of escapism and release. People gossip because it’s easier to talk about others than face the reality of their own lives.”
Bastardizing Therapy Speak
“There are people very close to me that actually suffer from mental disorders and disabilities. And what they go through are very real experiences. Let’s be mindful about how we relate ourselves to it or casually speak about it.”
Acing LDR
“Creative communication is the key. By this, I mean you have to speak to each other beyond words. So, when you see each other time and again, it always feels extra… spicy.”
Blended Families
“I grew up in a blended family. It was the same for both my parents and their parents. I have experienced first-hand the ups and downs of this unique family dynamic. This is why, perhaps, my understanding and acceptance goes deeper.
My personal experience has given me insights and the ability to make it work for my family. However, as a full unit (all parents involved) need to act — not talk nor post — in harmony. Placing the kids’ best interests before their own.”
What Singapore Can Learn from Manila
“Singapore can learn a thing or two about Filipino creativity. Whether it’s from a professional or personal standpoint, there’s a majority of us that take the concept of ‘the box,’ rip it into a million pieces, and go “what box?” Then we make our own rules from there.
This is what I love about being Filipino. We are able to see opportunities where others don’t.”
Photography by Artu Nepomuceno
Assisted by Choi Narciso and Odan Juan
Makeup by Effie Iñigo
Hair by Jan Edrosolan
Styling by Leanne Ledesma
Assisted by Jia Torrato
