Rachael Chestnut

Builder of Iconic Brands

Rachael Chestnut is the Founder and CEO of The Play Nice Agency, a branding firm with a reputation for helping leaders turn their vision into market power and claim meaningful cultural relevance. Her work sits at the intersection of strategy, creativity, and human-centered business, earning recognition for brands that don’t just compete, but scale without losing clarity. One year after relocating her agency’s headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Asheville, Rachael was named Asheville’s Best in Businessand recognized as the city’s leading entrepreneur in the wake of Hurricane Helene rebuilding efforts.
 
Before building brands, Rachael began her career working for the U.S. government as a trained military strategist and applied international economist. She later served as the primary Editor and Force-Structure Analyst for the Congressionally mandated National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force, before leading the Missile Defense Agency’s Directorate of Operation’s yearly Congressional budgetary requests. Her work at the highest levels of the government underpin her approach to brand strategy, advising business leaders who are navigating cultural shifts, reputational pivots, and moments where clarity drives power.
 
Rachael has led award-winning Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity submissions on behalf of global agencies including Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Publicis Groupe, and has partnered with clients such as Deloitte, MSL Group, and The Washington Commanders Football Team. Notably, she led the installation, marketing, and PR for the NFL’s first-ever rotating art exhibit, housed in the league’s largest stadium lounge, bringing culture directly into one of the most visible stages in sports.
 
Her work and perspective have been featured in outlets including Rebecca Minkoff’s You Can’t Make This Sht Up*, NOVA Magazine, and D.C. Eater. Outside of client work, Rachael is deeply committed to community impact, volunteering her time and over $10,000 in relief supplies to Hurricane Helene survivors and leading an annual food drive, donating more than 2,000 pounds of food to MANNA FoodBank in 2025.