Rising from the Ashes Coaching and Consulting LLC

09/06/2026

For years, your calendar may have been full of other people’s needs.

School.
Sports.
Appointments.
Work.
Family.
Errands.
Things that needed to be done.

You didn't have to think much about what came next.
There was always something. And then suddenly, there isn't.

Maybe you thought you'd feel relieved.
Maybe you thought you'd finally have time for yourself.

But instead, you find yourself staring at an open calendar thinking: “What am I supposed to do with all this time?”

Here's something worth considering:
Don't rush to fill it.
Not yet.

Before you sign up for every committee, volunteer for every opportunity, take on another project, or start saying yes simply because you can...

Give yourself a little space to notice what you actually want.

Try this:
Take 15 minutes with a blank calendar.
Don't fill it.
Instead, write down:

* Something I **miss** doing.
* Something I've **always wanted to try**.
* Something I would do if nobody **needed** me to do anything.
* Something I keep saying I **don't have time for**.
* Something I genuinely **don't want to do anymore**.

That last one matters, too.
This season isn't just about figuring out what to add.
It may also be about deciding what you no longer want to carry.

**You don't have to fill the space immediately.**
Sometimes you need a little empty space before you can hear yourself again.

You are allowed to discover what comes next. Give yourself permission.

09/03/2026

What would you do if nobody needed you for the next hour?

Not what *should* you do.
Not what would be productive.
Not what needs to get done.
Not what someone else would appreciate.
Just...

What would you want to do?

Here's a little experiment.
Sometime this week, give yourself one completely unclaimed hour.
No errands.
No housework.
No volunteering.
No catching up.
No taking care of someone else.

And, if you can, no scrolling just to make the time disappear.

When the hour begins, notice what you naturally want to do.
Maybe you know immediately.
Maybe you feel restless.
Maybe you feel guilty.
Maybe you start looking for something productive to accomplish.
Maybe you have absolutely no idea.

Don't judge the answer.

**Be curious about it.**

For many of us, so much of our time has been structured around what needs to happen next—and who needs something from us—that we've gotten out of practice asking what *we* want to do with our time.

And that's especially interesting during a major life transition.
When the familiar structure changes, you aren't necessarily supposed to know immediately what belongs in its place.
You can experiment.
You can notice.
You can change your mind.
You can discover.

So this week, give yourself one hour.

Then ask yourself:

**“What did that hour teach me about what I want more—or less—of in my life?”**
You don't need an answer yet.
Just pay attention.
**That's where intentionality begins.**

08/30/2026

Helping women navigate the space between who they've been and who they're becoming.

Hi, I'm Rachel.

I created Rising from the Ashes for women who find themselves in a season of change—and aren't quite sure what comes next.

Maybe your child is leaving for college.
Maybe you're navigating the end of a marriage.
Maybe you've lost a parent.
Maybe your career no longer feels like the right fit.
Maybe you're entering retirement, moving somewhere new, watching friendships change, or simply realizing that the life you've built doesn't feel quite like yours anymore.

Sometimes there isn't one defining event.

You just reach a point where you stop and think: Is this really how I want to spend the next chapter of my life?”

That's where the interesting questions begin.
How do I want to spend my time?
Who do I want to spend it with?
What still matters to me?
What have I been doing because I *want* to—and what have I been doing because I think I *should*?
What am I ready to leave behind?
And perhaps the biggest question:

Who am I becoming?

My background is in organizational psychology, and my work draws from coaching, mentoring, and thoughtful advising.

BUT.... I don't believe you need someone to tell you how to live your life.

I believe you sometimes need someone who can sit with you in the uncertainty, ask the questions you haven't asked yourself, challenge the assumptions you've been living by, and help you make intentional choices about what comes next.

Because a life transition doesn't necessarily mean you need to start over. It may simply mean that the life that once fit you no longer does.

And that's not failure. It's an invitation to pay attention. To decide what comes with you.

What stays behind....And what you want to create from here.

If you're somewhere between who you've been and who you're becoming—

Welcome. I'm glad you're here.

— Rachel

Send a message to learn more

08/30/2026

Just because you wanted it “someday” doesn't mean you still want it.

Before I asked you to make your “AFTER THE KIDS” list.
The things you've been telling yourself:
"I'll do that when the kids are older."
"I'll have time for that later."
"Someday, I'll finally..."

Now comes the more interesting part.
Go back to your list.

Next to each item, write one of three things:
YES — I still genuinely want this.
MAYBE — I'm not sure anymore.
NO — I think I've simply been carrying this idea around because I always assumed I would want it someday.

And don't rush through this.

Because something interesting may happen.
You may discover that some of the things you've been postponing for years...

aren't actually what you want anymore.

That's okay. People change. Circumstances change. Priorities change.

And sometimes we've been so focused on getting to “someday” that we never stopped to ask whether someday still looks the way we imagined it would.

So here's your challenge:

Circle ONE thing you marked YES.
Don't choose the most practical thing.
Don't choose the thing you think you should want.

Choose the one that creates even a little spark of curiosity.

Then finish this sentence: “I'm curious about this because __________.”

Don't make a plan. Don't commit to anything.
Just listen to your own answer.
You might learn something about yourself that you haven't had time to notice.

Tomorrow, we'll take that one step further.

If you did this exercise, did your list get shorter, longer, or completely different? Tell me below.

08/08/2026

**How many things have you been saving for “after the kids”?**

You know the ones.

*"I'll travel more after the kids."*

*"I'll go back to school someday."*

*"I'll finally start exercising."*

*"I'll figure out what I want to do with my career."*

*"I'll have more time for myself."*

For years, “after the kids” can become a perfectly reasonable place to put things.

Until suddenly…

**after the kids is here.**

So here's a little exercise for this week.

# # # LIST 1:

**AFTER THE KIDS…**

Write down everything you've been postponing until your children are older, more independent, or out of the house.

Don't overthink it. Just write.

Then go through your list again.

# # # LIST 2:

**BUT DO I STILL WANT IT?**

Put each item into one of three categories:

**YES** — I genuinely still want this.

**MAYBE** — I'm not sure anymore.

**NO** — I think I just assumed I would want this.

And here's the important part:

**Circle ONE “YES.”**

Not the most practical one.

Not the one someone else thinks you should do.

The one that makes you a little curious.

Then finish this sentence:

**“I'm curious about this because ______.”**

That's it.

Don't make a five-year plan.

Don't sign up for anything.

Don't tell anyone what you're going to do.

Just pay attention to what still feels like *you*.

Because your child's transition may be the beginning of something for you, too.

And you don't have to know exactly what that something is yet.

**You just have to start noticing.**

07/27/2026

I’m looking for a small group of women or men who are ready to do something that can be surprisingly difficult:

Look honestly at where they are…and intentionally decide where they want to go next.

As part of my professional coach training, I’m opening a limited number of coaching opportunities for women who are willing to invest in themselves—not because they’re broken, but because they’re ready to grow.

This isn’t about having someone give you answers.

Coaching works best for people who are willing to think deeply, challenge their own assumptions, and take action between conversations.

You don’t need to have everything figured out.

You do need to be willing to be honest with yourself.

If you’re navigating a transition, feeling pulled toward something different, or simply know there’s another version of yourself waiting to emerge, I’d love to explore whether coaching is a good fit.

Before we begin, we’ll have a conversation to make sure this experience is right for both of us. I’m intentionally keeping this group small so I can give each person my full attention.

If this resonates with you, send me a message and tell me what prompted you to reach out.

I’d especially love to hear what you’re hoping will be different six months from now.

06/17/2026

The world celebrates when children leave the nest.

Family and friends say:
"You must be so proud."
"Enjoy your freedom!"
"Now you can finally do what you want."

And they're right.....You ARE proud.

But what nobody talks about is the woman left standing in the doorway.

The one who spent years being needed.
The one who built her days around school calendars, practices, late-night talks, and a thousand ordinary moments that somehow became everything.

Nobody talks about how you can feel grateful and heartbroken.
Excited and lost.
Hopeful and uncertain.
All at the same time.

Because this season isn't just about launching a child.
It's about rediscovering yourself.
And that can feel both beautiful and unsettling.

If you're finding yourself wondering, "Who am I now?"—please know this:
You are not behind.
You are not selfish.
And you are not alone.

This isn't the end of your story.
It's the threshold of a new chapter.

❤️ To the mothers standing in the doorway, watching and wondering:
Your next chapter matters, too.

06/15/2026

You can be strong and still need support.

You can love your family, your career, and the life you've built…and still find yourself wondering:

"Who am I now?"

Maybe you're sending a child off to college.
Maybe you're navigating divorce, grief, or a career change... or maybe it has only been a thought.
Maybe you're simply realizing that you've spent so many years taking care of everyone else that you've lost touch with yourself.

You don't have to figure out the next chapter alone.

There is no award for carrying everything by yourself.

Over the past several months, I've had the privilege of walking alongside women who are rediscovering themselves and learning how to move forward with intention instead of just surviving.

As we head into this next season, I'm opening my schedule for three new coaching clients.

If you're feeling stuck, restless, or ready to become the woman emerging from this transition—not just the woman enduring it—I would be honored to support you.

✨ Strong women deserve support, too.

Send me a message or comment below if you'd like to learn more or take the next step and schedule a consult.

05/14/2026

It happens slowly. Then all at once.

There’s a moment no one prepares you for.

It’s not graduation day.

It’s the drive home after you’ve left them there.

When the house is still…
but you’re not sure you are.

People call it an “empty nest.”

But that’s not quite right.

Because nothing about this feels empty.

It feels full—
of love, of loss, of space you don’t yet know how to hold.

And a question that tends to surface in the quiet:

Who am I now?

This is the space I work in.

Not fixing. Not coping.

But helping women meet themselves in this transition—
before life fills the space for them.

I’m opening a small number of private sessions over the next few months for women in this exact season.

You don’t have to wait until it’s over to begin.

05/11/2026

And then suddenly… you do.....

Somewhere between the last first day…
and the first “last”…
it shifts.

Graduation isn’t just a milestone.

It’s a mirror.

Reflecting everything that’s changed—
and everything that’s about to.

You feel proud. Of course you do.

But there’s something else underneath it.

Something harder to name.

Because this isn’t just about who they’re becoming.

It’s about who you’re no longer required to be.