Sense & Sensitivity:
Emboldening high-sensory women leaders to thrive
As a woman who’s a leader, you might feel very alone.
As a highly sensitive woman, you probably face more challenges. How often do you feel heard, valued and respected? Show up as your whole self and voice your opinions without fear or anxiety? Prioritize your own mental and physical health before taking responsibility for everything and everyone else?
If you’re not 100% confident in your responses to these questions, how do you lead your team or organization? How can you take care of others when you’re not taking care of yourself first?
How do you lead — at work and in your life?
Some of the areas my clients have achieved success in working with me:
Seasoned Leaders
Communicating with confidence
Setting and honoring boundaries
Building effective, empowered teams
Creating a safe, inclusive culture
Finding work/life alignment & balance
Recognizing & preventing burnout in yourself and others
New & Emerging Leaders
Building confidence (overcoming imposter syndrome)
Transitioning from individual contributor to manager & leader
Giving & receiving feedback
Developing trust & relationships (managing up, down, and sideways)
Managing conflict
Leaders in Transition
Finding clarity & direction
Building resilience
Becoming a better listener & speaker
Leading a team and communicating through change
Prioritizing self-care & self-advocacy
“Rachel Radway, you are one of the best listeners and most empathetic coaches I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with. I am so excited for the [clients who] have the joy of crossing your path.”
M. Roy, Pittsburgh, PA, US
How it works
In our first conversation, or discovery call, we’ll talk about your goals, hopes, and expectations for coaching.
I want to learn about you, what brought you to the call, and where you’d like to be.
The best way to see if coaching is right for you is to experience it for yourself.
Schedule a free discovery call.
You’ll get a sense of my style and the “coach approach.” We’ll both be exploring to see if it feels like a good fit. As in any partnership, chemistry is important.
If we decide to work together, I’ll ask at the start of each session what you want to accomplish by the end. You’ll drive the agenda.
I meet with clients twice a month for 60-minute sessions; coaching engagements typically run for six months.
I’ll ask you hard questions and hold space while you search for the answers. I’ll hold you accountable while supporting you on your journey. My goal is to help you achieve yours.
“Coaching with Rachel has led to a deeper connection with myself. She listens attentively and provides lots of space to think. Her thoughtful and gentle way of asking questions has helped me gain new insights, clarity and a better understanding of myself. Rachel has a great ability to prevent you from losing focus, which helped me reach my desired outcomes. I left every session motivated and excited to move forward. Thank you, Rachel, for being such a wonderful thinking partner!”
R. Schirrmeister, Wellington, NZ
About me
When I was about 12, I was quite specific about my career aspirations: I wanted to find a company that would employ me to live in every country in the world for six to twelve months each so I could learn the language, with the ultimate goal of helping everyone communicate with each other.
I’d completely forgotten this until recently, when someone asked about my unconventional life and career path. Not only have I had several different careers, I’ve also lived in nine countries and studied nine languages. One of my few regrets is that I’m not fluent in any (although I can make some interesting sentences using three or four at a time!).
What does this have to do
with coaching?
First, it’s a lot of accumulated life experience. I’ve worked in startups, nonprofits and Fortune 100s, building and leading global teams and functions. I’ve chaired a nonprofit board and run my own small businesses. And I’ve moved around the world, dealing with immigration issues and the ups and downs of building a life in a new place (and a new language).
Second, it’s an ideal way to gain different perspectives. In 2014, burned out (again!) and unhappy, I quit my job, sold my home and moved to rural Peru. It might sound extreme, but I needed a dramatic change in perspective.
After four months, I moved to a village in the Ecuadorian Andes where I bought a little adobe house with banana trees — a far, far cry from my San Francisco Bay Area condo — and learned what life was like when you couldn’t take internet, electricity, running water or personal safety for granted.
A year and a half later, I moved to a small city in northern Portugal where I was the only native English speaker; I bought and renovated a tiny apartment, managing everything in broken Portuguese.
Each move, challenge, and experience built resilience, taught me something new, and reflected my life back to me from a different angle, helping me see what was truly important and giving me empathy for others in all kinds of situations.
Of course, when you’re highly sensitive, as I am, empathy comes naturally. What doesn’t come so easily is adjusting to lots of change and navigating lots of new environments.
If I can do it, so can you.
When we work together, I’ll be listening to your language, your words, and asking questions to help you shift your perspective and find the answers you need to create change.
Are leadership and high sensory intelligence incompatible?
People with high sensory intelligence (AKA high sensitivity) — 20–30% of the population — have superpowers that are critical in leadership roles.
Empathy.
Creativity.
Connecting dots.
Strategic thinking.
Grit & determination.
Conscientiousness.
And many more.
If you’re high-sensory, though, you probably face challenges that leaders lower on the sensitivity spectrum don’t. This can put you at a disadvantage — until you claim your power and learn to lead authentically, in both your professional and personal life.
Want to learn more?
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“I gained insights into myself, motivations I hadn't been conscious of, and mental barriers I had that kept my work and some of my most important values in separate categories. These were through Rachel's skilled questioning and reflecting back to me
what she heard in my words. These helped me make some decisions I'd been stalling on for a long time.
Apart from her skills, respectfulness and consideration, I appreciated how she was prepared for each session, and somehow both allowed me to express and share information that was important to the fullest extent, yet also made sure we used the time well, and didn't digress far from the objectives I'd set at the start… Thank you, Rachel!”
D. Lee, Hong Kong
Contact me
“10/10 would recommend. Rachel, you’re such a wonderful human! Your wisdom and insight have given me so much clarity. Anyone would benefit from coaching with you.”