I’m Rachel Radway.

When I was 12 or 13, I knew what I wanted to do when I grew up:

Find a company that would pay me to live in every country in the world for 6 to 12 months each so I could learn the native language and help everyone communicate with each other.

I’d forgotten this until recently when someone asked about my unconventional life and career path. Not only have I had many different careers, I’ve also lived in 9 countries and studied 9 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 perceptive (also known as highly sensitive), empathy comes naturally. What doesn’t come so easily is adjusting to lots of change and navigating lots of new environments.

In 2023 I was diagnosed with ADHD, and recently learned that I have some autistic traits, too. So I’ve been researching and exploring the conflicting traits of AuDHD, and reflecting on patterns in my life and work that make sense now for the first time.

So I get it. I’ve been there too, or somewhere close.

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.