It was a very large project on an extremely short timeline. Everyone on the team thought it couldn’t be done, the time allotted was far less than needed. Rachael listened to the team, heard their concerns, and found ways to begin moving forward on the more manageable parts of the project. Everyone left the meeting with meaningful work to do. At the next meeting, Rachael presented a plan for rescuing the remainder of the project. She had spent her time questioning assumptions, re-imagining success, and assembling resources. She presented a roadmap for delivering a minimal version of the central product on deadline. It wouldn’t be perfect, but it would meet the requirements and we could iterate later. Though no one else on the team had seen the possibility, they immediately saw that the plan was doable. Better, she already had the work well underway. The entire project was completed on time. Her vision and leadership delivered the product that would be the basis of much of the company’s growth that year - a product that wouldn’t have otherwise existed.

While this example sticks in my mind, it is typical for Rachael. She sees success where others don’t and brings the entire department along with her. Her management style is inclusive, empathic, and motivating. Everyone feels seen, valued and eager to contribute. She doesn’t just coach from the sidelines, but often dives in to help clear roadblocks and help bear the load of meeting deadlines. Through it all, she keeps a laser focus on the people her product will impact - the users are primary of course but she also considers each stakeholder. It’s common for her to bring up the needs of a user or stakeholder that the rest of us had not considered and then deftly address those needs without undoing other work.

Overall, Rachael is one of the finest leaders, and people, with whom I’ve had the pleasure to work. She is deeply committed to improving people’s lives and sees her work as one vehicle for doing so. It is a commitment at which she usually succeeds.”

“I’ve had the distinct pleasure of working with Rachael for a couple of years and it she has been an outstanding colleague and leader. She’s centered, thoughtful, and has an incredibly deep domain knowledge of product and education.

I’ve always been impressed by her ability to toggle effortlessly between thinking strategically at a high level and rolling up her sleeves to get into the details.

She leads with empathy and is committed to empowering, supporting and sharing knowledge with her team and others. I’ve learned something new at every interaction with Rachael.

She’s a capable, competent professional and an incredible asset to any team she’s on. I highly recommend Rachael. “

“Since the moment we met during my interview, I knew I wanted to not only be managed but mentored by Rachael. Her enthusiasm, humanness, and skill as a product professional are unparalleled. She cares deeply about doing product management well and goes at great lengths to provide unimaginable results for users and companies alike. This occurs because she has a strong knowledge of core user problems and ensures that business objectives are exceeded -- neither are in competition. She provided invaluable mentorship during my time at Product School and any organization should feel honored to have her lead their product team.”

“I had the pleasure to learn from Rachel during career coaching sessions at Product School, not only she is an amazing and humble human being, but she also has the knowledge and is great and confident in delivering the message. I enjoyed every single session I took with her.”

“Being a first-time Product Manager is a strange experience. But having had Rachael as my manager and mentor gave me the confidence I needed to begin my jouney into becoming a strategic PM who puts their users first. Rachael's leadership skills are frankly unparalleled. She has the ability to drive people to excellence while mantaining a positive energy and always an empathetic appoach. I value the time I had to learn from her inmensly and I truly believe any team would be lucky to have her.”

“Working with Rachael has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. Her support, input, mastery, and incredible coaching skills had an impact on me that inspired me to better at my craft. I would work, invent, discover and do anything with her, anywhere! She is truly one of a kind manager.”

“I worked with Rachael during my short time at Product School and her ability to go from a 50,000 foot view to being in the weeds of important work is unmatched. The level of empathy, emotional intelligence, and business acumen that she balances as a leader is rare and amazing to see in action. She is exceptional at helping peers and direct reports connect the dots in moments of uncertainty and knows how to assess what risks to take to tap into team creativity and growth. Anyone who gets the chance to work with her will have a brilliant leader and outstanding human being as part of their team.”