Welcome! I’m Renée Lilley

organizational psychologist • career development coach • team leader • former English teacher • curator of stories • possibilitarian

I’m now deep into my third act. My first act involved working for two crusty, criminal law attorneys while earning a degree as a first-generation college student. My long second act included the growth of a rewarding teaching career, motherhood to three daughters, and two years living as an immigrant overseas. For my third act, I landed stateside, became a single mom, took roles in educational leadership, completed a master’s degree, became an organizational psychologist, and started my own freelance business.

My story has both invited and forced me to befriend change and embrace the science behind the stages of courageous transitions. In my life, unexpected change has been the greatest catalyst for personal growth. Learning to change the narrative has become an opportunity to get curious, examine my self-limiting beliefs, and explore what else might be possible.

My story

I have enjoyed 20+ years as a “guide on the side.” As an educator, team leader, college-to-career coach, and now a career development coach, my motivation has always been rooted in a deep desire to highlight potential and nurture personal agency in others. I’ve coached junior professionals navigating the transition from university to career as well as mid-career professionals seeking ways to level up or pursue something entirely new. Coaching new teachers through their first year, as well as seasoned teachers employing efforts to refine their craft, is always an honor. I’ve also coached countless high school and college students in executive functioning and communication skills. Each one has energized me with their courage to create a new story.

My experience

  • B.S. in Education

  • M.A. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology

  • University college-to-career coaching internship

  • Knowledge-Based Coaching in the Workplace Certification

  • Associate Certified Coach by the International Coaching Federation

My training & credentials

  • Morning bookend: walking the dogs, coffee and the NYTimes, yoga, and reading

  • Everyday joys: cooking, gardening, and laughing with people I love

  • Favorite place to go on a Saturday night: a jazz club

  • Most formative experience: growing up on a farm

  • Most humbling experience: learning how to sail

  • Evening bookend: snuggling on the sofa with my husband and our lovable Chipoo and Chiweenie pups

My self

  • “I knew I could come to you with concerns or doubts about my performance and my work without being judged. I felt supported, heard, and valued as a human being. I felt safe.”

    -coaching client

  • “You’re a person who valued my fears and my strengths and that always made me feel empowered and capable to do good things.”

    -coaching client

  • “You're very good at taking a set of emotional statements and finding a throughline to something useful and practical.”

    -coaching client

  • “You helped me discover everything I asked for - 1) how to learn more about the type of work that best fits my skills, experience, and personality, 2) how to write an elevator pitch, and 3) how to write an effective resume!”

    -coaching client

  • “I observed firsthand how my daughter’s confidence in critical thinking and communication grew after each session with you.”

    -mom of coaching client

  • “We created actionable steps at the end of each session that made me accountable for moving forward each week.”

    —coaching client

  • “I was missing a lot of strategies for handling executive dysfunction and maintaining boundaries effectively, and you were very helpful in building some!”

    -coaching client

  • “Your active listening attitude and disposition made the communication easy and your practice of restating my points and concerns allowed for assurance and confidence.”

    -coaching client

  • “Your way of doing things during the sessions always gave me a sense of calmness and clarity on how to proceed.”

    -coaching client

  • “I use a lot more time-blocking and am much more comfortable organizing my time now. I have a very different relationship to time than I used to, and the new relationship is less stressful and more productive.”

    -coaching client

  • “My daughter learned to ask for help and let herself be vulnerable in the eyes of other adults. From you, she understood that it is okay to advocate for herself and to fail in order to get up, improve, and move forward.”

    -mom of coaching client

“A critic sees your weaknesses and attacks your worst self. A cheerleader sees your strengths and celebrates your best self. A coach sees your potential and helps you become a better version of yourself.”

— Adam Grant, author, organizational psychologist, and professor

Curious? Let’s chat!

renee@storylinecoachingstudio.com