Retirement coaching and Preferment course FAQ

What is the most common question about retirement coaching?

"What does a retirement coach actually do?" A retirement coach helps you plan how you will live after your career, not how you will pay for it. The full answer is first in the list below.

Retirement coaching: what it is

What is a retirement coach?

A retirement coach helps you plan the non-financial side of leaving a career: identity, purpose, routine, and relationships. At Rarified Life, coaching is built on Anne van Leynseele's Preferment framework, which treats the years after a career as a time to rise rather than wind down. A retirement coach does not replace a financial planner; the two answer different questions.

What is retirement coaching?

Retirement coaching is guided work on how you will live after your career, not how you will fund it. Rarified Life's coaching focuses on separating identity from your job title, finding new motivation, aligning your days with your values and strengths, and building accountability so intentions become routines. Those are the same themes as the six Preferment modules.

What is retirement transition coaching?

Retirement transition coaching supports the shift itself: the stretch before and after your last day at work, when routine, identity, and relationships all change at once. Rarified Life's free presentation says its plan can start "even if your last day at work is still years away," so you do not need to be retired already to begin.

What is life coaching for retirement?

Life coaching for retirement applies life coaching to one turning point: the end of a full-time career. Rarified Life presents its Preferment approach as an alternative to conventional retirement, centered on personal values, meaningful pursuits, learning, and physical activity, rather than simply stopping work and filling the calendar.

Who is the retirement coach behind Preferment?

Anne van Leynseele created Preferment and leads the live course. She built and sold a production company in Los Angeles film and television, advised Fortune 100 companies on digital strategy across three continents, served as an Attorney Advisor in the Obama Administration, and helped write the legal framework for recreational cannabis in Washington State. She now co-owns an award-winning chocolate farm on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Does Rarified Life offer one-to-one retirement coaching?

As of November 2026, the Rarified Life shop lists 1:1 coaching as coming soon. Right now, coaching from Anne is delivered through the Preferment live course, across eight weekly live sessions. Check rarifiedlife.com for the current status of private coaching before you decide between the two formats.

What does Preferment mean?

Preferment is Rarified Life's name for its alternative to conventional retirement. The course page describes treating this stage "like an ascension" instead of an ending. Rarified Life presents the framework as research-backed and built on personal values, meaningful pursuits, learning, and physical activity.

How the Preferment course works

What is the Preferment live course?

Preferment is Anne van Leynseele's live, 8-week life after retirement course for driven people who are done treating retirement as an ending. It includes eight weekly live sessions with Anne, her book Preferment as the companion text and workbook, and homework built into the book. Each week builds on the last.

How long is the Preferment course?

The course runs for eight weeks, with one live session with Anne each week. Rarified Life describes it as a structured path in which each week builds on the last, working through the book Preferment chapter by chapter, with exercises done between sessions.

What are the six Preferment modules?

The six modules are Introduction, Identity, Motivation, Alignment, Accountability, and Launch. They move from understanding where you are now, through separating who you are from what you did for a living, to naming your mission for the next chapter and stepping into it.

How do six modules fit into eight weeks?

Rarified Life lists eight weekly live sessions and six modules, but it does not publish a week-by-week schedule that maps one to the other. The course page on rarifiedlife.com is the place to confirm how the current cohort paces the modules across the eight sessions.

Is there homework in the Preferment course?

Yes. Homework is built into the book, and the course page calls it "real exercises, not busywork," done between sessions. Rarified Life describes this guided homework as the part that turns reading into a plan you can actually follow.

Is the Preferment book included in the course?

Yes. The book Preferment by Anne van Leynseele is included and serves as your companion text and workbook. The live sessions work through it chapter by chapter, and the homework for each week lives inside the book.

Are the Preferment sessions live or recorded?

The course page describes eight weekly live sessions with Anne. It does not say whether recordings are provided, so if you expect to miss a week, confirm the current policy on the course page at rarifiedlife.com before enrolling.

What is the difference between the free presentation and the course?

The free presentation is an introductory class from Rarified Life that outlines a 5-step plan for accomplished women in their 50s and 60s nearing or in retirement. The Preferment course is the paid 8-week program with live sessions, the book, and guided homework.

Pricing

How much does the Preferment course cost?

As of November 2026, the course page on rarifiedlife.com shows two figures: a listed price of $6,000.00 beside the cart button, and an Investment section stating $3,000 for eight weekly live sessions, the book, and guided homework. Confirm the current price on the course page before you enroll.

What is included in the course price?

The Investment section on the course page lists three things: eight weekly live sessions with Anne van Leynseele, the book Preferment, and the guided homework built into the book. No other inclusions are listed on that page.

How much does a retirement coach cost?

Prices vary by coach, format, and number of sessions, and this site has not verified a market-wide rate, so it does not quote one. Rarified Life has not published a price for private coaching, which is listed as coming soon. Compare programs on what is included: live time, materials, and length.

Is a retirement course cheaper than private coaching?

Often a group course costs less per hour of coaching because the coach's time is shared, but this varies by provider. Rarified Life has not published private coaching prices yet, so a direct comparison with the Preferment course is not possible as of November 2026.

Is there a free way to get started?

Yes. Rarified Life offers a free presentation for accomplished women in their 50s and 60s who are nearing or in retirement. This site also has a free emotional readiness quiz you can take in a few minutes, with no sign-up.

Does the Preferment course offer refunds?

The course page does not state refund terms. Rarified Life publishes Terms of Service on rarifiedlife.com, which is the place to check before buying. If refund terms matter to your decision, review them first rather than assuming a policy.

Who it is for

Who is the Preferment course for?

It is for driven people who spent decades building a career and a reputation and now have more time than ever, with no clear idea what it is for. Rarified Life's free presentation speaks directly to accomplished women in their 50s and 60s who are nearing or in retirement.

Is the Preferment course only for women?

The course page addresses "driven people" in general and does not limit enrollment. The free presentation is aimed specifically at accomplished women in their 50s and 60s. If you are unsure whether the current cohort fits you, check the course page on rarifiedlife.com.

Do I have to be retired already to join?

No. Rarified Life says you can start "even if your last day at work is still years away" and "without waiting for retirement day." Many people find it easier to rethink identity and routine while still working than after the calendar empties.

Do I need a plan before I join?

No. The course page says it plainly: "You don't need a five-year plan. You just need a room to start figuring it out in." The first module, Introduction, starts with where you are right now.

Is it for people whose identity was wrapped up in their work?

Yes, that is central to the program. The Identity module is about separating who you are from what you did for a living, and Rarified Life's presentation is pitched to people for whom it works "even if your entire identity has been wrapped up in your work."

Who should choose something other than Preferment?

If your main question is money, start with a financial planner. If you want only private one-to-one sessions, note that Rarified Life lists 1:1 coaching as coming soon. If you are dealing with persistent low mood or depression, a licensed mental health professional is the right first step.

Compared to alternatives

Retirement coach or financial planner: which do I need?

They answer different questions. A financial planner works on whether your money will last; a retirement coach works on how you will live and who you will be. Money worries are widespread: NIRS reports 61 percent of Americans are concerned they will not achieve financial security in retirement. Many people use both.

Is a course better than reading self-help books about retirement?

A course adds live guidance, a set pace, and people who notice whether you did the work. The Preferment course page describes itself as "a structured path, not a self-help pep talk." Self-study costs less and suits people who reliably follow through alone.

Group course or one-to-one coaching: which is better?

A group course gives structure, a shared pace, and usually lower cost; one-to-one coaching gives fully personal attention. For Rarified Life, the live Preferment course is available now and 1:1 coaching is listed as coming soon, as of November 2026.

How is Preferment different from conventional retirement?

Conventional retirement treats the end of a career as an ending. Preferment treats it as an ascension, built on personal values, meaningful pursuits, learning, and physical activity. The back cover of the book Preferment frames it as the difference between "filling hours and fulfilling hours."

Adjusting to life after retirement

How long does it take to adjust to retirement?

There is no single timeline; it depends on how sudden the change was, your health, finances, relationships, and how tied your identity was to work. Rarified Life's presentation describes capable women who "get 8 months into retirement and stop answering the phone." Structured work, like an 8-week course, gives the adjustment a shape.

What are the five emotional stages of retirement?

A widely used description lists pre-retirement, honeymoon, disenchantment, reorientation, and stability. It draws on gerontologist Robert Atchley's phases of retirement. People do not all pass through every stage or in order. Rarified Life does not publish its own stage model; Preferment focuses on building identity and purpose at any stage.

Is it normal to feel lost after retiring?

Yes, it is common, especially if your job was a large part of who you were. One Preferment participant quoted on rarifiedlife.com described spending "a few years wandering around like a goldfish in a bowl." If low mood persists or worsens, talk with a doctor or licensed counselor.

Am I emotionally ready to retire?

Ask yourself five things: who you are without the job title, what motivates you without a paycheck, how your days will look, who will keep you accountable, and what your mission is next. This site's free 10-question readiness quiz walks through exactly those themes.

How do I separate my identity from my career?

Start by describing yourself without your job title or the words "I used to." Rarified Life's presentation promises a real answer to "So, what do you do?" in 8 weeks. The Identity module of the Preferment course is built around exactly this separation.

How can I enjoy life after retirement?

Build your days on things that matter to you rather than errands and appointments. Rarified Life's Preferment approach rests on four pillars: personal values, meaningful pursuits, learning, and physical activity. Pick one small action in each, schedule it, and tell someone who will ask how it went.

What should I do with my time after I retire?

Match your time to your values and strengths, not just to what is available. That is the focus of the Alignment module in the Preferment course. The book frames the goal as the difference between filling hours and fulfilling hours.

How do I stay physically and mentally active after retirement?

Learning and physical activity are two of the four pillars of Rarified Life's approach. Anne van Leynseele has also written guides shown on rarifiedlife.com, including Your Vibrant Years, a wellness blueprint for active living after 60, and Brain Boost Blueprint, on staying sharp and engaged after retirement.

Getting started and practical details

How do I enroll in the Preferment course?

Enrollment happens on the Preferment course page at rarifiedlife.com. This site explains the course but does not take enrollments or payments. Read the current price and terms on that page before you buy.

Where is Rarified Life based?

Rarified Life lists Edmonds, Washington, and a mailing address in Captain Cook, Hawaii, on the Big Island where Anne van Leynseele co-owns a chocolate farm. The course page does not state whether sessions are held in person or online.

Is the Preferment course online or in person?

The course page says "live sessions" but does not specify the format. Confirm on the course page at rarifiedlife.com whether the current cohort meets online, in person, or both before you plan around it.

When does the next Preferment course start?

Start dates are not published on this site, and they may change from cohort to cohort. Check the course page at rarifiedlife.com for the current schedule and availability.

What is the Preferment Life Platform?

It is the name Rarified Life uses for its Preferment offerings. As of November 2026, its shop lists the 8-week course as available, with books and 1:1 coaching marked as coming soon. The book cover calls Preferment a modern post-career life platform.

Is this website independent of Rarified Life?

No. The Preferment Course Hub is published by Rarified Life, the business that runs the course. It exists to explain the coaching and course clearly, using facts Rarified Life supplied and published survey data with named sources.