Ashley Rudolph: Speaker Profile

Executive coach // former tech exec // career & leadership strategist

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TRUSTED BY LEADERS at

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About me

I’m a former high-achieving tech executive turned executive coach for top performers. My career spans leading $75M+ deals, overseeing teams of 250+ people, and working at high-growth companies like an edtech unicorn and General Assembly (acquired).

Despite all of that, I saw firsthand how even the most accomplished professionals hit invisible ceilings, get stuck in cycles of overwork, or plateau despite their ambition. I built my coaching business to change that.

I now help high achievers at companies like A24, Citi, Harvard, Starface Beauty, Simon & Schuster, GAP, and Barbancourt Rum unlock exponential career growth in 3-6 months—without burnout. My REF + 3C framework has helped clients land career-defining promotions, 5- to 6-figure salary jumps, and new leadership opportunities they didn’t think were possible.

What’s Work with Ashley R.?

A boutique career and leadership coaching practice designed for high-achieving professionals who want to break through plateaus, advance faster, and redefine success on their own terms. I help top talent and leadership teams:

  • Land 5- to 6-figure salary jumps and game-changing promotions

  • Master executive presence, influence, and leadership skills to thrive at the top

  • Scale impact without scaling stress—learning how to work differently, not just harder

  • Navigate career pivots and transitions with confidence

Companies like Citi, Harvard, and A24 work with me because retaining and developing top talent is their biggest competitive advantage. I help high performers achieve more in 3-6 months than they have in years—without burning out.

Real Talk - CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

  • “I reached out to Ashley at a time in my career when I needed guidance and someone to remind me how much I have to offer. Ashley is an expert at listening to you and truly understanding what you are passionate about and skilled at and then coming up with a strategy to get you into roles that utilize those skills and passions. I felt strongly about having a woman coach who truly understood some of the hurdles women face in career searches. With Ashley's expert guidance, I was able to ultimately a new role with a significant salary increase and leadership advancement opportunity.”

    Assistant Director, Learning at an Ivy League Institution

  • "I initially sought a coach to help me find clarity and meaning in my next career move. What I received in Ashley was a coach who helped me unlock my purpose and instilled in me the courage to ask for what I deserved. She is smart, caring, and exceptionally strategic. Every time we spoke, I left feeling more empowered and confident in my abilities. She knows exactly the right questions to ask, and she was quick in tailoring her approach to meet my specific needs. Ashley has been an invaluable partner in the short time we've worked together, and I can't imagine a world where she is not a part of my journey."

    VP, Marketing at one of the world’s leading publishing powerhouses

  • “I was looking to work with a coach because I felt that I wanted some outside insight about my current role, my career, and my professional future. I especially wanted to work with Ashley because I knew there would be a level of shorthand because she is a high-performing senior level Black woman executive. This meant that we were able to be efficient with our time together; I wasn’t educating on intersectionality, identity politics, representation gaps, microagressions and more. She immediately understood what it meant to be a high-performing, high-level executive. Ashley provided validation, clarity, and tools to own my leadership free of self-doubt and fear. With Ashley, I have become a more sure-footed leader of teams that I managed. It has been valuable context for setting expectations, understand my worth and value, not only in my place of employment, but also in my industry. Ashley, you are my secret power.”

    SVP, Communications at an award-winning PR agency

  • “Ashley is an exceptionally talented coach and I would recommend her to anyone. From our first meeting, she instantly connected with me and was able to listen and uncover insights about myself that I was blind to - it felt like she really 'got' me, despite us having just met. For every session Ashley came prepared and clearly having put deep thought into the time we were going to spend together. Despite having a week or two between sessions, she was able to seamlessly pick up where we left off, continuing the flow of the prior work. I am so grateful to have worked with Ashley and would recommend her to any high performer looking to refine their vision and take action.”

    Student at Harvard Business School

  • “I would describe my coaching experience with you as meeting with a highly qualified distant cousin. The coaching felt tailored to me, you gave me real-time feedback and homework, and you were very direct about the things I needed to improve versus where I was doing well. As someone who always looks for ways to do better, you took time to make sure I acknowledged my wins and not just move on to the next thing without congratulating myself. You were very encouraging, thorough, warm, and relatable. I appreciated how you allowed for space to vent a bit professionally, but you always tied it back to a few actionable items so that it didn't just feel like a venting session. You listened, processed, and then provided me with ways to solve the issue or pivot. I would give a 10/10 rating on coaching.”

    HR & Experience Lead at a leading entertainment company

  • “I am more self-assured, empowered and intentional in how I communicate with my my CEO. When I started I felt like often what I said or shared with my leader fell on deaf ears or wasn't relevant. Now I have greater confidence in the impact, relevance and reception of what I communicate - that's huge! That's been a gamechanger for my sense of self worth at the work.”

    Director of Executive Operations at a venture-backed tech company

  • “Ashley rotated between guide/coach, understanding ear, and mirror beautifully and in all the ways I needed it most but didn't know it. As a result, I was able to take a challenging onboarding experience into a new company and bring up my confidence. Working with Ashley has helped me to identify and name where issues and triggers come from, and as a result I truly feel like I got my mojo back. I am so grateful for Ashley. The only negative is that I've never had a coach before this experience and I am nervous that Ashley is as good as it gets?”

    Head of HR in the Beauty Industry

  • “Ashley was able to help me think creatively and strategically through workplace challenges that were directly tied to my career progression in my organization. Her support and advice were precise, timely, and spot on. She was effective and helped me impress the right people. After the end of our initial engagement, I achieved all of the goals I had and was able to successfully get a major strategy approved. I look forward to working with her in the future and she comes highly recommended!”

    Director of Digital Learning at a top non-profit

Interview topics

  • The decisions high achievers make that set them apart

  • The career traps that keep top performers stuck — and how to break out

  • The REF framework: how to get unstuck and find your next move with clarity

  • Why smart, hardworking people get passed over — and the 3 C's that change that

Previous features & collaborations

I’ve been a featured guest and panelist on the following podcasts, conferences, and events:

  • The Grey Areas Podcast- Leading Without Politics: How to Build Influence Before You Have the Title (Kelsey Donlon)

  • The Confidence Lounge - How to Rise Into Your Next Level of Leadership Without Sacrificing Yourself (Elyse Conroy)

  • The Tech Leaders Playbook Podcast - Why Talent Alone Won't Get You the Job — and What Actually Will (Avetis Antaplyan)

  • The Work Positive Podcast - How Leaders Can Have Transformative "Becoming Conversations" and Build Cultures of Hope (Dr. Joey Faucette)

  • Leadership Powered by Common Sense - Hard Conversations, Courageous Leadership, and What It Takes to Lead with Clarity (Doug Thorpe)

  • Unstoppable Mindset - Navigating Career Transitions and the Mindset Shifts That Unlock Your Next Level (Michael Hingson)

  • The Drop In CEO - From Tech Executive to Coach: What High Achievers Actually Need to Grow (Deborah Coviello)

  • Excellent Executive Coaching - Uncovering Possibilities: Navigating Career Transitions with the REF Framework (Dr. Katrina Burrus, MCC)

  • Engineer Your Success - Leading Through Hard Conversations: A Lesson in Courage and Clarity (Dr. James Bryant)

  • The Leadership Lounge - What the Best Leaders Have in Common and the 3 C's Framework That Sets Them Apart (Karie Millspaugh)

  • SHE Leads Authentically - The Pivotal Conversations That Elevate Women Leaders and the Art of Authentic Self-Advocacy (Kemerlin Richards)

  • Dope Chick with Ambition - Power, Presence, and Promotion: What It Takes to Show Up and Stand Out (Candi Lewis)

  • The Portfolio Career Lab - Inertia Disguised as Achievement: How High Performers Get Stuck and How to Choose What's Next (Brie Abramowicz)

  • Giving You Everything - Pivoting from Corporate to Building Your Own Thing: The Story Behind Work with Ashley R. (Victoria Whittaker)

  • C’est La Me Podcast - Career Lessons & How to Advocate for Yourself for Twenty Somethings

  • The Impactful Conversations Effect podcast - Co-hosted with Winy Bernard Bertin: The Conversations That Shape Careers, Companies, and Lives

  • SETSI - Conversation with Ashley Rudolph Organizational and Operations Expert

  • I Am Not Fine - How to Advocate for Change without Ruining Relationships

  • Educators Leadership Convening - Mastering Negotiations (live in person sessions)

  • SxSWEDU - Panel speaker

  • I’ve also participated in numerous panels and have been invited to speak with corporate audiences virtually and in-person

Why book me?

  • Real experience at the top – I’ve been in the high-pressure world of leadership—leading $75M+ deals and overseeing 250+ people. I know what it takes to succeed at the top and what actually moves the needle for high performers.

  • Proven framework – The REF + 3C methods have transformed careers

  • Engaging, actionable insights – I deliver compelling conversations that move audiences to action

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Book me for your podcast or event

I have limited openings for podcast interviews and speaking engagements. If you're interested in having me as a guest, let’s talk!

📩 Email: hello@workwithashleyr.com
🔗 Website: www.workwithashleyr.com

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