FAQLast updated November 2026
This FAQ answers 43 common questions about the Preferment course, retirement transition coaching, and life after a career, grouped into seven topics. Each answer leads with the direct answer, then the supporting facts.
Most people ask what it costs ($3,000), how long it runs (eight weeks of live sessions), who it is for (high achievers approaching or living life after a career), and how it compares with hiring a retirement life coach.
Preferment™ is Anne van Leynseele's live, 8-week course for driven people approaching or living life after a career. Participants meet with Anne weekly and work through her book Preferment chapter by chapter, using built-in homework to turn reflection into a plan. The course treats retirement as a new chapter to shape, not a withdrawal from life.
Preferment is the name Rarified Life gives to an active, purpose-driven alternative to traditional retirement. Instead of stepping back from life when work ends, the framework asks you to name what moves you, align your days with your values and strengths, and launch a mission for your next chapter. The tagline puts it plainly: ditch retirement, try Preferment instead.
Yes. Preferment is retirement transition coaching delivered as a structured live course. Rather than open-ended sessions, it moves through six modules: Introduction, Identity, Motivation, Alignment, Accountability, and Launch. Each week builds on the last, with Anne guiding the group through the book and exercises completed between sessions.
Anne van Leynseele teaches every live session. She built and sold a Los Angeles film and television production company, 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.
Preferment is offered by Rarified Life at rarifiedlife.com. Rarified Life presents the Preferment framework as a purpose-driven alternative to retirement for people approaching or navigating life after a career, especially high achievers looking for purpose and identity beyond work. Enrollment, the free webinar, and contact all run through the Rarified Life website.
Yes. Anne van Leynseele wrote the book Preferment, and it is the backbone of the live course. The book is included in enrollment and serves as both your companion text and your workbook. Homework is built into its pages, so the exercises you complete between sessions follow the same chapters you discuss live with Anne.
No. Preferment focuses on the life side of retirement: identity, motivation, values, daily structure, and purpose. Meeting with a financial planner alone is a poor way to prepare for the rest of your life. Keep your financial advisor for money questions and use Preferment for the question of what your time is for.
The Preferment course investment is $3,000. That covers eight weekly live sessions with Anne van Leynseele, the Preferment book, and the guided homework that turns reading into a plan. Check the current price before you buy, as the checkout page confirms the cost.
Enrollment includes eight weekly live sessions with Anne, the Preferment book as your companion text and workbook, homework built into the book, a structured week-by-week path through six modules, a 30-day planner that translates your wondering into action and activities, and a welcome package delivered within 24 hours of registering.
Yes. A free presentation is offered with instant access after registration. It is aimed at accomplished women in their 50s and 60s who are nearing or in retirement, and it walks through a 5-step plan for replacing the 'what now?' feeling with a clear direction. It is a good first step before committing to the paid course.
Payment plan details are not listed on the course page. Live coaching programs often handle installment requests case by case, so the fastest way to get a definite answer is to ask directly through the contact page before you enroll. Prompt phone support is available for questions like this.
A refund policy is not stated on the course page. Before enrolling, review the Terms of Service on rarifiedlife.com and ask the team to confirm the cancellation and refund terms in writing. That is good practice for any live program with a fixed start date and a small group.
For high achievers who feel lost without work, a structured eight-week course with a seasoned instructor is a focused investment. You get live guidance, a book and workbook, a 30-day action planner, and accountability built into the format. Preferment clients have higher certainty about life satisfaction prior to retiring than with other programs.
The Preferment course runs for eight weeks, with one live session with Anne each week. Between sessions you complete homework built into the Preferment book. Eight weeks is long enough to move from reflection to a working routine, and short enough to keep momentum. The free webinar provides a real answer to 'So, what do you do?' in that same window.
The six modules are Introduction, Identity, Motivation, Alignment, Accountability, and Launch. You start with where you are now, separate who you are from what you did, find what moves you without a paycheck, match your values and strengths to your days, build structure that turns intention into routine, and finally name your mission for the next chapter.
Preferment is a live course. Anne leads eight weekly live sessions, and the work happens in conversation with her and between sessions through the book’s built-in exercises. If you want something self-paced first, the free webinar offers instant access to a training you can watch on your own schedule.
Homework is built into the Preferment book and done between weekly sessions. The course page describes it as real exercises, not busywork. Exact time varies by person and by chapter, so plan for regular reflection time each week. The 30-day planner then helps convert what you discover into scheduled action and activities.
Session days and times are not published on the course page and may vary by cohort. Ask through the contact page for the next start date and weekly schedule. Because the course is live, choose a cohort whose timing you can reliably keep for all eight weeks so you get the full benefit of each module.
After you register, a welcome package arrives within 24 hours. The intake process is completely optimized and prevents the classic failures of other programs, like sessions going off topic. From there you work from the Preferment book and begin the weekly live sessions with Anne.
The 30-day planner is a Preferment tool that translates your wondering into action and activities. Instead of ending the course with insights alone, you leave with a month of concrete steps tied to your values, strengths, and mission. It bridges the Accountability and Launch modules and the first weeks of living your next chapter.
Preferment is for driven, accomplished people approaching or navigating life after a career, especially high achievers whose identity has been wrapped up in their work. It suits people who are done treating retirement as an ending and want a structured way to find purpose, identity, and a mission beyond their job title.
The free webinar is designed for accomplished women in their 50s and 60s who are nearing or in retirement. The live course itself is described for driven people ready to treat retirement as an ascension rather than an ending. If you are unsure whether a cohort fits you, ask before enrolling.
Yes. You can start this work without slowing down, without waiting for retirement day, and even if your last day at work is still years away. Starting early lets you arrive at retirement with an answer to 'what now?' instead of spending months figuring it out afterward.
No. Preferment is for people navigating life after a career as well as those approaching it. One participant described spending a few years 'wandering around like a goldfish in a bowl' before the course changed that. The Identity and Motivation modules work whether your last workday was last month or several years ago.
High achievers often tie their identity tightly to their work, so losing the title, pace, and purpose of a career can feel disorienting. Preferment was built by someone who has lived four reinventions, across film, global consulting, government law, and farming. The course gives driven people structure and a mission rather than open-ended rest.
Preferment is led by Anne van Leynseele through Rarified Life rather than a network of local coaches. Ask about session format and timing for your location through the contact page. A live group course with one experienced instructor is a strong alternative to searching for a retirement life coach near me.
For many high achievers, yes. A one-on-one retirement life coach can be valuable, but structure and scope vary widely. Preferment offers a defined path through six modules, a book and workbook, a 30-day planner, and live sessions with an instructor who has lived four reinventions herself, all for a clearly stated $3,000 investment.
If your money plan is in place but you still dread the question 'what now?', start with life planning. Meeting with a financial planner is the worst way to prepare for the rest of your life and the approach works 10x faster. Financial advice and purpose work complement each other.
You can, but reading alone rarely changes routines. Preferment pairs Anne’s book with eight live sessions, built-in homework, and accountability, so insights become a schedule. It offers a structured path, not a self-help pep talk. If you want to start solo, the free webinar is a no-cost way to test the approach.
A certificate shows a coach completed a training program, but it does not tell you whether their process fits you. Look at lived experience, structure, and what is included. Anne van Leynseele brings four career reinventions and wrote the book the course is built on. Ask any coach what their process covers before you commit.
No. Preferment is a course for people redesigning their own life after a career, not a coach training or retirement life coach certification program. If you want to become a retirement life coach, look for a dedicated coach training provider. If you want your own next chapter to work, Preferment is built for exactly that.
Structure creates momentum. Preferment moves in sequence from Identity to Launch, with each week building on the last, and its intake process is designed to keep sessions on topic. Open-ended coaching can drift. A fixed eight-week arc with homework and a 30-day planner gives you a clear finish line and a plan to act on.
Start by separating who you are from what you did, then identify what moves you now that a paycheck is not the reason. Preferment’s Identity and Motivation modules guide exactly this. Match what you find to your values and strengths, build a weekly structure, and name a mission. Purpose usually comes from action tested over weeks, not a single insight.
You are more than your former title. Many accomplished people feel lost because work supplied their identity, routine, and status. Preferment's Identity module helps you separate who you are from what you did for a living, so you can answer 'So, what do you do?' without starting with 'I used to'. One participant put it simply: 'I discovered I am so much more.'
Enjoyment after retirement usually comes from meaning and structure rather than free time alone. The free presentation describes moving from days filled with errands and appointments to a life people ask you about, while energy, health, and relationships get stronger. Preferment's Alignment and Accountability modules turn that into a routine you actually live.
Reinvention at 70 follows the same steps as at any age: get clear on identity, find what motivates you, align your days with your values, add accountability, and launch. Preferment sets no age limit, and its instructor has lived four reinventions. A structured eight-week course makes the change concrete instead of theoretical.
Yes, it is common. A meta-analysis cited in 'Retirement Coaching: An Emerging Niche for 2026' found 28% of retirees experience depression, with a 40% spike in depression in the first years after retiring. Feeling lost is a signal to rebuild identity and structure. If low mood persists, talk with a doctor or licensed mental health professional.
Most people hope so. A survey cited in 'Hiring a Retirement Coach? Here's What to Look For' found 65% of women and 62% of men anticipate retirement as a time to rediscover themselves. Preferment turns that hope into a process, moving from Identity through Launch so rediscovery leads to a named mission and a weekly routine.
Enroll through the Preferment course page on rarifiedlife.com, where you can add the live course to your cart and check out. If you have questions first, use the contact page. Many people start by registering for the free webinar, which gives instant access to a training on the 5-step plan.
Watch the free webinar. Registration gives instant access to the training for accomplished women in their 50s and 60s, covering how to answer 'So, what do you do?' in eight weeks and why a work-wrapped identity makes retirement hard. If it resonates, enroll in the live course. If you have questions, contact the team.
Customer service is available by phone with ASAP response, and you can reach the team through the contact page on rarifiedlife.com. After registration, a welcome package arrives within 24 hours, so you are not left wondering what comes next before your first live session with Anne.
Bring honesty about where you are right now, since the Introduction module starts there. Have your Preferment book ready, set aside weekly time for the built-in homework, and block the session times in your calendar. You do not need a five-year plan; you just need a room to start figuring it out in.
By the end of Preferment you will have worked through all six modules, completed the book’s exercises, and named your mission for the next chapter in the Launch module. You also leave with a 30-day planner that turns that mission into scheduled action and activities, plus a weekly structure built in the Accountability module.
Want the full picture? Read our overview of retirement transition coaching with the Preferment course, including the curriculum, price, and how enrollment works.
Eight weekly live sessions with Anne van Leynseele, the Preferment book, and guided homework. $3,000 investment.
