Hello, I am Raphaela!

I am a certified engineering leadership coach from Berlin-Kreuzberg (Germany) with a background of more than 15 years in software engineering and engineering management at companies like Babbel, Travis CI and Contentful..

I specialize in helping new software engineering managers in their 1st and 2nd year to grow authentically, confidently and effectively into their new leadership role, so that they can have a smooth start.

I am also driven when it comes to supporting women and female managers in order to contribute to a little more diversity and equal opportunities in our working world.

My background

I am a so-called "waschechte" (wash genuine) Berlinerin. I spent a large part of my youth playing handball and thus in smelly changing rooms and gyms. After school, I didn't really know what I wanted to do. I ended up studying computer science and then worked for more than 10 years as a software developer in various Berlin tech start-ups of different sizes.

My journey to coaching

At some point I became an executive and was then Engineering Manager and Team Lead. In this role, I enjoyed resource- and strengths-focused people development the most. It was then that I discovered coaching. Fascinated by the work mechanisms of the various coaching techniques, I tried to learn as much of it as possible autodidactically and to apply it in my daily work as a manager.

Finally, I decided to learn coaching professionally and have been a certified personal and business coach since then. This has been one of my best professional decisions so far.

Supporting women

As a woman with many years of professional background in one of the largest male domains par excellence, the IT industry, I have acquired a feminist view of professional and social issues.

It is therefore a particular concern of mine to support women and female managers with my work and thus contribute to a little more diversity and equal opportunities in our working world.

And otherwise?

I'm a real textbook bookworm, I'm interested in photography as well, I'm a hard-bitten Berlin cyclist and I ride my bike in all weathers.

A life crisis triggered my interest in the subject of psychology, which has stayed with me ever since. In this context, I also walked the Way of St. James, which I can only warmly recommend to anyone - life crisis or not. It was one of the most intense and wonderful experiences in my life.

Recently, I became an extremely happy and proud mother of a son who will grow up in a rainbow family.

What others are saying about me …

  • "Together with Raphaela, I looked at a side of my personality that often slowed me down at work and that also showed up in my private life. This behavior and its effects were not new to me, they had been a part of me for a very long time. But the targeted work with Raphaela allowed me to break out of this established pattern after only a few conversations and to bring about a change. Rephaela listens, connects what is being said, and provides food for thought. I felt seen and was able to open up. I thank her."

    Martin Spickermann - Principal Software Engineer at Localyze

  • "'Where am I going?' This simple question has been my companion for the past couple of months. After using all the tools I knew, from free writing to mind-maps, I decided that I needed help from a person who had better ways and structures to guide me through my uncertainty. From the first few minutes, Raphaela was understanding, trustworthy, and focused on guiding me. Her generosity helped me find the clarity I was seeking. Thanks to her work, I'm excited about a more conscious future. I highly recommend Raphaela to anyone looking for a life coach who listens, stays focused, and is committed to helping. I'm sure that Raphaela's coaching will have a positive impact on your life too."

    Wiktoria Dalach - Software and Security Engineer, author and speaker

  • "It was a really great experience to work with Raphaela for a bit trying to figure out what I really want from my career at the moment. I have been asking myself a question about the potential next step in my professional development for a while. Coaching sessions with Raphaela really helped me to bring me closer to understand what I really want. Thanks Raphaela for taking the time to work with me! It really helped me a lot!"

    Patrycja Radaczyńska - Principal Design System Engineer

  • "I had the pleasure of working with Raphaela as my coach and it was truly a great experience. It was my first time working with a coach, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. However, after the first session, we quickly identified that my initial request would benefit from researching my values, and it was incredible how quickly we were able to identify what was truly important to me. Raphaela prepared exercises and questions to make it productive. Through our sessions, Raphaela helped me better understand what I want and highlighted connections that I wasn't aware of. I'd like to point out, that every minute of our sessions was useful and Raphaela always had insightful questions and reflections. She was an excellent listener, always providing a safe and non-judgmental space for me to explore my thoughts and feelings. I particularly appreciated that also Raphaela shared additional materials for individual work. These materials allowed me to continue our work between sessions and provided a deeper understanding of the topics we discussed. Overall, I found the experience to be incredibly valuable, and I would highly recommend Raphaela as a coach to anyone looking to gain clarity and insight into their values and goals. I've got not only that but also actionable next steps. Thank you, Raphaela, for your guidance and support!"

    Marina Guseva - Software Engineer

  • „Liebe Raphaela, mit deiner ruhigen und warmherzigen Art machst du es mir als Coachee sehr leicht, mich wohlzufühlen. Du agierst und formulierst umsichtig, wertschätzend und mit einem feinen Humor.”

  • „Liebe Raphaela, deine Vorgehensweise beim Coaching wirkt auf mich sehr strukturiert und analytisch. Dein immer wiederkehrendes Nachfragen nach weiteren Möglichkeiten hat mich anfangs irritiert, bis ich verstanden habe, welche verborgenen Schätze ich durch Deinen Impuls heben kann.”

  • „Liebe Raphaela, ich finde deine ruhige, einfühlende Art und deine wahrhaftige Neugierde für den Menschen und seine Sicht der Dinge sehr beeindruckend, Du nimmst dein Gegenüber sehr individuell wahr, zeigst Respekt für die Erlebniswelt des Anderen und verstehst es geschickt, einen Schritt zurückzutreten. Du überlegst dir immer wieder neue Fragen, die unbekannte Wege beleuchten.”

  • „Liebe Raphaela, ich habe mich von dir als Coach sehr gut verstanden gefühlt und den Raum, den du für uns geschaffen hast, als sehr beschützt wahrgenommen.”

  • „Liebe Raphaela, ich schätze Deine ruhige und zugewandte Art beim Coaching und fühle mich als Coachee bei dir sicher und wertgeschätzt.”

  • „Liebe Raphaela, in deinen Coachings fühlte ich mich aufgrund deiner Ruhe und Gelassenheit immer aufgehoben und sicher. Ich habe beobachtet, dass du sehr viel Wert auf Professionalität legst, gleichzeitig aber ganz bei dir bleibst und dich mit deinem ganzen Wesen in ein Coaching einbringen kannst.”

  • „Liebe Raphaela, in den Coachings sind mir deine Gradlinigkeit und deine Begabung, Struktur zu schaffen aufgefallen. Du hast mit sehr viel Genauigkeit durch den Coaching-Prozess geführt und so ein stabiles Gerüst geschaffen, das für die manchmal auch schwierigen Themen Sicherheit gegeben hat. Deine organisierte Herangehensweise war für mich als Coachee ausgesprochen zielführend.”

  • „Liebe Raphaela, deine analytische und beruhigende Art, Dinge erst komplett verstehen zu wollen, ist eine unglaubliche Kompetenz, da es ein ehrlich gemeintes Interesse widerspiegelt und auch den Coachee dazu bringt, Dinge besser zu verstehen.”

  • „Liebe Raphaela, du bestichst sofort durch Deine empathische und herzliche Art und wirkst auf mich von Beginn an sehr wissbegierig, strukturiert und sehr nahbar. Deine Art der Kommunikation empfinde ich immer als wertschätzend und bedacht.”