Stepping Out of the Waiting Room With Rachel Anderholder
- Brainz Magazine
- May 5
- 4 min read
Written by Delia Grenville, Coach, Speaker & Consultant
Delia Grenville, Ph.D., is the Founder and CEO of Slyn Consulting, where she’s spent over 25 years helping leaders and teams navigate the ups and downs of business and life. As a certified coach and host of the To Live List podcast, she’s all about real talk, growth, and making things happen.
We often talk about growth, ambition, and change, but rarely about the pause before the pivot. In this conversation, I speak with Rachel Anderholder, outgoing Executive Director of Carpe Mundi, a Portland-based nonprofit that supports first-generation college students through mentorship and global learning. As Rachel prepares to step away after over a decade, we talk candidly about permission: permission to reflect, shift, and walk away from something meaningful, without knowing what comes next. This article is adapted from the To Live List® podcast episode “Finding Your Path Beyond the Comfort Zone.” You can listen to the full conversation here.
“Permission isn’t something we earn. It’s something we give ourselves.” — Delia Grenville
You’ve led Carpe Mundi through incredible impact. Now you’re stepping away, not because something went wrong, but because you knew something needed to shift. What told you it was time?
I realized I was staying because I felt entwined with the organization. I’d been in this space for so long that it became comfortable and part of my identity. But at some point, I had to ask myself: Is this alignment, or just habit? And the honest answer was I didn’t know. That uncertainty was a sign it was time to pause and listen more closely.
I talk a lot about what Christina Rasmussen, the author of Second Firsts, calls “the waiting room,” a space where we’re functioning but not fully living. It’s not burnout or crisis, but a kind of emotional limbo. She describes it as a place we retreat to after grief or transition, and the longer we stay, the more normal it feels.
Yes! That resonated with me so much. The waiting room looks fine from the outside. You’re still getting things done and still showing up. But inside, you’re in limbo. And the longer you stay, the easier it is to convince yourself that’s all there is. Leaving that space requires self-permission. There’s no push; you have to pull yourself out.
“You don’t have to wait until something breaks to choose something new.” — Rachel Anderholder
So many people think permission has to be external through a mentor, a title change, or a moment of clarity. But sometimes it’s quiet. You just wake up one day and realize the permission has to come from you.
Exactly. I’ve spent years helping students stretch beyond their comfort zones and I finally realized I wasn’t modeling that for myself. I had to ask: am I giving myself the same permission I encourage in others? Am I still learning here and learning what I want to be learning, or just maintaining?
You talk about the zones Carpe Mundi teaches: the comfort, learning, and panic zones. That framework is robust, not just for students abroad, but for all navigating real life. How are you applying it to your transition?
This moment is my learning zone. I’ve left the comfort of the known and intentionally holding space before jumping into something new. I’m making time to reflect, reset, and reconnect with myself. And yes, parts of it are uncomfortable. I do not enjoy a lot of stillness, but I know that’s where clarity will come from.
What would you say to someone stuck in the waiting room but unsure of what to do next?
You don’t need a perfect plan to take the first step. You don’t have to wait until something breaks to choose something new. The waiting room is comfortable, but it’s not where you grow. And the door isn’t locked. You can leave any time.
And you can leave without guilt. I wish more people understood that you can love something, be grateful for it, and still outgrow it.
Yes. Walking away doesn’t mean the experience doesn’t matter. It means it mattered enough to do it justice by leaving at the right time. I’m not closing the door on Carpe Mundi. I’m just opening another one for myself.
About Rachel Anderholder
Rachel Anderholder is a nonprofit leader and experiential educator. She most recently served as Executive Director of Carpe Mundi, where she led global mentorship programs for first-generation college students. Rachel holds degrees in International Development and Service, Communications, and Spanish. She is passionate about global equity and helping others explore purpose through real-world experiences. Her goal is to improve the systems that work with youth education to ensure that all children can grow up to contribute to their communities.
Listen to the full conversation: Finding Your Path Beyond the Comfort Zone: A Conversation with Rachel Anderholder
Delia Grenville, Coach, Speaker & Consultant
Delia Grenville is the Founder and CEO of Slyn Consulting, where she helps organizations cultivate inclusive and high-performing workplace cultures. With over two decades of experience at companies like Oracle and Intel, Delia brings a strategic and holistic approach to addressing complex organizational challenges. She holds a Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering and is a certified Integral Coach, blending technical expertise with a deep understanding of workplace dynamics. Delia is committed to fostering environments where leaders and teams can thrive.
