Co-founder of Betweenward & Founder of Transition & Thrive
I work with people who’ve always been the one who figures it out. This time, they can’t see the next move — and neither could I, more than once, before I built a way to name what that actually is.
Where I Come In
People usually find me mid-stride, not standing still. A role that ended without much warning. A season of caregiving that’s quietly taken over a life that used to have room for other things. A career that still looks fine from the outside and doesn’t feel that way from in here. Every one of them built a way of solving things that’s worked for years — and this is the first time it hasn’t held.
I don’t start by asking what’s wrong. I start by helping someone see what’s actually shifted, so the ground beneath them stops feeling like it’s giving out.
I also come in when people feel stuck, are at a crossroads, or want structure before choosing a coach. That entry point is the 60-minute Ripple Clarity Session. This session focuses on values and meaning, what’s working and what isn’t, direction, and next-step experiments. From there, a client may continue into ongoing Ripple Journey work with María, or she may recommend another coach depending on the client’s needs.
The Way I Coach
My work blends steady listening with practical structure. Values discovery, enhanced skills assessments, and decision-making tools help people see their experience differently. It becomes raw material for whatever comes next. From there, we turn what surfaces into something concrete enough to act on.
I build customization and flexibility into how I work with clients, so although the programs and tools I offer may be standardized, how you use them and when they fit depends on your needs.
Clients tend to describe my approach as both reflective and forward-moving at once: room to think, and something to do with what they find.
What Shaped This Work
I’ve spent more than a decade coaching people through transitions I’ve already lived through. Before that, I spent years leading teams through corporate change, which is where I first noticed the pattern that would eventually shape my work: capable people are rarely thrown by the change itself. They’re thrown when they discover the way they’ve always pushed through doesn’t work this time around.
I wrote Upside Down to Right Side Up: Turning Transition into Triumph from my own crossing, and I still coach from that same place — having stood in it. There’s plenty of theory about how transition works, and I use it to support my approach, but my lived experience and my clients' experiences are the evidence of what works. In fact, it informed my latest life and career transformation framework, The Ripple Journey™, which is part of the foundation for Betweenward™.
What People Say
Working with María has been extremely helpful. She brings an incredible depth of insight, empathy, and strategic guidance to our conversations. She understands the unique challenges and opportunities that come with navigating change, career pivots, life transitions, and personal goals. Her coaching is rooted in practical wisdom, genuine encouragement, and a deep respect for each person’s individual path.
— Kim K.
What sets María apart isn’t just her expertise; it’s how she shows up for you as a person. She is empathetic and completely nonjudgmental, which made it easy to be honest about my fears and uncertainties during a vulnerable time. She doesn’t let you stay at the surface level; she asks the questions that make you dig deeper, reframe your strengths, and reconnect with your core values in ways you hadn’t considered before.
— W. Weekes
Working with María, I was quickly inspired to explore a new path, one that I would find fulfilling and engaging. Her assignments and tools took me on a journey of self-reflection that helped me articulate both what I would love and what I no longer wanted to do. I have choices.
— Liz L.
If You’re Ready to Talk
If you’re standing in that in-between stretch and wondering what a conversation might open up, that’s the only next step you need to take. Everything starts with a conversation.
Email info@betweenward.com and write: “I’d like to explore coaching with María.”
You’ll hear back personally. No pressure or obligation. Just a conversation about where you are.