A New Chapter Is Already Being Written

Career guidance for women in transition, women rebuilding, and women ready to pivot.

You used to love your job. Or maybe you never did, but you needed the paycheck. Either way, something shifted. Now you're burned out. Stressed. Anxious. You wake up dreading work. You feel stuck in a job that doesn't fit. And you know deep down that something has to change.

Maybe you survived something hard. Maybe life threw you a curveball. Maybe you just realized you're in the wrong place. Whatever brought you here, I want you to know something: You're not alone. And this feeling? It's fixable.

career coaching for women

Life has a way of redirecting us. Sometimes through pain. Sometimes through clarity. Sometimes through the quiet realization that the path you are on no longer belongs to you. Wherever you are in that process, this is where your next career story begins.

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WHAT IS THE NEXT CHAPTER? A Career Development Program Built for Real Life

The Next Chapter is a career development program for women who are ready to move forward but are not quite sure where forward is yet. It exists because life does not pause for trauma, loss, or major change and neither does the need to work, grow, and build something that feels like yours.

This program serves two women. The woman who is rebuilding her professional life after surviving something that changed everything. And the woman who is employed, functioning, and still quietly certain that she is in the wrong place. Both are valid. Both deserve more than settling.

What we do not do here is hand you a generic resume template and send you off. We start with you. Who you are. How you work best. What you value. What kind of work environment allows you to heal and grow at the same time. From that foundation, everything else gets built.

The Next Chapter is a program of The 1st 28 Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

WHO IS THIS FOR

The Woman Who Is Rebuilding. You came through something hard. Maybe it was abuse, loss, a health crisis, or a life that looked nothing like what you planned. Now you are ready to work again but you need more than a job. You need a career that honors who you are becoming. The Next Chapter meets you exactly where you are and walks with you toward work that brings dignity, stability, and purpose back into your life.

The Woman Who Is Pivoting. You have a job. You show up. You perform. And every single day, something in you knows this is not it. Traumatic experiences have a way of making the wrong things undeniable. If surviving something hard has made it impossible to keep pretending your current path is enough, that clarity is not a crisis. It is an invitation. The Next Chapter helps you turn that knowing into a plan.

Both paths lead to the same space. A career that fits who you actually are.

WHAT WE OFFER

  • COMMUNITY - The Next Chapter Community on Facebook

    You should not have to figure this out alone. Our Facebook community is a space for women in transition to connect, share, ask questions, and encourage one another through the process of rebuilding. No judgment. No pressure. Just women who understand what it means to start over and choose themselves anyway.

    Join the Community

  • 1:1 COACHING - Work With Us Directly

    Sometimes you do not need a course. You need a conversation. Our 1:1 coaching sessions are designed for women who want focused, personalized guidance on their specific career situation. Whether you are figuring out your next move, preparing for an interview, navigating a job offer, or simply need someone in your corner who understands what you are carrying, we are here.

    Single sessions are available for women who need targeted support on one area. Monthly packages are available for women who want consistent guidance throughout their job search or career transition. Every session is confidential, judgment free, and built around where you actually are, not where you think you should be.

    Book a Session

  • SUBSTACK - The Next Chapter on Substack

    Our Substack is where we go deeper. Every week we share real stories of women who came through something hard and chose to keep going anyway. We talk about the things that do not fit neatly into a motivational quote, like rebuilding self-worth, navigating the workplace while you are still healing, figuring out who you are after surviving something that changed everything. Alongside our articles, you will find videos, mini courses, and guided resources designed to give you practical tools you can use right where you are. It is honest. It is personal. It is built for women who are tired of being told to stay positive and just want someone to tell the truth. Subscribe and get it delivered directly to you.

    Subscribe on Substack

  • THE BRIDGE

    The Bridge is for women who are currently working but running on empty. It is for the women who want to build something of their own but cannot find the time, the energy, or the breathing room to do it properly.

    This program teaches you how to stop adding and start swapping. You will learn how to identify a job that pays your bills, protects your peace, and gives you back the hours and mental space you need to build toward your real goals without sacrificing your income or your benefits in the process.

    The Bridge covers time management, prioritization, job strategy, and the mindset work it takes to stop surviving your life and start designing it. Whether your dream is entrepreneurship, a career change, or simply having enough left at the end of the day to invest in yourself . This is where that journey starts.

    COMING SOON

  • THE CAREER COMEBACK

    The Career Comeback was built for women who are returning to the workforce after trauma. For women who know they have more to offer than their last job title, but who need support figuring out what that looks like now.

    This is not a program that hands you a resume template and tells you to apply. It starts with who you are. Through a series of personality based assessments, you will discover which careers align with your natural strengths, your values, and the version of yourself that came out on the other side of what you survived.

    From there, we go deep. Resume building. Interview preparation. Salary negotiation. Offer evaluation. And woven through every step, self-esteem, self-worth, and the quiet but necessary work of believing you deserve to take up space in rooms that are good for you.

    The Career Comeback does not ask you to settle. It asks you what would actually bring you joy and then it helps you get there.

    Currently In Development

TESTIMONIALS

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TESTIMONIALS ✳︎

  • "I was lucky enough to complete The Career Comeback course in person and I get a job within 2 weeks of completing it. I highly recommend it to everyone and it is amazing that Dawn now offers this online for everyone."

    —Tay F.

  • "I was hesitant to take another class at the shelter because I did not think that it would make a difference. I was wrong. Dawn came in and made learning fun. She got us together, motivated us, and reminded us that we are not what we've been through. She changed my life and this program got me out of the shelter! Thanks D. Love you!"

    —Sara R.

  • "If you are down and out and want a new career (not job, career) but you don't know where to start, take The Career Comeback training. It changed my life!"

    —Forna W.

  • "I only did the Resume ReVamp class and the changes that she told us to do got me 3 interviews within one week! She walked us through what to say and how to say it and it worked! I got 2 offers from them 3 interviewd and she helped me pick the best one and negotiate my salary. I was so scared to do it, but I got $2 hour more than what they offered! She's the truth."

    Abby S.

ROOTED IN MISSION

Grounded in Purpose. Driven by Impact.

The Next Chapter is a program of The 1st 28 Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Delaware. Everything we build, every resource, every course, and every conversation is rooted in a commitment to whole-person recovery for women navigating life after trauma.

We believe that healing and professional growth are not separate journeys. A woman who finds work that fits her, that honors her, and that gives her room to breathe is a woman who is more stable, more resourced, and more able to show up fully in every part of her life. That is what we are here to support.