RISE Advising Services, LLC.

Transforming Leadership and Career Development with Social and Emotional Intelligence

At RISE Advising Services, we help individuals, teams, and organizations grow in ways that are human, practical, and lasting. We believe that meaningful, manageable change can transform not only individuals, but entire organizations and communities. Our work is rooted in Social and Emotional Intelligence, which is the ability to notice and understand your own emotions, recognize how others are feeling, and use that awareness to respond with intention.

We guide individuals and teams to build self-awareness, strengthen communication, and align their work with their values and vision. The result is practical tools, renewed confidence, and meaningful, manageable change that lasts.

RISE is led by Dr. Kathy Thornhill and Kristina Hunt, certified Social and Emotional Intelligence coaches with decades of combined experience. Together, we bring a balance of heart and strategy, honor lived experience, and create supportive spaces where growth feels approachable, empowering, and real.

Our work takes many forms, including coaching, workshops, webinars, and leadership programs focused on Social and Emotional Intelligence, career development, and personal and professional growth. In every setting, our focus is on helping people show up more fully, communicate with empathy, and create meaningful, manageable change.

One of our guiding principles is that meaningful, manageable change often begins with small, sustainable steps. In a recent keynote, Kathy shared a personal story. While on vacation she practiced yoga four times, but after returning home, she had not kept up the routine. What she did do was stretch while making her morning coffee. That small shift made a noticeable difference in her body, and the most important part was not beating herself up for what she thought she “should” be doing. Instead, she celebrated what she was doing. That is meaningful, manageable change.

We see this come to life in our work with clients. Coaching client Kristin Kuxhausen shared:
“Leadership can be lonely, yet for me personally, I feel like I make the best decisions when I’m able to talk through a scenario. Kathy feels like a ‘cool aunt’ I can go to for advice and vent, but also get set straight when I’m on the wrong path. My sessions with Kathy have helped me uncover my purpose—service to others—and learn how to take a long-term approach to my decisions.”

In organizational settings, the results are equally powerful. During a recent strategic planning session with a nonprofit, what began as a simple question about purpose led to a deep conversation about values. By the end of the session, the team had rewritten their mission in a way that reflected who they are and why they care about their work. The renewed alignment created energy and direction that will guide their decisions well into the future.

Looking ahead, our vision is to expand access to growth through both digital and community-based offerings such as online courses, learning circles, and subscription programs. We also dream of launching a podcast to share stories and insights that inspire more people to grow in emotional intelligence and lead with authenticity.

We are excited to continue building partnerships through WE RISE, our free community engagement program, and through our coaching, workshops, and leadership training. Our goal is simple: to help people and teams rise into their potential while creating environments where everyone feels respected, valued, and inspired to thrive, one meaningful, manageable change at a time.

 

Here are some upcoming events:

• October 9th Workshop: Manifest with Intention: Aligning Vision, Emotion, and Action. This is a space to pause, reflect, and reset so you can move forward with more clarity and intention.

• November 3rd Workshop: Peace Talks: Turning Conflict into Collaboration. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to recognize what fuels disagreements and discover ways to turn tension into understanding.

• December 5th Workshop: Unwrap Calm: Beating Stress & Burnout. This workshop gives you quick, practical tools to ease stress and prevent burnout.

• January 17th Webinar: RISE and Plan: Setting Goals That Stick. Kick off 2026 by setting goals that truly work for you. In this interactive webinar, you will be guided to creating goals that are both meaningful and manageable.

Interested in one of these events? Register here or contact Kathy at kathy@riseadvisingservices.com to learn more.