The Origin of
The Riehl Method:
From the Irish Pub to the C-Suite
I grew up in my family’s Irish pub, where I got an early education in people. Behind the bar, I saw the full spectrum of human behavior—honesty and avoidance, connection and conflict, truth-telling and the stories we tell ourselves instead.
It was there, before I ever had a title or a seat at the table, that I learned one of the most important lessons of my career: people are, well…human. And the way we communicate determines everything.
That understanding stayed with me when I left for Providence College and later joined Amica Insurance’s management track. At Amica, I learned that leadership isn’t about policies and procedures—it’s about people. I saw firsthand how transparency, care, and clear communication could transform company culture, strengthen customer relationships, and impact the bottom line. One moment that stuck with me: standing with a homeowner who had just lost everything in a fire. I didn’t have all the answers, but I knew my presence—and my willingness to listen—mattered.
But I also learned something else: just because something worked in the past doesn’t mean it’s the best solution today. I saw the need for evolution, for digging deeper, for challenging the way things had always been done. That drive to push for something better led me to leave the corporate world for an industry where clear communication wasn’t just important—it was critical.
I entered disaster restoration and reconstruction, an industry built on high stakes, fast decisions, and relentless urgency. I started in sales, but soon became the first woman on the company’s management team—and then, after years of watching a revolving door of leadership fail to create real change, I was named Chief Operating Officer. The decision raised eyebrows. A sales leader stepping into operations? Some doubted it. But the owner saw what mattered: my ability to tell the truth, cut through the noise, and drive real alignment.
My first act as COO wasn’t to implement new policies or restructure teams—it was to listen. I went office to office, meeting with employees at every level. I wanted to know what was working and what wasn’t. But there was one condition: if you brought a complaint, you also had to bring a potential solution. That single shift changed everything.
We moved from blame and silos to transparency and common goals. We aligned individual performance with company performance. We eliminated fear by implementing Change Without Blame. And as we built a culture where people could speak the truth—without fear of retaliation or defensiveness—we grew exponentially, increasing revenue, profitability, and impact.
During my tenure, we scaled to become the largest independently owned restoration company in New England and ultimately became a premier acquisition target. When the company was acquired, my leadership team was chosen to stay on as the executive team for the new national platform. But for me, something had shifted. I saw that what we had built—a culture where truth-telling wasn’t just encouraged but expected—wasn’t just a competitive advantage for one company. It was a methodology that could transform leadership, organizations, and teams everywhere.
The Riehl Method
Today, I bring The Riehl Method to organizations and leaders who are ready to replace dishonest harmony with honest discomfort, build trust through transparency, and shift from avoidance to action. Because the greatest act of respect on any team, in any business, in any relationship—is telling the truth.