A free orientation guide for starting a new chapter
A quiet place to begin
This guide is for you if…
You’re standing at the edge of a change, even if you can’t fully name it yet.
Something has ended.
Or is ending.
Or no longer fits the way it once did.
You might feel:
- unsettled or emotionally tired
- clearer than before, but not “ready”
- caught between relief and grief
- unsure how to move forward without rushing yourself
Bold Beginnings is not here to fix you or push you into decisions.
It’s here to help you recognise where you are, steady yourself, and take a first honest step forward.
What this guide offers
This is a short, thoughtful workbook you can move through at your own pace.
Inside, you’ll find:
- gentle prompts to help you recognise what’s ending
- reassurance about the messy, uncertain middle
- simple ways to steady yourself when things wobble
- space to name what your next chapter might begin to be about
- permission to move slowly and stop when needed
Nothing here needs to be completed perfectly.
Nothing needs to be rushed.
What this guide is (and isn’t)
This guide is:
- an orientation
- a starting point
- a place to land
- a first movement, not the whole journey
This guide is not:
- a full closure process
- a life plan
- a productivity tool
- a demand for clarity you don’t yet have
If all this guide gives you is language for what you’re living, that’s already something.
Why it’s free
Because moments of transition are not the time to prove your readiness.
They’re the time to be met with care.
This guide exists so you don’t have to rush your way through an ending or force your way into a beginning just to feel like you’re “doing it right”.
You can take what you need and leave the rest.
About me
I’m Fay Kortleven.
I help women navigate endings and step into new beginnings in their work, relationships, identity, and life.
Originally from New Zealand and now based in the Netherlands, my work is grounded, compassionate, and practical. I don’t believe in harsh closure, forced clarity, or “powering through” transitions.
I believe change unfolds best when we’re allowed to move with honesty and care.
If you’re ready to begin
You don’t need to know where this is all going.
You just need a place to start.
Download Bold Beginnings — free
A calm, generous guide to help you begin without rushing yourself.
“I didn’t realise how much I needed language for what I was in. This gave me that without any pressure.”
If this guide opens something that feels unfinished or heavier than expected, you’ll find gentle next-step options inside, including guided tools for closure, unrecognised grief, and steady momentum.