better together
MINDFUL
CONNECTIONS
FOR MODERN
TIMES
Free to join • Private network • Thoughtful invitations when aligned
For thoughtful humans who want to date with more clarity, care, and intention.
Dating today can feel like swiping, guessing, or going it alone. The paradox of endless choice leaves many people overwhelmed and disconnected.
Maybe you’re meeting new people, but not the kind you can imagine building a life with. Or maybe you're ready for a different way forward.
That’s where we come in.
In Good Company is a relationship agency for kind-hearted, growth-minded humans who crave another way.
Our work blends clarity work, date coaching, and curated gatherings to help thoughtful people date with intention and build relationships that feel mutual and alive.
Sometimes a room changes everything.
How this all began
Adam and Rachel met at a game party on Valentine’s Day in Tilly’s living room in Franklinton. Both had briefly considered not showing up — the party would go past their bedtime.
The following week, Rachel was speaking to a group about the art of connecting and matchmaking after making a good match between her friends Jenny and Johnny. Inspired to see those faces again, she planned a brunch potluck the following weekend and invited the whole group from the game night back together.
Adam, a quiet introvert, found himself slightly overwhelmed by the vibrance of Rachel’s world — but he showed up anyway.
✦
The beginning was a little clunky — she texted quickly, he texted slower. But they were two people who kept finding their way back into conversation. Gentle, kind, curious with each other.
Before long, something became clear: this was a partnership worth choosing for the long haul.
✦
Since those early days, they’ve combined last names (Baransi + Proehl → Barehl), opened their home to more than a dozen kids through foster care, adoption, and foreign exchange, and invested in community living with four other couples outside Columbus.
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That game night continues to shape the work they do today.
Adam reminds Rachel that the right person can be worth the wait. Rachel carries that hope when working with singles who are ready for it to be their turn.
Together they gently guide people back to themselves — toward courageous conversations, longer tables, and relationships built in good company.
It’s their joy to witness lives in all their fullness — the grief and the joy — through photography, connection, and conversation.
✦
In many ways, In Good Company began with that game night.
community architect, relationship doula, superconnector, photographer, and anthropologist of modern dating — rachel is known by many as the columbus matchmaker.
clarity work, portrait photography, curated introductions, experiments, and gatherings are some of her favorite ways to support kind humans as she helps them expand their relational range and start showing up in deeper alignment with the partnership they say they want.
meet the founder
DAN MERRITT
“The quality of dates was better than any I’d gone on before working with Rachel — and that’s because of her matchmaking skills and her ability to vet people much better than a short online profile. Every single date left me more energized.”
WANT BETTER, NOT MORE
Date in alignment with what matters (to you).
We tend to attract people who:
• are serious about building a long-term partnership—not just browsing
• value curiosity, kindness, and emotional intelligence (and actually practice them)
• are willing to do things differently than the apps
• believe relationships are something we build—not something we luck into
• choose kindness, even when it’s vulnerable—and trust connection to unfold over time
We’re not here for checklists, games, or pretending to be someone you’re not.
We’re here to disarm all of that.
To help you ask for what you actually want.
To show you what it looks like to meet someone as you are—and stay.
Because when you lead with honesty, presence, and a little courage…
connection doesn’t need to be chased.
It builds.
It deepens.
And yes—
it becomes very hard to resist.
Clunky Beginnings
Clunky Beginnings
Clunky Beginnings Clunky Beginnings
A podcast about meet-cutes, bold moves, and the clunky beginnings of real relationships.
we believe
Love is for every body.
Black lives matter.
Queer love is worth celebrating.
In Good Company welcomes people of many backgrounds, beliefs, and life paths — as long as everyone shows up with curiosity, kindness, and respect.
before you go, want to
Join Our Rolodex?
add yourself to our private database so we can keep you in mind when making matches and planning parties.
it’s private + free—no invitations or matches guaranteed, unless you’re a client.