It’s time for more love.
DATE DIFFERENTLY
for soulful, kind, humans who want quality over quantity.
mindful connections for modern times
Dating today can feel like swiping, guessing, or going it alone. The paradox of endless choice leaves us 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 don’t quite fit the usual dating advice.
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.
we’re re-humanizing dating.
A COMMUNITY ARCHITECT • A RELATIONAL DOULA • A MATCHMAKER + SOCIAL WEAVER • A CURATOR OF ROOMS • A HOLDER OF STORIES • A WARM LEADER • A TENDER REVOLUTIONARY
For as long as she can remember, Rachel Joy Barehl has been seeing people — catching glimpses of who they’re becoming before they can name it themselves. She pairs optimism with grit, creativity with discipline, and an uncommon level of care with a contagious sense of possibility. Conversations with her deepen easily; rooms tend to shift when she enters. Collaboration is her native language, and co-creation her favorite form of expression.
In a world that treats love as a problem to solve, Rachel helps people make it a practice.
As a matchmaker, photographer, and the founder of In Good Company and Feels Like Home, she is reimagining modern connection through intentional, human-centered alternatives to the burnout of dating apps. Her work lives at the intersection of intimacy, psychology, and creativity — helping people soften their defenses, regulate their nervous systems, and build relationships that feel steady, alive, and real.
Rachel’s approach blends research and intuition, hospitality and strategy. She invites people to slow down, listen closely, and move with clarity and courage. Because healthy relationships are a form of generational wealth — strengthening individuals, families, friendships, and entire communities.
As one coach put it:
“You are so creative, so deeply caring, and so fucking talented.”
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.
✦
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.
That story isn’t unusual.Most meaningful relationships don’t begin with apps and interviews.
They grow in rooms where people feel comfortable being themselves — where curiosity, proximity, and a little bit of play are allowed to do their work.
That’s the idea behind In Good Company.
We think we’re onto something great.
The best relationships rarely appear out of nowhere.
They grow when the right conditions exist —
and when people practice the relational skills that make connection possible.
Proximity
People are far more likely to form relationships when they see each other repeatedly.
Dating apps create endless choice, but very little shared space.
That’s why we create rooms where thoughtful humans gather — not just once, but over time.
Depth
The most meaningful relationships grow from conversations that move beyond surface-level interaction.
Stories, values, humor, and vulnerability create the kind of chemistry that lasts.
Safety
Connection deepens when people feel accepted enough to be real.
When the pressure to perform drops, curiosity and honesty take its place.
The spirit of the room
Conditions matter — and so does the energy people bring.
In Good Company tends to attract people with mindful, playful, generous spirits.
People who are curious about each other.
Open to new conversations. Willing to contribute to the room, not just consume it.
connection stops feeling forced
and begins to emerge.
more good memories ahead
Some people start with a gathering.
Others begin with a conversation.
However you arrive, you’re welcome here.
Ways to begin
01 — Join the Rolodex
Add yourself to my private Rolodex of singles.
When someone aligned comes to mind — for a gathering, a curated introduction, or a deeper experience — you may receive an invitation.
It’s simply a way to enter the ecosystem and stay close to possibility. No pressure. No guarantees.
02 — Enter the Rooms
New ways to meet new humans.
Mindful/playful gatherings for singles.
Think book swaps, walks, potlucks, game nights, salons, and fun social experiments.
03 — Private Coaching
Highly supported, personalized work. For those ready to be extremely proactive about finding a long-term partner.
This path includes personalized strategy, deeper coaching, image and visibility work, curated introductions, and ongoing guidance.
Think of it as having a thoughtful guide and a trusted team helping you design a life that includes more love.
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.”
Better photos, better matches
The way you present yourself shapes the entire experience.
I meet incredible humans every week— and their photos, profile, or overall presence aren’t actually showing their life, personality, or depth.
I help people show up more visbily and earnestly in the world of dating. Sometimes that means a portrait session designed specifically for dating profiles—photos that feel natural, relaxed, and actually reflect who you are.
When your presentation is aligned—when your photos feel alive, your words sound like you, and your story is clear, people start to notice.
You show up to dates with more confidence.
The conversations get better.
And the people who reach out tend to be a much better fit.
This work isn’t about polishing you into someone else.
It’s about helping the right people recognize you when they see you.
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
• value curiosity, kindness, and emotional intelligence
• believe relationships are something we build, not just stumble into
• commit to kindness and trust the process of connection unfolding
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, have you
Joined 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.