Burning out is basically a rite of passage in the PR world. You start with big dreams of storytelling and somehow end up trapped in a cycle of billable hours, frantic "urgent" emails at 11 PM, and a feeling that you're just a cog in a massive agency machine. Rachael De Foe was there. She was living that reality in Singapore, pulling in a respectable but stagnant salary of about S$72,000 (roughly $56,000 USD) and feeling the "agency monster" breathing down her neck.
Then she quit. No safety net. No immediate plan.
Fast forward a few years, and the narrative has shifted completely. We're talking about a massive Rachael De Foe income increase that saw her annual earnings skyrocket to approximately $220,000. That is more than triple her previous take-home pay. Over a five-year span, she’s cleared more than $1.1 million in total earnings.
But this isn't some "get rich quick" crypto story or a lucky break. It's a calculated, strategic pivot into something called fractional work. Honestly, if you're a senior professional feeling stuck in the 9-to-5 grind, her story is the blueprint you've been looking for.
The Problem with the "Agency Monster"
Before we get into the money, you've gotta understand why she left. Rachael described the traditional agency model as an "agency monster." It’s a vicious cycle: to grow, the agency needs more clients. To handle more clients, they need a bigger team. To pay the bigger team, they need even more clients.
There is never equilibrium.
In that environment, the most senior people—the ones with the actual expertise—are often pulled away from the work they love to manage people or chase new business. The clients end up being serviced by junior staff, and the experts end up exhausted. Rachael realized she didn’t want to be the boss of that monster. She wanted to be the expert in the room.
How the Rachael De Foe Income Increase Actually Happened
When the pandemic hit in 2020, most people were panicking. But for Rachael, it created a weirdly perfect storm. Startups still needed high-level communication strategies, but they couldn't afford (or didn't want) a full-time, six-figure Chief Communications Officer.
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She stepped into that gap as a fractional head of communications.
What is Fractional Work?
It’s easy to confuse this with freelancing, but they aren't the same thing.
- Freelancers are usually task-oriented. You hire them to write a press release or manage a specific campaign. They sit "outside" the company.
- Fractional professionals are embedded in the leadership. Rachael doesn't just "do PR tasks"; she helps guide the overall strategy of the company, but she only does it for a fraction of the time (and a fraction of the full-time cost).
By working with three to five clients simultaneously, she was able to diversify her income. Instead of relying on one boss for a $72k salary, she had multiple high-value contracts. If one client dropped off, her world didn't end. This diversification is exactly how she hit that $220,000 mark.
The Power of "Redefy"
In 2021, she formalized this approach by launching Redefy, her strategic communications consultancy. It wasn't just a rebranding of her freelance work; it was a stake in the ground. She focused on tech founders, venture capital firms, and startups—people who needed "more than a headline."
By positioning herself as a specialist for the startup ecosystem, she could charge premium rates. People weren't paying for her hours; they were paying for her brain.
Why This Matters for 2026 and Beyond
We're seeing a massive shift in how high-level work gets done. Companies are increasingly cautious about fixed overhead. According to industry reports from early 2025, nearly 40% of PR agencies are now specializing in niche industries like fintech or healthtech because that’s where the high-value, specialized demand lives.
Rachael was ahead of the curve. She leaned into her expertise in fintech and venture capital, making her indispensable to a very specific type of client.
Breaking Down the Numbers
Let's get real about the math here. To hit $220,000 a year:
- A traditional employee needs a massive promotion and years of climbing the ladder.
- A fractional consultant needs maybe four clients paying $4,500 to $5,000 a month.
For a startup that just raised a Series A, $5,000 a month for a veteran communications strategist is a steal compared to a full-time hire that would cost $15,000+ per month plus benefits. It’s a win-win.
The Human Element: Avoiding Burnout
The most impressive part of the Rachael De Foe income increase isn't just the dollar amount. It’s that she’s doing it while working less than she did at the agencies. She’s not "hustling" 80 hours a week. She manages her own calendar, picks projects she actually cares about (like dog rescues and the human side of tech), and avoids the soul-crushing "urgent" culture of traditional PR.
She’s basically proven that you don't have to choose between a high income and a life. You just have to change the way you sell your time.
Lessons You Can Steal from Rachael’s Playbook
If you're looking at your own bank account and feeling like there’s a ceiling you can’t break, here is the actionable stuff you can take from her journey:
1. Stop being a generalist.
Rachael didn't just do "PR." She did PR for founders and venture firms in Southeast Asia. The more specific your niche, the more you can charge. When you're the only person who understands a specific intersection of industries, you aren't a commodity anymore.
2. Productize your expertise.
Don't just sell "hours." Sell a "fractional leadership package." Give it a name. Define exactly what "embedded" means for you. It makes it much easier for a CEO to say yes when they know exactly what hole you're filling in their org chart.
3. Build a referral engine.
Redefy is mostly a referral-based firm. That only happens if you're actually good at what you do and you’ve built a deep network. Rachael didn't just stay in her office; she co-founded Fintech Angel Operators and launched SEAcosystem. She made herself a "center of gravity" in her industry.
4. Trust your intuition over permission.
Rachael’s advice to other women in business is simple: sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission. If you know you have the skills, stop waiting for a boss to give you a 5% raise. Go out and find the market that will give you a 200% raise.
The Realities of the Transition
Kinda have to be honest here—it’s not all sunshine. Switching to fractional work means you are your own HR, your own accountant, and your own salesperson. You have to be comfortable with the "lumpiness" of income in the beginning.
But as Rachael’s $1.1 million over five years shows, the upside is significantly higher than anything you'll find in a standard 9-to-5.
Next Steps for Your Career Pivot
If the idea of a Rachael De Foe style income increase sounds like something you want, start by auditing your current "expert" status. Who would pay for 10 hours of your brain per month?
- Identify your "High-Value Niche": What is the one thing you know better than 90% of the people in your industry?
- Beta test the fractional model: Don't quit your job tomorrow. Try to find one client who needs your help on a strategic, part-time basis.
- Build your "Nodes": Connect with two other people in your industry who aren't competitors but serve the same clients. Referrals are the lifeblood of high-income consulting.
Rachael isn't an anomaly; she's a pioneer. The "agency monster" is dying, and the era of the fractional expert is just getting started.
Actionable Insight: Look at your current salary and divide it by the number of hours you actually work (including the late nights). Then, look at the market rate for consultants in your niche. If there's a gap, that's your "fractional opportunity." Start by reaching out to one former colleague this week to discuss what their company's biggest "strategic gap" is right now.