Introducing Downshift

The World’s First Decelerator Program for High Performers In Transition

This was originally published on my Substack, Where the Road Bends, where I write about transition and personal evolutions.

Imagine yourself tightly gripping the steering wheel, the world outside is a blur as you speed along slick roads, racing to your destination. The rain is relentless, the asphalt slick and shining, reflecting streetlights in streaks of silver. Up ahead the road begins to curve, a sharp bend obscuring the path beyond it. But instead of slowing down, your foot falls harder on the gas, and you feel driven by instinct to lean forward and speed through to the other side.

I understand this scenario all too well because I’ve lived it — I faced the bend, kept driving as fast as I could, crashed and lost my way. For over 15 years, my life was like a car with its wheels perpetually spinning, and I only had one speed — LET’S GOOO! Each time I approached a bend, instead of slowing down, I’d accelerate, only to find myself trapped in the same cycle, always with a nagging feeling that something wasn’t right. This led to burnout, a profound sense of dissatisfaction, and the eventual realization the life I was leading didn’t truly belong to me. I was bewildered, unable to comprehend fully what had happened until much later.

A lot has changed since then. I left the VC world that no longer inspired me, stopped stalking achievements and outward signals of success, found work serving others that truly fulfills me, and built a new life around family, community, and creativity in the country.

I’ve made it my life’s work to teach the art of deceleration, and to help others not just survive the drive but to build the life they truly want. This doesn’t involve simply guiding you to your next job opportunity, but encouraging you to deeply examine your life, tendencies, and values, to navigate the often tumultuous, frightening, and isolating transitions of life, and make new choices toward greater alignment. Every bend in the road is an opportunity to slow down and recalibrate. On the other side of that bend, the road looks a lot different than the one that brought you there.

Almost seven years to the day since I stepped down from my partner position at a prestigious New York venture capital firm, I’m excited to share with you the culmination of my journey and work.

The Big Aha

On a quiet morning this January, while standing at my kitchen sink watching the sun slowly rise through snow-covered pines, a question hit me like warm light on my skin: in a world pumping out endless accelerators for companies, careers and creators, why are there no decelerators?

Right away I knew I had the right question, a guiding question for my life. The gap in the market became clear, and I was overwhelmed with the recognition of need. With two decades of experience in technology, finance, and sports, I’ve been deeply immersed in cultures that prize performance and speed, environments where the prevailing narrative is one of perpetual progress and growth. In these environments, the push to accelerate, to achieve goals more swiftly, underpins everything — faster is seen as unequivocally better.

What if there was a program tailored not to push us to our limits, but to guide us into intentionally decelerating at the most opportune moments, ones where we want to choose change or when change is thrust upon us? A program that recognizes the profound power in pause — allowing us to step back, breathe, reflect, and recalibrate. Embracing a deliberate deceleration in our fast-paced lives is not just beneficial, it’s crucial. It highlights the vital balance between momentum and finding moments of stillness.

High performers, habituated to their relentless drive and the constant demands of success, find themselves at a bend in the road during moments of significant change. Accustomed to pushing forward, applying more effort, and burning the candle at both ends, they often continue to employ these familiar strategies, even when they feel out of alignment, unmotivated and stuck in high gear. They often overlook, particularly as they reach mid-career, the significant shifts that occur: we change, our responsibilities increase, our motivations evolve, our values shift, and our environment is always in flux.

In this pivotal phase, what they truly need is not just another program for moving forward but a fundamental shift in approach.

Enter Downshift

Downshift is pioneering a new category in personal and professional growth, introducing the world’s first decelerator program designed for high performers in transition. This immersive 8-week journey is an invitation to step away from the relentless pace of achievement and into a space of presence, self-discovery, and renewal. It symbolizes the realization of a vision for a community and a resource that I deeply yearned for during my own times of uncertainty and change.

At the heart of Downshift lies a deep commitment to slowing down intentionally. Rather than pushing for rapid acceleration, our program emphasizes the inner work essential for navigating life’s transitions with clarity and courage. We aim to cultivate a profound understanding of oneself, master the art of gracefully navigating change, and unlock a new way of being that resonates deeply with one’s true self and core values.

My experiences — as both a guide and a seeker — have taught me that meaningful personal and professional evolution cannot be forced or expedited. True transformation requires space, time, and deep introspection, luxuries often sacrificed on the altar of efficiency and productivity in our fast-paced, competitive world. For high performers accustomed to prioritizing speed, execution, and outcomes, Downshift offers a radical reorientation towards entirely new modes of thinking and being.

More than a program, Downshift is a philosophy. It stands as a challenge to the culture of speed, stress, and perpetual growth that prevails in technology and other performance-driven sectors. We advocate for a more balanced approach, one that values patience, introspection, and self-compassion. We also honor the natural process of growth and subtle inner shifts that foster enduring and authentic change. By embracing this philosophy, we not only alter our trajectory but redefine our very metrics of success.

Beyond this, we invite high performers into a compassionate, reflective community. Here, you’ll find the space to slow down, reassess, and forge ahead with clarity and purpose. This community is the heart of our transformational journey, providing support, inspiration, and shared wisdom every step of the way.

But what truly sets Downshift apart is the community we’re building — a community of Downshifters committed to supporting and uplifting each other through every twist and turn. Together, we’ll navigate the challenges, celebrate the victories, and emerge stronger and more resilient than ever before. We believe no professional has to face transitions in isolation, trapped by indecision or lost in the wilderness of change.

At the core of our philosophy is the understanding that slowing down or taking a pause doesn’t mean decelerating indefinitely or giving up your ambition. Our approach is rooted in the belief that true transformation comes from a deep engagement with both the self and the world around us, ensuring that you’re equipped with insights and tools for a more intentional and fulfilling path forward.

Downshift is a call to those who sense the need for a different kind of growth — one that builds from the inside out. It’s for the visionaries, the creatives, the builders, and the relentless achievers ready to set out on the road less taken.

The Program

We’ve thoughtfully designed the program from the ground up, with your deepest challenges and aspirations in mind. Every Downshifter will embark on a meaningful journey tailored to their path of growth and enlightenment. The path of this program will lead you from introspection to action, with each phase aimed at fostering presence, self-discovery, and renewal:

1. Downshifting: This initial phase is dedicated to establishing a foundation of community, stillness, and presence. Participants will slow down, wander in nature, and deeply connect, setting the stage for deeper exploration.
2. Desecnding: Here, Downshifters delve into the layers of their identity, confront resistance to change, and examine their own ‘enoughness.’ This phase challenges participants to question and deconstruct their preconceived notions of self.
3. Renewing: The journey then moves towards embracing a new vision, encouraging experimentation, and realigning with personal values. This phase is about rediscovery and envisioning the path forward.
4. Integrating: Finally, Downshifters patiently and faithfully apply their insights and newly cultivated practices, preparing to re-enter their worlds evolved, with tools and community for sustained growth and change.

Embedded in these phases, Downshift integrates a diverse tapestry of activities:

• Decelerate Retreat: A two-day in-person retreat in the Hudson Valley to commence your journey and solidify the community, combining rituals, meditation, yoga, interactive sessions, and solitary reflection in nature.
• Weekly Workshops: 2-hour sessions each Tuesday blend insightful lectures with dynamic group exercises and discussions.
• Guest Lecturers: 1-hour sessions each Thursday with experts and practitioners, such as Holly Whitaker and Andy Johns, who share insights, wisdom and experiences on successfully navigating transitions.
• 1:1 Coaching: Four 30-minute coaching sessions with me, tailored to shepard you through your unique Downshift process.
• Resources & Templates: Weekly assignments that include a variety of resources like curated readings, videos, and prompts, to deepen your knowledge and self-understanding.
• Daily Contemplative Practices: Guidance and support to foster mindfulness and introspection through meditation, time in nature, journaling, and more.
• Async Conversations: Connect with your cohort in between sessions to share, reflect, and support each other during and beyond the program.
• Completion Day: A day-long virtual gathering culminating our journey to solidify learning, foster self-appreciation, and embody faith and trust moving forward.

This is more than just a collection of activities; it’s a carefully crafted experience designed to help our Downshifters show up from a totally different place — rooted in presence, self-discovery, and renewal. From in-person retreats to weekly group discussions and thought-provoking exchanges with our expert guest lecturers, each element serves as a touchpoint, guiding our Downshifters toward a deeper understanding of themselves and their path forward. Our mission, after all, is to help our Downshifters learn the art of deceleration and navigation through transition and change. The program in its entirety, including the community, will help us achieve this goal.

Join Our Future

If you’re facing the bend in the road, feeling lost, or in the midst of a transition, welcome to Downshift. Our adventure begins on Wednesday, April 17th and will unfold over eight weeks, concluding on Saturday, June 15th.

For those high performers wanting to join our community, we’re opening the doors to our Spring 2024 Cohort. The deadline to apply is Monday, April 1st. To learn more about the program, I warmly invite you to visit our website here:

Downshift.me

I also want to extend an invitation to join me for a Q&A session on Friday, March 15th at 12pm ET. This is an opportunity for you to peek behind the curtain, ask the burning questions, and feel the supportive embrace of the Downshift community.

And, finally, if you know someone — a friend, colleague, or loved one — who stands on the precipice of change and in search of guidance, please consider sharing this journey with them. Your recommendation could alter their path for life.

A Personal Note

As Downshift becomes a reality, I find myself reflecting on the path that has led to this moment — the culmination of a nearly ten-year journey of transformation. From the profound personal milestones of getting sober, stepping away from the venture business, and embracing fatherhood, to the very act of downshifting aspects of my life, each step has been pivotal. Downshift is not just a program; it’s the essence of my life’s work, born out of thousands of hours of experience, learning, and exploration.

None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support, insightful feedback, and constant encouragement from a constellation of friends, mentors, and teachers. I owe a deep debt of gratitude to my wife, Eliza Blank, Rachel Jepsen, Matt Yao, David Spinks, Marc Kaplan, Christina Ducuret, Holly Whitaker, Dr. Josh Kalpow, Sharon Brown, Sharon Dougherty, Sunil Arora, Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, Steve March, Bonnitta Roy, Sharon Brown, Tarikh Korlua, Zach Verdin, Jonathan Basker, Andy Johns, Alex Olshonsky, Rishi Tripathy, Yash Tekriwal, and many others whose wisdom and kindness have been a guiding light. Your influence and help have been instrumental in shaping Downshift into what it is today — a sanctuary for presence, discovery, and renewal.

To all of you who have been part of my journey and to those who are about to embark on this transformative path with us, thank you. Downshift is a testament to the belief that through slowing down, embracing change, and connecting deeply with ourselves and others, we can forge a life of meaning and fulfillment that is not only authentic but transcends society’s definition of success.