Lost in Transition?

Embark on an 8-Week Journey to Presence, Self-Discovery, and Renewal.

Welcome to Downshift, the world’s first decelerator program for high performers, offering a guided experience to slow down, reflect, and realign, all within a supportive community.

Downshift is an immersive and transformative 8-week journey, beginning April 17th, designed to cultivate presence, self-discovery, and renewal. We integrate a diverse tapestry of activities, including:

Kick-Off Retreat

Begin your journey with an in-person retreat in the Hudson Valley to help you decelerate and solidify the community, combining rituals, meditation, and reflection in nature.

Virtual Workshops

2-hour virtual sessions each Tuesday blending lectures with group exercises, discussions and coaching.

Personal Coaching

Four 30-min individual coaching sessions with your guide, tailored to help you integrate daily practices and shepherd you through your process.

Learning Resources

Weekly assignments with curated readings, videos, and prompts, to deepen your knowledge and self-understanding.

Guest Lectures

1-hour virtual sessions each Thursday with experts who share insights, wisdom and experiences on successfully navigating transitions.

Completion Day

A day-long virtual ceremony culminating our journey to solidify learning, foster self-appreciation, and embody faith and trust moving forward.

All of this unfolds within a nurturing and intentional community, limited to just 12 Downshifters, to ensure a deep sense of belonging and lasting connections. Our community is intentionally curated to cultivate honesty, empathy, and growth, creating a foundation where every member can flourish.

More Than a Program

Downshift is a program and a philosophy. We’re challenging the relentless pursuit of speed, stress, and growth that dominates technology and performance-driven industries, advocating for a measured approach that prioritizes patience, introspection and compassion, during times of transition.

We believe that moving through transitions requires entirely new ways of thinking and being, especially for high performers who have been focused on speed, execution, and outcomes for years, if not decades.

At the core of our philosophy is the understanding that decelerating doesn’t mean stopping or giving up your ambition.

Our aim is to help you show up from a different place—rooted in self-knowing, curiosity and grace—so you can consciously choose and step into your next pursuit.

Our Transformational Promise

Upon completion, you’ll emerge with a variety of tools and capacities to consciously navigate life's transitions and author a life that is aligned with your true self.

Here’s what you can anticipate by the end of the program:

  • Understand where you are in the process of change and transition

  • Enhance emotional and embodied presence

  • Honor impermanence and interconnectedness

  • Release and appreciate resistance

  • Integrate moments of stillness and self-awareness

  • Tap into energy and curiosity to make contact with reality

  • Embrace self-trust and patience in the unfolding of your journey

  • Shape your future with newfound clarity and confidence

Your Guide

Hello, I'm Steve Schlafman, an ICF-certified coach, writer, and professional transition guide committed to helping you navigate your transition with clarity, intention and compassion. 

My journey into coaching began in 2017, shortly after making Partner at a multi-billion dollar VC firm. Despite my success and achievements, I felt a profound sense of emptiness. This epiphany led me to resign and embark on a multi-year journey without a clear direction. 

Downshift is the program I wish I had access to when I was wandering in the wilderness without a map.

With over a decade of experience investing, advising and coaching founders and leaders across various sectors, I've dedicated thousands of hours to mastering the art of coaching.

Discover more about my journey and coaching at schlaf.co, follow me on Twitter @schlaf, or dive deeper into transition stories by checking out my newsletter, "Where the Road Bends.” Beyond coaching and writing, I'm passionate about my wife and daughters, meditation, cycling, music, games, cooking, and nature.

Downshifter (noun)

“A professional who consciously chooses to decelerate, go inward, and nurture their mind and body during pivotal moments of change. This individual seeks to uncover their core values, innate gifts, and sources of fulfillment, with the intention of aligning their life more closely with these discoveries.”

You might find yourself wrestling with burnout, a sense of lostness, a yearning for a different impact, or questions of identity as you traverse various life stages. During these times, you may have found that the skills you’ve relied on in the past aren’t helping you now, and might even be hurting you.

Designed for diverse professionals who’ve tasted success or reached the top, yet long for deeper significance, our Downshifters include founders recovering from their last startup, executives searching for fulfillment beyond title, athletes leaving the game behind, creators seeking a new stage, and investors pondering what constitutes a truly meaningful life.

Those we serve know they have more to contribute to the world and aren’t ready to surrender; yet, they recognize a deep-seated need to decelerate, recalibrate, and realign.

Our Ideal Fellows

At Downshift, we’re cultivating a community rooted in commitment, introspection, support, curiosity, presence, and radical honesty.

This journey transcends showcasing achievements, identities, or material possessions. It's about forging deep connections with your true self and embarking on a journey of self-discovery and collective growth.

What We Seek:

Committed: Whether you're between gigs, working part-time, or enjoy the autonomy to set your own work schedule, you have the flexibility to engage deeply with our program.

Introspective: You're willing to examine your behavior patterns, habits, and their origins, acknowledging the role of self-awareness in your transformation.

Collaborative and Supportive: You love working with and actively supporting other humans, valuing the synergy and shared experiences that collaboration fosters.

Curious: Your quest for new insights and knowledge about the world is boundless, fueling a lifelong journey of growth and learning.

Presence: You’re open to embracing and experiencing your emotions and sensations fully, demonstrating a willingness to cultivate both emotional presence and embodiment.

Radically Honest: You're committed to naming and owning your truth, openly sharing your inner experiences, thoughts, emotions, and narratives with others.

Final Note from Steve

Thank you for taking the time to explore Downshift. Your natural process of evolution is deeply personal, and it's an honor to potentially be part of it. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out at steve@downshift.me. We're here to support you as you consider this significant step.

Remember, the path to self-discovery and alignment with your true values is as challenging as it is rewarding. I wish you all the best on your journey, wherever it may lead you. May you find the clarity, peace, and fulfillment you seek.

With gratitude and best wishes,
- Steve