In a rapidly accelerating world, we believe in the power of slowing down. At Downshift, our mission is to help high performers navigate transition and burnout with intention, clarity, and self-compassion. We’re here to help you slow down and recalibrate, so you can move forward with newfound purpose, alignment, and aliveness.

Our Team

We are founders and builders who have walked the path ourselves. Our team is made up of experienced coaches and practitioners who have personally navigated our own transitions and healing journeys. We bring a unique blend of expertise and life experience, united by a shared commitment to guide you on your journey and support your transformation.

Steve Schlafman, Founder & Coach

Steve made Partner at a multi-billion dollar VC firm when he reached a turning point. Despite outward success, Steve was burnt out and profoundly disconnected, leading him to resign and embark on a multi-year journey of self-discovery. This disorienting period ultimately revealed the need to slow down and reconnect with his true self.

Through this process, Steve discovered his next calling: supporting high performers through transitions and transformations. He founded Downshift, the coaching firm he wishes he had during his own time of uncertainty. With over a decade of experience in investing, advising, and coaching founders and leaders, Steve has dedicated thousands of hours to mastering the art of coaching.

Learn more about his coaching and experience and read his personal essays at Where the Road Bends. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Tracy Lawerence, Coach & Facilitator

Tracy was the CEO and co-founder at a tech startup called Chewse. She raised $40M in venture capital and had 300 employees at its peak. But when she sold the company in 2020, the achievement left her with an unexpected void.

Lost in the aftermath of her “success,” Tracy moved to Hawai’i, where the pace of life, surfing, and the natural surroundings helped her reconnect with herself. This journey inward led her to discover a passion for executive coaching, where she now supports tech founders in embracing their mental health and authenticity. Tracy is also a psychedelic integration practitioner, guiding others through transformative experiences and alternate states of consciousness.

Explore more of her coaching here and read about her journey at Healing Leadership. 

David Spinks, Coach & Facilitator

David Spinks is a coach, renowned community builder, and 3x founder. He spent the first 13 years of his career hustling and playing the startup game, achieving a great deal and ultimately leading his company to acquisition. After stepping down as CEO and entering his “abyss”, he realized that his pursuit of success and reputation was fueled by, and causing, deep suffering. Something needed to change.

Through working with coaches, therapy, breathwork, meditation, nature immersion, and various other practices, he began to reshape his story, and find a more calm, present, and integrated way of living and working. Today, as a coach and facilitator at Downshift, he supports others navigate their journey through the abyss, toward a life of greater alignment.

You can learn more about David on his personal website, read his essays on his newsletter, and connect with him on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Matt Yao, Apprentice & Coach

After a fast-paced early career as a product manager at companies like Uber and Cash App, Matt found himself grappling with a profound sense of disengagement and disenchantment. These feelings of lostness and confusion led him to take a yearlong sabbatical in 2023. Through curiosity and a series of creative work experiments, he discovered his passion for coaching.

Now, as a coach, Matt partners with high-achieving individuals who have followed the conventional path to success but are now seeking something new. His non-directive, integral approach draws inspiration from athletics, nature’s wisdom, and Eastern philosophy. Outside of work, Matt enjoys surfing, skiing, backpacking, cooking, and yoga.

Learn more about his coaching practice on his website and read his personal essays at More Human Possible. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn or Twitter.