Yosemite Valley: Marshall, 1893 to 1894. In 1864, mid-war, Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant, the first time the United States protected land for public use. Public domain.

One coach, and an entire studio behind you.

You’ve reached a point where something needs to shift. You can sense it in your work or your life, even if you can’t yet say what it is. Coaching is where you find out. An ongoing conversation with a partner who brings the challenges of building and leading together with the deeper work of understanding yourself, and helps you turn what you discover into how you lead.

With Camerado, you work closely with one lead partner who gets to know you intimately. Behind them are two additional experienced founders-turned-coaches, each bringing their own experience and judgment to your work, and a circle of trusted practitioners we call on as needed. One relationship, with the whole studio behind it.

Begin with a conversation

What our clients say

We have close to three times the revenue we had when I started working with Ryan, with about the same number of employees.

Cal BrunellCEO, Everyday Speech

How it works.

From the first conversation to the finish.

  1. Week one

    A conversation.

    You tell us what’s happening in your world. Within 48 hours one of us replies, and if there’s a potential fit we schedule an introductory call. By the end of it we’ll both know whether we’re the right partner for the road ahead. If not, we’ll point you somewhere that’s a better fit.

  2. Session one

    What do you want?

    During the first session, we ask a lot of questions, to understand your life and work, and define success concretely enough that we will both know when you get there. This creates the tension that propels our relationship.

  3. Twice a month

    The heartbeat.

    Twice per month you meet with your coach, each time bringing the topic that matters most. Some are strategy sessions. Some feel like heavy emotional labor. Each ends with takeaways and, if you choose, a commitment to execute before we meet again.

  4. Between sessions

    Field work.

    Between sessions you’re out doing the work, and we’re here to support. Text or email any time, book a quick call when something is time-sensitive, or send us the plan you want a second pair of eyes on. Lean on us for the things you can’t bring to your team or investors.

  5. When you get there

    Finish, or begin again.

    When you accomplish your goal, you can either finish, and enjoy the change you’ve made, or you can begin again with the next one. Everything is month to month, with no long contract.

The road will ask something of you.

The work is challenging, surprising, and deeply rewarding. We ask four commitments of the people we work with, and make the same four ourselves.

Come prepared.

Bring what matters, including the questions, tensions, and decisions that deserve your attention. The work begins before we sit down together.

Reveal yourself.

Be willing to share what’s actually true, including the things you might normally keep to yourself. The real work begins when you’re willing to lower your armor, and show up as you truly are.

Be unreasonable about your commitments.

Make only those commitments you intend to keep, and keep them. This level of integrity is challenging, but foundational to each engagement.

Be willing to play.

Bring your curiosity, imagination, and willingness to experiment. Some of the most meaningful changes happen when we loosen our grip on how we’ve always thought things should work.

This work is not for everyone.

Here’s how to tell.

It is for you if

  • You’re choosing it yourself. Not because a board or a co-founder sent you.
  • You’d rather find your own answers. Instead of being handed stock answers, you want to become the person who creates your own, in any situation.
  • You’re ready to lean into the sharp points, lean into areas of discomfort, and dedicate the time to practice new skills.
  • Something important is at stake. This work will challenge you. You need a reason to push through. A company that can only move as fast as you do, a transition, a question you can’t put down.

It probably isn’t, yet, if

  • Someone else wants this more than you do. Being sent is a fine place to start a conversation and a rough place to start coaching.
  • You want someone to hand you the answers. We ask more questions than we answer, and offer our perspective directly when the operating side calls for it.
  • You want to fix your company, without changing yourself. Your psychology is the company’s psychology. A good business book is much cheaper for tactics.
  • You want to try coaching and see how it goes. The work is confronting. If you leave yourself an out, you will take it.

What it costs.

Coaching costs along three vectors: time, energy, and money.

Time

Two sixty-minute sessions a month. Beyond that, expect to make the work between sessions a priority. In a given cycle it might be as simple as one thirty-minute, sweaty conversation, or it could take hours. You choose how much you take on at once. The more you invest, the faster the change.

Energy

This is challenging work, and should not be entered into lightly. Even with that warning, most people are surprised by how confronting it can be. Leave thirty minutes open after each session to process what came up.

Money

A monthly retainer of $3,000 to $5,000, all inclusive. Month to month, with no long contract.

Begin with a conversation

A few questions, answered.

What does the retainer cover?

Sessions, preparation, detailed notes after every session, and everything between: the text, the email, the draft you want a second pair of eyes on. We drive change. We don’t count hours.

Who pays for it?

For founders in the CEO seat, and most senior executives, the company usually sponsors, even when the work crosses into the personal (it always does). A sponsor signs once; what happens in the room stays between you and your coach.

Do you offer sliding scale pricing?

Each partner keeps a small number of places on a sliding scale for leaders who could not otherwise afford the work. There is typically a waiting list for this, but if cost is the barrier, say so when you reach out.

Who will my coach be?

One lead partner, matched based on what you’re navigating, who gets to know you intimately. Behind them is the support and perspectives of the other two, and a circle of operators and practitioners we call on when the work asks for more than coaching. If you want to work with one partner in particular, say so.

How long until I feel it?

Many people feel a shift in the first session. Most notice the work taking hold within the first two months. The deeper changes come in layers over the months that follow. Over time, most clients look back at their early goals and wonder at how far they’ve come.

What if it isn’t working?

Everything is month to month. If the work stops serving you, say so, and we’ll stop. We’ll say so too. And if one of us isn’t the right coach for you, we’ll usually know who is.

Do you only work with founders?

We work with high agency humans of all shapes. That said, our work trends toward founders, CEOs and investors. Also executives, and creators at an inflection point: a bigger seat, an exit, a transition, a question about what’s next.

What our clients say.

Jess HuntCEO, Proofwith Steve

Working with Steve helped me pursue a new chapter I didn’t know how to begin. He gave me permission to explore, pushed me to look honestly at myself, and stayed with me through the uncertainty. What surprised me most was that the work went far beyond my career. I came out the other side with a sense of security and authenticity I hadn’t expected to find.

Nick GreenFounder & CEO, Thrive Marketwith Derek

Before working with Derek, I saw coaching as a way to be more effective - as a CEO, as a founder, as a builder. Derek’s been amazing at that. We’ve jammed on everything from team building to strategy to product design. He’s exceptionally smart, and from his years as a founder, knows exactly where to push and probe to get to the heart of a business problem. But what makes Derek’s coaching different is that he goes deeper. It’s his unique ability to move between the practical challenges of building a company and the much bigger questions of identity, purpose, and what makes a meaningful life.

Through our work, I’ve not only articulated my personal values for the first time, but actually begun to build an architecture for living them. I’ve unpacked my identity and engaged its different parts in ways that have reshaped how I think about who I am. And I’ve started to evolve the fuel that drives me in my work, from the need to win and prove myself toward a deeper sense of purpose, curiosity, and love for what I’m doing and the people I’m doing it with.

One result is that I’ve become a better founder, builder, and CEO. But the direct results of the work itself have been even more meaningful: greater self-knowledge, cleaner personal energy, and a clearer direction not just in my work, but in my life.

Amar KumarCEO, KaiPod Learningwith Ryan

Working with Ryan has been one of the most valuable investments I've made as a CEO. He has a rare ability to help me see where I can actually be most effective as a leader and where I might just be keeping myself busy. What I value most is that he keeps me centered in my strengths and values as a leader, while helping me discover the tools to make hard calls quickly. I come out of every session clearer, steadier, and more in tune with myself.

Cal BrunellCEO, Everyday Speechwith Ryan

We have close to three times the revenue we had when I started working with Ryan, with about the same number of employees. What’s changed the most is my capacity to have hard conversations and be clear about what I want and what the business needs. Working on yourself is probably the best thing you can do for your business, no matter the stage.

Jon StrossCo-founder, Greenhousewith Steve

I was leaving the startup I’d founded after 13 years and needed help navigating two things: how to leave well, and how to figure out what came next. Working with Steve helped me recast how I thought about both. He helped me visualize what success could look like and move forward with confidence, even into the ambiguity. My transition out ended up feeling like the best case scenario. I’m now letting the next chapter emerge without needing to know exactly what it will be. Steve helped me be intentional through one of the most significant passages of my life. I’m deeply grateful.

Jon Miller SchwartzFounder & CEO, Ultra Roboticswith Derek

Derek is uniquely capable in his holistic approach to coaching: from sharp perspective on day-to-day strategic and operational questions to intuitive guidance on more personal, inner journeys. He's coached me from the earliest days of my third startup through our $50M Series A and beyond. It's been both a pleasure and a superpower. As I and my company have grown, our relationship has kept pace, and proven time and again more valuable than I thought coaching could be.

Jesse ChandProduct Designer, OpenAIwith Steve

When I first met Steve, I was in a really tough spot. I felt lost and didn’t know where to turn. I was stuck at my startup but didn’t know what else to do, so I stayed. After a few years of grinding, I burned out and lost the wonder and hunger that once fueled me. I was worried I might never find it again. Today, I feel secure in my work and grounded in my ambition. I’m energized and inspired in a way I didn’t think was possible anymore. Having Steve in my corner made all the difference.

Candice AmmoriFounder & CEO, Climate Vinewith Ryan

He’s the best coach I’ve ever met, and everyone I know who’s worked with him says the same. Ryan is the most skilled practitioner of Internal Family Systems and parts work I've ever encountered. But he's also incredibly skilled in running companies and has given me some of the best ideas on the business side of Climate Vine of anyone I know. One example that stays with me: I was navigating the difficult decision to let go of my first employee. This was someone I'd genuinely over-invested in, both emotionally and practically, partly because I'd misjudged how much her specific skillset would serve the company long-term. Ryan helped me understand what was really driving that over-investment and why I felt compelled to keep going above and beyond even after the writing was on the wall. Once we'd worked through what was underneath it, he asked whether I'd find it useful to hear how he'd approached something similar. I said yes. In the final ten minutes, he shared his own experiences, offered a few practical frameworks, and gave me concrete options for how to move forward with integrity that felt very aligned. Ryan holds together the best inner work and the best practical guidance I've experienced.

Dipanjan DasSenior Research Director, Google DeepMindwith Steve

I came to Steve burned out. I was transitioning from researcher to leading a large organization, and the patterns and beliefs that had made me successful were suddenly hindering me. I sensed I needed to change how I worked and led, but I couldn’t see it clearly at the time. Steve helped me slow down and look honestly at the old patterns and stories I was telling myself. What emerged was a new way of working and leading, rooted in clarity and self-understanding rather than pure effort. I continue to work with Steve because the journey towards clarity and growth is a lifelong process.

Jonny MillerFounder, Nervous System Masterywith Derek

Derek is a rare Swiss Army knife of coaches. He brings deep experience navigating both inner and outer worlds, and I loved being able to draw on that range in our work together. In a single conversation, we could move from IFS parts work to exploring awakening to high-level business strategy for my business. That breadth made him a tremendously effective coach throughout our several years together.

Val AgostinoCEO, Monarchwith Ryan

Ryan brings a rare combination of thoughtful/conscious leadership practices combined with rigorous operating principles learned in the trenches of running his own companies. His coaching significantly helped me uplevel as a leader and his practices improved the execution of our broader team. You will be hard pressed to find a better spiritual and strategic partner along the startup journey!

Christophe FrèrebeauCo-Founder & CPO, Oath Verifiedwith Derek

I’ve really liked working with Derek. He gives me a sounding board for feedback and difficult work conversations, and talking things through helps me find my own solution, gain perspective, and avoid rushing in. He also challenges me to think differently about my organization and my role in it: what the team should look like six months from now, who should own what, and where my time makes the biggest difference. We’re building toward a team that’s more effective and a role that fits what I actually enjoy. Along the way I’ve gotten better at giving feedback constructively and building more alignment with my co-founders.

Saira JesaniExecutive Director, Data & Trusted AI Alliancewith Steve

For me, Steve was a catalyst. When we started working together, I was clear on what I wanted, but the path toward it was murky. He asked sharp, clarifying questions that made me see my situation differently. None of it felt cookie-cutter. It was clear he was deeply listening, picking up on things I hadn’t noticed, and reflecting them back in a way that helped me find my footing. That’s exactly what I needed. And then, when I no longer needed a catalyst, he suggested we end our work together. What more could you ask for? Hire him.

Nicolae RusanCo-founder, Claywith Steve

I worked with Steve for several years, and he was a profound support for me through a period of transition. Our work together was deeply meaningful to me as I navigated my own relationship to work and ambition. Steve brings an incredible amount of perspective, integrity, and genuine care for me as a human which shows in every interaction and the presence he brought to our work together. Our work focused largely on slowing down and tuning in to what I actually care about, and over the years he helped me make numerous decisions that made space for what I cared about and also felt aligned with how I want to care for myself and the people around me. I trust Steve’s guidance with the things that matter across work and life and would highly recommend working with him.

Jess ChanFounder & Executive Chair, Longplay Brandswith Ryan

Ryan is an incredibly thoughtful coach for founders & CEOs unlike any others I’ve come across. For leaders who are genuinely looking to build an organization that is healthy from the inside out -- for themselves, their team & their customers -- I couldn’t recommend Ryan more. He integrates deep expertise of business with the wisdom of inner work, to allow every founder & CEO he works with to discover for themselves, what kind of leader they are and how they are designed to lead their organization.

Ceyda ErtenCo-founder, Hilbert's AIwith Steve

Working with Steve during a pivotal moment in my career was one of the greatest gifts I’ve received. I was navigating the emotional and strategic complexities of transitioning out of a hypergrowth startup, and Steve created a space where I could reflect, reset, and reimagine what was next. He gave me tools I didn’t even know I needed. Practical, grounding, aligned with who I actually am. That work laid the foundation for what came next. I’ve since built a new company that feels alive and true to myself. Something I couldn’t have envisioned back then.

Xiao WangCEO, Boundlesswith Ryan

Working with Ryan Vaughn has been a transformative journey for two years across a group of CEOs. Navigating the dynamics of a diverse group of leaders is no easy feat, but Ryan does it with a level of finesse that feels completely natural. His leadership style, marked by genuine vulnerability, lays the foundation for the rest of us to be more authentic and transparent in our interactions.

Ben BlumenroseCo-founder & Managing Partner, Designer Fundwith Steve

Steve has helped me through two critical career junctions. Both times he helped me identify the key decisions I needed to make, clarified what was essential, simplified what felt overwhelming, and guided me to a great outcome. He brings a rare combination of coaching skill, domain expertise, and real life experience. There aren’t many people I’d trust with that twice.

Lola WajskopPartner, Asylum Ventureswith Steve

I was lucky to connect with Steve at a pivotal moment in my career. I had just left a job I’d had for seven years and found myself in the abyss, that weird but rich liminal space before the new thing emerges. Steve and his community at Downshift provided generous, fertile ground and the right tools to lean into that uncertainty. I will always think of him when I hit moments of transition. I’m lucky to have him in my corner.

Bobby PineroBoard Member, Intercomwith Steve

Steve has helped me through one of the hardest stretches of my life and career. I had just stepped away from Equals, the company I co-founded, and found myself in a deep transition, professionally and personally. Steve helped me build new ground beneath me, rooted in who I actually am and what I want this next chapter to be. Part of that has been unexpected: giving myself permission to explore my creative and artistic side in ways I’d long set aside. One of my favorite parts of working together is the detailed follow-ups after every session. That beautiful writing you see on Steve’s site? You get it in your inbox, personalized for you. It helps me integrate the work and stay connected between sessions.

Janay BrowerCEO, Public Threadwith Ryan

Thank you for your continued kindness and support of me and my work. Some days I am steel tough and nothing can get me and some days, man it’s right there on the surface. Our time always helps me bounce back and move forward more whole. For this I am so grateful.

Neel PopatCo-founder & CEO, Popcornwith Ryan

I started working with Ryan to address some deep-rooted issues I faced as a founder. He helped me shift my perspective and approach challenges at work with greater clarity. With a calmer, more conscious mindset, I was able to navigate difficult situations with a deeper understanding of myself.

It’s like playing the piano: as you understand the composition more deeply, you find the freedom to improvise and bring your own expression to each piece. Ryan has a gift for guiding that process; helping you recognise your own patterns and find your own way forward.

Gaurav MathurGeneral Partner, Pinegrovewith Steve

After eighteen years at Goldman, I co-founded Pinegrove, something entirely new building a team and business plan from the ground up. Steve helped me step into that uncertainty with clarity and conviction. He sharpened how I thought about the transition, helped me access what I already knew, and supported me in growing into the founder, investor, and leader this new chapter required. I’m still working with Steve today. Creating and scaling a business keeps demanding new versions of yourself. He’s been an essential partner in that process.

Quinn FitzgeraldExecutive Coach & Entrepreneurwith Steve

Steve brought me on a journey deeper into myself. My identity, my assumptions, my fears and desires. He helped me break through paralysis and find the agency to define what success actually looks like for me. And that was just our first session. Now Steve is my continued partner on this journey. I feel clear-minded, open, and at peace. I’ve started my own coaching practice and feel more in harmony with my work than ever before.

Ben RubinCo-Founder and CEO, Happier Meditationwith Steve

Steve is a rare combination: someone who deeply understands the startup game and is a genuinely skilled, empathetic coach. That pairing is hard to find. One moment stands out. I was running Happier and facing a major pivot. Keep going as we were, or press go on a total reset. Steve cut through all my hedging with one reflection: ’Do you want a zombie company?’ That question, delivered at exactly the right moment with deep care, is what makes Steve exceptional.

Fred StutzmanCEO, Freedomwith Ryan

It has been a pleasure to know and work with Ryan over the past few years. If you ask my team, they can identify the before and after: Processes were non-existent, leadership was scattered, and we spent our time chasing one thing after another. Working with Ryan, I've professionalized our company, our executive team, and the way we operate to create sustainable growth that has been resilient to the AI-driven shifts reshaping our industry. Even more important has been how Ryan has helped me grow as a leader, find my passions, and learn to listen to myself. I can't recommend him enough.

Hari RaghavanCEO, Abstract Opswith Ryan

Ryan is a coach who gets right to the heart of things with his clients. He knows when to poke, when to set boundaries, and when to gracefully give people space. He led some of the most profoundly deep sessions I’ve ever been a part of — I didn’t know people could go that deep and be that vulnerable with each other. And finally, he has been there / done that — a former founder who knows the journey, inside out (sorry, couldn’t resist the pun)… so you know he’s coming at it from a place of deep understanding and empathy. And that makes a big difference.

Dan PfeifferCo-Host, Pod Save Americawith Steve

Steve has been an essential partner during one of the more uncertain periods of my career. When I was sitting with big questions about direction, purpose, and where to focus my energy, he helped me get clear on what actually matters. I always leave our conversations feeling grounded and ready to act. I highly recommend Steve to anyone facing a real crossroads.

Neil ParikhCo-founder, Slingshot AIwith Steve

Steve helped me navigate a tumultuous period where I shut down one company, went through a real process of discovery about what I wanted next, and landed in a genuinely good place. Having him as a thought partner on that journey made all the difference. I highly recommend Steve to anyone going through a period of transition.

Dan ParhamHead of State and Local Government, OpenAIwith Steve

I was navigating a major career transition during one of the most challenging personal periods of my life, and working with Steve was invaluable. He helped me clarify my vision and values, explore a wide range of paths, and ultimately make a decision that changed things for me and my family. I’ve told my closest friends and colleagues: having him focused on success during a pivotal moment made all the difference.

Nick NeumanCEO, Casawith Ryan

Working with Ryan has been incredibly valuable. He has helped me navigate the many critical decisions and difficult situations that you inevitably run into as CEO. He never says “here’s what you should do”, but consistently helps me reach the right conclusions through detailed questioning and exploration. I strongly recommend working with Ryan for any CEO that wants to grow and improve themselves (which should be every CEO!).

Johnny JiCo-founder, Distruwith Ryan

I was honored to work with Ryan as my executive coach for over a year. Ryan is an exceptional coach who has a natural talent for helping founders uncover unique ways to approach problems they are facing. His willingness to share his own experiences as a former startup founder helped bring a level of relatability that I truly appreciated, especially during turbulent times. Ryan’s guidance and support were instrumental in my growth as a founder/executive, and I highly recommend him to anyone looking to get to the next level!

Sam RagsdaleCEO, Merit Systemswith Steve

When I came to Steve, we had just sunset our first product after two years of sweat & tears. We had raised a large seed round and set out to build something ambitious, but it wasn’t working, and it took a toll on me and the team. I didn’t know how to lead through the uncertainty. Steve helped me learn to sit inside the ambiguity rather than fight it. Step by step, something shifted. I became more creative, more grounded, and more able to access my intuition. We found our footing and we’re now off to the races. I’m still working with Steve because the journey of building a company and showing up as a great leader for my team doesn’t end. There’s no one I’d trust more for that kind of work.

CJ GustafsonFounder, Mostly Mediawith Steve

Steve is truly an N of 1. I haven’t met another coach who combines an acute business sense with a holistic worldview. He came into my life while I was in the middle of a big business build and an equally big shift in my own identity. And over 18 months of working together, I improved both my business performance and my ability to balance home life. If you’re an ambitious person navigating business + life changes, Steve’s the kind of guide you’d be lucky to have as your co pilot.

Jesse IsraelSpeaker & Coachwith Steve

I built The Big Quiet into a global movement, led mass meditations for thousands, and went on tour with Oprah, and then I had to figure out what came next in the wake of COVID. That kind of transition, stepping away from something you built and opening to what wants to emerge, is harder than it looks from the outside. Steve helped me complete that chapter with intention and care. He created space to grieve what was ending and get honest about what I actually wanted. What emerged was a deeper commitment to speaking and coaching, work that feels deeply aligned and alive with where I am in my life. He’s the person I send the people closest to me when they’re navigating a major transition.

Ty WalrodPartner, On Deckwith Ryan

Ryan, with his rich background as a founder, brings a profound depth of understanding to the entrepreneurial journey’s complexities. His keen insight and empathetic nature allowed him to connect with my unique experiences as a founder myself, making our sessions not only productive but personally meaningful. In my experience, it’s rare to encounter an executive coach who embodies such a potent mix of empathy, intuition, and wisdom.

Martin BergCEO, DXwith Ryan

Working with Ryan has been a transformational journey that’s helped me rapidly grow as a leader, solve practical scale-up challenges along the way, and ultimately (and most importantly) understand myself better and bring clarity to what I want from my company and how I want to live my life.

Brian FlynnCEO, Boost Studioswith Steve

Steve had a meaningful impact on me during an important chapter of my life. Working with him helped me slow down, become more self-aware, and start noticing the patterns that were shaping how I showed up as a founder, partner, and person. He has a way of asking simple questions that quietly open up deeper reflection. Our conversations often stayed with me long after the session ended. I’m grateful for the space he created for honest exploration and growth.

Joseph KellyCo-founder & CEO, Unchainedwith Steve

When I came to Steve, I was burnt out and needing to adapt how I led my company. He helped me slow down long enough to find what actually mattered and make refinements to my role. Through our work together I found deeper alignment with my work and a renewed sense of purpose I hadn’t felt in years. What made him uniquely suited to help me was his own journey. The inner work he’s done, his time as a VC, his life as a father. He understood where I was because he’d been in similar terrain himself.

Elliott PesutManaging Director of Culture, Learning & Inclusion, Alaska Airlineswith Steve

My coaching work with Steve has been one of the most meaningful investments I’ve made in myself. It helped me see the stories I was carrying: that good leadership meant having the answers, moving fast, and fixing what was broken. Over time, that shifted. I’m more present now, more willing to trust the people around me and the process we’re in together. And I’m sustaining it, because I can name unhelpful stories when they show up and come back to what’s actually true. Steve helped me discover a more grounded version of myself.

Tom MumfordCEO, Undergradswith Ryan

Working with Ryan has returned value that is nearly impossible to quantify. I started my engagement with him entirely lost, without clear direction, and not knowing what great looks like. Ryan helped guide me there and enabled me to unlock the path forward for myself and my business. No hidden tricks or gimmicks. He has a keen understanding of people and what they need to get themselves to the next level on a personal, professional, and psychological level. The person I am today and the business I run are entirely unrecognizable from when we started working together, and I have Ryan to thank for that amazing transformation.

Chris FredericksCEO, Empowered Ventureswith Ryan

Working with Ryan has become essential to living my best life and building the kind of organization I want to build. Ryan’s approach is genuine, insightful, deep, fun, supportive and encouraging. After every discussion I understand myself better and have clarity on the next steps on my growth path as a leader and human.

Brandon JacobyFounder and Independent Designer, Bravo Juliettwith Steve

Working with Steve is one of the greatest decisions I have made in my career. In a season that was filled with a lot of complexity, burnout, and questions, Steve helped me find clarity and rediscover the passion behind my work. Connecting practical advice with deep inner work allowed me to slow down to a speed that helped me find a new level of confidence and conviction in my path. The result of working together was a true level up.

Jason KellyCo-founder & CEO, Kambrwith Steve

What struck me most was Steve’s ability to hold space for contradiction. He helped me see that slowing down was the pathway to more intentional action. His guidance helped me move from a pattern of constant becoming to moments of simply being, which paradoxically made me more effective in everything I do.

Edmond DeludeCEO, E7 Solutionswith Ryan

Collaborating with Ryan has been a wonderful journey and beautifully transformational. Working together has been as natural as having a conversation with the part of myself that challenges me to grow.

Alex ChangCo-founder, Undefeated Tribewith Steve

I’ve worked with many coaches and guides over the course of my career. Steve stands out. Through both Downshift and our 1:1 work together, he helped me gain clarity on big life questions I’d been struggling with for years. He also helped me get out of my head and into my body, accessing a deeper intelligence I didn’t know was there. He combines deep business experience with genuine wisdom in a way I haven’t found elsewhere. I’m grateful to have him in my life.

Jason JacobsFounder, Puck Academywith Steve

I worked with Steve during a difficult and sensitive professional transition. He helped me get clear on what I actually wanted, define a path forward, and navigate it in a way that honored everyone involved. I’m now on the other side, in a place where there’s far more harmony between my work and my life. I’m grateful to Steve for helping me get there.

Jordan FrankVP of Growth, Graphitewith Ryan

Ryan was an integral part in my development as a leader, and I could not have reached my growth goal without his mentorship. Our work together was transformational -- he helped me gain clarity and confidence both professionally and personally. If you are serious about your growth and are considering working with a coach, I strongly recommend Ryan.

Ryan KilpatrickFounder & CEO, Flywheel Companieswith Ryan

Ryan has an incredible skill for asking good questions, listening intently, and then asking the next deeper question. He gives good advice. But you’re really in the sweet spot with Ryan when the questions he asks help you solve your own problems, just by thinking about them from a slightly different perspective. He has an uncanny way of helping you drill down to the true core of an issue, look at it objectively, and decide on an action. I highly recommend spending time with Ryan Vaughn.

Joshua FormanFounder & CEO, Omnibuswith Steve

A few years ago I reached a point in my career where I lost my bearings and the path upward suddenly became less clear. Steve was my sherpa through that difficult time of transition, helping me focus not on moving upward, but on moving forward in a more sustainable and authentic way. His guidance wasn’t what I initially expected, but it was exactly what I needed.

Jeb BaliseCo-founder & CEO, Everygenewith Steve

When I started working with Steve, I was holding on to a situation that had stopped working for me. I couldn’t see it clearly at the time. Steve has a rare ability to help you understand your own blind spots without ever making you feel called out. Through our work together, I found the clarity to step away from my last company and pursue something rooted in impact. It wasn’t an easy decision. But it was the right one. I left with a sense of direction I hadn’t felt in years.

Jonathan MackeyPrincipal, Mackey & Companywith Steve

I was at a critical moment and didn’t want to muck it up. Steve challenged the stories I was telling myself, helped me reframe them, and pushed me toward clearer, better decisions. Through that process I found the clarity to leave and launch my own advisory business. It’s what I’d always wanted to pursue. And it was also nice to have someone who saw the good in me and brought it to the surface, even when I wasn’t always ready to accept it.

Andrew JohnstonCo-Founder, Second Rodeowith Steve

When I started working with Steve, I was burnt out and unsure if I was still on the right path. What made him different was his lived experience and grounded empathy. He created space to slow down and listen for what had been buried. What I was feeling wasn’t falling apart. It was a signal I wasn’t living the life I actually wanted. Steve helped me see that, sit with it, and act on it, without rushing or abandoning what I’d built. Today, I’m moving forward with greater joy, agency, and calm. He helped me come home to myself.

Jonathan MurrayFormer startup founder, executive, and investorwith Steve

Steve brings a rare mix of lived experience, intellectual depth, and emotional presence that creates space for meaningful change. He understands both the drive for success and the inner unrest that often comes with it, which made me feel truly seen. What makes him special is that he’s deep in the work himself, which keeps his support grounded and sincere. His commitment to this path feels more like a calling than a profession. Watching him step into a new chapter without needing it all mapped out has helped me rethink how I approach my own ’second mountain.’ He’s someone who’s walking the path with you.

Michael RaghebCEO, Shackleton AIwith Ryan

I’ve built and scaled companies before, but I’d never really seen what good leadership looked like, and it showed. I wasn’t the best version of myself for my team or the people I love. Working with Ryan changed that. He has a gift for asking the question you’ve been avoiding and helping you find an answer that’s true to who you are. I’m clearer, calmer, and more present at work and at home. I can’t recommend working with him enough.

Kevin HerasCo-founder & CEO, InvestNextwith Ryan

What I’ve appreciated most about working with Ryan is how he helps me understand what’s actually going on beneath the challenges I bring to our conversations. He’s helped me recognize patterns in how I respond to pressure and become more intentional about how I lead. Through our work together, I’m learning to navigate the hard parts of being a founder with more perspective and find even more joy in building the company along the way. I’m grateful to have him in my corner.

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