👋🏼 Hi there, I'm Steve Schlafman.
I'm an executive coach based in New York City.
I'm also the founder of Schlaf Co., a boutique leadership development company that helps founders and VCs increase their consciousness and maximize their potential.
I write about coaching, solopreneurship, leadership, mindfulness, sobriety, startup life, personal growth, and much more.
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The Stranger and the Rolex
Don't you look at me so smug And say I'm going bad Who are you to judge me And the life that I live? I know that I'm not perfect And that I don't claim to be So, before you point your fingers Be sure your hands are clean —Bob
That Mountain You’ve Been Climbing Doesn’t Exist
On July 4, 2005, as the sun was rising above the horizon and peaking through the clouds, I was climbing the south face of Mt. Adams in Washington. At 12,281 feet, it’s one of the most popular training destinations for climbers gunning for larger peaks like Rainer. After
We Are Multiple: Discovering The Many Parts of Yourself
Get to know that beast within Give him love and bring him in No, not an enemy, but a friend -Nick Mulvey, A Prayer of My OwnAs I dipped into a deep meditative state and the visualization began, I was suddenly standing on a giant stage at the Columbia River
The Power of Emotional Honesty
When I was getting certified through the International Coaching Federation, I learned that coaching sessions are about the client and I should avoid talking about myself and my experience. When I began my training with the Conscious Leadership Group last year, I learned a different and quite radical philosophy that
A Leader's Guide to Meditation
“You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes every day — unless you’re too busy. Then you should sit for an hour.” —Zen proverbOne steamy afternoon last summer while on a long bike ride, the temperature began to drop and the sky turned black. In the distance, I saw an
I'm Not High Output: Why I’m Sunsetting My Brand & Betting On Myself
Earlier this week I was having dinner at my in-laws home. Towards the end of the meal, my father in-law asked me how business at High Output was going. “Super well. 2021 exceeded expectations and 2022 should be even better.” I said, but I managed to squeeze in a caveat
Investing In Your Co-Founder Relationship To Weather The Storm
What if I told you that you could have a healthy and trusting co-founder relationship? What if I told you that you could meet any roadblock head on? What if I told you there were simple practices to create a stronger union with your co-founder? Here’s the good news:
Aligning Your Calendar With What Matters Most
“If you take care of the minutes the years will take care of themselves.” -Tibetan sayingLet me fill you in on a secret: you have far more control over your calendar and time than you think you do. This is one of the secrets I’ve learned in my first
The Rise of the Human-Centric CEO
Authors note: I co-authored this post with Romeen Sheth, President of Metasys. It originally was published in TechCrunch. “Peacetime CEO/Wartime CEO” by Ben Horowitz is one of the most commonly cited management think pieces of the last decade. And for good reason. Horowitz has surfaced a fundamental distinction in
I Just Walked Away From My New Venture Fund. Here’s Why.
A week ago I sat down at my computer. Still staring at the blank screen, my heart rate began to spike. The butterflies in my stomach were going wild, and my inner voice started agitating: Are you really going to do this? Are you really going to walk away from
Grapevine: Scaling Social Impact
2020 was a difficult year for so many. I spent countless hours reflecting on how I could have a bigger impact in the startup community and help underrepresented and overlooked populations. Despite this deep desire, I didn't know where to start, how navigate the nonprofit maze, or how to measure
Introducing Tapestry: Weaving Together Stronger Co-Founder Relationships
This time last year, I was sitting in a conference room in Soho with two co-founders who were on the verge of closing a Series A—and they were at war. They asked if I could help them resolve their differences. They weren’t aligned on what they wanted. They
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