May you see what is hidden in you, as a place of hospitality and shadowed shelter, may what is hidden in you become your gift to give, may you hold that shadow to the light and the silence of that shelter to the word of the light, may you join every previous disappearance with this new appearance, this new morning, this being seen again, new and newly alive.
— David Whyte
<aside> 👋 Welcome to David Spinks’ Coaching page.
I’m truly honored by your interest. I consider the opportunity to potentially partner with you in your transition journey with great care and respect. Should you have any questions, reactions, or feedback at any point in this process, please do not hesitate to reach out at [email protected].
</aside>
<aside>
Take a moment to consider this opportunity. Engaging in coaching requires a significant commitment of your time, energy, and effort. This document is designed to ensure that you have all the necessary information to determine if coaching with me and Downshift aligns with your needs.
</aside>
Table of Contents:
I’m David Spinks, coach, founder, community builder, and someone who’s spent most of my life trying to figure out what it means to live and lead with integrity.
I started my first community when I was 14, running online gaming forums before I even understood what "community" really meant. That curiosity became a career. I went on to cofound CMX, one of the first and largest professional networks for community builders, which hosted global events and supported over 20,000 leaders. We were acquired by Bevy in 2019, where I joined the exec team and helped scale both the company and its community.
Along the way, I wrote The Business of Belonging, a practical guide for community-driven companies, which has become a go-to resource for thousands of founders, teams, and strategists building meaningful communities.
On paper, I had everything I thought I was supposed to want. But I was burnt out. Disconnected. Running on old definitions of success. So I stepped away to explore a deeper question: what’s left when the titles, the hustle, and the ego quiet down?
That led me to meditation, therapy, coaching, and spiritual inquiry. I studied Internal Family Systems, Hakomi, and Zen. I trained as a coach. And I began supporting leaders, not just with their strategies and goals, but with the stories beneath them.
Today, I coach:
My work is grounded in lived experience. I know what it’s like to lead at scale, to face public challenge, to question everything, to feel lost, and to rebuild.
People come to me when they want someone who can meet them where they are: with depth, strategy, and presence. Someone who can help hold the complexity of leadership, growth, and being human.