Psychedelic Executive Coaching
and
the Awake Forward Method

Is psychedelic-assisted therapy legal?
Yes. There are organizations who can provide legitimate psychedelic-assisted therapy in the US. 

Which psychedelics are available?
Ketamine is the safest, most reliable, and legal psychedelic currently available. We have thoroughly vetted two therapeutic ketamine providers, Mindbloom and Polaris. Mindbloom provides at-home guided ketamine sessions with video support. Super convenient, effective and affordable! Alternatively, if you want to work one-on-one with an experienced therapist via a video or in person, we recommend you work with Polaris.

MDMA, Psilocybin, and any other psychedelic you can think of are, for all intents and purposes, still illegal in the United States. For clients who want to work with these substances, we have affiliations with highly vetted providers in locations where these substances have been decriminalized. If you’re willing to take the trip, you’ll get the experience of a lifetime!

Ayahuasca I’ve been leading groups of entrepreneurs to Peru for private ayahuasca retreats since 2010 through my company, Entrepreneurs Awakening. If you’re interested in working with ayahuasca, as part of your coaching program, I will connect you with a highly reputable retreat center in Costa Rica or Peru. I myself will be leading my next retreat when COVID allows. 

Is it physically and psychologically safe for me to engage with PaEC?
The provider you choose is responsible for your safety. They will thoroughly screen you for the physical, pharmaceutical, and psychological conditions that would exclude you from working with them. As long as you’re honest during the intake, the risk is minimal.

But I can’t have the company pay for something as controversial as psychedelic therapy, right?
For those who still feel that the use of psychedelics under the supervision of a professional for therapeutic reasons is controversial, we suggest the following strategy: The company pays for the 6-month executive coaching program, and you pay for your work with your psychedelic provider out of pocket.

Will psychedelic therapy cause me to make abrupt changes that I will later regret?
Both your coach and the professional guide who will lead you through your psychedelic therapy session will support you in making wise decisions. In fact, one of our explicit agreements upfront is that you can’t make a life-changing decision during the 10 days following your psychedelic experience. While working with around 70 clients since 2010, I can’t think of a single case where someone made a rash decision they regretted.

Is the psychedelic session a group session or one-on-one?
The psychedelic session is done one-on-one.

Should I wait until I am less busy and stressed?
As you know, when you are a leader, there appears to never be a good time to take a mental or physical break from your duties. Over the years, we have supported clients who were in the middle of a fundraiser, experiencing company-threatening conflicts with the board or a co-founder, or going through a divorce. We have also led clients through the process while they were on sabbatical between companies, and the results weren’t better than those who engaged while on the front line of a firefight. The truth is, there is never a bad time to engage in a psychological reset, emotional healing and spiritual awakening, especially when it only takes a day!

Will I have to miss work?
No. Your experience typically lasts from 2 to 8 hours, depending on the substance.

What’s the difference between Psychedelic-assisted Executive Coaching (PaEC) and the Awake Forward Method?
Psychedelic-assisted Executive Coaching is a name I coined to describe any form of executive coaching that coincides with the use of psychedelics in a therapeutic context. The Awake Forward Method is the specific programmatic approach to PaEC that my team and I provide to ensure that you get the most out of your experience. 

Who Benefits the Most from the Awake Forward Method?
Whereas conventional coaching methods struggle to help individuals with the below issues, the Awake Forward Method is exceptionally effective.

When you want to make a personality-level change. For example:

• When you need to change your leadership style from a command-and-control to a delegate-and-empower approach
• When you need to delegate and trust your team to learn from their mistakes, but you are struggling to do so

When distrust or impatience are negatively affecting your decision making. For example:

• When frustration and resentment is impacting your relationship with your co-founders or the board
• When you’re forced to give the CEO role to someone else and then must support the new CEO 110% even if you’re not happy with the change

When your ego is preventing you from doing what is best for the company. For example:

• When your sense of personal identity is tied to your title at the company, and the board or your co-founder wants you to change your role

For significant personal reasons. For example:

• When you are burned out but don’t have time for the kind of vacation that would truly refresh you
• When issues in your personal life are distracting you from being your best at work
• When you feel off course and want to reconnect with your life purpose

Tell me more about Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP)
NLP is a communication toolkit that provides the ability to discover, utilize, and change our programmed thoughts and behaviors, assisting us in having new experiences in life that are more satisfying, fulfilling, and enjoyable. In this short video Carl Bushheit, the founder of the Transformational branch of NLP, explains NLP.