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The White Space After Exit: How Sabbatical Travel Helps Founders Find Their Next Chapter
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The White Space After Exit: How Sabbatical Travel Helps Founders Find Their Next Chapter

Nicholas Ingate


Quiet. Empty. Endless.

When you step away from the world you’ve built, there’s a moment that feels like standing in a snowstorm. Quiet. Empty. Endless. The life you know, meetings, decisions, deadlines, fades into the background, terrifying. After years of knowing exactly where to pour your energy, you’re staring into the vast unknown, wondering what’s next and, more importantly, who you are without the title, the team, or the grind. Some reading this might say, “Bla bla, let’s get out the tiny violins.”

I’ve been there. After selling my stake in a business I helped build for a decade, I thought I’d earned a sense of satisfaction, and on some level, I had. But I also found myself adrift, questioning my purpose and how I wanted to show up in the world. It isn’t a crisis; it’s an awakening. A chance to pause, take stock, and recalibrate.

The Myth of the Next Big Thing
The world tells you to keep moving, invest, start a new venture, write a book, but what if the most important move is to stay still? To let the dust settle and give yourself permission to just be.

Action doesn’t always bring clarity. Reflection does.

In this white space, I learn something counterintuitive: action doesn’t always bring clarity. Reflection does. Slowing down gives me a chance to reconnect with myself—my values, my ambitions, and the parts of me I’d ignored in the pursuit of success.

This process reminds me of Steve Schlafman’s journey with Downshift. Like so many founders, Steve found himself at a crossroads, questioning the pace and direction of his life. Instead of rushing to the next chapter, he chose to slow down. His story proves that stepping away isn’t just about taking time off, it’s about creating space to reconnect with what truly matters.

Cabin in California High Desert for Reflection

The Courage to Step Back
It isn’t easy to pause. The world doesn’t reward reflection; it currently celebrates hustle. Taking time away from the noise requires courage. You battle your ego, which tells you you’re wasting time, that you should be doing something. But the truth is, stepping back isn’t about retreating; it’s about preparing for the next phase.

During my sabbatical, I find that reflection isn’t passive. It’s an active, deliberate process of asking myself the hard questions:

– What do I want this next chapter to look like?
– What impact do I want to leave behind?
– Am I living in alignment with my values, or have I been swept along by momentum?

These aren’t easy questions. But sitting with them opens doors I never imagined.

Finding Meaning in the Pause
For me, the white space isn’t a void, it’s fertile ground. In that stillness, I rediscover parts of myself that have been buried under years of relentless striving. I reconnect with my creativity, my sense of wonder, and, most importantly, my purpose. It isn’t about chasing the next success; it’s about designing a life that feels meaningful.

Sabbatical travel becomes my compass. It isn’t just the destinations or the experiences—it’s the intentional time spent reflecting, questioning, and dreaming. That’s why I created Sabbatical.Travel: to guide others through the same process. Whether you are at a crossroads, like I was, or simply craving more from life, sabbatical travel can be the key to unlocking what’s next.

Night Sky

Your Journey Starts Here
If you are in the white space right now, uncertain, restless, and wondering what comes next, know that you are not alone. This isn’t the end of your story; it’s the blank page where you get to rewrite it. Give yourself permission to pause. To reflect. To feel uncomfortable. Because in that discomfort lies your greatest opportunity for growth.

Take it from me, or from Steve. You don’t need to have all the answers yet. But you do need to start asking the right questions.

So, what’s next for you?

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