Autopilot: Off.

In August 2025, I stepped away from a 15-year career in investment management across London, Singapore and Hong Kong. While my passion for markets and investing endured, being a fund manager had lost its spark and started to feel like a grind. I realised I was operating on autopilot and needed a break.

I decided to be intentional with my time again, trading corporate life for personal growth, new challenges, and a drive fueled by genuine curiosity.

Blake Shefford

A Different Kind of Busy

People often ask if I've found it hard to fill the time. The truth is, I haven't been bored once. Since August, routine has given way to a series of challenges that have pushed me out of my comfort zone, while enjoying connecting with those that matter to me:

  • Volunteering in Zambia: Three weeks as a PE teacher to rural school children. Their joy and energy were infectious, in spite of daily power outages highlighting the finite nature of resources.
  • Climbing Mt. Rinjani: A three-day trek to the summit of Indonesia's second-highest volcano, grinding up volcanic sand and loose rock at 3:00 AM to reach the top for sunrise.
  • Training to become a helicopter pilot: Currently working towards my Private Pilot License (PPL) in Durban, South Africa, having recently completed my first solo flight.
  • Spending time with loved ones: Taking the time to catch up with old friends in New York, spending a week with my mum in Maine, and exploring Utah and Nevada with my wife.

Whether you call it a "Career Break," "Time Off," or a "Mini-Retirement," it doesn't mean slowing down. It's just a shift of focus.

What's Next

The plan for the coming months is to continue to travel, spend more time with family and friends, and keep saying "Yes" to new experiences.

While I have plenty to keep me intellectually occupied — from learning to fly to building out AI tools — these are relatively solo projects. I miss working with a team and the energy of collective success.

In the meantime, I've been building. Take a look at what I've been working on in the tab, or if you have an automation problem worth solving, .

I am enjoying this time off and want to be patient in finding the right fit. By Q3 or Q4, it'll probably be time to return to a more formal role to bridge that gap. Until then, I'm making the most of turning off autopilot and actively driving my life toward more excitement.