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John Robert Downs
COACHING
BIO
SOUND
CONNECT
John Robert Downs
COACHING
BIO
SOUND
CONNECT
COACHING
BIO
SOUND
CONNECT

THE REST OF THE STORY…

I was raised in a working-class family in southwest Missouri by a single mother who remarried when I was 12. My father passed away in a car accident just before my fourth birthday. Despite financial challenges, my mother and stepfather worked tirelessly to provide for our family. Our home may not have been wealthy in material possessions, but it was always rich in love.

Determined to carve my own path, I walked on to the football team at a small local college, quickly earning an athletic scholarship. However, after sustaining an injury, I left school halfway through my sophomore year. At 19, I took a job as a telemarketer for MCI WorldCom, where I quickly became a top-performing sales rep. Within six months, I was promoted to Sales Manager, becoming the youngest in company history for a then-Fortune 50 corporation and winning several awards for sales management.

At MCIWorldCom I was introduced me to Tony Robbins through “Unlimited Power” and Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich”, beginning my lifelong passion for pursuing professional and personal development.

At 22, brimming with confidence, I moved to Southern California, taking a job as a tech head-hunter—only to arrive just as the dot-com bubble burst. Humbled, I returned to school, playing football at a junior college and working 60+ hours a week as a personal trainer and bouncer while a full-time student. My performance earned me an athletic and academic scholarship to the University of California-Davis, where I graduated with a degree in History and a minor in Political Science and was a two-year varsity letterman.

Throughout my career, I’ve had a front-row seat to multiple financial crises—the telecom collapse (at MCI WorldCom), the dot-com bubble (as a tech headhunter), the housing market crash (as owner of a mortgage brokerage that funded over $350 million in loans during the housing bubble), and the global credit crisis (as an investment advisor). As an investment consultant at independent broker-dealer, Euro Pacific Capital, from 2008-2013, I advised on over $140 million in assets, raised tens of millions for private placement transactions, and helped clients navigate one of the most volatile periods in modern financial history.

At the height of my investment career, I was outwardly successful, yet internally, I was battling burnout, anxiety, and a deep sense of disconnection. The pressure of high-stakes finance led me to self-medicate with cannabis and alcohol. I was diagnosed with ADHD and depression, yet the traditional approaches to mental health didn’t provide the answers I was looking for. This period planted the seeds of my personal transformation and set me on a path of deep self-inquiry, healing, and growth.

Over the last decade, my focus shifted toward building emerging industries and pioneering movements at the intersection of business, wellness, and personal transformation. From 2015-2021, I played a key role in shaping the legal cannabis industry—raising capital, advising companies, launching a contract manufacturer, serving as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at a business accelerator, and leading business development for the industry’s largest private capital network until it was sold in 2019. I helped found a company that secured the first and only U.S. CBD processing license in China and have served on multiple industry boards and legislative committees.

Today, my passion is helping high-performing entrepreneurs, founders, and leaders access Flow, optimize their performance, and deepen their connection to purpose. I combine the science of Flow with transpersonal psychology, archetypal wisdom, and embodiment practices to help clients align their personal, professional, and spiritual lives. Together with my wife, Nicole, I have led multiple wellness retreats and co-facilitated sound meditation ceremonies for over 600 people.

My journey of personal transformation has been deeply informed by my work with psychedelics and microdosing. These tools, when used intentionally, have been instrumental in unlocking deeper self-awareness, breaking through limiting beliefs, and fostering greater emotional intelligence. Today, I help clients integrate these experiences—bridging mystical insights with real-world action to create lasting change.

My relationship with my wife, Nicole, who I met at Burning Man in 2018, was (and still is!) the catalyst for some of my deepest personal growth. It revealed where I was blocked, where I needed to soften, and where I needed to step up. The work of mastering polarity—balancing presence and power, action and receptivity—isn’t just about relationships, it’s about integration.

I have found Men’s Work to be critical for integration, providing a safe space to break through conditioning, embody true leadership, and cultivate deeper self-awareness. Whether in love, business, or life, the ability of men to hold a grounded presence while navigating challenge is what separates those who merely survive from those who truly thrive. Paradoxically, Men’s Work has also deepened my ability to coach my female clients, as understanding polarity, emotional depth, and relational dynamics is essential for both men and women seeking growth, clarity, and fulfillment.

Throughout my journey, I have been deeply influenced by the works of Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, and the wisdom traditions of Buddhism and Taoism. Jung’s exploration of archetypes and the unconscious mind has shaped my understanding of personal transformation—how we must integrate the shadow to fully embody our potential. Campbell’s teachings on the Hero’s Journey have provided a framework for navigating life’s challenges as initiations, opportunities for growth rather than obstacles to be feared.

From Buddhism, I have drawn the practice of presence and non-attachment, understanding that suffering arises not from life itself, but from our resistance to what is. Taoism has reinforced this wisdom, teaching me to align with the natural flow of existence rather than force outcomes.

I’ve completed The Flow Research Collective’s Zero to Dangerous and Trainer Accelerator programs, and the Co-Active Coaching Institute (CTI) Coaching Fundamentals course. I’ve taken various courses and masterminds on microdosing, psychedelic integration, and sound meditation facilitation. I am also a 200-hour certified yoga instructor and an advocate for mindfulness, cognitive liberty, and holistic well-being. Ultimately, I’m a lifelong student of philosophy, psychology, and human potential—an explorer dedicated to integrating ancient wisdom with modern science to elevate consciousness and ease suffering.

When I’m not coaching, advising, or investing in conscious businesses, you will find me reading, writing, practicing hot yoga, playing golf, traveling, engaging in outdoor fitness activities, dancing with Nicole, or playing with our dog, Lucy.

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Disclaimer: The information provided on this website and in our coaching is for educational and informational purposes only. Using psychedelics, including microdosing, remains a complex legal topic, and laws vary by region. It is your responsibility to research and comply with the laws in your area. John Downs does not condone or encourage illegal activity. Any discussions on microdosing and integration are intended to promote harm reduction, education, and responsible use where legally permitted. Always consult with a legal professional and a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions regarding microdosing or psychedelic use.