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The 72-Hour Reset™

You Built the career. you're at the top But that's not the end. it's time for a change.

Now build your new identity AND MAKE it STICK WITH scientifically-proven behavior modification. All in just 3 days.

view of retreat garden from inside barn
Circular Text PathRESET, REIMAGINE, BEGIN AGAIN  

A Course for Execs, Leaders and Founders in Transition

You've been a great operator. Now be a great architect — of yourself.

Over 3-days, you'll complete a life and identity rearchitecture. The online program gives you a playbook and results to craft a meaningful identity appropriate for what's next.

What you’ll gain...

Over just 72 hours, I’ll guide you step-by-step through the trusted strategies and practical tools I’ve spent decades teaching to hundreds of leaders, entrepreneurs, and creators around the world.

Here’s what you’ll walk away with:

  • Pragmatic tools to surface blocking stories and then align your most purposeful stories with the highest vision of yourself.
  • Real-world expertise and practical ways to connect theory to behavior from decades of product, service and identity design.
  • Timeless exercises that can be applied to all part os of your life and tailored for you so that you can use again and again.

Decades of transformation work has shown me that it isn't sexy. It requires clarity and commitment. A clear story combined with small repeatable steps are the only thing that truly works.

Redesign your role in 72 hours—using proven strategies.

Hi, I'm Richard.

I've spent over two decades in the room with founders, CEOs, and senior leaders. As a former CEO of a top product design firm and bestselling leadership author, I've built and sold companies, led hundreds of high-stakes product launches, and navigated every kind of transition you can imagine.

I also know what it feels like when the things stop working.

At 51, within the span of months, I lost my wife to cancer, had to sell my firm and to close her business. Everything I had used to define myself was gone. What I did next was instinctive: I applied the same design methodology I'd used to build world-class products to my own identity. I mapped my stories, ran small experiments, tested new versions of myself, and rebuilt — not the old life, but something better. I've now taught this process to hundreds of executives, founders, and leaders navigating their own inflection points. The methodology works because it treats identity the way great designers treat a hard problem: with curiosity, structure, and a tolerance for iteration. This is the most important design work you'll ever do.

Give me 3 days, and I can teach you to do the same.

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Does this sound like you?

You spent decades building. But nobody prepares you for what's next.

Research on executive transitions is clear: while their financial planning is meticulous, the identity planning barely exists.

You know how to be a CEO. You knew how to be a founder. You knew how to run the board meeting, close the deal, lead the team through the storm. But when the role ended, whether you chose it or it arrived unexpectedly, something big shifted.

The calendar cleared. The phone stopped pinging. And the question you've been too busy to ask for twenty years finally surfaced: "Who am I without all of this?" That question isn't a sign something is wrong with you. It's a sign you're paying attention.

The 72-Hour Reset™ is designed for exactly this tension: honoring what got you here but reshaping your wisdom, experience and skills for the next chapter of your life.

You probably don’t need to blow everything up and buy a camper van, or get a divorce (well maybe the van). What you really need is a simple, structured, low-risk way to begin living differently—while still honoring the responsibilities you have.

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The 72-Hour Reset™ schedule

The 72-Hour Reset™ runs over 3 days. You'll need 1 to 2 hours a day over the 3 days to complete the exercises that change your mind and behavior. Within that hour or so each day, there will be some reading, a few short videos, and about 30-40 minutes a day of focused writing work.  

Before We Begin

Prep (30 minutes)

Quick intake: Where are you now? What feels “off”?

  • An explanation of how this rearchitecture works
  • A simple reflection exercise: “What’s the story I’ve been living?”
  • Who am I without the traditional roles, labels and titles?

Day 1

See Your Stories (30-40 minutes)

Theme: Awareness and interruption the stories that are running on autopilot

  • Short introductory via email
  • Exercise 1: Identify and map your current "stories"
  • Exercise 2: Rewrite your stories through a fresh lens
  • Short practice: Observing thoughts vs. being thoughts
  • Exercise 3: Develop your own "lived questions" (which you'll need for Day 2)

Day 2

rewire your nervous system (30-40 mins)

Theme: Presence, embodiment, and integration of new stories and patterns.

  • Short introductory via email
  • Exercise 1: Mapping your feeling-state to your mind's awareness
  • Exercise 2: Define your emotional GPS
  • Exercise 3: Return to your "lived questions"
  • Short reflection: Integration prompts and shaping new behaviors

Day 3

Design your thin-slice experiment (1 hour)

Theme: Small low-risk experiments that change your immediate and long-term experience and give you answers to your big questions.

  • Short introductory via email.
  • Exercise 1: Write your own change in action statement
  • Exercise 2: Design your thin-slice experiment
  • Exercise 3: Run the experiment and integrate into long-term habits, routines and behavior.
  • Optional integration with 100 day Make It Stick plan (select this at checkout)

Ready to run your first thin-slice experiment?

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What you'll have after 72 hours

By the end of the 72-Hour Reset™, you’ll have:

A rewritten core story

You'll map the identity narratives that were built for a role that no longer exists — and replace them with a story that accurately reflects who you are and who you're building now.

A personal
emotional GPS

You'll define the felt-state that guides your next chapter — not metrics, not titles, not performance reviews. A personal self-aligning compass.

A thin-slice experiment

A structured, low-risk experiment designed like a product test with feedback loops. The same methodology that builds great companies, applied to building what's next for you.

A simple,
repeatable framework

A design process for identity transitions that can run again every time you're at an inflection point. Ideal for your ever-evolving roles.

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What you'll get inside the 72-Hour Reset™

  • 3 days of guided curriculum
    Short, focused lessons designed to fit into a busy and full life
  • Optional live calls with Richard (pricing options below) A kickoff session and a closing integration session (both recorded)
  • Daily reflection prompts & worksheets
    Simple, actionable prompts to immediately help you shift your identity
  • Thin-Slice Experiment Planner
    A repeatable template to design and run your short experiments
  • Optional peer accountability
    Light-touch partner or small pod matching so you’re not doing this alone
  • Invitation into the Second Harvest ecosystem
    First access to future 100-Day Make It Stick cohorts and upcoming retreats

Want to turn this reset into a sustainable shift?

The 100-Day Make It Stick program is a structured, guided journey to embed your new identity, habits and emotional GPS into real life. With regular check-ins and supportive accountability from me and your cohort. See below for support options and pricing.

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Meet Your Facilitator

Richard Banfield

I’ve spent more than two decades helping teams and leaders design high-stakes products, brands, and experiences. As the former CEO of a top product design firm and the coauthor of best-selling books like Product Leadership and Design Leadership, I’ve led hundreds of workshops and transformations for organizations around the world.

After losing my wife to cancer, burning out, and rebuilding my life from the ground up, I co-founded Second Harvest alongside Devon to help others navigate their own second chapters with more courage, creativity, and humanity. Helping others find their true purpose and identity is my true calling.

Scientific research and behavioral studies support the idea that early, tangible progress (especially small) increases the likelihood of sticking with a behavior change over time. In this course I’ve combined the best of the science-based methodologies with my practical experience teaching transformation to executives, founders and entrepreneurs. 

At Second Harvest, we help our participants become aware of their internal narratives, understand how they are influencing their decisions, and rewrite their stories so they can develop a better relationship with themselves, others, money and their life plans.

Don't just take my word for it. See what others have to say about this program...

What people say after they leave the retreats

"You couldn’t ask for a better guide to reinvention than Richard. He’s brilliant, curious, empathetic, and a great friend. He constantly challenges himself and those around him to do better, to be better, and anyone lucky enough to attend this retreat will leave renewed."
— Martin
"I just wanted to say thank you — these last few days at Second Harvest were some of the most meaningful I’ve had in a long time. I came in feeling raw and unsure, hoping to find what’s next, and I’m leaving with not just tools, but a community of people I can lean on as I work through a lot of transition, hurt, and healing."
— Nehal Patel
"I can not express how grateful I am for that weekend. Wow I am totally blown away. I really was soooo stuck and it’s helped me see a bit of a way out. It was incredible - you really were not kidding when you said it was going to be magic. Thank you thank you!!"
— Colleen Zulich
"Thank you so much for having me on this trip. It was such an honor to be part of this journey with you. Would love to connect when you’re back and continue this journey together!"
— Mary Grace Levin
This gave me clarity I did not realize I was missing. From the very first day, it surfaced beliefs I had been carrying for years without questioning them or even being aware of them. Seeing those stories clearly helped me understand how much of my urgency, fear, and pressure were rooted in old narratives about identity, safety, and aging.
— Kristen Shaheen
It was a punctuation in time that was much needed; reminding me to be intentional. I appreciated the experimental mindset vs. goal-driven one - which is usually what happens at the onset of any calendar year with resolutions where you are thinking in absolutes. I found this to be much more forgiving, softer, approachable, and framing it in this way felt like way less of a daunting, scrutinizing task and more like a nudge in the self-love direction.
— Lauren Sozio
By working through the combination of "ID" narratives and "OS" narratives and living in the questions, I've achieved an interesting new state of acceptance and curiosity. Instead of trying to optimize my way into a better self, I can instead pursue a felt-state (beginner's mind) to build around:.. openness, curiosity, presence, expression, humility, freedom from expectation, connection, etc. My freedom of movement seems to have increased. And, coincidentally or not, new doors appear to be opening. Super grateful, thank you!
— Brandon Comstock
The biggest realization for me was stepping back and recognizing how long I’ve been stuck in this uncomfortable space, fully identifying with the unhelpful narrative. I’ve been perpetuating this heavy cloud of despair and ruin—completely at odds with the optimistic, adventurous, "can-do-anything" dreamer version of myself. I’m hyper-aware of this now. And know people around me are noticing.
— Chris Merrill
I did day one [of the 72-Hour Reset} yesterday and was truly saddened by the stories that surfaced and how they’ve shaped me. Excited to reframe a few things in my life so I can move forward.
— JP Tanner
“The retreat gave me emotional clarity I didn’t know I needed. I came looking for quiet and reflection, but what I found was connection. I left with friendships and a renewed sense of courage for what comes next.”
— Suzanne Balassone
“There is something rare about being truly seen, and that’s what happened at Second Harvest. It wasn’t about performance, but presence. I left with more than memories — I left with allies.”
— Jennifer Linehan
“The biggest surprise was how much laughter and lightness accompanied the depth. I came expecting something serious and got that, but also joy, play, and the power of pausing. It was exactly what I didn’t know I needed.”
— Brad Stanton
“The retreat was a reminder that slowing down is not the same as stepping back. It’s actually moving forward with more intention. I found space to breathe, and in that space, new ideas emerged.”
— Natalie Fernandez
“We often spend our lives talking, but rarely do we spend them listening. In Austria, I was reminded that silence can be the most generous gift. Second Harvest taught me how to be present again.”
— Wouter Oudemans
“I thought I was coming for inspiration. What I received was transformation. A rare gift, not because it was flashy, but because it was simple, human, and true.”
— Nino Maisuradze
“What struck us was the intimacy of it all. Fireside chats, shared meals, quiet walks in the forest — these were not just activities, they were containers for courage and creativity to emerge. It reminded us why human proximity is the real luxury.”
— Bernhard & Kathrin
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Get started on your reset now

Once you register and pay, you'll receive a series of emails with instructions and exercises.

Option 1
72-Hour Reset™
$339

Identity redesign for executives navigating their next chapter.

Option 2
72-Hour Reset™ → 100-Day Make It Stick
$1,250

The 72-Hour Reset plus 100 days of integration — so the change becomes permanent, not just felt.

No subscription. No recurring charges. Just a focused, structured container to do the most important design work of your career.

FAQs

Why are thin-slice experiments important to behavior change?

Scientific research and behavioral studies support the idea that early, tangible progress (even if small) increases the likelihood of sticking with a behavior change over time, and this is one of the core design insights behind many successful habit-formation programs. Decades of experience has shown me that participants gain immediate momentum and wisdom from combination of small changes (thin slice experiments) and the feedback the experiments provide.

What small experiments have you seen help people the most over time?

It’s rarely the specific experiment that matters. What’s most impactful is reframing change as something small, reversible, and low-risk. When people shift from “I need to make a big life change” to “I’m just running a small experiment,” their nervous system relaxes. That shift creates permission to be imperfect, to start before they’re ready, and to learn without the pressure of getting it right the first time.

As you’ve kept practicing this yourself, what’s gotten easier? What hasn’t?

It's both. It’s gotten much easier to notice the stories I’m telling myself and to course-correct when they show up. But each time that gets easier, another layer reveals itself, with new challenges underneath. What’s improved the most is speed. The gap between recognizing my own domestic propaganda and taking a different action has collapsed to seconds. As they say in professional cycling: it doesn’t get easier—you just get faster.

Is this for someone who's already retired, or someone who's about to transition?

Both. The 72-Hour Reset works at any stage of an executive transition. Whether you're 6 months out and feeling the identity vacuum, or 6 months away and want to enter the next chapter with intention. Many participants use it as a planning tool before they step down; others come after the exit when the gravity of the shift has hit. Either way, you'll leave with a clearer picture of who you are — and who you're building next.

I've tried executive coaching. How is this different?

Most executive coaching is role-based. It helps you perform better in the job you have. The 72-Hour Reset is identity-based. It helps you understand who you are beyond the job. This isn't about optimizing your performance in a role. It's about redesigning your sense of self when the roles you used to inhabit are no longer available. It's a different kind of work, and it uses design methodology rather than a coaching framework.

I'm not someone who does 'self-help.' Is this for me?

Perfect. This program was built for people who resist self-help. It's grounded in design methodology, behavioral science, and systems thinking — the same intellectual frameworks that build products and organizations. Self-help prioritizes insights, we focus on practical steps that map to real-world behaviors. There are frameworks, exercises, and experiments. If you can run a post-mortem, you can do this.

How much time do I need each day?

Around 30-60 minutes for the lessons and reflection. Some participants find themselves coming back to their notes and editing or adding to the exercises so you might want to make time for that too.

Do I need to share personal details with the group?

Sharing is encouraged but never forced. Part participants have preferred to share their stories to get peer feedback but you can do the work privately and still get significant value.

Is this therapy or coaching?

No. The 72-Hour Reset™ is a structured learning experience. We’re not therapists, and this isn’t a replacement for mental health care. It’s a practical framework for people who are ready to take ownership of their next chapter. Scientific research and behavioral studies support the idea that early, tangible progress (even if small) increases the likelihood of sticking with a behavior change over time. This is one of the core design insights behind many successful habit-formation programs.

What if I can’t attend the live calls?

Calls are optional, and require you register for the Make It Stick option. You’ll still be able to follow the program at your own pace within the 72-hour window.

Do I need to have attended a Second Harvest retreat?

No. This course stands alone. For retreat alumni, it’s a powerful integration tool. For new folks, it’s a great first step into Second Harvest.

What does the 100-Day Make It Stick give me?

The 100-Day Make It Stick adds:

  • Regular bi-weekly or monthly integration prompts
  • Accountability check-ins (solo or with peers)
  • A container to embed your “thin-slice experiment” into real life