A professional joining a small group conversation from home

Small-group career coaching

What if Monday morning made you smile?

Polaris helps you get clear on what matters most in a new career, discover 2–3 job directions that actually fit, and build a gameplan for your next chapter.

How Alive is Your Career? →

4 minutes. 20 questions. No commitment Required.

Our founders featured in

Goldman SachsStanfordThe New York TimesInc.TIME

We know what it’s like to feel
stuck in a job you don’t like.

A career you’re excited about
might be just around the corner.

Feeling stuck at work? Know you want to make a career change, but not sure where to start? Or maybe you’re doing great professionally, but work no longer feels energizing. And the idea of finding a new career feels a little daunting?

You’re not alone. We built Polaris for people just like you.

I don’t like my job. I don’t know what to do next. My job drains my energy. I don’t know how to figure out what’s right for me. I struggle to take the first step. I’m afraid of being a beginner. I don’t have time to think about what’s next. I’m afraid to take a risk. What if I don’t have the right skills? I keep second guessing myself. I’m afraid of making the wrong decision. I don’t have the structure & accountability I need.

Colleagues collaborating and sharing a laugh in a modern office

Find work that makes
you feel alive.

Polaris brings structure and accountability to help you make the time to move toward something new. You don’t need to have it all figured out to begin. Bring your doubts and questions. We’ll support you as you figure out what’s next.

  • Get clear on what you want professionally
  • Move toward a deliberately chosen career
  • Feel energized & engaged at work
  • Explore work that genuinely interests you
  • Have room for the rest of your life

What is Polaris?

Polaris is a 10-week virtual group coaching program that helps you understand what matters most to you professionally, identify two or three promising career directions, and make a plan to explore them. You’ll leave with a clear basis for choosing what’s next and concrete steps to move toward it.

100% of participants left with clarity on 2–3 new career directions

A man enjoying a virtual group coaching conversation on his desktop computer

How it Works

We’ll help you answer “what’s next” over three deliberate phases of the program.

DISCOVER

Step back from the demands of your current work. We’ll explore your meaningful life achievements, strengths, interests, values, and more. You’ll discover patterns you may have overlooked—and hear what others see in you.

NARROW DOWN

We’ll synthesize all your insights into a single Polaris Blueprint. We’ll combine the blueprint with a unique job sorting exercise that’ll help you see how different career possibilities line up with what you’re looking for and what’s actually a fit.

GET MOVING

Start turning insights into action. Turn your strongest 2-3 options into a gameplan that includes how to get started, what actions to take, whom to reach out to, what to learn, and how to overcome obstacles.

Schedule a free 30-min discovery call with co-founder Michael. You’ll leave with more clarity on your professional situation and an understanding of whether or not Polaris can help.

A desk with a phone, personal strengths and interests pointing toward three career options, and a journal roadmap

What’s Included?

Group Coaching (10 Weeks)

Each week, come together on video with co-founder Michael and a small group. Share what you’re learning, hear what others notice, complete live exercises, and turn your personal reflections into decisions and momentum.

1:1 Coaching w/ Co-founder Michael

Finish with a one-to-one coaching conversation with co-founder Michael. Work through the questions specific to your next chapter, refine your exploration gameplan, and identify practical first steps so you leave ready to move forward.

Personalized Assessments

Focused online exercises help you get to know yourself and what really matters in your professional life. Each week builds on the last, bringing your reflections together into a synthesized picture to get clear on your next chapter.

Job Sorting Experience

Our novel job-sorting exercise helps you efficiently review more than 120 jobs to hone in on what fits, what doesn’t, and why. You’ll use those patterns to identify a short list of 2–3 specific jobs to explore in the real world.

Career Blueprint

Bring your strengths, interests, values, energy patterns, personality, and more together into a 1-page synthesized Blueprint. Use it to compare career possibilities, understand why they fit, and keep what matters to you in view as you explore your next chapter.

Roadmap for Moving Forward

Turn your most promising directions into a real-world action plan. Get clear on the people to talk to, experiments to try, and steps to take as you start exploring, finding, and creating the job you want.

Progress Assessment

Complete surveys before and at the end of the program to see how your clarity, confidence, and sense of momentum are progressing. Reflect on what’s changed and where you want to focus next.

Ongoing Support

Stay connected with your cohort on WhatsApp for continued support. Graduates can also apply for Polaris Headway, our follow-on program, with ongoing group coaching while you explore your directions and land your next role.

In their words

“I couldn't have gotten this clarity from reading a self-help book or having a single session with a career coach. I've tried both.”
Kira

Kira

Vice President, Marketing

An Asian woman relaxing on a sofa with an iPad showing a group video call and a Polaris homework assessment

You Don’t Have to
Figure It Out Alone.

Spend time with people who understand the uncertainty of asking “what’s next?” Sharing your story and hearing theirs can help you notice your own patterns, see new possibilities, and feel more connected in the process.

  • Fresh perspective. Hear what others notice in your experiences and strengths.
  • Room to be honest. Explore the doubts and questions behind the change you want.
  • Support to follow through. Share your plans, get feedback, and learn alongside others.

Results That Help
You Move Forward

100%

of participants left with clarity on their top 2 to 3 career directions and their next steps

83%

left clearer about what they want next in their career than when they started

9.2 / 10

average likelihood to recommend Polaris to a friend or colleague.

In their words

“If you’re ready for change but need support figuring out what that change should look like, Polaris is an amazing place to start.”
Ev Boyle

Ev

Senior Advisor, Politics

Built from science. Grounded in experience.

We’ve studied change.
We’ve lived it, too.

Michael Schwalbe

Michael Schwalbe

Co-Creator and Lead Facilitator

Michael holds a PhD in social psychology from Stanford University. He studies how people change, make decisions, and understand themselves—and brings over 20 years of experience coaching leaders and designing programs for more than 1,000 people.

His research has appeared in PNAS and outlets including Time. He is a contributing author to Maximize Your Potential, part of the 99U career book series. Before Stanford, he spent a decade in finance, including as a vice president at Goldman Sachs.

At Polaris, Michael leads the process and individual coaching: helping you turn personal insight into promising directions and practical next steps.

Chris Villar

Chris Villar

Co-Creator

Chris is a founder, CEO, and executive coach. After beginning his career at Goldman Sachs, he built a home security technology company from zero to $125M in revenue, with nearly 800 employees and 300,000 customers.

He also knows how disorienting it can feel when the career you’ve built stops feeling like your own. After leaving the company he founded, he worked through the identity questions, uncertainty, and personal reinvention behind “what’s next?”

At Polaris, Chris brings the perspective of someone who has lived a major career transition—and now coaches founders, CEOs, and other high performers through leadership and change.

Join Our Next Group on October 27, 2026

—Days
—Hours
—Minutes
—Seconds

Make room for
what’s next.

Our next cohort launches on October 27th. Join a community of professionals who are ready to move from feeling stuck toward a deliberately chosen career.

Total value$4,692
Join this cohort for$1,499

Schedule a free 30-min discovery call with co-founder Michael. You’ll leave with more clarity on your professional situation and an understanding of whether or not Polaris can help.

A few things you might be wondering

Good
questions.

A clearer picture of the process—and what comes next.

Who is Polaris for?

Polaris is for professionals who know a change is needed but can’t yet identify which direction is worth pursuing. You may be successful on paper while feeling dissatisfied, drained, or short on meaning at work. You want a thoughtful way to explore a better fit while taking your existing responsibilities seriously.

Do I need to know what I want to do next?

No. You can begin with “something needs to change” and an open question about what comes next. The process helps you understand what matters to you, compare possibilities, and choose two or three directions to investigate.

What will I leave with?

A personal Blueprint, a focused set of promising career directions and the reasons they fit, and an actionable gameplan to explore them. The aim is clearer direction and greater confidence taking your next steps toward a more fulfilling professional life.

How does the program work?

Polaris moves through three phases: understand yourself, identify promising directions, and build a gameplan to explore them. Structured exercises, preparation between sessions, group reflection, and individual coaching help connect your discoveries to practical action. The next cohort’s exact format and timing will be confirmed before enrollment.

Why a group—and what about individual support?

Other people can notice patterns and strengths you overlook. Sharing experiences and hearing different perspectives gives you another way to understand yourself and your options. Individual coaching with Michael helps you work through the questions that are specific to your own next chapter.

Do I need to leave my job to explore?

No. Exploring a direction can begin with learning more about it and taking manageable first steps. Polaris helps you decide what to investigate and how to do it, with your practical preferences and responsibilities in view.

Will Polaris find me a new job?

The program helps you clarify what fits and create an exploration gameplan. Job placement is not part of the program, and a particular career outcome is not promised. The next step is to learn enough about your options to make a more deliberate choice.

Can I participate while working full-time?

The program is intended for working professionals. We’ll confirm the next cohort’s schedule and weekly time commitment so you can decide whether it fits alongside your current work and other responsibilities.

How do I find out whether it’s a fit?

A conversation is a good place to start. We can talk about what’s bringing you here, what you hope to change, and how the process might help. Choose Book a FREE Consultation to explore whether Polaris is a fit for your next chapter.

Contact Us

A connection is a good place to start

Let’s connect.

Tell us a little about yourself and your connection to Polaris.

Schedule a FREE Consultation

Start Moving Toward the Career You Want with a FREE 30-minute Discovery Call

In just thirty minutes, Co-founder Michael will help you leave with more clarity on your professional situation and an understanding on if Polaris might be able to help. You'll get:

  • Clarity on how to discover a career that's actually a fit
  • 1-2 specific next actions that can help you move forward
  • Advice on whether Polaris can help

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Michael Schwalbe, Polaris co-founder

Michael holds a PhD in social psychology from Stanford University and brings over 20 years of experience coaching leaders and designing programs for more than 1,000 people. He's an expert at career change and navigating what's next in one's professional life.