My name is David, though most people end up calling me by my last name, Spinks.

Professionally, I’ve been a 4x founder, community leader, a published author, and now I’m a coach.

I’ve been an internet nerd since childhood. I stepped into my first community leadership role when I was 14, running online gaming forums (namely THPS4). That curiosity became a career.

After a few not-so-successful startup attempts, I went on to cofound CMX, one of the first and largest professional networks for community builders, which hosted global events and supported over 20,000 leaders.

I later wrote The Business of Belonging, a practical guide for community-driven companies, which has become a go-to resource for thousands of founders, teams, and strategists building meaningful communities.

CMX was acquired by software company Bevy in 2019, where I joined the exec team and helped scale both the company and its community for several years. On paper, I had everything I thought I was supposed to want: An acquisition under my belt, a comfortable job, influence, and admiration. But inside, I was burnt out, exhausted, and disconnected. So I set off on a sabbatical to find some answers.

What was meant to be a relaxing break turned into a deep and difficult transformative journey. I didn’t know who I was without my titles and accolades. I didn’t know how to spend my time when I couldn’t throw myself into work. Added to the mix was an intense public cancellation, the sudden death of my mother-in-law, and the near-death experience of my baby daughter. All of it served to burn my ego to the ground, and I found myself lost in “the abyss”.

It was during this time that I went down my path of radical self-inquiry. I worked with coaching, therapy, meditation, breathwork, Zen, and a range of other practices. I studied Internal Family Systems, Hakomi, and Zen. And, slowly, I began to heal and reorient my life toward alignment.

When I returned from “the abyss”, I began supporting other leaders as a coach. I got educated in parts work, Hakomi, presence-based coaching, and other coaching modalities. I discovered a love for coaching. For the depth, connection, and intimacy it provides, and for the transformations that come out of this type of container.

I’ve found that I’m built for this kind of work. Always have been. I’m so grateful that this is what I get to do now for a living.

Outside of work, I’m also a proud dad of three wild little humans, a husband, a nature lover, a meditator, a music lover (folk, electronic, and hardcore are my go-tos), a pretty good cook (if you ask anyone other than my kids, who only want plain pasta 🙄), and infinitely more. As my friend Steve Schlafman likes to say, “I contain multitudes, potentials, and contradictions.” I am human.