Navigating By My True North
Mapping Meaning.
I believe that all organizations need to map out why they exist.
This is as important today for companies, private and public, as it has been for nonprofits for generations.
I help companies and nonprofits listen deeply, align around their mission, and bring their True North—their sense of purpose—to life through results.
Why? Because, no matter where you work or what you do, it’s important to find meaning in it. It’s human nature. I hope you’ll join me in this quest.
About Michael.
Michael Youngblood is a facilitator, strategist, and expert on the future of work and innovation. Over the past decade, he has built and helped organizations and teams align around purpose, culture, and strategy.
Michael is the co-founder of Unsettled, an award-winning global travel company recognized for innovation in tourism and experiential design. He has advised Fortune 100 companies on remote work and leadership development, taught entrepreneurship and globalization on behalf of the U.S. State Department, and served as Managing Editor of Innovations Journal, a publication about entrepreneurial solutions to global challenges co-hosted by MIT, Harvard, and George Mason University.
His work and ideas have been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Outside Magazine, Entrepreneur, TED, MIT Press, and more. He is a member of the inaugural TED Residency, a member of Sandbox, and a speaker and workshop leader on purpose, innovation, community, and the evolving nature of work.
Whether facilitating strategic planning sessions, leading a global retreat, or sailing across an ocean, Michael’s work invites people to reconnect with what drives them — their True North — and translate that clarity into action to live a life that matters. He lives and plays in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
My Pathless Path.
I co-founded Unsettled in 2014 with a simple belief: travel can wake people up to themselves and the world. Over ten years, I helped grow it into a global community spanning six continents, with a mission and brand that inspired thousands to live more intentionally.
At its heart, Unsettled was never just about travel—it was about transformation. I learned how to design meaningful experiences, build inspired teams, and infuse purpose into every part of an organization. That same approach now guides my work with mission-driven leaders: creating systems and experiences that keep purpose alive in how teams plan, decide, and act.
Before I ever led a strategy session, I learned about purpose the hard way—by getting lost. I’ve sailed across the Pacific Ocean, biked across Europe, and led startups into entirely new markets. Those journeys taught me about uncertainty, perseverance, and how to navigate without always knowing what’s next.
My life experience has taught me that the best leaders can cast off the familiarity of certainty and cross unknown seas. They do it by with a strong sense of what matters — a set of principles, values, and guidelines that help them stay on their path, even, or especially when it’s impossible to know where we’re heading.
This mindset shapes my work, adventures, and life today.
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Goals & Results Sprints
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Vision, Results, & Accountability Workshops
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![Group of retreat participants smiling at sunset in the Dolomite Mountains, Italy — team retreat and facilitation workshop led by Michael Youngblood with golden alpine peaks in the background.]()
Workshops & Speaking
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Strategic Planning
My Life At 40
When I turned 40, I spent some time digging into my values, lessons learned, and some key principles to guide me in the coming decades. It’s no surprise that I go deep in my own life as much as my professional work. See the presentation below to see how I got here.
Home These Days
Home is an important—if ever-changing—concept for me. These days, I live with my girlfriend in the mountains of western North Carolina, in Haywood County—the heart of the Appalachian Highlands. I work from home, and when I’m not facilitating or writing, I’m exploring these mountains, reading poetry by the fire with our two dogs, or planning our next adventure. Life here feels slower, more deliberate, and deeply connected to a sense of place.
Easy Ways To Start Working Together
Strategic Planning
I help teams rediscover their why and translate it into a clear, actionable strategy. My approach blends purpose and performance. I take a human-centric approach to strategic planning. First, we rediscover your organization’s True North by listening to your leadership, stakeholders, team, and community. Then we co-create a plant. Next, and this is where I excel, I facilitate quarterly meetings with your leadership to set, track, and learn from mission-aligned goals.
Speaking & Workshops
From keynote talks to immersive workshops, I bring 15+ years of experience in innovation and purpose-driven leadership to help people reconnect with what drives them. Popular topics include Why Meaning Matters (and How to Cultivate It); Staying on Course in a World of Uncertainty; Designing & Delivering Meaningful Experiences; Future of Work; Remote Work; Community-Driven Engagement; and much more.
Adventure
I’m the co-founder and CEO of Unsettled — one of my outlets for meaningful travel, adventure, and global connections. Unsettled is the leading conscious travel company for globally-minded professionals. Outside of Unsettled, I lead sailing adventures as well as personal expeditions into some of the world’s deepest wilderness areas by foot, kayak, bike, or other self-powered means. Additionally, I’m a volunteer for the National Ski Patrol and am on my local Search and Rescue team.