The Power Pause: Why Top Execs Are Joining a New Elite Community

NEW YORK, NY – February 03, 2026 – As senior executives increasingly grapple with the question "What's next?" in a landscape reshaped by AI, market volatility, and nonlinear career paths, a new private community has launched to provide an answer. The Interval, co-founded by former C-suite leaders Shelley Huff and Maryam Banikarim, offers a dedicated space for top executives and founders who find themselves between roles, whether by choice or circumstance.

Launched with 100 founding members, The Interval is designed to support leaders navigating sabbaticals, building portfolio careers, or simply taking an intentional pause after years in high-pressure positions. It aims to transform the often solitary and uncertain period of transition into a structured, supportive, and productive experience.

The Growing Trend of the Intentional Pause

The traditional career ladder, once a straight climb to the top, has become far more complex. For senior leaders, the path forward is no longer guaranteed to be linear. The Interval arrives at a time when concepts like the "intentional pause" and the "portfolio career" are moving from niche ideas to strategic choices for seasoned professionals. This shift is driven by a desire for more than just the next title; it’s about purpose, impact, and sustainability in a demanding professional world.

The market for executive support has long been dominated by executive coaches, headhunters, and traditional networking groups, all primarily focused on one goal: securing the next job. While valuable, these services often overlook the critical need for reflection and identity exploration that many leaders face. After decades dedicated to a corporate mission, stepping away can trigger profound questions about personal and professional identity.

The Interval positions itself as a direct response to this gap. It caters to a growing cohort of leaders who recognize that the most critical career decisions are not made under pressure but through careful consideration. By providing a framework for this reflection, it addresses a need that has been largely unmet by existing career services, which are often ill-equipped to handle the unique psychological and strategic challenges of a C-suite transition.

“The most consequential leadership decisions are often made between roles,” said Shelley Huff, co-founder and CEO of The Interval. “The Interval is designed to help executives approach that moment with intention, perspective, and agency—rather than urgency or expectation.”

A Vision Forged from Personal Experience

The Interval's mission is deeply rooted in the personal journeys of its founders, two high-profile executives who navigated their own career crossroads. Shelley Huff, a former CEO and senior retail executive at Walmart, experienced the power of a strategic break firsthand. After leading a mid-sized company through a complex financial restructuring, she took a planned sabbatical. That experience became the catalyst for creating a space where leaders could discuss the often-stigmatized topic of transition openly.

Her co-founder, Maryam Banikarim, brings a similar story of intentional pause. With over two decades in top marketing roles at companies like Hyatt, NBCUniversal, and Nextdoor, Banikarim stepped back to reflect on her own "What's next?" This period inspired her widely read New York Times essay, "What Am I if Not Employed?" The overwhelming response revealed a widespread, unspoken need among her peers for a community to navigate identity, purpose, and impact beyond a corporate title.

“We’ve created a community where senior executives can pause, reflect, and be honest about what’s next—without judgment,” said Banikarim, who also hosts "The Messy Parts" podcast. “So many leaders are navigating these moments quietly. The Interval makes the in-between visible, supported, and productive.” Their combined experiences underscore the organization's core philosophy: that the "in-between" is not a void to be rushed through, but a valuable phase for growth and strategic realignment.

Redefining Executive Support Beyond the Job Hunt

The Interval makes a clear distinction about what it is not: it is not a job board, a coaching service, or a conventional networking group. This deliberate positioning is key to its appeal. Instead of focusing on transactions like resume polishing or interview prep, it emphasizes a "peer-powered environment grounded in lived experience."

The core offering revolves around monthly peer circles and facilitated discussions. In these confidential settings, members can share insights, offer perspectives, and collectively tackle the challenges of career inflection points. The community is built on the premise that the most valuable guidance for a C-suite leader in transition often comes from a peer who has navigated similar waters, not just a consultant or coach. This model fosters a sense of shared vulnerability and mutual support that is rare in the competitive world of executive leadership.

This focus on peer-to-peer exchange fills a critical void. While executive coaching provides one-on-one guidance and search firms offer access to opportunities, The Interval provides a sense of belonging and shared identity during a period that can feel isolating. It validates the experience of pausing and reflecting, framing it not as a career setback but as a strategic leadership move.

An Exclusive Community with a $5,000 Price Tag

Access to this curated environment comes at a premium. With a $5,000 annual membership fee and an application-based entry, The Interval is positioning itself as an exclusive service for a select group of leaders. The community is not for every executive; it is for those who are, as the founders describe, united by a mindset of "ambition coupled with intention." Members range in age from their mid-30s to 65+, spanning a diverse array of industries but sharing a common commitment to reflection and growth.

The price point and exclusivity are designed to ensure a high-caliber, committed group of peers. The fee acts as a filter, attracting individuals who are serious about investing in their personal and professional development during a transitional phase. For its target audience—successful executives who are accustomed to investing in high-value services—the cost may be seen as a reasonable price for confidential access to a vetted network of peers and a structured process for navigating one of life's most significant professional challenges.

The value proposition is not a guaranteed job but rather the clarity, perspective, and agency gained through facilitated peer support. In a world where the next move for a senior leader can have multi-million dollar implications for both their career and their company, an investment in making that decision with intention can offer an invaluable return.