Philippe Danielides is a former Wall Street lawyer and corporate communications consultant turned professional life and career coach. He is the author of The Lawyer’s Guide to Freedom: A Six-Step Plan to Discover What You Actually Want and co-creator of The Garden - a group learning retreat in Greece inspired by the teachings of ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus on the art and practice of living well. Needless to say, Philippe and I have a fascinating conversation spanning a wide range of topics (burnout, sailing, the meaning of life…).

Today Philippe shares with us the story of his own drastic and unexpected career shift, which came as a result of reaching burnout, unfulfillment, and illness despite having "reached the pinnacle of success." Through his journey towards building a life of fulfillment and health, he has acquired a wealth of knowledge and tools that he generously shares with us. Philippe provides not only practical steps to identify what you really want to do with your life but also inspiration and encouragement to start walking the path towards fulfillment and embrace the support of others along the way.

Whether you are considering your own drastic career shift and need support managing self-doubt and criticism (coming from yourself or those around you), are wondering how to find the right community to help you advance your existing career, or are even looking for guidance in determining what it is you actually want to do with your life, this conversation is a must-listen.

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Here's What You'll Learn:

The shocking similarities between lawyers and creatives…
How to navigate a massive career transition when faced with doubt (from yourself and others)
The importance of seeking community and asking for help
How to break away from our cultural definition of success (and why that’s crucial)
The first essential step to take if you’re struggling to decide what to do with you life
Why the western struggle for individualism is working against you
The two biggest fears that keep us stuck in careers that don’t serve us
The first two steps you can take if you’re ready to change your reality
The 3 ingredients to happiness (that you might not expect)
The changes you can make to if you don’t want to leave your job, but want to enjoy it more

Useful Resources Mentioned:

The Blue Pen Project

The Garden

The Lawyer’s Guide to Freedom: A Six-Step Plan to Discover What You Actually Want

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Guest Bio:

philippe-danielides-bio Philippe Danielides

Philippe Danielides is a former Wall Street lawyer and corporate communications consultant turned professional coach, and the author of The Lawyer’s Guide to Freedom: A Six-Step Plan to Discover What You Actually Want.

His coaching is focused on helping lawyers and other habitual high-achievers to live more engaged and energized lives by answering one critically important question, and then providing them with the strategic and practical support to translate that answer into a reality. That question is, “What do I actually want?”

And for reasons explained by what he calls The Red Pen Problem, it is a particularly daunting and challenging question for many lawyers to answer, and why it’s so often set aside (albeit unintentionally) in favor of answering more achievable yet ultimately unsatisfying questions like “What should I want?” or “What do I realistically think I can get?”

Philippe holds a Bachelor of Arts from Middlebury College and received his JD from Georgetown University Law Center. He’s a native New Yorker and somehow, also, a slow walker, which continues to annoy his fast-paced New York friends and family.

Show Credits:

This episode was edited by Chris Orsi, and the show notes were prepared by Debby Germino and published by Glen McNiel.

The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).

Ep219: How to Know What You Actually Want (and Find Support to Make It Happen) | with Philippe Danielides

The Zack Arnold Podcast