You can build a successful life and still reach a point where you need to rebuild yourself.

In this episode, Chip Conley sits down with David Gottfried, co-founder of the U.S. Green Building Council and pioneer of the green building movement, for a candid conversation about success, loss, and reinvention.

David shares how transforming an industry was followed by a deeply personal transformation when his 20-year marriage ended and forced him to rethink who he was.

They explore:

How green building went from a fringe idea to a global movement

Why hiding parts of ourselves can come at a profound cost
What divorce taught David about vulnerability and letting others in
Why letting go of old identities can open the door to a new life
Why regeneration must go beyond our planet to include ourselves

David’s lesson from it all is simple: “Truth is oxygen.”

Watch the full episode for an honest conversation about success, identity, and finding the courage to become

Timestamps:

(06:13) From Stanford to Real Estate

(10:06) Bringing Solar Into Development

(12:00) Founding the U.S. Green Building Council

(17:12) Making Green Building Mainstream

(20:17) How LEED Took Off

(22:05) A Midlife Transformation

(26:25) Divorce and a Personal Chrysalis

(31:05) What Pain Taught Him

(33:45) No More Hiding

(35:04) The Dark Night of the Ego

(37:05) From Sustainability to Regeneration

(43:14) What Gives Him Hope

(45:08) Truth Is Oxygen

Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/

#DavidGottfried #ChipConley #MidlifeChrysalis #GreenBuilding #USGBC #LEED #RegenerativeLiving #MidlifeReinvention #PersonalTransformation #LifeAfterDivorce #FindingYourself #Vulnerability #Sustainability #Regeneration #SecondHalfOfLife

He Built the Green Building Movement. Then His Life Fell Apart | David Gottfried

The Midlife Chrysalis

He Built the Green Building Movement. Then His Life Fell Apart | David Gottfried