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/
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