He Built the Green Building Movement. Then His Life Fell Apart | David Gottfried
The Midlife ChrysalisShow Notes
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
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