017: “Is There a Difference Between Success and Satisfaction?” ft. Brendan Burns
🎙️ Episode Snapshot
Erik welcomes coach, podcaster, and hedge fund founder Brendan Burns—his former coach and the catalyst behind the creation of Language of Leadership. This isn’t just a reunion; it’s a deep dive into Brendan’s unconventional path from law school and hedge funds to transformational coaching and multi-business leadership. The conversation explores the questions that matter most when navigating career transitions, building purpose-driven businesses, and choosing alignment over achievement alone.
👤 About the Guest
Brendan Burns is a multi-hyphenate success: hedge fund founder, transformational coach, Cornell-educated attorney, and former investment banker. Known for helping entrepreneurs build high-impact businesses from a place of deep alignment, Brendan’s unique blend of tactical business savvy and emotional intelligence makes him one of the most sought-after coaches for founders and coaches alike. Through his coaching, podcasting, and now hedge fund leadership, he’s helping leaders grow in wealth, impact, and self-awareness without losing themselves in the process.
🧭 Conversation Highlights
- From Wall Street to Coaching: Brendan's shift from hedge fund life to entrepreneurship was a personal awakening rooted in therapy, coaching, and self-discovery.
- The Question That Changed Everything: “What if it does work?” became Brendan’s guiding principle when starting over.
- Selling from Vision, Not Fear: Why money-only goals fall flat—and why mission-centered entrepreneurs create deeper impact and longer-lasting businesses.
- Coaching Wealthy Clients: Brendan’s hedge fund model doubles as a backdoor to personal transformation for investors, combining capital management with emotional and life growth.
- The ROI of Self-Investment: Erik and Brendan share vulnerable stories about early coaching experiences, what made the difference, and how perception is often the biggest block.
💡 Key Takeaways
- Mission Beats Metrics: Sustainable businesses come from alignment, not ego. Purpose is the foundation that drives everything else.
- You Can't Coach What You Haven’t Lived: Brendan’s emotional breakdown in the finance world gave him the empathy and perspective he now brings to his clients.
- The First Sale is to Yourself: Before you convince the world, you must believe your dream is possible. Brendan’s journey proves that starts with mentorship and mindset.
- Curate Your Circle: Oversharing your dream with unsupportive people can crush it. Find those who believe and build with them.
❓ Questions That Mattered
- “Why this path? What does coaching give you that finance couldn’t?”
- “How do you stay aligned as an entrepreneur when new opportunities keep showing up?”
- “What’s the role of fear in keeping founders stuck?”
🗣️ Notable Quotes
“There’s no reason I should be alive—not addicted, not in pain. But coaching helped me get here. Now I help others do the same.”
“Don’t just build a business. Build a mission.”
“Some hedge funds manage wealth. We manage wealth and transform lives.”
🔗 Links & Resources
