212 : Reflecting on My First Year of Early Retirement with Adam Coelho (interviewed by Katrina McGhee)

In this episode: Decompressing from corporate life, forcing vs. allowing in early retirement, discovering true purpose through financial independence, the LinkedIn comparison trap, building real human connection in the AI age with Katrina McGhee

Episode Summary

After 14 years at Google, Adam reflects on his first 14+ months of early retirement with career break coach Katrina McGhee. From the six-month decompression timeline to navigating the "not far enough along" narrative, Adam shares the raw truth about corporate burnout, learning to trust himself after betrayal, and figuring out what his entrepreneurial vision actually looks like in practice. He reveals his evolving purpose—empowering a generation to achieve financial independence before the hamster wheel traps them—and his desire to build authentic human connection in an AI-driven world.

Guest Bio

Katrina McGhee is a Career Break Coach, author of *Taking a Career Break for Dummies*, and co-host of the *Taking a Career Break* podcast. She has supported 200+ people through career breaks over 8+ years.

Resources & Books Mentioned

- Taking a Career Break for Dummies by Katrina McGhee
- One Last Talk by Philip McKernan
- Return to Real by Ryan Levesque (Spring 2026)
- Front Row Dads community
- Break Space – Katrina's career break community

Guest Contact Information

LinkedIn: Katrina McGhee

Website: https://www.kmcgheecoaching.com/

Podcast: Taking a Career Break with Katrina McGhee

Key Takeaways

- Decompression takes time: Expect 3-6+ months minimum; toxic environments require 6-12 months before you feel like yourself again.
- Your brain will lie to you: High achievers hear "you're not far enough along" even with no rush—recognize and release this narrative.
- Financial independence changes decision-making: When work is optional, choose based on excitement and alignment rather than ROI and efficiency.
- Early retirement is walking into fog: Clarity emerges through experimentation and allowing organic unfolding, not forcing outcomes.

🔥 Did you know that only 14% of reorgs are successful?

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🔥 What makes this workshop different:

• Executive-level facilitation with a track record at CEO-level forums, including sessions with 27 Google VPs at Sundar's leadership conference
  • One VP shared: "Adam was masterful as he guided us through exercises to expand our perspective and ambition on our vision of what we could be and do."
• Neuroscience-backed, mindful conversation practices th...