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Thank you to Daria Diaz for joining me in this (Un)learning conversation. We talk about changing careers, the identities we carry, and how we can rewrite our story later in life. Daria is a brilliant advocate for wellgevity (wellness and longevity), do give her a follow:
Summary provided by Claude AI 🙂
In this conversation, Lee Griffith speaks with Daria — a recently retired environmental lawyer turned health coach, personal trainer, and Substack writer — about the many layers of unlearning that have shaped her life and career.
Career evolution and the courage to pivot. Daria practiced environmental law for 40 years, working across small firms, Tulane’s Environmental Law Clinic, her own practice, and finally a firm she stayed with for over two decades. Throughout, a single thread ran through everything: a desire to help people. That same drive is now the engine behind her health coaching and writing.
People-pleasing and the battle with boundaries. One of Daria’s most candid admissions was about staying at her firm two years longer than she wanted to — because the organisation asked her to and she struggled to say no. She had been ready to leave, had even drafted a resignation letter, but found herself unable to draw the line. Recognising people-pleasing as a pattern, not just a moment, was a significant part of her unlearning.
Retiring with purpose. A fear Daria was open about was the idea of being “old and poor” — a deeply ingrained financial anxiety shaped by her mother’s example of independence. That anxiety made retirement feel risky for a long time. What finally made it possible was having a clear sense of purpose to step into: her coaching work and Substack writing. She hasn’t looked back once.
Fitness as a lifelong thread. Daria’s relationship with movement started as pure sanity during law school and evolved into teaching aerobics, Weight Watchers coaching, personal training, and ultimately becoming a board-certified health and wellness coach. She wanted the credentials not just for others, but for herself — to feel grounded in what she was doing.
Challenging outdated beliefs about ageing. A big part of Daria’s work involves helping people — particularly women over 50 — confront fixed mindsets about what’s possible as they get older. The belief that it’s “too late” to build strength, get fit, or change habits is something she pushes back on directly. She shares research-backed evidence that people can build muscle at 90, and that the way you think about ageing physically shapes how you age. She’s stopped joking about being old herself, because she knows the words you repeat become the beliefs you carry.
Perfectionism as the ongoing unlearning. Even now, Daria names perfectionism as her biggest ongoing challenge — the voice that says something isn’t worth doing unless it’s done perfectly. Learning to publish, create, and move forward imperfectly has been as much a part of her new chapter as anything else.
The coaching vs. lawyering shift. Daria reflects on the contrast between giving legal advice (telling clients what to do) and coaching (walking alongside someone so they find the answer themselves). It’s a different muscle entirely, and one she’s still developing.
The “something is better than nothing” philosophy. Whether it’s a 10-minute desk stretch or an imperfect Substack post, Daria’s practical takeaway is simple: don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the possible. Start somewhere.
Daria writes for women 50+ who want to live their best lives as they age. You can find her work on Substack.
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