Shownotes
What does it take to start choosing your life instead of just pushing through it?
In this episode I talk with Ariela Picciotto — one of my closest friends — about a path that never really went to plan. She left New York years ago to be closer to the people she loves, traded a planned move to London for an unplanned life in Paris, and eventually followed her curiosity out of the corporate world and into coaching.
There was a breaking point along the way: the day she got the offer she'd been chasing, her body finally gave out and she landed in the ER. We talk about what that taught her — about finite time, the choices we make with it, thinking about life in seasons, and what happens when you stop measuring your years and start measuring your moments.
About Ariela Picciotto:
Ariela Picciotto is a leadership and career coach with 15 years of GTM leadership experience mostly in tech scale-ups, including as General Manager at ClassPass, where she launched and scaled France and Southern Europe into one of the top five markets globally.
After building a career that looked impressive on paper, she found herself asking: I built this, I chose it, so why does it no longer feel like me? Those are the questions her clients carry too, and the ones she now helps them answer.
She works with senior women in tech who have built successful careers and yet feel unfulfilled, stuck, or quietly wondering if this is still it. Through coaching that combines strategic career thinking with embodied leadership and inner authority, she helps them get clear on who they are becoming so their next move actually fits.
She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a Certificate in Professional Coaching from New Ventures West, and coaches in English, French, Italian, and Spanish.
Connect with Ariela:
- Website: https://www.arielapicciotto.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arielapicciotto/
Connect with me:
- [email protected]
- Instagram: @quitmyjobpod
- Substack: https://maricellaherrera.substack.com/
Show Notes:
00:00 Offer Day ER Wakeup
00:10 Podcast Premise Intro
00:52 Behind on Episodes
03:24 Meet Ariella
06:26 Childhood Dream Jobs
07:08 Choosing Business Path
09:40 Consulting Reality Check
11:22 Ballet Studio Role
14:34 Leaving New York
17:32 Family Time Math
20:13 ClassPass Breakthrough
23:22 Burnout and Reorg
25:30 Getting a Coach
26:41 Stress Sends Her to ER
27:52 Healing Before Day One
29:02 Why Coaching Called Her
33:26 Coaching as a Business
35:31 Rejecting Hustle Culture
38:44 Going All In on Coaching
41:29 Redefining Success
48:55 Balancing Ambition and Play
53:13 Advice to Her Past Self
Transcripts
Again, I'm delayed with this podcast, and I feel really, really guilty about it.
It [: I've been filling up my days [:Work
job job, but it is a project [: n I was editing this episode [: in this interview about the [: But I did it [: taking those pockets of time [: You're gonna [: we don't live in the same [: But she doesn't let me get [: I think we did a good job of [:rough moments, changing jobs, making decisions.
we talk [: cision to become a coach. Uh,[: go that she would eventually [: [: ank you for sticking around. [:**Maricella Herrera:** What did you wanna be when you were growing up?
ioto:** I knew this question [: rrera:** No, I was expecting [:**Ariela Piccioto:** yes, but that dream was, like, taken away from me very soon.
And the other passion of mine was pizza, as
So I was like, "Oh, bakeries [: thought about it, for a long [: ears. and I was like, "But I [: agine you as a doctor, but I [: g these connections he works [:Also, you wanted to be McDreamy,
**Ariela Piccioto:** I did. I think a lot of people went into medicine honestly because of "Grey's Anatomy."
wouldn't be surprised at all[:**Maricella Herrera:** I'm sure.
**Ariela Piccioto:** But then because I was talking to real doctors, they were like, "I know you watch Grey's Anatomy. It's not like that."
you knew you wanted to be in [: hing like that because I was [: ut at some point I'll figure [:**Maricella Herrera:** Why?
this idea where like people [: ege. I think it was like the [: that's not what I wanna [: uff, in terms of resume, but [:**Ariela Piccioto:** Yeah. No, I think it's a great first job. I,
dy, I don't think I would be [: So I think as a [: he ballerina thing, but it's [:**Ariela Piccioto:** Ballerina?
**Maricella Herrera:** ballet work thing here, workout thing here in New York
it's funny because I really [:**Maricella Herrera:** And just to clarify, the ballerina job we're talking about is a, workout studio in New York
a workout studio where, the [:**Maricella Herrera:** Which was what made you leave New York,
**Ariela Piccioto:** It do
**Maricella Herrera:** right? It was around that time
oto:** Mm-hmm. It was around [: ine for COVID, right? so she [: I know that very well, those [: g for a solo owner that way, [:**Maricella Herrera:** Why?
go. I think you need a very [:if that
**Maricella Herrera:** It's their baby
r baby. It's understandable. [: Or this is how [: be able to stay in New York, [: ... I always ask myself this [:**Maricella Herrera:** How long has it been?
**Ariela Piccioto:** Ten years almost
**Maricella Herrera:** Good choice
eah. I never regretted it. I [: obody ever told me that. Who [:**Maricella Herrera:** Aww.
**Ariela Piccioto:** He's "Don't go away." what? you're very cute, but also like, how dare you? I
era:** They're very demanding[: nt to go and pick him up on, [:**Maricella Herrera:** That's so funny
riela Piccioto:** But he was [: and they were talking about [: times. [: ng around so much. I think I [: ulation. and more than that, [: think for a year or two, my [:I'm like, "I know you didn't." I'm glad that I did, but I think she was like really terrified
king terrified when you were [:**Ariela Piccioto:** I was ter- I wasn't terrified, but it was like, I was like, "I'll figure it out." I got thrown
like...
Herrera:** terrified for me.[:**Ariela Piccioto:** Of course.
I know.
**Maricella Herrera:** I'm kidding but yes
life that never goes to plan.[:So I went
to... Yeah, I did, yeah, exactly. couldn't even have a pla- because I thought that I would go to London, right?
**Maricella Herrera:** that's true
Ariela Piccioto:** I thought [: so things didn't go to plan [: efore. But I still feel like [: ioto:** Absolutely. first of [: I only remember applying to [: and she turned out to be the [:it was like
exactly the same day.
**Maricella Herrera:** Goes to show you, right?
tell this story to everyone [:**Maricella Herrera:** And she was super nice, and she did Wow.
e. I think, first of all,the [: n the role that I had before [: idn't perform on some things [: But it started [: then again, like I was just [: that I'm generally like the [: ike I didn't ask for help to [: coach. [: but until I got the [:know I speak French very well.
is just like they don't know [: u're starting a new job with [:**Ariela Piccioto:** I was lucky because of the timing,
uly, and then I-- because of [: European does, I had summer [: ause of the back injury, and [: the right, so it was kind of [:**Maricella Herrera:** Oh, COVID.
"Eventually I wanna do this?"[: me at the time, for sure. I [:**Maricella Herrera:** Mhm.
sleep, but at the same time, [: lieve in the product. So I'm [: hing new and keep my current [:**Maricella Herrera:** that was about the learning, right? it wasn't even about
**Ariela Piccioto:** Yeah,
no,
aricella Herrera:** you were [: lenge if I'm not changing my [:**Maricella Herrera:** Mmm.
ctually say "Okay, I'm gonna [:at the beginning I thought I would do it kind of like as a side gig. Lots of people would tell you like, "Oh, you could coach as a side gig."
**Maricella Herrera:** Mhm.
**Ariela Piccioto:** [:**Maricella Herrera:** What do you mean?
you go on LinkedIn and just [: 's important to you, but you [:**Maricella Herrera:** It can be a resume, it can be, an interview coach. Yeah
Piccioto:** so because it's [: where it's a little bit more [: about consultants too, like [:**Ariela Piccioto:** Mhm.
**Maricella Herrera:** so [:**Ariela Piccioto:** great. Yeah
**Maricella Herrera:** but to me
k about it in that way, of a [:It's
**Ariela Piccioto:** [: those days, and I need those [: that I could see like at the [:**Maricella Herrera:** Yeah, I think so
ioto:** And it also deserves [: you, you have to be able to [: complexity of not being able [: ne in my life, even though I [: I can see the [:**Maricella Herrera:** Not really.
"Why am I not more patient? [:know-
**Maricella Herrera:** gonna say, you, you write a lot and talk a lot about the shoulds, so
live a lot of the things and [:**Maricella Herrera:** I know,that's where we come from, right? Which
When [: st interview where I was the [: d how do you go through that [: . like where are they coming [:was my vision of success.
ey represented something for [: ight? if you don't know what [: come from all over the place.[: here's so many layers to it, [: ago, I didn't know So, like [: to live a life to the level [: still using the word afford, [: ch those two things? Because [:**Maricella Herrera:** Right.
ink that, that level is very [: want? And work it back from [:Otherwise, like what's the point?
you're doing just for... We [:Like you can find that in other ways too. But you have to be clear
iccioto:** And that's what I [:but it doesn't necessarily need to be that way.
**Maricella Herrera:** Yeah[: use at the end of the day, I [:So
way that, you're not leaving [: at, that I've been obsessing [: dentity into one thing, then [:It's about resilience. It's really good.
ry true as you're building a [:**Maricella Herrera:** Yeah.
of money, whereas as you go [: at is like keeping you going [:love that as opposed to obsessing with the outcome? Because at the end of the day, like you can't necessarily control the outcome.
** as you were saying all of [: this morning I was thinking, [: m trying to build this other [: the same time, and I'm like, [: I would say women, where you [: So how do you balance [:**Ariela Piccioto:** I-- like on one side, I think, thank God that we're still interested in a lot of things. I think
to do this and wanting to do [:Like you can't actually do them both. Like
**Maricella Herrera:** Yeah, we can. but something's gotta give, and
**Ariela Piccioto:** Something's gotta give. Exactly.
**Maricella Herrera:** where the
**Ariela Piccioto:** And [: like failing in everything. [: , like it's not like they're [:if you do it consciously, then like you're like, "Okay, this makes sense
for me right [:**Maricella Herrera:** Yeah. Prioritization. I hate it
Piccioto:** But I think one [: my new obsession and how the [: Legos. I realized I actually [: to when you ended up in the [: ll, to listen to my body, to [:**Maricella Herrera:** Thank you
to:** Thank you. This was so [: g. If you like this episode, [: I'd love to [:
