The Finding Your Freedom Podcast

BONUS EPISODE - 5 Lessons from Steve Barrett's Journey | Purpose, Change, Strengths, Regret, Fulfilment


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In this special bonus episode of the Finding Your Freedom Podcast, host Nat Baldwin unpacks five transformative lessons from his conversation with Steve Barrett, who left a 30-year corporate career to build a coaching business in Spain.

Redefining Success Beyond Material Wealth

  • Steve traded his six-figure salary, designer suits, and Jaguar for a simpler life in Spain

  • "We live in the smallest house on the street. I drive a Fiat Panda, and I've never been happier"

  • True fulfilment comes from alignment with deeper purpose, not climbing the corporate ladder

Finding What's Meaningful to You

  • Steve discovered his purpose was helping others grow and develop

  • Purpose isn't always a lightning bolt moment-sometimes it emerges slowly during periods of reflection

  • Ask yourself: What makes you lose track of time? What achievements still make you proud years later?

Embracing Change and Uncertainty

  • Despite experiencing bankruptcy and divorce, Steve finds energy in change rather than fearing it

  • "I don't worry too much about the future anymore. The future's not a given, is it?"

  • Sometimes accepting uncertainty creates more stability than clinging to false security

The Power of Focusing on Strengths

  • Steve uses the Gallup strengths approach in his coaching practice

  • Success comes more easily when you leverage natural talents rather than fixing weaknesses

  • Teams thrive when members bring complementary strengths-Steve's big-picture thinking balances his wife's present-focused approach

Overcoming the Fear of Regret

  • Steve calls regret "the most toxic thing you can have in your life"

  • When facing decisions, ask: "What would my 80-year-old self say?"

  • Reframe setbacks as stories rather than failures

Nat concludes by sharing his experience with Steve's "Freedom Challenge," an exercise in envisioning your best life across three dimensions: experience, growth, and contribution. The episode ends with a preview of an upcoming conversation with Fraser, whose career path zigzagged from law to international work in Abu Dhabi and back to Scotland.


00:00 Introduction and Recap of Last Episode

00:36 Unpacking Five Big Ideas from Steve's Journey

01:49 Lesson 1: Redefining Success Beyond Material Wealth

05:10 Lesson 2: Finding What’s Meaningful to You

08:33 Lesson 3: Embracing Change and Uncertainty

10:15 Lesson 4: The Power of Focusing on Your Strengths

11:50 Lesson 5: Overcoming the Fear of Regret

13:30 Steve's Practical Advice and Freedom Challenge

15:02 Host's Personal Experience with the Freedom Challenge

21:43 Conclusion and Teaser for Next Episode

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The Finding Your Freedom PodcastBy Nat Baldwin