Behind The Brilliance

In this expansive conversation, Lisa talks with executive coach and author Eric Nehrlich. His career path reads like a masterclass in strategic pivoting: physics PhD dropout turned software engineer, product manager, Google finance analyst, and eventually Chief of Staff in Google's C suite before launching his own executive coaching practice. But his journey reveals something more profound than professional flexibility. It's a story about unlearning the toxic relationship between achievement and suffering, understanding when "working harder" becomes counterproductive, and discovering that your greatest strengths often lie at the intersection of multiple disciplines. The conversation explores the psychology of overachievement, the myth that anxiety fuels success, and how high performers can regain control by setting boundaries, embracing intentional incompetence, and redefining what "enough" looks like. The conversation weaves personal stories with practical frameworks, offering listeners specific guidan