Couverture de Episode 005: The Golden Handcuffs: Walking Away From a Pension, Betting on Yourself, and Rebuilding Your Identity with Brendan D'Anna

Episode 005: The Golden Handcuffs: Walking Away From a Pension, Betting on Yourself, and Rebuilding Your Identity with Brendan D'Anna

Episode 005: The Golden Handcuffs: Walking Away From a Pension, Betting on Yourself, and Rebuilding Your Identity with Brendan D'Anna

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 Episode SummaryWhat would you do if you had five years left to a guaranteed pension and a career that looked great from the outside, but felt like a slow death on the inside? That's exactly where Brendan D'Anna found himself after 15 years in fire service. He was running into burning buildings, pulling double shifts with a private ambulance company, and raising a family. From the outside, it looked like a solid life. On the inside, the fire was going out.Brendan started in fire service at 19. Same age Karl joined the Army. That number is not a coincidence. Both men found structure in service. But Brendan's wake-up call came when he broke his foot and realized one thing: if he got hurt doing this job, he had nothing else to fall back on. That one moment sent him toward real estate in 2016. He got licensed, started growing, and began building a second career while still showing up to the firehouse every third day.Then kids came. And everything changed. Because when you become a father, the math on risk looks completely different. Brendan started asking himself a question that most men avoid: "If I don't come home tomorrow, was it worth it?" His answer was no. So he ripped the Band-Aid off. Called his chief on a Wednesday. Said he worked his last shift Sunday. He was done.This episode is for the person sitting in a job they've outgrown. The one clinging to the golden handcuffs because the pension is close and the fear is loud. Brendan breaks down what it actually costs to stay. The identity shift. The isolation. The honeymoon phase that ends in January. The faith walk that carried him through. And the one quote on a sticky note on his desk that keeps him moving forward when the doubt gets loud.Quote of the Episode:"The defining point of success is removing the gap between decision and action." — Matthew HasslerIn This Episode, You'll Discover:How a broken foot became the catalyst that pushed Brendan toward real estate and out of fire serviceWhy becoming a father completely changed his relationship with risk and job securityWhat the real cost of golden handcuffs looks like when you do the math on what it takes to stayThe brutal identity shift that happens when you leave a 15-year brotherhood overnightWhy his first year out of the fire department was his best income year in real estate, and yet he still battled crippling self-doubtHow he used faith, a men's discipleship trip, and a willingness to be uncomfortable to rebuild his inner circle from scratchThe phone and social media boundaries that changed how he shows up as a husband and fatherThe quote from Matt Hasler that lives on a sticky note on his desk and gets him out of his own head every single dayKey Takeaways:The Broken Foot Principle: Sometimes it doesn't take a near-death experience to wake you up. A small injury, a shift change, a quiet moment of honesty with yourself can be enough. Pay attention to what's waking you up.Fatherhood Changes the Math: When people are counting on you at home, the risks you take at work look completely different. Brendan stopped being willing to be a liability on the job. That is not quitting. That is growing up.The Pension Is a Trap If You Hate the Job: Brendan had five years left to retire at 40 with a 50% pension and full health benefits. He walked away. The golden handcuffs only feel like security until you realize what they're costing you in time, identity, and joy.Rip the Band-Aid: Brendan called his chief on a Wednesday and said Sunday was his last day. He did not ease out. He did not "transition." He left. Sometimes the cleanest cut is the kindest one.The Honeymoon Phase Is Real and It Ends: Freedom feels electric at first. But January always comes. The self-doubt, the pressure, the voice in your head asking if you made the right call. Have a plan for that season. It is coming.Trim the Fat on Your Circle: When Brendan left fire service, he left a brotherhood. But he also left an environment that normalized behavior that no longer aligned with who he was becoming. Isolation is uncomfortable. It is also necessary before rebuilding.Boundaries Are a Skill, Not a Personality Trait: Phone off at dinner. No social media first thing in the morning. Managing his own temper with his kids. Brendan had to build boundaries intentionally because they do not happen on their own.Remove the Gap Between Decision and Action: Brendan keeps a sticky note on his desk with this quote from Matt Hasler. That quote is his whole morning. If you are sitting on a decision right now, this is for you.Timestamps:[00:00] — Introduction[01:29] — Brendan's background: 15 years in fire service, private ambulance work[04:39] — The broken foot moment and the real estate pivot[05:51] — How having kids changed his relationship with risk[07:00] — The pension math: 5 years left, walking away anyway[08:50] — The identity shift: leaving a brotherhood after 15 years[11:42] — Faith, inner circle, and why leaving the firehouse was ...
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