Resources

At 40 years old, Mark Brenwall had it all. He lived in a loft in San Francisco's Mission District. Working in tech, he had money, he had friends and big nights on the town. But it took him 20 years to realize it just wasn't for him. Sobriety helped give him to space to see that he wasn't happy -- but also wasn't sure what was next. Mark shares each step of those transitional years from exploratory trips to setting up a company on his own, and finally setting down new roots in Thailand. Looking back, he says, "It couldn't have worked out better."

"I get asked a lot, 'Do you have experience in this field?' The short answer is no, I don't have direct hotel experience. The long answer is that all of my career has led me here." So, how do these things combine to land her on a beach in Brazil running a guesthouse? Her pousada is called O Portalzinho, which is "a hotel for people who like people." And her story getting there is one that will inspire you.

Jason Kriese shares a his massive evolution from corporate life as an executive to going back to school in order to better align his time and efforts with his values of service. After a series of personal life experiences, he started to wonder what was beyond working in tech. He asked questions that opened big choices, big changes and big actions that required him to apply his own motto: "Think big, be brave and jump". Looking ahead, Jason is pursuing a new focus on social work and communities in need. He's currently in the second year of his MSW program at DU.