Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Daniela De la Piedra. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Daniela, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was leaving my 13 year legal career to start something brand new all on my own. The pandemic was the turning point for me and it was the pause I didn’t know I so desperately needed. My life was going so fast that I hadn’t realized how burned out, bored, and misaligned I had become in my career. Although I found my work so rewarding as a legal aid attorney, I had changed and what I was doing no longer sparked me up. I went into law when I was younger, single and lived near the city. Twelve years later during the pandemic, I was now married, had two little kids, and lived further away from the city. My values, priorities and interests were changing but I hadn’t given myself the chance to notice that and figure out if I still wanted what I had in terms of my career and how I was making a living.
I worked with a coach to get clear on my next steps and I learned that I had so many skills and talents that I could put to use in a different way that helped me still be a helper, which is what I am at heart. I chose to leave my legal career and build a business doing coaching and consulting. It was a tremendous leap of faith to leave a steady career and paycheck to go out on my own and build something from scratch. Over four years later I have a thriving business and I am so fulfilled once again. I can look back and see how all the dots connected to put me in this place right now. I am so grateful that I took the risk on myself to honor my evolution and realign to a way of making a living that allows me to be present for my kids and myself.
Daniela, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m Daniela de la Piedra, founder of Everyday Daniela Coaching & Consulting. My journey began in the non-profit space and legal field where I practiced law for over 13 years serving low income seniors in Washington, DC. While I loved advocating for others, I realized I was running on autopilot: constantly busy, stretched thin, and no longer fulfilled by what I was doing. That experience pushed me to explore personal development, leadership, energy management, and joy from a deeper perspective. This ultimately led me to become a certified professional coach and take a leap of faith to start my own business.
Today, I specialize in life, career, and leadership coaching for high-achieving professional women, nonprofit leaders, and mission-driven professionals who are often overwhelmed by responsibilities at work and at home. Through one-on-one coaching, workshops, and my membership community The Collective, I help people move from burnout and self-doubt into alignment, clarity, and intentional action. My work weaves together practical strategy and personal development tools like Energy Leadership coaching and self-awareness practices so clients don’t just do more, but instead create sustainable lives and careers that feel purposeful and energizing once again.
The problems I help solve include career transitions, leadership challenges, navigating the pressures of being “always on,” and making time for self-care. Many of my clients come to me exhausted, questioning themselves, or struggling to balance competing roles. Together, we shift their mindset, create supportive systems, and build confidence so they can lead, live, and work from a place of strength.
What sets me apart is that I bridge professional expertise with a deeply human approach. My legal and nonprofit background means I understand the high-stakes environments my clients work in, but I also know firsthand the toll it takes on oneself when you neglect your own well-being. I bring that dual lens—strategic and empathetic—into every coaching conversation, training, or workshop.
I’m most proud of the transformations I see in my clients: when a client takes on the courageous choice to make a big career change and succeeds, a leader builds resilience to manage burnout and increase impact, or a busy working mom implements ways to really take care of herself and it causes positive ripples both at work and at home.
If there’s one thing I want potential clients and readers to know it’s that you don’t have to stay stuck in default, survival mode just because you made a choice 10, 15, 20 years ago. You’re allowed to choose again. You’re allowed to be loyal to the present version of yourself more than being loyal to an outdated dream or goal you once had. There are tools, perspectives, and communities that can help you create a life that feels like yours again, one where you can thrive and find joy, not just get through the day. That’s the heart of my brand and my work.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I love this question because it truly illustrates how nothing is a mistake and everything happens for a reason. There’s a quote from Steve Jobs that I love – “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.” When I started to think about leaving law to do something different, I wondered if I had wasted all those years in my legal career. But as I know now, it was all those years as a lawyer, as a member of my legal and nonprofit community, that helped me build my reputation as a coach and business owner. I realized that I wasn’t starting over, I was simply starting something new but with a network of support behind me. And that allowed me to go into spaces to pitch myself with more trust, be invited to speak and receive word of mouth referrals.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
When I decided to start my business, I knew I would succeed. Period. I had a relentless self belief that I would create something profitable and fulfilling. I remember meditating almost daily and visualizing my success. I journaled about my future self with a thriving coaching business. I would go on runs and see myself as the coach and business owner I knew I would become. But I also took steps every day that would move the needle – working on my website, developing free webinars, emailing potential clients, attending networking events, etc. The first couple of years was slow and while I was bringing in income, it wasn’t enough. If I’m honest, there were times I wanted to quit and wondered if leaving my attorney job had been the right decision. But instead of throwing in the towel. I thought about what else I could do temporarily while still building my business. And so for several months I took a side job doing legal work with an attorney to bring in more money. But I continued to work on my business. Soon enough, I had enough clients and contracts and I more than replaced my income as a former attorney. Entrepreneurship is the most robust personal development program you can put yourself through and this experience has taught me how to be resilient, pivot and adjust so that I can show up in service of my goals on a daily basis.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.everydaydaniela.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everydaydanielacoaching/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniela-de-la-piedra/
Image Credits
Laura Quintero