MEET YOUR COACH, BRANDY DEORNELLAS
I studied at UC Berkeley, Harvard Law, and UC Davis. I practiced law for several years before transitioning to coaching. I now serve as a strategic partner and facilitator - work that feels like my highest point of contribution and aligned to who I am.
A lifetime of experiences led me here
I worked as an advocate for seniors in long-term care, but wanted to do more to promote their joy and reduce suffering. I transitioned to public policy, but learned that I am motivated by face-to-face engagement, not macro-level reform. In my law practice, the most fulfilling moments were when I offered compassion and thought partnership, not legal advice. Each of these experiences revealed my design and led me to become a coach.
WHO I SERVE
My transition from law to coaching inspired a deep interest in life design and life transitions. I partner with individual clients as they inject intentionality into their lives, careers, and businesses.
I also coach groups, creating experiences for retreats, gatherings, and professional teams.
I'm based in the California Bay Area, but serve clients across the United States and beyond.
HARVARD LAW
JURIS DOCTOR
EQUAL JUSTICE FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENT
HARVARD PUBLIC INTEREST FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENT
BORCHARD FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENT
MS. JD FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENT
UC
BERKELEY
BACHELOR OF ARTS, SOCIAL WELFARE
DEPARTMENT HIGHEST HONORS
BACHELOR OF ARTS, POLITICAL SCIENCE
DEPARTMENT HIGHEST HONORS
UNIVERSITY HIGHEST HONORS
COACHING EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS
CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL COACH FOR LIFE AND WORK
INTERNATIONAL COACH FEDERATION
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFIED COACH (PCC)
PREPARE/ ENRICH CERTIFIED RELATIONSHIP COACH
HARVARD MEDIATION PROGRAM MEDIATION CERTIFICATION
MY FAMILY
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my sweet family.
My husband, Jason, works in education. He's Korean, and I've learned so much from Korean culture (Korean food has also become my comfort food). Our son, Avery, is an active, happy kid, and our daughter, Margot, is a busy toddler. We're finding ways to savor each chapter of life, including this messy, full, joyful one.
We also have a pup named Poppy.
LEAVING LAW
It started with some introspection - what matters to me? I wanted to tap my potential. I wanted to help people. And I couldn't do that disengaged and depleted.
I noticed the bright spots in my work were the moments when I was coaching others. I felt like I was making a difference; I felt alive. (You can read an article on this here.)
People would ask: "Won't you be giving up too much if you stop practicing law?" But I knew all I was giving up by staying. So I took the leap - and it was worth it.
ON WORTH
Something that I've explored a lot personally and professionally is how we strive to prove our worth.
I thought my worth fluctuated based on my productivity, my accomplishments, my effort, my impact. It meant a lot of striving and not a lot of rest. It meant doing a lot of things because I should, not because they felt right.
I later came to believe that human worth is unconditional - it exists because we exist. And that liberated me to re-think and re-design my life.
AT a GLANCE
LOCATED IN
SF Bay Area, CA
MAMA
To Avery + Margot
ALL ABOUT
Inherent Worth
Favorite FICTION
Midnight Library
HOBBY
Skywatching
FAITH
Christian
Favorite FOOD
Korean
favorite place
Lisbon, Portugal
TOP PRIORITY
Relationships
"The way of the Essentialist means living by design, not by default.
Instead of making choices reactively, the Essentialist deliberately distinguishes the vital few from the trivial many, eliminates the nonessentials, and then removes obstacles so the essential things have clear, smooth passage."
Greg McKeown, Essentialism
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