About this episode

Wani Iris Manly, Esq. shares her transformative journey from attorney to thought leader, exploring the challenges of identity and the pivot to a new life in Paris.

What happens when you're wildly successful at a life you didn't consciously choose? Wani Iris Manly, Esq. , grew up groomed for one thing: the law. She did the work, built the firm, drove the Porsche. And then, on New Year's Eve in 2010, she sat alone and took an honest look at the gap between the life she had and the life she actually wanted. What followed was one of the more audacious pivots you'll hear about — selling her car, her apartment, and most of her belongings, and moving solo to Paris without a plan, without French, and without a single contact in the city. That's where the story gets interesting — because Paris didn't just change her circumstances. It cracked her open. Books started pouring out of her . An article for an expat magazine led to speaking invitations at salon-style soirees. And what began as storytelling became something with structure, depth, and demand: a framework around change, identity, and what it actually takes to stop surviving and start living deliberately. In this conversation, Bill Sherman and Wani explore the layered journey from attorney to thought leader — and it's anything but linear. She talks about the very specific cognitive dissonance…

People in this episode

Host: Bill Sherman

Guest: Wani Iris Manly, Esq.

Topics covered

• identity shift
• thought leadership
• career change
• public speaking
• personal growth

Keywords

• identity
• thought leadership
• public speaking
• career transition
• personal development

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Europe, Paris, US

More episodes of Leveraging Thought Leadership

• Why Your Book Launch Is Just the Beginning | Sandy Smith | 726 · July 19, 2026 · 27 min
• The Marketing Dilemma Every Author Faces | Rand Selig | 725 · July 16, 2026 · 19 min
• Why Your Expertise Is the Only Content That Converts | Ghazenfer Mansoor | 724 · July 12, 2026 · 17 min
• From In-House Analyst to Independent Thought Leader | Charlene Li | 723 · July 9, 2026 · 21 min
• Mental Health at Work Is Smart Business | Melissa Doman | 722 · July 2, 2026 · 21 min
• Cracking the Greatness Code in Professional Services | Alan Guarino | 720 · June 25, 2026 · 22 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Leveraging Thought Leadership podcast page.