Success is Subjective: Real People. Raw Stories. Embracing a Non-Linear Life!
Episode 350: From Hong Kong to Addiction Treatment - How Human Connection Shaped a 38-Year Career with Brian Coon
May 26, 2026
Season 4
Episode 350
Joanna Lilley, MA, NCC
In this episode of Success is Subjective, Joanna sits down with Brian Coon, Chief Clinical Officer at Pavilion, for a thoughtful conversation about identity, purpose, and redefining success on your own terms. Brian shares what it was like growing up overseas in Hong Kong before moving to rural Illinois as a teenager, how his early love of marine biology unexpectedly led him into psychology and addiction treatment, and why he has remained in the field for nearly four decades despite the high burnout rate in the profession.
Together, Joanna and Brian explore the pressure many young adults face to follow a predetermined path, the value of learning through mistakes, and the importance of finding trusted mentors and allies outside the family system. Brian’s perspective as both a clinician and storyteller offers a grounded, deeply human conversation about curiosity, growth, and building a life that reflects your own values instead of someone else’s expectations.
Brian's Resources:
Pavilion Treatment Center
Pavilion Admissions
Pavilion on Facebook
Connect with Joanna Lilley
Therapeutic Consulting Association
Lilley Consulting Website
Lilley Consulting on Facebook
Lilley Consulting on YouTube
Email: joanna@lilleyconsulting.com
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