🚀 How to Have a Life Beyond Your Dreams: Alfred Ricci on Resilience, Career Longevity & Redefining Success

In this episode of The Underswell, I sit down with Alfred Ricci, Vice President of Strategic Relations at Alchemus, a Human Capital Management professional, and UC Irvine alum. Alfred’s story reads like a motivational playbook—equal parts raw honesty, practical advice, and lived experience.

Alfred’s path wasn’t easy. At just 14, he walked away from a broken home, entered the foster system, and decided to take control of his own destiny. From there, he built a life and career that far surpassed anything he could have imagined: international consulting roles, global banking, executive leadership, and now, a soon-to-be beachside retirement.

But what makes Alfred’s story so powerful is how he frames it—not as a highlight reel, but as a set of lessons anyone can apply.

💬 What we talk about:

• Redefining Success & Life Philosophy: Why your past does not define you—your heart and mind do.
• Overcoming Adversity: From foster homes to international consulting, how Alfred used hardship as training for resilience.
• The Power of Education: How degrees, trade schools, and lifelong learning serve as “keys” that open unexpected doors.
• The Consulting Advantage: Why saying yes (and volunteering to travel) can fast-track your growth and broaden your worldview.
• Emotional Intelligence & Burnout: The skills Alfred wishes he had earlier, and why EQ is critical for career longevity.
• Career Longevity & Evolution: What it takes to reinvent yourself, pivot industries, and thrive at different stages of life.
• Life Beyond Your Dreams: How to ask the right questions, put in the hard work, and recognize when the universe is opening a new door.

💡Memorable quotes from Alfred:

“The very first step is knowing what you don’t want. The real work is asking—what do you want?”

“Your past does not define you. Use it as fuel.”

“Be willing to travel. Be willing to volunteer. Be willing to work hard. That’s how you discover a life you didn’t even know existed.”

“Nobody owes you anything. If you want it, put in the work.”

“Your heart and your mind decide who you are—not what’s out there.”

Listen to this if you are:

• A young professional wondering if you’ll ever “catch up.”
• Considering consulting, HR, or international work.
• Facing adversity and looking for proof you can rewrite your story.
• Interested in how resilience and emotional intelligence shape career longevity.
• Ready to learn how to truly create a life beyond your dreams.

Learn more about:

Alfred Ricci at https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfredricci/

Alchemus at https://alchemus.com/

EQI 2.0 - https://ap.themyersbriggs.com/overview/EQ-i-20-8 

🎵Music by Lidérc.

Inquire about being a guest on the show at theunderswell.com/livewithderek.