November 2017. I exited the managing partner’s office with a promotion and a substantial salary increase.

In 2012, at thirty-three, I became one of the youngest partners in my country’s most prominent law firm. Five years later, I had climbed even further.

But something felt off.

The money wasn’t enough to compensate for the void that had been growing inside me. My job was draining my energy, affecting my home life, and pulling me into the darkest corners of depression.

A few days after my promotion, I was consumed by a client complaint when my late father suffered a devastating stroke. He never recovered. He passed away in March 2021.

A few months later, having lost all motivation, I quit. Without a Plan B.

To refill the cup of life with purpose, I had to empty it completely first.

In my search for meaning, I wrote a book on employee engagement. The MARVEL of Engagement: Turning Passive Employees into Active Ambassadors was about helping firms, leaders, and employees recognize that true motivation isn’t just about money—it’s about meaning.

I introduced the MARVEL™ framework to help organisations create an environment where employees bring their whole selves to work:

Meaning – Doing work that matters.

Autonomy – Having the appropriate freedom to operate.

Relatedness – Developing healthy human interactions.

Values – Aligning personal values with those of the environment.

Experience & Learning – Growing through new experiences and educational opportunities.

Beyond the Workplace: MARVEL & Happiness

After years of delivering workshops, trainings, and programs for firms across Cyprus, Greece, the UK, and the Baltic countries, I realised something:

🌟 The same six components that drive engagement at work also lead to happiness in life.

In the context of happiness, MARVEL takes on an even deeper meaning:

Meaning – Making sense of the world and doing things that truly matter.

Autonomy – Having the courage to make our own decisions.

Relatedness – Developing strong, healthy relationships.

Values – Aligning personal values with those of our environment.

Experience – Immersing in experiences that bring growth and contentment.

Learning – Engaging in lifelong learning to keep flourishing.

Bringing the MARVEL Framework to Life

For the past seven years, I’ve delivered Marvellous Programs, talks, and workshops to law firms, accountancy firms, and professional services organisations across Europe.

What makes our Marvellous Programs effective? They simultaneously tackle key interwoven objectives that drive both personal and professional transformation:

✅ Mindset: Overcoming limiting beliefs and fears.

✅ Professional skills: Becoming more courageous and productive at work.

✅ Team cohesion: Creating a winning team through values alignment.

While happiness is a deeply personal affair, a truly happy workplace fosters well-composed individuals in an environment aligned by common values and shared goals.

Are you ready to embark on your own Marvellous Pursuit?

Philippos

📌 PS: The above text includes an extract from the 2nd Edition of my book, The MARVEL of Happiness: Principles, Stories, and Lessons for Living Fully. All rights reserved.