Wise Leaders Fellowship

A 10-month cohort experience blending modern leadership with timeless wisdom for visionary founders and CEOs. 

In the words of past fellows:

*”These models help me navigate and live my life by.”*

— Francescu Santoni (CEO Mojo, YC W19)

*“This program has changed my mind. It will change yours .”*

— Raffael Fellmer, CEO SirPlus

 *“I never knew I have so much kindness in me”*

— Claire Midwood, Former CEO Amorelie

*“Nikolas teaches the science of meditation in a way that immediately is applicable to help me be a better leader”*
— Franziska Schmitt, CEO Humanize

*“An amazing program to reflect how I am showing up as a leader”*

— Oddur Magnusson, Founder Klang Games

Founder 

ForChiefs Alliance | Leadership Sidekicks

I help CEOs and Founders to create the most meaningful work and organisations of their lives. 

My clients typically have 20-1000 employees, have raised $5-150M of capital, and are scaling fast. 

How can I support you?

As a sidekick, I work hand in hand with leaders and their organizations to empower and support ambitious change. 

I design coaching and facilitation experiences that connect minds and hearts:

- Executive & Leadership Coaching
- Leadership Development
- Workshop Facilitation (online & offline)
- Visioning and Strategic Planning
- Executive Team Coaching

Contact me if you need a sidekick to help drive your transformation or a coach to support your team.

Executive Coach/ CEO Sidekick

The Mindful CEO

Receive 1 short email every Monday about modern leadership and timeless wisdom.

Over 5 million people read my writing in the last year. My newsletter "The Mindful CEO" is a must read for leaders that try to "do the hard things in a human way". Sign up below for free.

Writer

Shift Collective

With ForChiefs we co-founded Shift Collective, a group of innovative agencies and consultancies in Germany, that stands for a new economy. 

We have joined forces to provide even better support for organisations, with the agility of 10 founder-managed companies.

We are all united not only by our mission to change the economy in a sustainable way, but also to be a role model for this new economy: 

With the Shift Collective we turn 10 competitors into one strong partner.

Board Member

ŌHIA

Assembling and leading a crew of experienced mind travellers to chart a spaceship on its mission to help curious souls fall in love with their mind. 

Head teacher guiding monthly workshops & weekly sessions on the art, science and tradition of meditation.

Head of Meditation 

Mind Inc

Leadership Coaching, Executive Workshops & Organisational Design 

Supporting the mindful champions of the future - Mind Inc advises organisations & change makers to become mindful leaders in strategy, culture and reflection.

 At Mind Inc we coach change-makers in innovative organisations like Google Deep Mind, AKQA, Sir Plus or Siemens. We are on a mission to inspire the next generations of organisations and change-makers to lead with purpose. Our clients range from the C-Suite to ***Star Michelin Cooks - all shaping the world to come.

Founder

Onyra

Your Home for Mental Wellbeing

Guides, Courses and Community for aspiring & advanced Meditators

European Parliament

The Spokesperson/Coordinator sets the strategical political direction on Data Protection, Migration, Visa and Rule of Law legislation for the second biggest political group in the European Parliament. This work involves the election and coordination of elected decision-makers in high stake negotiations with the aim of delivering fair rules applicable to all European citizens. The Spokesperson is also the European Parliaments negotiation lead (rapporteur) for the E-privacy (the update to the EU cookie law) and the e-evidence regulation.
My role includes i.a.
▪ Advising the S&D spokesperson on Justice and Home Affairs negotiations and policy strategy
▪ Elaboration of strategic position papers, speeches, briefings, amendments, resolutions, reports 
▪ Public relations/Communication with stakeholders & key journalists

Advisor (APA) to S&D Coordinator on Justice and Home Affairs

•	Assisting the President's Internal Policies Team in its general work,
•	Preparing Briefings and drafting speaking notes for the President's meetings with stakeholders (Jürgen Stock, Secretary General of Interpol; Tim Cook, CEO of Apple; Toomas Hendrik Ilves, President of Estonia; Margrethe Vestager, European Commissioner for Competition, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, President of the Eurogroup; Suma Chakrabarti, President of the EBRD),
•	Researching detailed information for the President on various policy questions (Digital Single Market, European Deposit Insurance Scheme, Banking Union, Tax practices of multinational corporations)
•	Attending and drafting feedback notes from meetings of different committees (Economic and Monetary Affairs, Internal Market and Consumer Protection, Employment and Social Affairs, Industry, Research and Energy, Constitutional Affairs, Special Committee on Tax Rulings), the Conference of Committee Chairs and Trilogue meetings,
•	Drafting speeches, interventions and correspondence of the President in the field of internal policies,
•	Following issues related to the Digital Single Market on behalf of the Cabinet.

Trainee - Cabinet of the President of the European Parliament

TEDx

Leading a team of ten talented people in the organization of a TED conference with nine international speakers and an audience of 150 people. Curated a modern art exhibition showcasing the work of ten local artists in the College of Europe.

Lead Organizer TEDxCollegeOfEurope

Leadership is lonely.

The higher you climb, the higher the stakes, and the fewer people you can truly trust to help you cut through the complexity.

I’ve sat with founders at €2M ARR and with boards of billion-dollar family enterprises.

Different contexts but reality is the same:

• Blind spots no one dares point out.
• Cultures drifting because clarity slipped.
• Teams looking to you for answers you’re still trying to form yourself.

My work is to hold up the mirror and walk leaders like yourself back into clarity.

Sometimes that looks like a silent retreat.

Sometimes it’s a boardroom reset.

Sometimes it’s a series of 1:1 conversations.

But it’s always about one thing:

Turning the inner game of leadership into outer results.

And if you’ve actually read this far, it probably means something here spoke to you.

That recognition (the moment you see yourself in these words) is usually where the real work begins.

I work with scale-stage founders & CEOs above €150K MRR who are willing to grow themselves as much as their companies.

If that’s you, send me a DM saying “CLARITY” or even “Nikolas, I actually read your about section” and let’s talk!

Nikolas Konstantin 🌱

Marc Cabrera

Co-Founder

Telluride Regional Medical Center

Elected Board Member of the Telluride Regional Medical Center which operates a Level V Trauma & Emergency Services unit and a Primary Care unit that is a multi-specialty medical practice staffed with full-time primary care physicians, mid-level providers and visiting specialists.

Panoramic Health

Panoramic Health was launched to help physicians, practices, patients, and payers navigate and shape the changing healthcare environment while driving improvements in outcomes and reducing total cost of care. We are kidney care’s leading, integrated, provider group, with 750+ providers and 1500+ employees, supporting nephrologists who provide care across 19 states. Panoramic Health is driven by proprietary, predictive data analytics and clinical workflows underpinned by one of the world’s largest clinical chronic kidney disease (“CKD”) data warehouses, enabling nephrologists to deliver better patient outcomes.

Private Investor

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

Co-led team of 40 healthcare investment banking professionals.  Led healthcare services teams and developed nationally recognized sell-side advisory practice focused on value-based care, physician services and provider models.  Sole sourced more than 75 engagements, closed 52 transactions and generated ~$110 million in revenue.

Co-Head, Healthcare Investment Banking

Managing Director, Healthcare Investment Banking

Pinnacle Family Services

Co-founder and lead investor in a leading CARF-accredited provider of evidence-informed therapeutic foster care and evidence-based home and community based periodic behavioral health services to at-risk youth in North Carolina and Florida. Services provided by 192 incredible colleagues across 19 offices that serve children with high acuity conditions that often include mental, developmental, autism, emotional and/or medical conditions including dually diagnosed. Exited to Health Connect America (a Palladium Equity portfolio company) in 2021.

iCare Health Network

iCare Health Solutions is an organized eye care delivery system that specializes in delivering fully-integrated networks of optometric and ophthalmic professionals. Our solution optimizes quality outcomes, reduces health care cost as well as the overall improvement of patient satisfaction. Our distinguished community of eye care providers share the same philosophy of delivering cost-effective and holistic patient-centered care. Exited to VSP in 2021.

IMA Medical Group

IMA Medical Group provides high quality patient centric primary medical and wellness services focusing on improving patient care and offering convenient services for patients, their families, and caregivers. IMA serves patients in 24 medical centers across Central Florida, where over 70 physicians and nurse practitioners provide comprehensive medical services to almost 22,000 Medicare members in partnership with all leading Medicare Advantage health plans. Exited to TA Associates in 2019.

Community Medical Group

Community Medical Group is one of the largest, most recognized and respected providers of Medicaid and Medicare health services in Miami-Dade County. CMG operates 15 centers from North Miami Beach to Florida City and serves patients of all ages who are enrolled in a managed Medicaid or Medicare Advantage health plan. Exited to Nautic Partners in 2015.

Morgan Joseph & Co

Managed 10 person healthcare services team focused on public company advisory and private company sales.  Generated ~$35 million in revenue.

Group Head, Healthcare Investment Banking

Pinnacle Partners

Co-founder and managing partner of boutique investment banking advisory firm focused on lower middle market healthcare services companies.

Co-Founder of Healthcare Investment Banking Boutique

Bear Stearns Companies

Senior execution banker with extensive experience in public company mergers, divestitures, initial public offerings, debt and preferred stock financings for U.S. and European healthcare companies.

Associate Director, Healthcare Investment Banking

Vice President, Healthcare Investment Banking

Investment Banker | 4x Private Equity Exit | 1x Company Exit | 2x Ironman | Volunteer Firefighter/EMT | Mediocre CrossFit Athlete

By profession, I'm a numbers person;
so, here's me by the numbers:

1: My class ranking when I graduated from college

1: Company that I acquired (2015) and exited (2021)

3.5: Decades I’ve advised CEOs, boards and founders on the most important deals of their careers

5: Direct private equity investments I've made (4 of which exited)

8: Total members in my family (including 4 dogs and cats)

50: My percentile rank in the 2024 CrossFit Games for my age group (yes, mediocre)

81: Percent of my deals that closed since 2012

100: My commitment to continuing to grow as a person

161: Deals I've closed in my career

300: Days that I train for fitness each year

4,500: Population of the mountain town I live in and serve on its non-profit medical center board and as a volunteer firefighter/EMT

9,250:  Feet above sea level at which I typically sleep

Co-Head of Healthcare Investment Banking Group with 35 dedicated professionals.  Lead Health Services Team which focuses on provider services, value-based care models, managed care and behavioral health. Primarily manage private company sales (both founder- and private equity-owned) for companies with EBITDA of $5 - $50 million.

My excuses are strong. My coach is stronger.

8 years — same trainer.
Started in person in Miami,
now we train via Zoom.

Four days a week,
camera on,
EXCUSES OFF.

When he says "get under the bar,"
I get under the bar.

Here's the thing:

I'm a fitness coach.
I could easily coach myself.
But I don't.
Could I do this alone? Sure.
Would I? Absolutely not.

Someone watching changes everything.
Accountability isn't helpful—it's the point.
(Bonus: He also nitpicks my technique).

We all know what we should do.
A good coach makes sure we actually do it.

What's one thing you know you should do
but won't unless someone's holding you accountable?
______________________
I'm Marc Cabrera, a former investment banker. Wall Street taught me the numbers; life taught me what really counts.

Investor, Advisor, Mentor—Follow for real talk on mindset, money, growth, and living fit.

My workouts today look nothing like they did 25 years ago.
And honestly? I’m in way better shape because of it.

At 20, my routine looked like this:
→ Bench press
→ Incline bench
→ Decline bench
→ Dumbbell flies
→ Barbell curls
→ Dumbbell curls
→ Curl bar curls

Yes—basically every possible variation of
“make my chest and biceps pop.”

Today, at 50+, my workouts are way more varied:
→ Hip openers
→ Goblet squats
→ Turkish get-ups
→ Barbell cleans
→ 2k row for time
→ Deficit push-ups
→ And my personal favorite: the deadlift

Two things I never do now?
Bench and biceps.

The difference?
Functionality.

Back then, I left the gym pumped and feeling great.
Today, I often leave questioning my life choices—
and occasionally coughing from how hard
my nervous system just got taxed.

But here’s the truth:

If you want to be fit (and look good),
forget the bench-and-arms obsession.
Work your whole body.
Every single part of it.
______________________
I'm Marc Cabrera, a former investment banker. Wall Street taught me the numbers; life taught me what really counts.

If I had a limited budget and wanted to
level up my life, I’d invest in just two things:

1. My mental health 
2. A mentor or coach

During my first decade on Wall Street,
I quietly battled recurring episodes of depression.
I didn’t even realize that’s what it was—
I just knew I had stretches of low energy,
followed by nights where I couldn’t sleep.

It wasn’t until I picked up a book on depression
that it finally clicked: this might be me.

And honestly:
→ Working 100-hour weeks
→ Neglecting your health
→ Having zero social life...
will push almost anyone in that direction.

So I got help. Counseling changed everything.

And once my mental health leveled out,
I hired a mentor.
No exaggeration—he changed my life too.

How?

He called me out on my BS.
→ Consistently
→Compassionately
→ Relentlessly

Most people won’t do that for you.
It’s “impolite.”
So it's worth hiring someone who will.
But it’s also the fastest path to growth.

So if I only had a few dollars to invest,
they’d go to two people: a counselor and a mentor.

I'm Marc Cabrera, a former investment banker. Wall Street taught me the numbers; life taught me what really counts.

Want to feel more grateful this Thanksgiving?

Compare where you are today to where you were a year ago.

I learned this lesson on the jiu jitsu mats.
On any given day, I could feel great or terrible 
about my progress depending on who I sparred with.
There was always someone who could submit me—always.

One day, I shared this frustration with my professor.

His response changed everything:

"How is your jiu jitsu today compared to one year ago?"

Light bulb moment.
Because the answer was always "better."
Research backs this up.

Comparing yourself now to your past self is far more 
effective for well-being than measuring yourself
against others, whether in your imagination
or on social media.

So, this Thanksgiving, consider:

Are you in a better place:
→ Career-wise?
→ With your important relationships?
→ In your fitness?
→ Financially?

That progress—however small—is worth celebrating.
(Research on gratitude supports this too).

Happy Thanksgiving.
______________________
I'm Marc Cabrera, a former investment banker. Wall Street taught me the numbers; life taught me what really counts.

3 things I wish I knew when I started my career
When I graduated college, I had one goal:

A job on Wall Street.

→I didn’t consider alternatives
→ I didn’t think long-term
→ I just wanted to get in finance

And eventually, I landed the job—an entry-level investment banking role.

But soon after, the cracks showed:
→ I had no life outside the office
→ Some of my colleagues were jerks
→ Many of the problems were…mind-numbing

Most career advice focuses on:
→ Getting ahead
→ Moving up the title ladder
→ Earning more

But here are 3 things almost no one talks about—yet they matter far more.

1. The people you work with

This one gets overlooked, but determines a huge portion of your happiness.
Do you like working solo or in tight-knit teams?
Do you crave collaboration or autonomy?
When you work with people whose values and
working styles align with yours, the experience is completely different.
I was lucky to work with people I admired—
but even that wasn’t enough on its own.

2. The type of problems you actually enjoy solving

It’s easy to chase roles based on what you can do.
But that’s not the same as what energizes you.

Ask yourself:
What challenges do I love sinking my teeth into?
Some people thrive in messy project work.
Others love optimizing systems.
Some prefer having a boss. Others don't.
Job satisfaction isn’t about the title—
it’s about the problems you get to solve every day.

3. The lifestyle you want outside of work

Most people plan their career around the job.
Almost no one plans it around the life they want.
Do you want weekends free?
Predictability or flexibility?
Travel or stability?
A high-paying role can look like a win—
until you realize it consumes your entire life.

Why this matters:

For most people with full-time jobs,
the biggest time allocation in your life is:

Work—do the math.
Decades of your life will be shaped by the choices you’re making now.

Career planning isn’t about climbing faster.
It’s about designing a path that actually works for you.

So next time you’re thinking about your next move, ask yourself:
→ What kind of life do I want?
→ What problems excite me?
→ Who do I want to work with?
Your answers might change everything.

Pic: Living the life I want.
______________________
I'm Marc Cabrera, a former investment banker. Wall Street taught me the numbers; life taught me what really counts.

Know what I'm really bad at?
Anything new I try.

And that's where the growth is.

7 years ago, my deadlift looked like a
question mark trying to pick up an em-dash.
Today, I'm certified to teach the movement.

In the fitness realm, trying the new, challenging,
or things you don't actually enjoy is where the growth is.

In life, it's no different:
→ The side hustle you're tempted to start? Launch it now
→ That promotion you're nervous about? Apply (or ask) anyway
→ That presentation that terrifies you? Volunteer to give it
→ That person you're nervous about asking out? Ask
→ The rope climb, pull-up or clean you'd love to master? Work on it...deliberately, consistently.

We've normalized the highlight reel—
the polished version where we already know what we're doing.
That's easy to flex (I'm guilty myself).

But we've forgotten to celebrate the messy middle,
where we're terrible at something and showing up anyway.

Your willingness to be bad at something today is
what makes you excellent at it tomorrow.

Vid: 9ish months in on the clean
______________________
I'm Marc Cabrera, a former investment banker. Wall Street taught me the numbers; life taught me what really counts.

Why you just bought something you didn't need on Black Friday:

It's not weak willpower.
It's your own psychology being used against you.

Here are the 6 tactics retailers use to hijack your brain:

1. The Scarcity Principle:

"Only 2 left in stock!"
Your rational brain shuts down.
Scarcity makes you panic-buy things you've never wanted before.

2. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out):

Loss aversion is real.
Missing a deal hurts twice as much as
scoring one feels good.
So you buy to avoid the pain.

3. Social Proof:

"17 others are viewing this item."
If hundreds of strangers are doing it,
it must be smart. (Spoiler: it's not.)

4. Reference Price Manipulation:

$299 NOW $199!
Except it was $179 last month.
The inflated "original price" is fake.
The discount? Theater that rivals Netflix.

5. Emotion Over Logic:

Holiday music. Countdown timers. The thrill of "winning."
Retailers engineer dopamine hits that override your prefrontal cortex.

6. The Endowment Effect:

The moment you add it to your cart,
your brain treats it like it's already yours.
Removing it feels like loss—so you don't.

Here’s the punchline:

Roughly 25–30% of everything bought this weekend will be returned.
But the time, stress, and mental clutter? You don’t get any of that back.

A simple hack:
Project yourself to January 18, 2026—the credit-card bill arrives, the holidays are long gone.
Would you still want it?
If not, close the tab and keep your money.

Pic: Stocking up on a few basics but unwilling to pay for the Target bag.
______________________
I'm Marc Cabrera, a former investment banker. Wall Street taught me the numbers; life taught me what really counts.

You’re crushing the work week—
but still feel like you can’t quite level up.

One reason?

You might be treating your weekends like you won the game…
instead of treating them like the pre-game for next week’s big match-up.

For years, weekends were my time to unwind:
→ Celebrate the wins
→ Wallow (just a little) in the losses
→ And recover

But my career performance changed permanently
once I reframed the weekend as the "calm before the storm"—
a reset, a mental warm-up, and a strategic look ahead.

Sure, I still did some catch-up work.
But what really made the difference was 
using those quiet hours to think
through the big things coming next.

That shift didn’t just make Mondays easier.
It created a permanent momentum for my career.

I stopped fighting to keep my balance—
and started leaning into my future success.
______________________
I'm Marc Cabrera, a former investment banker. Wall Street taught me the numbers; life taught me what really counts.

Start-ups…
I don’t invest in them.

This week I posted about how I don’t invest in start-ups—
so naturally, my DMs filled up with founders looking for capital.

At this point I’m wondering if AI is trolling me with
some kind of “capital hunter” algo.

Is the word "start-up" like one of those
bright orange cones on the highway—
the thing you’re absolutely supposed to avoid
but can’t stop staring at until… thump? Yeah. That.

And then someone demanded to know
how much money I’ve invested in start-ups
and the names of those companies.

Confession: I almost deleted the comment
because, well…focus can be a challenge these days.

But hey—I believe in transparency. Especially online.

So here’s my full start-up investment portfolio:

Marc’s Lemonade Stand — $12
DJ Productions by “The Original MC” — $235

To be fair, I was 12 and 15 when I launched those ventures,
and both turned a profit—
something more than 60% of start-ups can't claim.

But if I’m honest, I didn’t have what it takes to scale them.
Like many, I chose college… and then got a job.

So if you DM me about your start-up,
I’ll have to politely pass.
Please don’t take it personally.

The truth?

I’m simply not smart enough to pick the one winner
out of the millions that launch each year.
______________________
I'm Marc Cabrera, a former investment banker. Wall Street taught me the numbers; life taught me what really counts.

How you spend your day is how you spend your life.
Want to change your life?

You have no choice but to change
how you live each day.

Most people wait for motivation to strike:
→ They wait for the "right time" to start that project
→ The perfect moment to launch that business
→ The magical day when they'll finally feel ready

But here's what I've learned:

Motivation doesn't create action—
Action creates motivation.

The person you want to become isn't
built in dramatic moments. They're built in:
→ The 15 minutes before work starts
→ In what you choose to read (or eat) at lunch
→ In whether you scroll or create after dinner

Your future self is watching what you do today.

Every small choice is a vote for who you're becoming:

→ Wake up early or hit snooze = voting for discipline or comfort
→ Read or scroll = voting for growth or distraction
→ Create or consume = voting for contribution or passivity

The compound effect is real.
→ Not glamorous
→ Not Instagram-worthy
→ But real

So ask yourself:
If I lived today on repeat for the next five years,
would I be proud of where I'd end up?

If the answer is no, then today—
→ Not Monday
→ Not January 1st
→ Not "when things calm down"
—is the day to change it.

What's one small thing you're changing about your daily routine?
Drop it in the comments. Let's inspire each other.
______________________
I'm Marc Cabrera, a former investment banker. Wall Street taught me the numbers; life taught me what really counts.

What's in YOUR weekend? (Capital One Voice)

Here's a low-hanging fruit opportunity most people miss:

→ 30 minutes of intentional recharge time
can boost your Monday productivity by 12%.
(Harvard Business Review)

But here's the kicker:
→ People who set ONE concrete Saturday goal
are 28% more likely to crush it than those who just wing it.

Your 3-step weekend formula:
→ Pick ONE goal (personal or professional)
→ Block out 30 focused minutes
→ Repeat next weekend

Stop letting your weekends just "happen" to you,
or using them as an excuse to derail your own progress.

What's your ONE thing this weekend?
______________________
I'm Marc Cabrera, a former investment banker. Wall Street taught me the numbers; life taught me what really counts.

What can you learn 60 feet below the ocean surface without a scuba tank?
That the basics matter—
Like air.

I learned the same lesson in a college finance class—
though I didn’t recognize it at the time.
I spent semesters wrestling with concepts, like:
→ Weighted average cost of capital, or WACC
→ Risk management with derivatives
→ Capital structure theory

Useful, sure… but not what actually keeps businesses alive.

Then, senior year, a finance professor asked us a simple question:

“What’s the number one reason companies go out of business?”

We all guessed wrong.
The answer: “Lack of revenue.”

→ Not strategy lapses
→ Not complex valuation errors
→ Not macroeconomic shifts

Just… not enough money coming in.

It turns out that whether you’re underwater
without a tank or running a company in the real world,
the principle holds.
If you ignore the basics,
nothing else matters.
→ Air
→ Revenue
The fundamentals that keep the whole system alive.
That keep you alive.
Everything else is strategy—important, but secondary.
______________________
I'm Marc Cabrera, a former investment banker. Wall Street taught me the numbers; life taught me what really counts.

taplio

The Battle

Nikolas Konstantin 🌱

Marc Cabrera

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taplio

The Battle

Nikolas Konstantin 🌱

Marc Cabrera

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Marc Cabrera's LinkedIn Performance

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