Mark MacLeod

Limitless.ceo

Limitless is an exclusive community of VC and PE-backed CEOs who want
to scale themselves and their companies without limits.

Founder

I coach startup CEOs to grow themselves and their business all the way to a massive exit

SurePath Capital Partners

SurePath Capital Partners is the premier strategic financial advisor to the global SMB Software market. With offices in Toronto and San Francisco, we aim to be the #1 advisor in this space globally and the one call CEOs and board make when they need to make a deal happen.

FreshBooks

I led finance and corporate development at FreshBooks - the #1 cloud accounting specialist for small business owners. Since 2004, over 5 million people have used FreshBooks to track time, organize expenses and invoice clients online and in the cloud.

Accomplishments:
- Closed $30M institutional funding round + other unpublished transactions
- Led the process to find a partner to backstop a new product line
- Sourced and closed other key revenue-generating partnerships

CFO + Chief Corporate Development Officer

Real Ventures

Venture Partner

Parter at Real Ventures where I focus on SaaS, freemium, e-commerce and digital media seed investments

Director, Fabric Technologies
Director, Context.io (sold to Return Path)
Director, Frank and Oak
Observer, Rewardli Inc.
Investor, Thinknear.com (sold to Telenav)
Investor, Localmind.com (sold to Airbnb)
Investor, Massive Damage Inc.
Director, Sweet IQ (sold to Reachlocal)
Observer, Unbounce.com
Investor, Engagio (sold to Influitive)
Investor, Origin.al Internet Company

General Partner

Tungle Corporation

CFO for Tungle - a great solution for meeting coordination.

Raised a $5M "A" round. Served as CFO through the successful sale of the company to RIM.

SaaS, E-commerce, Marketplace companies

Interim CFO, Shopify
Advisor, Well.ca
Advisor, Cakemail 
Advisor, Dok Dok Inc 
Advisor, Raymark
Advisor, Sitezoogle 
Interim CFO, Status.net Inc.

Advisor & CFO

Mobivox

Led finance, operations, legal, HR, strategic planning functions for this mobile communications startup. Raised an $10M B round led by Flybridge. Raised an additional $1M in China. Made major improvements to execution, ops, key metrics, etc.

Terrascale Technologies Inc.

Led finance, operations, customer support, IT and manufacturing for this venture-backed networked storage vendor. Negotiated the sale of Terrascale to Rackable Systems (NASDAQ: RACK) in a deal returning 10x on invested capital.

VP, Finance

Hexago

Prepared this 15 person IP networking startup for commercialization & ‘B’ round funding. Responsibilities included financing, all back office operations, investor + board relations and negotiation of all  agreements. Towards the end of my term, I was given increasing responsibility for OEM sales and strategic relationships.

I help startup CEOs go from $5M in revenue to a massive exit

Since 1999, I have sat at the right-hand side of the leaders of high growth technology companies as either a CFO, VC or deal maker. I served as CFO for software companies including Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) and Freshbooks. 

I was a General Partner in Real Ventures, one of Canada's largest and most active seed stage funds. My investments there include the fund's largest cash on cash and highest IRR returns to date. 

Most recently, I founded SurePath Capital Partners the leading investment bank for SMB SaaS companies where we did hundreds of millions in financing and exit transactions.

The thing I loved most about these roles was the one on one coaching and advisory conversations I had with CEOs. 

Since 2020 I have been coaching, investing in and advising CEOs + helping them execute game-changing deals.

I am a semi-active angel investor with a portfolio of 22 investments, 2 highly positive exits and counting.

In my spare time, I am a passionate CrossFit athlete and electronic music producer/ DJ. I also run Deep Down Music, a record label.

I coach, advise and invest in the CEOs of high growth technology companies & help them execute game-changing deals.

The Tokyo Test.

Before I hire anyone or partner with a VC, I ask myself one question:

Would I be excited to sit beside this person on a 14-hour flight to Tokyo?

If the answer is no, I pass.

Life is too short to work with people you don't actually like.

Skills matter. Chemistry matters more.

Use the Tokyo Test.

Helping VC-backed CEOs scale themselves and their companies without limits. | Host of The Startup CEO Show podcast

The most senior person in the room uses the fewest words.

Junior: 10 slides to explain the problem
Mid-level: 5 slides with bullet points
Senior: "We have a cash flow issue. Here are three options."

Brevity isn't about being short. It's about being clear.

It means you've done the hard work of:
- Cutting through the noise
- Identifying what actually matters
- Removing your own confusion first

If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it yet.

Watch how the best CEOs communicate:
- They get to the point
- They don't hedge with qualifiers
- They don't need jargon to sound smart

The CEO who says "Revenue is down, we need to cut 15% of headcount by Friday" is more senior than the one who sends a 2000-word memo about "organizational optimization initiatives."

You earn seniority when you stop needing extra words to feel credible.

Complexity is easy. Clarity is hard.

If you want to level up, start cutting.

Subscribe to my newsletter and get a 22 page presentation on the secrets of Limitless CEOs https://lnkd.in/gWqQBd-n

Bryn Jones grew PartnerStack for 4 straight years at 100% growth.

Most founders dream of that problem.

He told me it nearly broke him.

His insight: "Growth solves everything. Except it solves everything by letting you ignore problems.

You can only pave over so many cracks before the whole thing collapses.

The wildest part? Fixing those problems after Tech Winter hit was the most fulfilling work of his career. More than the hypergrowth years.

If you missed my podcast with Bryn, here is the interview. We cover:
Also in this conversation:
✅  How being on Canada's national swim team prepared him for 10 years as a CEO
✅  Why most partnerships fail despite their potential
✅  The one question that determines if a partnership will work
✅  Why he ignored his instinct and what happened next

Read it here:

Open article: PartnerStack's CEO Bryn Jones on 10 Years of Building B2B Partnership Networks and Why Growth Nearly Broke Him - Mark MacLeod by markmacleod.me

PartnerStack's CEO Bryn Jones on 10 Years of Building B2B Partnership Networks and Why Growth Nearly Broke Him - Mark MacLeod

Work hard. Play hard. Sleep hard.

This is my mantra.

Work hard: Anything worth doing is never easy. You need to push.

Play hard: Play makes life worth living. Most CEOs think this is a post-exit luxury. I disagree. For me, "play" is music and yoga. Non-negotiables.

Sleep hard: Another thing many CEOs skip. To show up as your best self and crush without burning out, you need to sleep like it's your job.

You are a mental athlete. Athletes sleep like it's their job.

Nobody is thinking about you.

Seriously.

Your competitor? Too busy with their own problems.

Your team? Thinking about their own issues.

Your board? Looking at the numbers, not judging you as a person.

The brutal truth: You're not the main character in anyone's story but your own.

So why are you making decisions based on what "they" might think?

❌ Holding back on that bold strategy
❌ Overthinking that honest conversation
❌  Not sharing your real challenges

Your anxiety about perception is burning energy that you need for  building.

The CEOs who scale fastest realize that only results matter. Not optics. Not opinions. 

Make the call. Say the thing. Take the risk.

They're all too busy worrying about what YOU think of them.

If your direct reports drain you, you have the wrong people.

Or you're doing their job for them.

I see this constantly with the CEOs.

❌  They finish a day of back-to-back 1-on-1s and they're exhausted.

❌  They spend more time fixing their team's work than doing their own.

❌  They dread certain meetings because they know it'll be them solving problems again. Or a certain team member just saps them of energy.

Here's what should happen instead:

✅  Your direct reports should energize you.

✅  You should leave your 1-on-1s thinking "damn, I'm glad they're on this team."

✅  You should feel excited about what they're building, not anxious about cleaning up their mess.

✅ You should get ideas from them, not just give them.

If that's not happening, there are only two reasons:

1. You hired wrong
2. You're not letting go

Hiring wrong is fixable. Make the change.

Not letting go is also fixable, but it requires you to change.

Stop jumping in to save the day. Stop being the one with all the answers.

Build systems. Train properly. Then trust.

Sometimes you need to watch things break to learn where the system needs fixing.

You can't scale a company where everything runs through you.

And you definitely can't sustain it.

Your team should multiply your energy, not divide it.

If they're not doing that, something needs to change. 

P.S.
This was my all star team at SurePath Capital. Each and every team member gave me enery and leverage.

This is the story of how a tax law professor built a $30M ARR company while still teaching classes.
 
Benjamin Alarie is the CEO of Blue J Legal AND a professor at U of Toronto law school.
 
He saw AI coming for the legal profession in 2011. Had a choice: watch it happen or build the future himself.
 
The kicker? He's not a software engineer. His co-founder moved from Australia because of a childhood friendship.
 
They started in 2015. Spent 7 years building with supervised machine learning. Then LLMs hit. They pivoted hard in 2023.
 
Now: 300%+ YoY growth. 10 new logos daily. Approaching $30M ARR.
 
The lesson isn't about AI or tax law.
 
It's about recognizing when your deep domain expertise intersects with massive technological shifts.
 
Ben knew tax research was painful because he'd lived it for thousands of hours. He could see exactly what needed to exist.
 
Most professors would write another paper. He built a company.
 
We talked about:
✅ Managing investors while maintaining an academic career
✅ Enterprise sales when your TAM is basically the Big 4
✅ Why LLMs changed everything
✅ The $500B tax compliance market nobody thinks about
 
Link in comments.

The new CEO flex: Your sleep score.

Remember when pulling all-nighters was a badge of honour?

That doesn't scale. It just makes it harder for you to build your company.

Elite performers know: sleep is performance.

8 hours. 90% sleep score. REM cycles optimized.

That's the real flex.

You're a mental athlete running a company worth millions.

Sleep like your business depends on it.

Because it does.

No small plans.

It takes the same effort to hit "achievable" targets as it does for "crazy" targets.

Same meetings. Same strategic planning. Same team-building.

The only difference? Your ambition.

Most CEOs set targets they know they can hit. Safe. Predictable. Boring. They do this so they can tell their investors they are "on plan".

As you get ready for 2026, consider setting seemingly impossible targets.

Google was famous for this with it's moonshot thinking.

Hitting 60% of a moonshot target may be much better than hitting 100% of an achievable target.

Early stage VC: "We make 30 bets a year. Let's take a shot."

Growth stage VC: "We make 3 bets a year. Prove everything."

This is the shift founders don't see coming.

Seed investors are building a portfolio. If 1 in 10 works, they win. They can afford leaps of faith.

Growth investors are making concentrated bets. If 1 in 3 fails, their fund is cooked. They can't afford to be wrong.

So they need:
✅  Three years of consistent revenue growth
✅  Proof of unit economics
✅  Evidence of repeatability
✅  Clear path to exit

They're not being difficult. They're being rational.

Your Series A took 20 conversations.
Your Series C will take 200.

The math is simple:
- Early stage: high volume, high failure tolerance
- Late stage: low volume, low failure tolerance

Build your pipeline accordingly.

If you're raising growth stage capital with a seed stage pipeline strategy, you're going to run out of runway before you find your lead. Growth investors want to track you for a long time before they invest. No FOMO decisions.

Don't get bitter. Get realistic. 

Subscribe to my newsletter and get a 22 page presentation on the secrets of Limitless CEOs https://lnkd.in/gWqQBd-n

P.S.
here's a random photo of me at the Calgary Stampede back when I was a VC. Cowboy hats are underrated

You can't see the system when you're inside it.

Your best thinking happens when you step out of the environment that created your current thinking.

Today I am joining Adrian Salamunovic to kick off the first Limitless Unconference in Tulum.

A group of ambitious humans are arriving. All builders. All on the go.

The goal is to reset. Take a breath. Take stock of what’s working and not. In our companies and our lives.

To engage in healing breath work and movement. To gain clarity and set our commitments and dreams for 2026.

I use retreats as a way to recharge, reset and recommit every year. My goal is to have one big retreat per year and 3 small ones.

This gives me perspective and direction. I slow down to speed up.

CEOs who build for the long term don't just work hard. They build in time to step back. Quarterly. Monthly. However often you need it.

Because perspective isn't found in the grind.

It's found when you finally stop grinding.

When you lose your health, you realize nothing else matters.

So many CEOs that come to me for coaching are killing themselves and can't keep up.

In this video Robbie Bent co-founder and CEO of Othership gets real about his journey. See comments for the full conversation.

P.S.
If you want to build a market-leading company without sacrificing your health, come join us at Limitless (see my featured post for the link)

Open video: ✂️ The CEO role will kill you on youtube.com

Want to 10x your company? Start by 10x'ing your capacity.

You can't scale what you haven't built in yourself first.

I see CEOs obsessing over growth hacks, fundraising strategies, and hiring plans.

But they ignore the most important variable: themselves.

Your energy. Your focus. Your ability to handle stress. Your decision-making under pressure.

Most founders hit a ceiling not because their market is too small or their product is wrong.

They hit a ceiling because they've maxed out their personal operating system.

The tree grows tall because its roots go deep.

Your company will only rise as high as your foundation is solid.

This means: sleep, exercise, mental health, relationships, nervous system regulation.

The boring stuff that everyone skips.

The biggest outcomes are founder-led. Always have been.

Zuck. Bezos. Jobs. Musk.

They didn't just build companies. They built themselves into people capable of leading those companies.

Stay grounded while you build.

Invest in your foundation as aggressively as you invest in your business.

That's how you become limitless.

Here's why meditation feels scary (at first)

The moment you sit down, the noise starts. Not around you—inside you.

You suddenly notice how busy your mind is. Thoughts. Loops. Worries. Stories.
It’s a lot.

But here’s the truth: that chaos was already there. You’ve just been working so hard to think clearly through it. This is why you're so exhausted. Why you can't think clearly.

Imagine how much energy you’d reclaim if your mind was actually clear.

Meditation shows you the mess then helps you clean it up.

Yes, it’s uncomfortable at first.

But on the other side? Clarity. Presence. Power.

Sit anyway.

The peace you’re seeking is already within you.
✨

Dream Weavers Foundation

Founder & President

Lush Decor Home

Founder & Co-Chair of the Board

Founder & CEO

Entrepreneur #LushDecor | Finding Strength and Purpose in Life’s Twists and Turns | Living an Inspired Life | YPO, WPO #DreamWeaverbook & shortfilm #LifeInspired #Author #DefyOdds #OvercomeChallenges #PersonalGrowth

Would you believe that a girl from a remote village in Shandong, China, without electricity or basic amenities, could one day stand as a Chairwoman of the Board on the global stage? This is my story—my journey from humble beginnings to the forefront of entrepreneurship and empowerment.

My early years were filled with determination to change my family's fate. From working as a hotel maid, an esthetician, to running a dry cleaning business and even starting a matchmaking service for successful women, each step was a leap towards a bigger dream. The adventure took a daring turn when I moved to the United States in my mid-20s, with little English, starting as a nanny before diving into design studies.

The real test came in 2008, during the financial crisis. With a one-year-old baby by my side and on the brink of single motherhood, I founded Lush Décor Home. My path was not easy, strewn with business betrayals, two amicable divorces, and a leap into the unknown world of private equity for my first business exit. Despite initially not knowing what "PE" stood for, I navigated my way to financial freedom and handed over the torch to a talented leadership team, led by a woman CEO Paola Pretti, as I embraced the role of Chairwoman of the Board and Chief Purpose Officer.

This journey has been about more than just overcoming challenges; it's been a process of continuous learning and standing up after countless failures. Today, I am a dedicated champion for girls and women everywhere. Through sharing my story, I aim to instill hope and strength in those who find themselves in the shoes of my younger self or facing similar battles.

So, if you asked me years ago if I believed that girl from the village could achieve all this, my answer would have been fueled by hope, but shrouded in doubt. Yet, here I am. This narrative is a living proof that with unwavering determination, the support of professional communities, and the courage to take risks, breaking barriers and achieving dreams isn't just possible—it's inevitable.

To everyone facing their own set of challenges, remember: Your beginning does not define your destiny. With each step forward, you too can transform your dreams from mere fantasies into your reality. Let's embark on this journey of empowerment together, breaking barriers and redefining what's possible. 

Join me for shared experience and find me on Instagram too @jennyjingzhu

Jenny (Jing) Zhu

The Power Suit & The Power of Sisterhood.

Some clothes make you feel unstoppable. When I put on a piece from my dear friend Deirdre Quinn’s brand, Lafayette 148 New York, I feel like I can tackle any turnaround, any challenge.

This look isn't just fabric; it’s a tangible thread of confidence and resilience. I stand taller knowing it was created by a fellow woman entrepreneur who understands that strength and style go hand-in-hand.

To every woman building, leading, and juggling—remember that sisterhood is the strongest thread in our tapestry. When we support each other’s vision, we all rise higher.

Cheers to the women weaving success together! 

What's the best piece of business advice you've received from a female friend? Share it below! 👇

#Lafayette148 #DeirdreQuinn #FemaleFounders #WomenWhoRise #Sisterhood #DreamWeaver #PowerSuit #ConfidenceIsKey #StilettoStrapping Women Presidents Organization C200 Women Elevating Women™

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Some of the most meaningful moments after a speech or panel happen during the book signing. 

It is in that space where the conversation becomes human and personal. Every handshake, every story, and every reflection reminds me why I wrote Dream Weaver and why sharing our stories matters.

When I hear about your journeys, your obstacles, the chapters you are proud of, and even the ones that broke you open, I feel the thread that connects us all. These moments remind me that leadership, entrepreneurship, and reinvention are never solitary experiences. 

We learn from one another. 

We rise through one another. 

We grow because of one another.

Thank you to everyone who has shared a piece of your life with me and allowed my story to touch yours. I carry these exchanges with me. They inspire how I show up, write, and lead. 

#DreamWeaverBook #LeadershipJourney #WomenWhoInspire #DreamWeaverCommunity #AuthorLife

There is a special kind of energy that rises when people come together with a shared belief in amplifying women’s voices and stories.

That spirit filled the room at the Dream Weaver NYC Premiere. It was powerful to stand on that stage knowing that every person in the audience was there because they believe in the importance of storytelling, representation, and lifting voices that are too often overlooked.

I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the partners who helped make this event possible. Thank you to The Wires, Lush Decor, Q Qingqing Lan ‘s Mandarin, Crimson Strategy Group, Bill Kwon , and Indigo River Publishing. 

Your support reflects a meaningful commitment to creating space for women to be heard, seen, and celebrated. Your belief in this mission helped bring this premiere to life.

Looking out into that room reminded me why I started this journey. It showed me how much impact is possible when communities come together with intention and purpose. Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped create a night filled with connection, encouragement, and hope.

You lifted this dream with me.

#DreamWeaverNYC #DreamWeaverFilm #DreamWeavers #WomenWhoLead #PartnerInPurpose #AmplifyingVoices

The Hard Truth: My Lessons on Betrayal, Burnout, and Climbing Back Up
 
I had the privilege of joining a conversation that got raw and real—the way I prefer all my business talks. Thank you to PNC  for inviting me to an event that truly was more than a panel; it was group therapy for entrepreneurs.

When authentic leaders dare to talk about the business betrayal, the crippling burnout, and the financial rock bottoms that nearly break us, that’s when we truly give permission to others to begin healing and growing. We stop pretending the road is linear.

I was honored to share the stage and strengthen my own tapestry alongside:
-Kiya Tomlin  and Vanessa Deleon: Two incredible founders whose creativity and fierce determination should be required reading for every aspiring entrepreneur.

-Louis Cestello, Anusha Gibson , Hyejin Oh, and Aimee Sheenan: Leaders who consistently demonstrate that power is best wielded with heart and empowerment. Your support makes this work possible.

-Shana Peterson Sheptak: For asking the tough questions and navigating the messy twists and turns that define a founder's life.

4 Threads I Shared From My Journey:

1️⃣ The "Jinglish" Years: How I navigated the 2008 crisis and built Lush Decor as a young immigrant and new mother, relying on raw grit and broken English. I proved that passion overcomes the language barrier.

2️⃣ The Cost of Naiveté: The non-negotiable lessons learned after a business partner's betrayal forced me to fight for my company, ultimately teaching me how to survive as a leader, mother, and ex-wife—all at once.

3️⃣ Capital is Confidence: Why finding access to capital is a deep reflection of self-trust, and why chasing money without mission is a recipe for emptiness.

4️⃣ Embrace the Flaws: Your struggles aren't setbacks; they are the unique colors and textures in your tapestry. Don't hide them—they are your strength.

Events like this remind me why I keep going. When we choose vulnerability and growth over perfection, we strengthen the entire community. Thank you to everyone who showed up ready to be seen.

Let’s keep weaving! What is the hardest thread you’ve had to weave into your business? Share it below. 👇

#PNC #WomenInLeadership #DreamWeaver #AuthenticLeadership #ImmigrantFounder #BusinessBetrayal #StilettoStrapping #LeadershipWithPurpose

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The Battle

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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);}Mark MacLeod's LinkedIn Performance

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