In this episode of Success Leaves Clues, hosts Robin Bailey and Al McDonald are joined by Mark MacLeod, founder of Limitless CEO and longtime advisor to high-growth founders, for an expansive and deeply honest conversation about leadership, burnout, energy, and what it truly takes to scale sustainably. 

Mark shares his journey from serving as CFO to iconic Canadian tech companies like Shopify and FreshBooks, to venture capital, investment banking, and ultimately coaching CEOs through the most demanding chapters of their leadership lives. He explains why most startups fail not because of strategy or talent, but because founders run out of energy, physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

Together, they explore why hustle culture quietly drives burnout, how founders normalize chronic stress, and why putting the CEO first is not selfish, but essential. Mark introduces his two core pillars of leadership, personal energy optimization and revenue growth, and explains how physical health, mental clarity, and even spiritual practices directly influence business outcomes. 

The conversation also dives into identity loss after divorce, the role of journaling and gratitude in building self-awareness, and how leadership becomes a personal transformation journey disguised as a company. Mark offers practical tools leaders can use immediately, from sleep and breathwork to reframing success and reconnecting with purpose. 

This episode is a powerful exploration of leadership from the inside out, challenging conventional startup narratives and inviting founders to scale with intention, clarity, and longevity. 

You’ll hear about: 

• Mark’s evolution from CFO and venture capitalist to CEO coach 
• Why founders burn out long before companies fail 
• The normalization of stress in startup and executive culture 
• Putting the CEO first as a strategy for sustainable growth 
• Energy as the true driver of performance and valuation 
• The hidden cost of hustle culture and constant comparison 
• Leadership as a personal development journey 
• The role of gratitude, journaling, and self-awareness 
• Rebuilding identity after divorce and major life disruption 
• Why inspiration, not force, fuels lasting success 

We talk about: 

• 00:00 Introduction and Mark’s background 
• 03:00 Founding Limitless CEO and redefining scale 
• 05:00 Energy as the foundation of leadership performance 
• 07:00 Burnout, stress normalization, and founder identity 
• 10:00 Physical, mental, and spiritual health in leadership 
• 14:00 Hustle culture, fear, and comparison traps 
• 17:00 Divorce, personal reckoning, and redesigning life 
• 21:00 Journaling, self-awareness, and learning through reflection 
• 25:00 Gratitude as fuel, not complacency 
• 28:00 Why founders sell companies due to burnout 
• 31:00 Leadership, legacy, and planting trees for the future 
• 35:00 Practical tools, sleep, journaling, and next steps 

Connect with Mark 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themarkmacleod  
• Website: https://limitless.ceo/  

Connect with Us 

• LinkedIn: Robin Bailey and Al McDonald   
• Website: Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group