Built and backed by Mark
From Scrappy Founder to Strategic, Backable CEO
With Mark Rampolla — founder of ZICO (acquired by Coca-Cola) and Co-Founder of GroundForce Capital. The seven internal shifts that carry you through Founder Puberty — and make you the kind of CEO investors back.
Built and backed by Mark
You're doing $5M–$50M in revenue but still operating like you did at half the size.
Your team is growing, but most decisions still run through you.
People say you're "crushing it" — while you're just trying to hold it together.
You're always comparing yourself to others, wondering if they've figured it out.
You know you need to lead differently, but nobody's showing you how.
You're wondering if you're the bottleneck holding your company back.
There's a name for this stage. Mark calls it Founder Puberty — the messy in-between where the business has outgrown the way you built it, but you haven't outgrown who you were when you built it.
You can't skip it. But you can navigate it with a map — and that's the masterclass.
Mark Rampolla built ZICO Coconut Water from a van and a crazy idea — sparked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Central America — into a global brand acquired by Coca-Cola for over $200 million. A 1-in-10,000 outcome in the beverage industry.
Then he did something most people thought was insane: he bought it back — and now he's doing it again, this time building toward $1B+.
After ZICO, Mark co-founded GroundForce Capital, a $600M investment firm, where he's sat across the table from thousands of founders as an institutional investor — backing nearly 100 companies and serving on 40+ boards.
He's made the founder-to-CEO transition three times himself, and watched thousands of others attempt it from the investor's chair. The pattern is always the same: brilliant people with incredible businesses, stuck in a stage they don't even know they're in.
This is the masterclass version of the advice he wishes he'd had while running ZICO.
"Most advice teaches you how to win. Mark teaches you how to live — while you build, lead, and grow. It's both a wakeup call and a lifeline."
Sara Blakely"Mark's journey proves true success means building meaningful businesses AND aligned lives. Essential for any founder who wants to scale impact."
Nick Green"If you want hacks, look elsewhere. If you're ready for freedom through discipline and truth, Mark delivers — authentically."
Joe De Sena"A powerful roadmap for building the life and business you actually want. Mark breaks it down into liberating, actionable steps with total clarity."
Kara GoldinStop avoiding what you already know. It starts in the mirror.
Trade Chief Everything Officer for your zone of genius.
Turn unconscious reactions into conscious leadership.
Plus the Energy Audit — a 15-minute weekly practice that frees up the 5–10 hours a week most founders didn't know they were losing.
"Backable isn't charisma. It's not confidence. It's not fundraising ability. It's the version of you the business stops depending on for survival."
— Mark Rampolla
Free. On your own time. The seven shifts you can start applying this week. If you're a founder between $5M and $50M — this was built for you.