The quality of your attention shapes the quality of your decisions.

I learned this in my twenties, advising leaders in the European Parliament. I'd watch the smartest people in the room receive exactly the right advice, then struggle to act on it. Same pattern, again and again.

Until I understood: it wasn't a knowledge problem. It was a capacity problem.

So I spent the next decade studying what most leadership programs ignore: 15+ silent retreats, intensive work with secular Buddhist scholars, direct mentorship from the pioneers of boardroom coaching.

What I found: self-awareness isn't soft. It's the edge.

This is the paradox of my work. I help ambitious CEOs by slowing them down. Stillness isn't the opposite of performance. It's the source of it.

I work at the intersection of three things most advisors keep separate: inner work (seeing your own patterns), organizational systems (governance, strategy, culture), and peer wisdom (learning from others in the same seat).

Today, I create protected spaces where CEOs can surface what they haven't been able to see: through 1:1 advisory, organizational development mandates, or the Wise Leaders Fellowship, a CEO community that begins with silence.

If you're sensing there's something you're not yet seeing, let's talk.

Leadership means doing hard things in a human way.

Yours,

Nikolas

Nikolas Konstantin 🌱

Marc Cabrera

Co-Founder

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

I used to think I had it all.

A Wall Street career that checked every traditional box—status, compensation and plenty of playing time in the big-league dealmaking game. But behind the accolades, I was running on empty. I had traded my health, time, and peace of mind for a version of success that wasn’t actually mine.

Stepping away was the hardest—and ultimately the most transformative—decision I’ve made.

Today, I define wealth differently: intentional mornings that set the tone and not the tempo, workouts I don’t cancel, and family time that’s non-negotiable. Most of all, I value a life aligned with purpose, not pressure.

I share unfiltered insights and real lessons learned so high performers can design a life that doesn’t burn them out or box them in.

As a mentor, I help them turn those insights into careers and lives that truly fuel them. If you’re redefining success on your own terms, you don’t have to do it alone.

Co-Head, Healthcare Investment Banking

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.

I grew up in a 1,500 square foot house.

The Washington Post says a smaller home will make you happier.

They might be right.

The average American home has grown from 1,525 square feet (1973) to 2,300 (2022)—while the number of people living in them has decreased.

More space. Less closeness.

One in five Americans now report feeling lonely. Nearly as many are depressed.

Here's what I know:

The best sleep I've had in years? A 100-square-foot camper van (see pic).

Every backpacking trip, I'd return well-rested—then immediately feel crushed by how much STUFF I owned.

The cardboard cat scratcher fell apart? Amazon Prime, here I come

Here's the uncomfortable truth:
→ Most of what you buy, you don't need
→ Every dollar spent is a dollar not building wealth
→ The less you own, the better you feel

Wall Street measures our success by how much we spend; it's called GDP.
What if we're measuring the wrong thing?
______________________
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.

The best career move I made? Staying put.

While everyone else was job-hopping, I did something different: met with 1-2 headhunters annually to track my market value, but rarely moved.

Over my entire career, I worked at just 4 firms.

Why stay?

Two reasons mattered most:
→ Built deep career capital and organizational trust
→ Avoided the trap of believing recruiter pitches

In financial services especially, most "opportunities" are just quota-filling during good times. Every pitch sounds transformational. They rarely are.

There's a real cost to moving too fast:

Today's median tenure for 25-34 year-olds is 2.7 years (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). That's barely enough time to understand how your own organization actually works.

Three implications:

1. Depth beats breadth early

The first decade of your career is about mastering how things actually work—not collecting titles.

2. Use the market as intelligence, not escape

Talk to recruiters. Know your worth. But don't confuse external validation with internal progress.

3. Trust compounds slowly

The relationships and reputation you build in years 3-7 at a company often matter more than the bump you'd get by leaving.
______________________
I'm Marc Cabrera, a former investment banker. Wall Street taught me the numbers; life taught me what really counts

I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing on LinkedIn.

Some days I'll post 3x. Other times I disappear for a week.

I post at random hours about whatever's on my mind. My videos look like they were shot on a warped potato. I have no call-to-action, no ideal customer profile, no content calendar.

I'm breaking every rule the growth gurus preach.

And honestly? I love it.

I've connected with remarkable people I never would have met otherwise. I get to practice writing every day. I follow people who make me think differently, who challenge me, who inspire me.

Best of all: a few people tell me they actually look forward to what I share.

That's worth more than any algorithm hack.

This platform works when you show up as yourself—imperfect, inconsistent, and real. The connections that matter don't come from perfect posting schedules. They come from being human.

So here's to doing it wrong and loving every minute of it.

Pic: Who else can't resist a good volcano?!?
______________________
I'm Marc Cabrera, a former investment banker. Wall Street taught me the numbers; life taught me what really counts

Every morning I run the same experiment: making coffee.

→ Same ratio (1:14)
→ Same temperature
→ Same gear

The only variable? Which dark roast I'm using.
I know exactly how it'll turn out. That's the point.

Three things this reminded me of about performance:

1. Figure out what's worth measuring

I've seen management teams produce pages of KPIs they never track.
Fitness pros who don't follow their own programming.
High performers obsessed with revenue who can't explain
their 3pm energy crash. Ask about sleep or calories? They're wildly off.
Research confirms we overestimate sleep by hours and underestimate calories by hundreds.

2. Control the variables you can

My coffee ritual eliminates guesswork. Same approach works in business—when you standardize the fundamentals, you can actually see what moves the needle.

3. Consistency reveals patterns

Daily repetition exposes what works. Skip it, and you're flying blind with every decision.

The best performers I've worked with don't track everything.
They track the right things, religiously.
They also ignore the rest.

What's one metric you measure that actually changes your behavior?
______________________
I'm Marc Cabrera, a former investment banker. Wall Street taught me the numbers; life taught me what really counts

What I'm focused on increasing in 2026.

Not my investment returns or upgrading to the next nicer thing.

Instead:
→ Time with family
→ VO2 max
→ Heart rate variability
→ My powerlifting total (squat + bench + deadlift)
→ Oh, and actually drinking enough water.

What I'm looking to reduce?
→ Screen time
→ Stress
→ Obligations that don't align with what matters
→ Situations that feel fake

Years ago, I obsessed over financial metrics. Everything else was noise.

I had it backwards.

Financial stability matters—it buys options and reduces anxiety. But I've watched too many people win at business while losing at life. Great portfolios, terrible bloodwork. Corner offices, can't play with their kids without getting winded.

The metrics I'm chasing now? They compound differently. Better HRV means I show up sharper for the work that matters. Stronger legs mean I can still hike with my family in 10 or 20 years. Less screen time means more presence with people I actually care about.

None of this is revolutionary. But it's easy to forget when you're grinding.
What are you measuring differently this year?

(Who loves Bulgarian split squats? Answer: Not me!)
______________________
I'm Marc Cabrera, a former investment banker. Wall Street taught me the numbers; life taught me what really counts.

The hardest part of my day was over by 10:55 am.

Our local CrossFit runs their last Saturday class from 10-11.
Today: 16-minute AMRAP rotating through rower, assault bike, ski erg, and rest—one minute each for 16 rounds. Hitting Zone 5 came easy. Added some kettlebell work after.

Here's why this matters.

I hate morning workouts. But I do them anyway because once they're done, they're not hanging over my head the rest of the day.

This principle applies everywhere.

Do the uncomfortable thing right now:
→ Pay off the credit card
→ Have the tough conversation
→ Cut off the person who drains you
→ Propose to the love of your life

The discomfort doesn't go away by waiting. It just compounds.

Get after it.
Right now.
______________________
I'm Marc Cabrera, a former investment banker. Wall Street taught me the numbers; life taught me what really counts.

Do you practice what matters most?

If you're aiming to level up—close the big deal, lead the critical conversation, make the career move—are you actually practicing for it?

I don't mean "fake it till you make it."
I mean deliberate rehearsal for the moments that count:
→ Winning your high-stakes pitch
→ Designing a portfolio for your future nest egg
→ Having the tough conversation you're dreading
→ Asking for the raise you've earned

In therapy, clients practice difficult conversations with an empty chair.
Before major speeches, performers rehearse in front of mirrors.
Top athletes visualize every move before competition.

What separates elite performers from everyone else?

Deliberate practice—focused, systematic work on specific weaknesses with clear goals and feedback loops.
It's not fun. It's not supposed to be.

It's not just putting in time. It's choosing the uncomfortable parts that need work and improving them intentionally.

Most people avoid practicing what makes them uncomfortable. High performers do the opposite.

What will you practice this week?

Vid: Want to squat 300 pounds? Start with the barbell and nail the technique first.
______________________
I'm Marc Cabrera, a former investment banker. Wall Street taught me the numbers; life taught me what really counts

Do the weird thing.

In fitness, that means the unilateral movements you can't stand—even the names make you wince:
→ Bird dogs
→ Bulgarian split squats
→ Copenhagen planks

Two guarantees:
1. You'll look like a toddler learning to balance
2. They absolutely suck

But here's what they also do: they work.

The movements that feel wrong are usually the ones exposing exactly what you've been avoiding:
→ The instability
→ The imbalance
→ The weakness you've compensated around for years

Same principle applies everywhere else.

In business, in relationships, in how you spend your days—the "weird thing" is often the direct path to growth.

Not because discomfort is noble.

Because discomfort is information.

It shows you where you're actually vulnerable, not where you think you are.

Most people optimize their lives around what feels smooth. Natural. Effortless. Comfortable.

Which means they get really, really good at what they're already good at.

Do the weird thing instead.

Vid: Zercher squats. Fun!
______________________
I'm Marc Cabrera, a former investment banker. Wall Street taught me the numbers; life taught me what really counts

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Nikolas Konstantin 🌱

Marc Cabrera

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The Battle

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