ELEVATE Series 2025 with Brian Mac Mahon

In this unapologetically honest episode of the ELEVATE Series, venture capitalist and Expert DOJO founder Brian Mac Mahon delivers a rallying cry for entrepreneurs to stop playing defense and step into full ownership. With investments in over 300 companies across 35+ countries, Brian offers a no-BS perspective on what is sabotaging most founders—and how to fix it.

Brian dives into the flawed overreliance on raising capital, the myths surrounding accelerators, and why most startups are building for funding rather than for customers. He challenges leaders to get brutally honest about their habits, mindset, and product quality—and make clear, disciplined decisions that protect their mental bandwidth. From personal branding and peak performance to global opportunity trends and AI disruption, Brian shares what today’s founders need to hear—not just what they want to hear.

Whether you’re pre-seed or scaling, this episode will shake up your thinking and equip you to thrive in a market that favors real grit over privilege. It’s not about playing the game. It’s about building something that actually works.

Here’s just some of the fantastic strategy and advice shared from this conversation:

👉 Personal branding matters. Every entrepreneur should be creating consistent content to build visibility and trust.

👉 Accelerators are outdated. Most don’t offer meaningful value anymore. Founders need real support in building customer-obsessed products.

👉 Customers over capital. Stop designing your business around investors. Build something people want and will actually pay for.

👉 Performance is intentional. Treat yourself like a high-performing athlete with routines, recovery, and mental clarity.

👉 Decide with purpose. Thousands of micro-decisions shape your momentum. Make them proactively, not reactively.

👉 Own your results. Stop blaming the market and start building. Uncertainty levels the field—so get moving.

👉 AI is a tool, not a savior. Use it to support your business, but remember that real growth comes from value creation.

👉 Make it lovable. Don’t settle for “minimum viable.” Build a brand and product people believe in and talk about.

👉 Entrepreneurship equals freedom. Teach your kids how to build and lead—it’s a path to generational empowerment.

👉 Think globally. The next wave of growth lies in building cross-border bridges, not local land grabs.

Meet our guest speaker, Brian Mac Mahon:

Brian Mac Mahon is a globally recognized entrepreneur, investor, and mentor who has dedicated his career to transforming how early-stage businesses grow and succeed. As the founder of Expert DOJO, the largest training academy for early-stage entrepreneurs in Southern California, Brian has consulted and coached in over 35 countries, bringing a global perspective to starting and growing small businesses.

He heads the Expert DOJO high-performance accelerator and has access to thousands of experts and mentors who help entrepreneurs find what they need to pursue their small business dreams. Brian has been teaching the power of connecting in a community and the process of turning a pay-it-forward mindset into a revenue generator for years.

His TEDx talk about “The Kidnapping of the American Dream” showcases his beliefs and ambitions for the future of entrepreneurship. As an investor who has worked with over 280 companies, Brian brings a no-nonsense approach to business development, focusing on the fundamentals of hard work, relentless outreach, and knowing when to bring in experts. Rather than chasing billion-dollar valuations, Brian is passionate about helping entrepreneurs achieve “moderate success” – building sustainable businesses that don’t require 80-hour work weeks or constant struggle.

Website: https://expertdojo.com/
Connect with Brian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianmacmahon2/