Transform into the leader your startup needs you to be
Executive coaching to help startup founders scale into high-performance leaders
Hi! I'm Brian.
I am an executive coach who helps early-stage founders transform into high-performance leaders. I previously started and ran Fitocracy, one of the largest fitness social networks of its time, and sold it in 2015. Afterwards, I joined 500 Startups as a venture partner and later led major product initiatives at Credit Karma and Eaze. Also professionally certified as a coach, I bring the best of both worlds: real-world experience and coaching know-how.
I coach leaders of early stage startups backed by top-tier investors like Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, Union Square Ventures, Y Combinator, and 500 Startups. Clients come to me because they recognize they need to level up as leaders but they are getting stuck along the way. My job is to help them see themselves more clearly and move into the vision of who they want to be. If that describes you, let’s chat.
“Working with Brian is one of the best choices we’ve made.”
Here’s how I can help
See what you aren’t yet seeing
Identify the blindspots that are causing you to spin your wheels, frustrate your teams, and make strategic errors. We will work to identify the root of your core challenges and then map out how you need to change. Together, we’ll boost your self-awareness and build new insights so that you can move with clarity and purpose.
Get equipped with powerful tools
My years as a founder and as coach serving successful clients have taught me how to effectively manage teams and most importantly, myself. As my client, you will acquire tools to make better decisions, communicate more effectively, and lead your team with focus.
Accelerate results through action
When you don’t have a plan, it's easy to get stuck. And then everything slows down. I will help identify the most important things to work on, develop a plan, and make sure you take the right actions to keep moving forward.
Testimonials
Anthony Zhang, VinoVest
Nina Iordanova, Pearmill
"I knew Brian would be an awesome coach after our first consultation call, and was still blown away by the amount of growth we were able to achieve in 6 months. As someone working in an executive position at a fast-growing startup, I wanted help taking ownership in situations where not a lot of information or direction was available. Brian was incredibly skilled at helping me get to the root of what was keeping me stuck and finding ways to work through it. I feel a lot more comfortable making decisions in uncertainty, and pushing my ideas through. Not only were sessions with Brian impactful, they were a lot of fun too! Highly recommend Brian to anyone who wants to experience targeted and effective growth on the issues that matter to them, with a lot of laughs along the way."
Pim de Witte, Medal
Brian coached me through two important times of leadership in the company - first and foremost a time where I needed to develop as a leader and clearly identify a leadership profile, being more deliberate about how I lead, and learn to analyze how I show up as a leader vs just analyzing the output. This made me more confident in my leadership style and ability to identify areas of growth. Secondly, Brian coached me throughout the uncertainty of the pandemic and some big decisions that needed to be made, ranging from shifting to remote work, to setting up a new management team that could thrive in a remote structure. Overall my time with Brian left me with 1 major win - my ability to be deliberate about my leadership style and pick and choose how I show up depending on the situation.
Jordan Menashy, Ready
“At Ready there was life BB and AB: Before Brian and After Brian. After Brian our team communication radically improved. Interpersonal and work related issues were proactively identified and resolved. And our collective productivity and enjoyment reached new heights. Working with Brian is one of the best choices we've made.”
Kevin Lee, immi
Sarah Park, MeetEdgar
It's so valuable for every business leader to find an impartial, non-judgmental person who can reflect back to you the impact you're having on your business and team... and even more so if that person is Brian!
Working with Brian has helped me stay accountable to my commitments both to my company and to myself. He's not afraid to call me out when I'm acting against my values or the needs of my team/stakeholders, and he does so in a way that's compassionate and results-oriented.
If you're looking for a business coach, I highly recommend contacting Brian. He brings a lot of his own experience and perspective to the table and will challenge you to grow right away.
Steven Zhou, Moov
Brian is an incredibly talented and natural coach. He is flexible, caring, and a highly pragmatic. Within our first few months together, Brian has helped clarify, validate, or debunk various thought patterns, as well as offer invaluable insights in a non-prescriptive yet guiding manner. I would highly recommend Brian as both a personal and executive coach - in fact they often go hand-in-hand.
Nathan Bashaw, Lex
Brian is extremely helpful.
In the past I've been interested in coaching (it's definitely therapeutic to talk about problems with an objective third party) but a little skeptical of how much improvement it would actually make in the quality of my life and work. Brian does an amazing job translating ideas in conversations to tactical improvements you can make to be a better collaborator, leader, and friend. I'd definitely recommend him to anyone seeking coaching.
Sarah Judd Welch, Sharehold
Brian helped me to identify and articulate my needs in a difficult business relationship. He gave me the confidence and framework to navigate the transition. Brian has the rare ability to see what's getting in the way and then push you to becoming the leader you want to be.
César Salazar, Revolt
This testimonial will sound a little corny, but I mean every word. When I first reached out to Brian, I was 18 years into my professional career, having led a venture fund and several companies, and yet, secretly afraid, anxious, and frustrated about my leadership. Brian listened and listened again, always pushing me to grow in a way nobody had achieved before. Today, my relationships with coworkers and clients are stronger and more enjoyable than ever, leading to incredible business results.
Justin McLoughlin, AirCFO
As a finance professional, I measure things in terms of ROI and I can say hiring Brian as my executive coach has been the best investment I have made in the last year. Brian is an excellent listener who offers the tools and ideas I need to help me do the deep work of becoming a better leader. I find myself using these lessons often in my role as CEO. Since working with Brian, our revenue is up 89% YoY and our team has doubled in size.
Elliott Perry, Stream Labs
A coaching call with Brian is like an oasis amid the chaos of life; time set aside to deep dive on the things most important to you and come to realizations that lead to actions with impact.
Whether it be breaking through professional plateaus, optimizing personal development or even just sharing feelings that are difficult to find a safe space to voice elsewhere, Brian is your steward to navigating everything on your mind.
Considering coaching but unsure? Take the first call with Brian. Future you will thank today you.
Calum Forsyth, Seed Haus
Brian’s experience as a founder, operator, and VC investor is of huge value in the context of coaching. Brian is able to help unpack challenges and examine situations through a suite of lenses. Working with Brian has really helped me level up in a leadership capacity, we have unlocked fundamental insights about myself and how I can best serve our portfolio founders. I’m thrilled to be working together and often find myself looking forward to our sessions.
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Schedule a consultation
If you’re interested in learning more about how coaching can help you reach your goals as a leader, reach out to schedule a call. We’ll spend the time to discuss your primary challenges and create a roadmap for how to overcome them through coaching.
Coaching engagements generally start at $2,000-$4,000 per month.
Send me a text if you want to get in touch faster.
This is a guide for you, the fundraising founder, on how to get through a difficult fundraise. It’s split across three sections: taking care of yourself, working with investors, and leading the team. My hope is that this guide helps make your fundraise more likely to succeed while staying healthy throughout the process.