This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.
I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other’s stories – of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.
In this episode, Mark Rampolla pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to leave the comfort of corporate life and build a business—and a life—on your own terms.
He shares the unfiltered truth about dancing with bankruptcy, rediscovering purpose, and learning that freedom isn’t a future milestone but a present-moment choice.
Together, we explore how self-awareness, curiosity, and intentional living can transform not just your work, but your entire relationship with leadership.
Mark’s journey from Zico Coconut Water to becoming an investor reveals the mindset shifts that separate leaders who feel trapped from those who feel truly liberated.
If you’re ready to rethink success and design a life you don’t need an escape from, this conversation is exactly what you’ve been needing.
You can find Mark Rampolla at the links below
In the interview, Mark shares
- “Freedom doesn’t show up after the exit—it begins the moment you choose differently.”
- “Leaving corporate wasn’t a leap of logic for me; it was a leap of self-respect.”
- “Entrepreneurship isn’t about a perfect idea—it’s about a relentless desire for autonomy.”
- “Everything changed when I stopped filling my calendar and started aligning it with who I wanted to become.”
- “Success without self-awareness is just another form of imprisonment.”
- “You don’t build freedom in the future—you build it in the choices you make right now.”
- “Corporate life taught me efficiency; entrepreneurship taught me who I really am.”
- “If you’re not curious, you’re not growing—and if you’re not growing, you’re not free.”
- “The biggest risk I took wasn’t leaving my job—it was learning to trust myself.”
- “Leadership is simply choosing—again and again—to live aligned with your values, not your fears.”