Mike MacLeod

On Sunday, I shared a photo of me back on the ice for the first time since breaking my ankle in June. 🏒 In that post, I mentioned one of my core principles: “Obstacles Are Fuel.” But let’s be real. Most of the time, obstacles don’t feel like fuel. They feel like a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, in the rain, with no cell service. Here’s the twist: that flat tire is actually the best training session you didn’t sign up for. Why? Because resistance is what makes us stronger. Nobody builds muscle curling air. You only grow by pushing against something heavy. It’s the same in business (and life): Lost a deal? Great! Your pitch just got a free upgrade. Missed a goal? Now you’re sharper at setting the next one. Blew up your ankle with 10 screws and a plate? Perfect! Time to rebuild and skate stronger. Obstacles sting. Sometimes they leave scars (literally). But they also light the fire that pushes us to evolve. So yeah, obstacles are annoying, inconvenient, and painful. But they’re also the jet fuel that powers comebacks. Here’s my challenge to you: what obstacle is sitting in front of you right now?And how can you turn it into fuel? #Leadership #Resilience #HighlanderCode #ObstaclesAreFuel

Last week, my surgeon cleared me to return to training. On Friday, I was back in the gym squatting. And today, I skated for the first time since breaking my ankle and having it rebuilt with a plate and 10 titanium screws. It wasn’t pain-free. Every stride reminded me of the months of rehab, setbacks, and hard work it took to even get back here. But here’s the lesson: obstacles aren’t roadblocks. They’re fuel. This principle from my Highlander Code applies far beyond hockey. In business, just like in life, adversity tests us. Markets shift. Deals fall through. Plans break. The leaders and teams who thrive are the ones who take those obstacles and use them as energy to push forward stronger than before. Today’s skate was a reminder that setbacks can forge resilience, and resilience fuels comebacks. The comeback has begun. 🏒💼 💪 👉 How have you turned obstacles into fuel in your own journey? #Leadership #Resilience #GrowthMindset #ObstaclesAreFuel

Proud to see BioBrain recognized on the global stage with two Stevie® Awards! Silver for Technical Innovation of the Year. Bronze for Technology Breakthrough of the Year in AI. This is more than just hardware. It’s proof of how we’re reshaping market research with smarter, faster, more impactful solutions. Excited for what’s ahead as we continue pushing boundaries and building the future of insights. 🚀 #BioBrain #AI #MarketResearch #Innovation

CRC 2025 is always about more than the sessions. It’s about the conversations that happen between them. Next week, I’ll be in Chicago for the Corporate Researchers Conference, representing BioBrain Insights. I’m particularly focused on where data, insights, and AI intersect - and how we can apply them to create sharper, faster, and more impactful decision-making. I’d also love to catch up with industry friends I haven’t seen in a while. It’s been too long for many of us. Planning to be at CRC? Let me know here or send me a message so we can lock in a time. #CRC2025 #Insights #MarketResearch #AI

Yesterday, I had the chance to reconnect with someone who, years ago, was not only a colleague, but also a mentor and a friend. Catching up reminded me how valuable those connections are - the people who shaped our careers and lives in ways we sometimes don’t realize until much later. It was a gift to reflect on old times, share where we are now, and be reminded of the importance of staying connected. I want to be more intentional about reaching out to others from my past - whether we worked side by side, collaborated across projects, or just shared a season of life together. If we haven’t spoken in a while, I’d love to reconnect.

What an incredible moment for all of us at BioBrain Insights! We've been nominated for the ESOMAR Awards 2025 for Excellence in AI & Automation for Market Research. This is in recognition of our work in delivering speed and excellence for CARMA, proving that the future of research is already here, and we’re helping shape it. A huge thanks to our clients and partners who trust us to push the boundaries. #TeamBioBrain #ProudMoment #ESOMAR #AI #MarketResearch #Innovation #CARMA Mike Edan Aditya Sonal Dilip Rajat Sanjay

We interrupt your regularly scheduled scrolling for a quick humblebrag. 🧠🏆 The BioBrain Insights crew just brought home two Stevie® Awards like it was business as usual: 🥈 Silver - Technical Innovation of the Year (AI) 🥉 Bronze - Technology Breakthrough of the Year (AI) Rubbing elbows with Apple, Amazon, and IBM? That’s not shocking. It’s exactly where we belong. This team is built different. Passion, precision, and a mission to transform market research through AI-led hyperautomation. These awards aren’t the finish line. They’re just more fuel. Proud to be part of this movement. Pumped for what’s next. #BioBrain #StevieAwards #ResTech #AI #Innovation #Hyperautomation #BuiltDifferent #EyesOnTheNextWin

Rebuilding Mode: Activated 🔩 This morning I had my first follow-up x-ray since ankle surgery 7 weeks ago. Let me just say, I did not expect to see an entire Home Depot aisle in there. One large plate. Ten screws. But here’s the update: ✔️ I’m healing nicely ✔️ I can start putting weight on it ✔️ In 10 to 14 days, I’ll be off crutches and out of the boot Now comes the hard part: rebuilding. My left leg currently looks like it’s been skipping leg day for years. Tiny calf. Tiny quad. Tiny hamstring. Basically a chicken wing with a sock on it. During this injury, I didn’t give in to chaos. Instead: 💪 I lost 22 lbs 💪 I trained my upper body 💪 I cleaned up my diet 💪 I kept my mind sharp and my attitude sharper This whole experience has taught me something simple but powerful: You don’t need perfect conditions to make progress. You just need a plan, some grit, and the willingness to take small steps - even when you're limping. And here’s what’s next: ➡️ Rebuild strength ➡️ Stay lean ➡️ Come back even better than before ➡️ Prove (once again) that obstacles are just fuel in disguise So if you're going through a setback - physical, emotional, professional - remember this: 📌 Don’t wait to feel 100% to take action. 📌 Don’t underestimate what consistency can do. 📌 Don’t forget: even your crutches can become tools for growth. Let’s get after it. #RebuildMode #ProgressNotPerfection #DisciplineOverExcuses #HighlanderCode #ObstaclesAreFuel #ComebackSeason #StrongNotStuck #MindsetMatters #ADHDWarrior #FaithFueled #NoCrutchMentality

So, I Have ADHD. And honestly, that explains a lot. This post makes me nervous. I mean, REALLY nervous. Because for most of my life, I’ve been trying to LOOK LIKE the guy who has it all together, even when I didn’t. I haven’t always shown up early. I haven’t always had my act together. And a lot of people would probably laugh if I told them I’m “on top of everything.” But a few years ago, I got diagnosed with ADHD. And suddenly it all made sense. Most people who’ve known me for decades weren’t surprised. Their reaction was more like: “Finally.” At first, I thought a diagnosis meant I could finally “fix” my brain. Spoiler alert: There is no fix. But there is understanding. There are tools. And there is one aggressively overstuffed Google Calendar that now runs my entire life. I tried medication. Stimulants? Nothing. Like putting jet fuel in a car with no engine. Non-stimulants? Turned me into a foggy, overly polite stranger. Not me. So I stopped trying to fight ADHD and started learning how to work with it. It’s still messy. I miss things. I overcommit. I interrupt. And sometimes I lose a Tuesday afternoon without realizing it. But I also have some real strengths: ⚡ I’m lightning fast in a crisis 🧠 I connect dots others don’t even notice 🎯 I can enter a flow state that’s absurdly productive 📌 And my memory for specific, quirky details is borderline ridiculous ADHD isn’t a superpower. It’s not a curse. It’s a different operating system and I’ve finally learned how to run it without crashing. Here’s how I manage: ✔️ I live inside Google Calendar. Everything goes in there: tasks, events, reminders, even time to think ✔️ I track my health like an athlete - sleep, nutrition, and exercise are non-negotiable, because if my body’s off, my brain is chaos ✔️ I build days around energy, not just time blocks ✔️ I schedule dopamine intentionally instead of chasing it reactively ✔️ I build systems that remove friction ✔️ I reset quickly and practice grace when I drop the ball I still struggle. But I don’t shame myself anymore. I reset. I repair. I remind myself: I’m Built For More. If you’re carrying this silently... If you’re constantly exhausted from pretending it’s all “fine"... If you’ve been beating yourself up for things that feel harder than they “should”... Please hear me: 🧠 You’re not lazy. 🧠 You’re not broken. 🧠 You’re not alone. You just need a playbook that matches your brain. This is part of mine. I hope it helps someone feel seen, understood, and maybe even a little empowered. #BuiltForMore #ADHD #NeurodivergentLeadership #ResetRepairRemind #AuthenticLeadership #MindsetMatters #LeadWithGrace