Austin, Texas
Former intelligence analyst. Six-time founder. Fortune 500 consultant. Rhetoric coach.
Classical rhetoric meets brain science. Practitioner, not just an advisor.
6
Companies
Founded
200+
Products
Shipped
$35M+
Revenue
Generated
Founded · Co-Founded · Led
The Story
I grew up as the second son of a career soldier. Ten homes. Most US states. Thirteen European countries. Homeschooled. National champion debater. Trumpet player trained at the Peabody Conservatory level.
After studying Strategic Intelligence at Patrick Henry College, I spent my early career as an intelligence analyst, authoring country handbooks for the Department of Defense and building a Homeland Security division from scratch, winning bids worth $30M+.
Then I went to startups. Six organizations founded or co-founded. Two hundred digital products designed and shipped. $35M+ personally sold in services and software. Teams built from zero to fifty since age twenty-three. Four startups taken from pre-seed through growth stage ($6M raised across five rounds).
Along the way: ten national public speaking champions coached. 2,500 students taught in rhetoric and debate. 150+ consulting engagements with Fortune 500s. A book published on persuasion.
My superpower is translating complex business formulas into simple, actionable items. I synthesize on the fly and see ahead things that others don't.
“Extract fact from the vapor of nuance.”
Philosophy
I don't teach theory. I teach from having done. Every framework I coach has been tested in boardrooms, pitch meetings, sales calls, and startup war rooms.
Two thousand years of rhetorical tradition (from Aristotle’s proofs to the five canons) distilled into frameworks you can practice. Not motivation. Mechanics.
How people actually process, decide, and remember. Behavioral design principles applied to communication, product, and sales. Emotional ROI isn’t soft; it’s strategic.
We roleplay. Not information transfer, but active repetition under pressure. The training program I wish I’d had. Concrete sub-skills, practiced until they’re instinct.
We are trying to achieve X by Y. Every engagement has a clear target and a defined end. I’m not building dependency. I’m building capability.
Regional Scrum Gathering, Dhaka
What I Do
Elevating transactional conversations to strategic. Helping founders build things that matter. Teaching from scar tissue.
Leading a team session in Dhaka
Proudly led in Austin, executed in Bangladesh
150+
Fortune 500 Engagements
For executives and founders who need an operator’s perspective
Product strategy. Go-to-market. Startup turnarounds. Fundraising. 150+ consulting engagements with Fortune 500s.
2,500+
Professionals Coached
For high-stakes moments that define careers and companies
High-stakes presentations. Sales conversations. Executive communication. Concrete sub-skills practiced until they’re instinct.
200+
Products Shipped
From kitchen-table ideas to venture-backed products
SaaS, mobile, marketplace. Right-staged tech decisions with brain science and behavioral design baked in.
By The Numbers
Building
0+
Organizations Founded
0+
Digital Products Shipped
$0M+
Services & Software Sold
$0M
Raised Across 5 Rounds
Leading
0+
Executives Consulted
0+
Fortune 500 Engagements
0+
Students Taught
0
National Champions Coached
Career
From intelligence analysis to startups to Fortune 500 consulting. Every role shaped the next.
The cybersecure OS for robotics and autonomous systems. Deployed aboard Navy warships. Leading operations, investor relations, and internal communications in the $45B+ autonomous systems market.
The training program I wish I’d had. Breaking down soft skills into concrete sub-parts and practicing them in a dojo. Classical rhetoric meets brain science meets you.
Delightful software that makes money. Brain science and behavioral design. 200+ products shipped. Proudly led in Austin, executed in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Marketplace platform for reverse logistics. Co-founded by John Paul DeJoria (Paul Mitchell / Patrón). Featured on CBS News.
The all-tool/no-toy smartphone for kids. Hired 95% of the team. $1M revenue in 9 months. Built a therapist council.
Perfecting Zoom deposition. Kitchen-table idea to venture-backed prototype. $5.4M customer waitlist. $1.3M angel funding raised.
Right-sized burn from $400K/mo to $65K/mo. Improved velocity, quality, and happiness by 35–250%. Gained 2% market penetration in one year.
Skill tracking for youth sports. Kitchen-table idea to 30,000 users. Secured backing from US soccer legend Landon Donovan.
First employee of this tech startup. Grew to consulting GE, HP, CSC. CEB’s 2015 strategy case study of the year. 150+ Fortune 500 consulting engagements.
Built a Homeland Security division from scratch. Lead proposal writer, winning bids worth $30M+. Managed biodefense and executive support contracts.
Taught 2,500+ students across 150+ events reaching Singapore. Published a book. Written 150,000+ words. Co-founded at age nineteen.
Ventures
Six organizations founded or co-founded. From kitchen-table ideas to venture-backed products to Navy warships.
The cybersecure OS for autonomous systems
Director of Operations · 2025 – Present
Deployed aboard Navy warships
Co-Founder / COO · 2020 – 2021
$1M revenue in 9 months
Co-Founder / Head of Product · 2021 – 2022
$1.3M raised, $5.4M waitlist
Agency Owner / CPO · 2018 – 2026
200+ products shipped
CEO / Co-Founder · 2015 – 2018
30,000 users, Landon Donovan backed
CEO / Co-Founder · 2005 – 2017
2,500+ students, book published
Thinking & Writing
Book co-author. Podcast host. CEOWORLD columnist. I write about what I practice — rhetoric, leadership, startups, and the art of communication.
Co-authored
Entrepreneurial communication, startup coaching, rhetoric
Three of the Biggest Hurdles That Emergent Executives Face
Out-of-touch Leadership
Our Kids Need a New Bargain with Technology
How to Turn Your Pitch into a Storyline
The Six Best Questions for Confusing Meetings
8 Types of Proof: Aristotle’s Classical Rhetoric Tradition
“Early-stage sales are about precision, not bravado. Every ounce of the sale that’s based on personality, concession, manipulation, discount, and anything other than the cold, hard value will prevent the sales engine from ever starting.”
“Execution IS strategy. Compounding rapid decisions always outperforms committee strategy.”
“Complexity skills are the future. Debate training is the number one activity I know of to cultivate those skills.”
“Give more than you receive is a moral value, an effective way to do business, and an alternative to capitalism that works.”
Proof
16 recommendations from colleagues, clients, and team members.
Isaiah truly is one-of-a-kind. His innate ability to jump into any situation and find the best path forward (in record time) continues to awe and amaze me. He radiates a special type of confidence that spreads infectiously to others. Whether it's product, design, sales, strategy, or communication he can master it all. I credit my core philosophy of product management and my continued growth in my career to Isaiah's mentorship.
Isaiah truly is one-of-a-kind. His innate ability to jump into any situation and find the best path forward (in record time) continues to awe and amaze me. He radiates a special type of confidence that spreads infectiously to others. Whether it's product, design, sales, strategy, or communication he can master it all. I credit my core philosophy of product management and my continued growth in my career to Isaiah's mentorship.
Isaiah came into our company as a consultant for product, and quickly identified known and unknown issues and holes throughout the organization. He was quickly viewed as a trusted leader by all. Under his leadership, we launched 3 new markets in a month and a half, re-engaged 2 markets to drive meaningful results, all while creating much-needed marketing infrastructure and content. The growth I had in strategic thinking and management skills is directly due to Isaiah.
One of Isaiah's greatest strengths is his empathy. It is evident in the way he approaches coaching and user experience, which allows him to develop solutions that truly address his audience's pain points. He is one of the most strategic thinkers I know and reminds me of a skilled surgeon in the way he precisely identifies root problems and quickly responds with effective, forward-thinking solutions.
Work With Me
Time-bound. Goal-oriented. No infinite coaching. Classical rhetoric meets brain science — as practical skills you can use tomorrow.
Student
Workshops at $1,000/day
For students and early-career professionals
Professional
Tech, business, consulting
For executives, founders, and sales leaders
Workshop
+ travel
For teams and organizations
X / Twitter
@isaiah_mcpeak(opens in new tab)Location
Austin, Texas
Typical response time: Within 1–2 business days. For urgent matters, mention “time-sensitive” in your subject line.
