The Business Strategist With Adam Strong

Adam Strong
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The Business Strategist is the ultimate podcast for entrepreneurs, founders and business owners looking to scale, grow, and exit their businesses successfully. Hosted by Adam Strong, an award-winning strategist with over 30 years of industry experience and three times best selling author. Each episode delivers actionable business advice, practical tools, and insights to help you build a thriving enterprise. Whether you want to master leadership, craft a winning exit strategy, or implement proven scaling techniques, this podcast has you covered. With expert interviews, real-world case studies, and a focus on achieving business freedom, the business strategist is your go-to resource for taking your business to the next level. Tune in every week for new episodes designed to inspire, educate, and empower your entrepreneurial journey. Adam's Contact details LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong Is your business ready to run without you? Take the 2-minute Exit Readiness Assessment — a fast, strategic scorecard for founders who want to scale, sell, or step back without becoming the bottleneck. Get instant insights across leadership, systems, marketing, and more. Click here to take the assessment: https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com

  1. Stop Solving Your Team's Problems: The Founder Trap That's Killing Your Business

    1 DAY AGO

    Stop Solving Your Team's Problems: The Founder Trap That's Killing Your Business

    What if the reason your team won't step up is because you keep stepping in? I sat down with Elizabeth Lotardo, bestselling author of Leading Yourself, Harvard Medical School Institute of Coaching Fellow and the brain behind a LinkedIn course that's been taken by over two million people worldwide. We got into something I think every founder secretly wrestles with but rarely says out loud. The trap of being the one who solves everything. The hidden cost of caring too much. And why the high performer wiring that got you here is the exact thing keeping you stuck. Elizabeth pulled back the curtain on what actually goes on inside the heads of operators who can't switch off, and she walked me through five questions she coaches her clients to use that completely change the dynamic between you and your team. Then I let her coach me live on a belief I've carried around for years. I'll let you decide who came out on top. WHY YOU SHOULD LISTEN Find out the three well-meaning beliefs that keep founders stuck in the weedsHear the five questions to ask when your team dumps a problem on your deskDiscover why your high performers are quietly planning their exitThe simple seven day tracking exercise that exposes the real damageWhy "no one can do it better than me" might actually be true (and what to do about it) If you've ever taken a laptop on holiday, answered Slack at 7am on a Sunday, or wondered why you can't seem to scale past yourself, this one's for you. Interested in freeing yourself in the business? Take the exit ready diagnostics assessment here: https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com Enjoyed today’s episode? Leave a review over on Apple or Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-business-strategist-with-adam-strong/id1518654325 https://open.spotify.com/show/4vKVMmsZ4MwVooQOlEAzrd ABOUT THE GUEST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethlotardo ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

    52 min
  2. Why Great Founders Make Terrible CEOs (And How To Fix It)

    23 APR

    Why Great Founders Make Terrible CEOs (And How To Fix It)

    What if the habits that built my business are the exact ones holding it back? I sat down with John Spence, one of the world's leading voices on leadership and the former CEO of the Rockefeller Foundation, to find out why so many founders hit an invisible ceiling they can't punch through. We got into the four silent killers behind every stuck business, the uncomfortable truth about why most founders quietly become their own bottleneck, and the specific mindset shift that separates the ones who scale and exit from the ones who stay stuck for a decade. Interested in freeing yourself in the business? Book a brief call to see if the exit ready diagnostics session is for you. https://link.adamstrong.net/widget/bookings/strategy-121 Enjoyed today’s episode? Leave a review over on Apple or Spotify. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Scaling Challenges 06:30 Identifying Patterns in Business Plateauing 09:56 Strategic Shifts for Founders 11:32 Defining Professional Management 13:34 Finding the Right Replacement 17:27 Counterintuitive Mistakes of Founders 20:06 Key Areas for Business Differentiation 21:46 Psychological Blind Spots in Leadership 25:11 Lessons from Early Leadership Experience 28:05 The Importance of Emotional Intelligence 28:38 Accountability in Leadership 30:49 Mindset Shifts for Overcoming Plateaus 36:03 Purpose-Driven Leadership 37:36 The Impact of Leadership on Employee Lives 39:44 Curiosity and Uncomfortable Questions in Leadership 42:56 The Five-Step Framework for Business Excellence 45:33 People First: The Core of Business Success 48:34 Identifying and Addressing Performance Issues 49:25 The Evolution of Leadership Frameworks 51:47 A Live Coaching Session: Overcoming Frustrations 01:02:52 Legacy and Leading with Love ABOUT THE GUEST Website: https://johnspence.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbspence/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/johnspenceleadership/ Book: https://amzn.eu/d/cDzEDUy ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

    1hr 8min

  3. 16 APR

    How I'd Build a One Person Business That Runs Without Me (If I Started Over)

    8 years ago I packed up my life in the UK and moved to Sweden to start a family. I thought my business would run without me. It didn't. Everything fell apart and it forced me to confront something most founders never want to admit.  In this episode I'm getting brutally honest about what actually happened, the mindset shifts that changed everything and the three things I'd do differently if I was starting from scratch tomorrow. In this episode I cover: Why moving countries destroyed the business I thought I'd builtThe two mindset shifts that finally got me unstuckWhat nobody in the industry warns you aboutThe one question that tells you exactly where your business stands right now Listen to this episode if: You're making every decision in your business and it's eating you aliveYou've ever wondered whether your business could survive without youYou want to know the difference between a one person business and a one person prison I built a six figure business that looked great on paper but nearly broke me behind the scenes. This is the real story and the blueprint I wish someone had given me years ago. Interested in freeing yourself in the business? Book a brief call to see if the exit ready diagnostics session is for you. https://link.adamstrong.net/widget/bookings/strategy-121 Enjoyed today’s episode? Leave a review over on Apple or Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-business-strategist-with-adam-strong/id1518654325 https://open.spotify.com/show/4vKVMmsZ4MwVooQOlEAzrd ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

    24 min

  4. 9 APR

    The 5 Lies Business Owners Tell Themselves Before They Try to Sell

    70% of her revenue was tied to one person. The buyer walked away. I sat across the table from a founder a few months ago. Seven-figure business, great team, 25 years of graft. Within 20 minutes of looking under the hood, I had to tell her the business was essentially worthless to a buyer. Not because the numbers were bad — because she was the business. When the buyer dug into due diligence, they discovered 75% of the revenue was tied to her personal relationships. The deal collapsed. And the worst part? She had no idea — because she'd been telling herself the same five lies I hear from almost every founder I work with. In this episode I break down all five, using real examples from my advisory work. I walk through the founder revenue test, the 90-day vanish test, and why your expertise might actually be your biggest liability when a buyer comes knocking. I also share why the founders who build truly sellable businesses always tell me the same thing afterwards — "I wish I'd done this five years ago." Not because they wanted to sell sooner, but because the business became so much better the moment they stopped being the bottleneck. If even one of these lies sounds familiar, you've got work to do before you go anywhere near an exit. Take my free Exit Readiness Assessment — it takes two minutes and shows you exactly where the gaps are: https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com Enjoyed today’s episode? Leave a review over on Apple or Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-business-strategist-with-adam-strong/id1518654325 https://open.spotify.com/show/4vKVMmsZ4MwVooQOlEAzrd ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

    17 min
  5. How Purpose Drives Profit and Exit Value

    2 APR

    How Purpose Drives Profit and Exit Value

    Blockbuster asked how do we make more money. Netflix asked how do we give people better entertainment. One question built an empire. The other killed one. So which question is your business asking right now? In this episode I sit down with Lisa Earle McLeod, the woman who literally wrote the book on purpose driven business. She's worked with Google, Hilton and some of the smartest founders on the planet and what she told me completely flipped how I think about profit, purpose and why so many business owners end up stuck on a hamster wheel they built themselves.  We get into the real reason businesses get commoditised, why your proposals aren't landing the fees you deserve and what separates founders who exit rich from those who just burn out.  Five reasons to listen Understand why purpose and profit aren't two separate things and why treating them that way is costing you moneyHow Hilton used one sentence from their founder to become the number one workplace in hospitality and smash profit records at the same timeYou'll hear the three questions every founder needs to ask this week to uncover a purpose that actually drives revenueWhy most business owners have built themselves a glorified job and what to do if that's you right nowLisa coaches me live and calls out the one thing missing from how I talk about my own business and how it can apply in yours. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:47 Purpose-Driven Businesses and Their Impact 03:47 Common Mistakes When Scaling Businesses 07:31 Hilton's Purpose and Differentiation Strategy 10:16 The Relationship Between Purpose and Profitability 14:25 How Small Firms Can Activate Purpose Easily 18:03 Embedding Purpose into Business Operations 22:09 Preparing Your Business for Sale and Exit 26:52 Practical Exercises to Define Purpose 31:26 Pricing and Value-Based Fees 35:11 The Risks of Not Having a Clear Purpose 38:49 Stories That Illustrate Purpose in Action 42:34 Reigniting Passion and Purpose in Business Leaders 46:16 The Emotional Connection to Business Impact 49:12 Final Thoughts and Practical Takeaways We’ve been nominated for podcast of the year, if you enjoy the show we would love your nomination. It only takes 30 secs: https://www.thinkers360.com/tl/annual_awards/voting?cat=3&scat=27 ABOUT THE GUEST LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaearlemcleod/ Website - https://www.lisaearlemcleod.com/resources Book: Leading with Noble Purpose by Lisa Earle McLeod - https://www.amazon.com/Leading-Noble-Purpose-Transform-Organizations/dp/1119546794 ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

    1hr 4min
  6. Your Identity Is Your Last Competitive Advantage

    26 MAR

    Your Identity Is Your Last Competitive Advantage

    What if the real reason your business is stalling has nothing to do with your strategy? I sat down with Michael King, executive coach, keynote speaker and recording artist with over 100 published songs. The leaders he works with, the ones hitting burnout, losing sales and watching their teams fall apart, they all share the same root problem. And it's not what you think.  Michael has spent close to 20 years coaching high performing entrepreneurs and top level executives, and he's built a framework called the TEAMS Method that flips conventional leadership advice on its head.  In this episode he walks me through his Identity Matrix, explains why your strategy will never work without clarity on who you actually are, and reveals how he combines original music and cinematic film to unlock breakthroughs in the boardroom.  Five reasons you need to listen to this episode: Learn why 80% of leaders are starting their day in completely the wrong placeDiscover the one question that exposes whether you have an identity problem or an energy problemGet a full walkthrough of the TEAMS Method and how to apply it this weekFind out why feelings come before awareness and why that order matters for lasting changeHear the rule Michael follows every single day to protect himself from burning out We’ve been nominated for podcast of the year, if you enjoy the show we would love your nomination. It only takes 30 secs: https://www.thinkers360.com/tl/annual_awards/voting?cat=3&scat=27 ABOUT OUR SPONSORS Ready to exit, but worried you'll regret it? Book a call with the founder of Xentum Dominic Baldwin, limited spaces!  Website: https://www.xentum.co.uk/ ABOUT THE GUEST www.michaelkingjr.com www.teams.coach www.facebook.com/michaelrkingjr75 x.com/michaelkingjr www.linkedin.com/in/michaelkingjr75/ www.instagram.com/michaelkingjrofficial/ ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

    47 min
  7. Mergers and Acquisitions for Dummies: How to Buy or Sell a Business

    19 MAR

    Mergers and Acquisitions for Dummies: How to Buy or Sell a Business

    Less Than 18% of Businesses Ever Sell. Will Yours Be One of Them? I sat down with Bill Snow, a 30 year veteran of mergers and acquisitions, author of Mergers and Acquisitions for Dummies, and someone who has been in the trenches of hundreds of deals across multiple industries.  What he told me completely changed how I think about buying and selling businesses.  If you are planning an exit or looking to make your first acquisition, this one is not to be missed. 5 Reasons To Listen The hidden deal killers that are silently destroying your valuation right nowWhy chasing the highest price could be the worst decision you ever makeThe three things every buyer must have before approaching a single targetThe one part of buying a business that nobody talks about and why it breaks most dealsWhy your cash flow statement matters more than your EBITDA and what it is really telling buyers about you We’ve been nominated for podcast of the year, if you enjoy the show we would love your nomination. It only takes 30 secs: Click here Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Mergers and Acquisitions 04:03 Bill Snow's Journey in M&A 06:51 Understanding Investment Banking 09:41 The Challenges of Selling vs. Buying 12:31 The Importance of Exit Strategies 15:02 Hidden Deal Killers in M&A 17:37 Customer Concentration Risks 20:38 Valuation and Seller Expectations 23:14 The Role of EBITDA in Valuation 25:53 Cash Flow vs. EBITDA 29:32 Preparing for a Sale 32:32 Conclusion and Insights from M&A for Dummies 35:47 Understanding Mergers and Acquisitions Frameworks 38:39 The M&A Process: Search, Negotiate, Finance 42:15 Finding Hidden Opportunities in M&A 43:17 The Myth of Revenue Growth and Valuation 45:08 Identifying the Ideal Buyer 47:46 Building a Business with the Buyer in Mind 50:25 Coaching Session: Strategies for Acquisition 58:37 The Art of M&A: Offering Value, Not Just Asking 01:02:21 Understanding Pain Points in Business transactions 01:04:01 Upcoming Book: The Gimme Chronicle ABOUT OUR SPONSORS Ready to exit, but worried you'll regret it? Book a call with the founder of Xentum Dominic Baldwin, limited spaces!  Website: https://www.xentum.co.uk/ ABOUT THE GUEST Mergers and Acquisitions for Dummies Bill Snow's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/billsnow/ Bill Snow's upcoming book 'Gimme Chronicle' ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

    1hr 7min

  8. 12 MAR

    The 24 Year Old Who Built a £1M LinkedIn Agency From £18

    What if two broke brothers with just £18 between them could build a multi-million pound agency in under three years, almost entirely through LinkedIn? I sat down with Niall Ratcliffe, 24, who along with his brother Morgan did exactly that, starting from a spare room in Burnley with no investors, no fancy degree and no safety net.  In this episode Niall pulls back the curtain on the exact LinkedIn strategies the fastest growing B2B brands in Europe are quietly using behind the scenes, and nobody is talking about online. We also do a live profile roast, and yes, my own LinkedIn takes a few hits along the way. Five reasons to listen: Niall reveals the three step revenue system that took his agency from £18 to a six figure run rate in just 11 days, and why most people are treating LinkedIn like the wrong platform entirely He breaks down the secret shift happening inside B2B marketing right now, including how leading companies are using AI and automation to steal competitor leads and trigger conversations at exactly the right moment Learn why posting more content does not mean earning more leads, and how to split your strategy between growth content and nurture content to actually drive revenue Niall shares the single highest converting LinkedIn message his agency has ever sent, and it is far simpler than anyone expects The live LinkedIn profile roast gives listeners a rare, unfiltered look at what a top agency founder would fix first on any profile, from banners and headlines to the most underused piece of prime real estate on the platform. Enjoy the show? Please subscribe/ follow the show and leave a 1 or 5 star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-business-strategist-with-adam-strong/id1518654325 Chapters 00:00 The Rise of a Multi-Million Pound Agency 02:43 From Working Class to Entrepreneurs 05:38 Discovering the Power of LinkedIn 08:50 Identifying Market Gaps and Opportunities 11:34 Debunking LinkedIn Myths 14:23 Building Authority vs. Driving Revenue 17:24 The Three-Step LinkedIn Strategy 20:15 Engagement and Intent on LinkedIn 23:21 B2B Strategies and Market Shifts 26:31 The Rise of AI in B2B Conversations 31:10 Understanding Sales Signals 34:58 Cutting Through the Noise on LinkedIn 40:18 Coaching and Profile Optimisation 50:31 Optimising Your LinkedIn Profile 53:38 Crafting an Effective About Section 56:50 The Importance of Authentic Content 01:00:16 Balancing Broad and Narrow Content 01:04:32 Key Takeaways and Upcoming Masterclass ABOUT OUR SPONSORS Ready to exit, but worried you'll regret it? Book a call with the founder of Xentum Dominic Baldwin, limited spaces!  Website: https://www.xentum.co.uk/ ABOUT THE GUEST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niall-ratcliffe/ Join us for this FREE workshop on B2B marketing: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7432705315810410497/ ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1hr 12min
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4.9
out of 5
62 Ratings

About

The Business Strategist is the ultimate podcast for entrepreneurs, founders and business owners looking to scale, grow, and exit their businesses successfully. Hosted by Adam Strong, an award-winning strategist with over 30 years of industry experience and three times best selling author. Each episode delivers actionable business advice, practical tools, and insights to help you build a thriving enterprise. Whether you want to master leadership, craft a winning exit strategy, or implement proven scaling techniques, this podcast has you covered. With expert interviews, real-world case studies, and a focus on achieving business freedom, the business strategist is your go-to resource for taking your business to the next level. Tune in every week for new episodes designed to inspire, educate, and empower your entrepreneurial journey. Adam's Contact details LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong Is your business ready to run without you? Take the 2-minute Exit Readiness Assessment — a fast, strategic scorecard for founders who want to scale, sell, or step back without becoming the bottleneck. Get instant insights across leadership, systems, marketing, and more. Click here to take the assessment: https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com

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