The Business Strategist With Adam Strong

Adam Strong
  • 4.9 (29)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

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. 5d ago

    Self Discipline Is a Myth (Do This Instead)

    What if the harder you push, the more fragile you get? For years I believed the fix was self discipline. More willpower, more grind, more 5am starts. Every time I fell off I told myself the same thing: just try harder. So what actually moves human behaviour, and why might the smallest action be the one thing that finally helps you grow? I sat down with a behavioural economist who has spent 20 years studying what really changes the way we behave. She told me slow beats fast, big goals freeze us, and there's a silent burnout most founders never spot until the body forces the issue. Then she walked me through her framework live, using one of my own goals. I left questioning a belief I've carried my whole career. Dr Christiane Schroeder is a behavioural economist, TEDx speaker and bestselling author of five books. She hosts the Happy Healthy Hustle Podcast, a top 1% global show, and was named Woman in Podcasting 2025 in the education category. Her new book, Petite Practice, is out 16 August 2026. Interested in freeing yourself in the business? Take the exit ready diagnostics test and identify the gaps in your growth and scale model. Go here: https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com/ Value bombs Why the harder you push, the more fragile you getThe rule of thirds, and why bad days are built inSlow beats fast, and how speed quietly costs you the winsThe silent burnout hiding behind your highest performersHer STEP framework, walked through live on my own goal ABOUT THE GUEST Website:  https://doctorchristiane.com Instagram:  https://instagram.com/doctor.christiane LinkedIn:  https://linkedin.com/in/christianeschroeter/ YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@doctor.christiane TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@doctor.christiane X:  https://x.com/Christiane_711 Challenge:  https://doctorchristiane.com/the-do-it-anyway-challenge-3/ ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

    Self Discipline Is a Myth (Do This Instead)

  2. Aug 13

    What Got You To £1M Won't Get You To £10M

    What if the thing holding your business back isn't the market or your team, but you? I've watched founders hit the same wall for years and never quite worked out why some break through while others stay stuck for a decade. This conversation finally gave me the answer. I've been sitting with one question for years. Why do some founders make the leap from a million to ten, while others just as capable stall for a decade? In this one I get answers from the person top Silicon Valley founders call when they hit a wall. We get into why what got you here won't get you there, the exact point most businesses break, and the quiet fear that keeps you playing small. If you've ever suspected you're the bottleneck in your own business, this one's for you. My guest is Julian Lighton. He spent 12 years at McKinsey, ran billion dollar businesses at Cisco and Hitachi, and has been chief strategy officer at four public companies. He took Corsair public in 2020, and today he coaches senior leaders at Anthropic, Microsoft and Adobe. He's also the author of an international bestseller ’Navigating your next’.  What you will learn The exact point most businesses break, and it isn't revenueWhy what got you here won't get you thereHow to tell if you're stuck on skill or on mindsetThe four lenses that show where you're leaking timeThe real cost of staying exactly where you are Interested in freeing yourself in the business? Take the exit ready diagnostics test and identify the gaps in your growth and scale model. Go here: https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com/ ABOUT THE GUEST Julian’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianlighton1/.  Julian’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julian.lighton/.  Julian’s best-selling book is out now: Navigating Your Next | Julian Lighton Julian’s website: https://www.julianlighton.com/ ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

    What Got You To £1M Won't Get You To £10M

  3. Aug 6

    The 5 Step LinkedIn Strategy That Wins Clients

    Why does most LinkedIn outreach get completely ignored? I asked myself the same thing for years, until I stopped guessing and started testing. What I found changed how I book calls entirely, so what was I doing wrong the whole time? When we think of outreach often the first thoughts that go through our mind is spammy sales messages, I was scared of the rejection and honestly most of what I saw out there was soulless copy and paste.  Then I started running proper campaigns. Over the last few months I built a simple five step framework that quietly books quality calls every single week, no pushy scripts, no wasting anyone's time.  In this one I take you behind the scenes and show you exactly how I do it, from the tiny connection request tweak that lifted my acceptance rates to the follow up rhythm nearly everyone gets wrong. What you will learn How to get razor clear on your ideal customer before you send a wordThe connection request change that lifts acceptance rates fastWhy messaging too soon quietly kills the dealThe curiosity trick that gets your messages actually openedWhere the real money hides in your follow up Free guide on how to create clarity in your business strategy: https://app.notion.com/p/The-Ultimate-Guide-to-Creating-Clarity-in-Your-Business-Strategy-2341d950a9a580e991d5c47a491bdab4 ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

  4. Jul 30

    The Hiring Mistake That Stops You Scaling

    What if the person quietly holding your business back is someone you'd never dream of firing? I've watched founders throw everything at sales and funding, then wonder why growth suddenly stalls. So I sat down with Dr. Cynthia Bentzen-Mercer, a USA Today bestselling author and executive coach who's spent 30 years in the C-suite watching the same mistake play out. We got into why the best hire on paper is so often the worst performer in the room, and the loyalty trap that's costing founders more than they realise. If you're scaling, this might change how you look at everyone on your payroll. Value bombs from this episode: Why years of experience tells you almost nothing about how someone will actually performThe four types of people in every team, and the one quietly draining your growthThe kind way to move on the person who got you here but can't take you furtherWhy your top performer might be your most expensive mistakeThe 2030 deadline no founder is talking about Interested in freeing yourself in the business? Take the exit ready diagnostics test and identify the gaps in your growth and scale model. Go here: https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com/ ABOUT THE GUEST Website: www.cynthiabentzenmercer.com,  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrCynthiaBentzenMercer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcynthiabentzenmercer Resources — Bentzen Performance Partners Global Organizational Development Strategist Company ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

    The Hiring Mistake That Stops You Scaling

  5. Jul 23

    9 Client Red Flags That Are Costing You Money

    Two months ago I signed what I thought was my dream client. It turned into the worst working relationship of my career, and it cost me a lot more than the fee was ever worth. In this episode I go through the nine client types I now refuse to work with and the seven traits I look for instead. I also share the qualification process I have put in place since, including one request most people would never have the nerve to make. If you have ever chased the money and paid for it later, listen to this before your next sales call. What you will learn Why perfectionism is really procrastination in disguiseHow to spot an energy vampire before the first invoiceThe client type who takes your framework and your creditThe seven traits every good client has in commonWhat I now demand from anyone who wants to work with me Interested in freeing yourself in the business? Take the exit ready diagnostics test and identify the gaps in your growth and scale model. Go here: https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com/ ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

  6. Jul 16

    Scaling a Business Without Losing Yourself

    What if scaling your business is quietly erasing the person who built it? For years I thought more revenue, more staff, more space would take the weight off. It doesn't. The pressure just grows with the business. This one is about why so many of us tie who we are to how the company is doing, and what that quietly costs us. If you have ever looked like you had it all together on the outside while feeling empty underneath, listen to this. My guest is chairman of the Napoleon Hill Institute and the former CEO of the sports agency that inspired Jerry Maguire. He is an investor, entrepreneur and one of the most recognised voices in personal development in the United States. Inside this episode The scaling curse most founders beg to be blessed withSurrender, reframed as taking control rather than giving upThe 12 hours of non negotiables that drive 90 percent of your progressDiscipline versus devotion, and why one leaves you broke and burnt outThe reason turning down help might be holding you back more than you think Interested in freeing yourself in the business? Take the exit ready diagnostics test and identify the gaps in your growth and scale model. Go here: https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com/ ABOUT GUEST WEBSITE - https://bit.ly/2L052wW LINKEDIN - https://bit.ly/2uuTHdO YOUTUBE - https://bit.ly/2Lqr8oB Get your FREE Book by emailing: David@dmeltzer.com ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

    Scaling a Business Without Losing Yourself

  7. Jul 9

    The Trap That Keeps Great Founders Invisible

    Two founders. Same skill, same twenty years, the same ideas. One charges three times more, is booked out a year in advance and has a waiting list as long as my arm. The other is the best kept secret in the industry. Their work is barely different, so why does one get all the attention and the other gets ignored? I've always believed the people with the best ideas rise to the top. Turns out that's rarely how it works. In this episode I sit down with someone who has spent her entire career on the gap between being genuinely good and actually being recognised, and by the end she pulls the curtain back on why so many brilliant people stay invisible while others build a name on far thinner ideas.  Dorie Clark is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of The Long Game and Stand Out. She's a four-time Thinkers50 top business thinker, teaches at Columbia Business School and has written for Harvard Business Review for sixteen years. Interested in freeing yourself in the business? Take the exit ready diagnostics test and identify the gaps in your growth and scale model. Go here: https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com/ WHAT WE COVER Why your visibility problem is a strategy problem, not a marketing oneIntroversion vs shyness, and why only one is actually holding you backThe wingman study that makes self-promotion work without the egoHow to tell strategic patience apart from just procrastinatingHow to build a competitive moat so rivals get no oxygen Chapters 00:00 The Value of Positioning in Business 02:59 Understanding Strategy vs. Marketing Problems 06:29 Navigating Introversion and Self-Promotion 11:53 The Fear of Judgment in Building a Brand 15:26 Leveraging AI for Strategic Thinking 23:14 The Importance of Positioning and Recognition 25:50 Establishing Credibility Through Social Proof 27:30 The Balance of Speed and Patience in Business 31:40 Recognising When to Adapt or Persist 36:22 Understanding Strategic Patience 41:00 Building a Competitive Moat for Ideas 43:33 Coaching Session: Strategies for Legal Firms ABOUT GUEST LinkedIn Instagram Facebook Twitter ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong AFFILIATE LINKS Riverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/Wy7eRJ Scoreapp: https://share.scoreapp.com/7944abb3

    The Trap That Keeps Great Founders Invisible

  8. Jul 2

    From Brink Of Collapse To £18 Million Growth

    What if the one thing killing your business isn't the market, the economy or a competitor, but you? This week I finally got my mate John Castro on the show, a year in the making. Back in 2020 John walked into a dying events business, then convinced the founders to let him try something mad. He took it to nearly 18 million in sales, then went away for two years and watched it keep growing. We got into the stuff nobody talks about. The deal where he only got paid if he won. Why owners stay stuck on ego and control. The framework that makes a business sellable. And why rest might be the most productive thing you do all week. John works with founders doing 500k to 5 million, on a mission to help UK owners find real freedom, not another job with their name on it. WHAT WE COVER The no win, no fee deal that handed him control of a 15 year old companyHow he added 2 million in revenue in his first yearWhy over systemising quietly chokes your businessLeaving meat on the bone when you sell, and why buyers walk away if you don'tThe guilt trap, and why rest might be the most productive thing you do all week Interested in freeing yourself in the business? Take the exit ready diagnostics test and identify the gaps in your growth and scale model. Go here: https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com/ Chapters 00:00 The Business Challenge: Overcoming Adversity 02:47 Transforming a Failing Business: The Journey Begins 05:25 Negotiating Control: The Shared Risk Approach 08:30 The Importance of Trust and Systems in Business 11:40 Ego and Control: The Barriers to Growth 14:23 Finding the Right Balance: Equity vs. Revenue Share 17:14 The Role of Leadership in Business Success 20:05 Letting Go: Trusting Your Team for Growth 23:11 Transitioning Tasks: The Art of Delegation 26:43 The STS Framework: Systems, Team, Strategy 29:28 Building a Strong Team: Purpose and Accountability 32:26 Identifying the Right Time for Implementation 34:51 The Importance of Profitability and Systems 37:30 Finding the Balance: Oversystemization in Business 40:09 The Shift from Founder to CEO: A Mindset Change 43:55 Understanding the Difference: CEO vs. Founder 46:48 Navigating Business Ownership and Financial Strategy 51:40 Mental Health and the Entrepreneurial Journey ABOUT GUEST https://www.instagram.com/1johncastro/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/1johncastro/ John Castro - Giveaway Links https://systemisetoscale.co/newsletter https://systemisetoscale.co/sts-workshop ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

    From Brink Of Collapse To £18 Million Growth
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4.9
out of 5
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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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