Build Better Business Podcast with Chuck Crumpton

Chuck Crumpton
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

The Build Better Business Podcast, hosted by Chuck Crumpton, is a podcast by business leaders for business leaders. We have great guests every week discussing all areas of business from growth to possible exits. Entertaining and packed with great value. Enjoy the show! StrategicAdvisoryForum.com

  1. 3d ago

    AI scientist Luca Scimeca, Phd discusses disruptive discovery and the global impact of AI.

    Luca is an Italian-born research scientist who lives in Boston, with a degree in AI from the University of Edinburgh, a PhD in AI and robotics from Cambridge, and postdoctoral work at Cambridge, Harvard, and Mila, currently working at Sapient Intelligence.  Luca says he sees himself as a lifelong learner and chose AI because it can be applied across many domains, giving him “windows” into fields he could never fully master. The conversation then turns to AI’s broader impact and the idea of singularity. Chuck shares a past discussion with a client who predicted a tipping point around 2040 and asks Luca’s view.  Luca says such a singularity is not impossible but not highly likely if we simply continue current scaling trends, noting observed learning plateaus and architectural limitations; however, a disruptive discovery could change that, and AI is already accelerating research across fields, which could speed such breakthroughs.  So much is happening around the topic of AI and how it's impacting global business. This is an interesting conversation. I help business owners sell great companies for remarkable price and terms. If you're considering selling, let's talk. Don't leave money on the table. Chuck Crumpton 864.915.0066

  2. 5d ago

    The journey from being a single mom to $billion-dollar pharmaceutical CEO with Lou Kennedy

    Lou Kennedy’s road to success has been anything but easy. Even recently, she faced significant external challenges that threaten the billion-dollar enterprise she worked so hard to build. But Lou is a friend, a fighter, and someone whose character, competence, and relentless determination have carried her through adversity before—and I have every confidence they will do so again. Most of us who have spent our lives in business have encountered plenty of bumps along the way. I certainly have. There’s an old saying, “The bumps are what you climb on,” and few stories illustrate that better than Lou’s. Lou began her journey as a single mother raising a young daughter with very little money and no easy path forward. Yet through perseverance, courage, hard work, and an unwavering belief in what was possible, she climbed that mountain and ultimately achieved extraordinary success in the pharmaceutical industry. Lou’s story isn’t simply a story of business success. It’s a story of resilience—the ability to get knocked down, get back up, and keep climbing. I help business owners get the best price and terms when they sell their business. If I can help you with our proven process, please let me know. Chuck 864-915-0066. Thanks, enjoy the show!

  3. Aug 11

    Are we approaching the magical "tipping point" with AI? Quentin Reul, PhD joins the show.

    Quentin explains he was originally inspired to pursue AI by the movie “The Matrix,” studying computing science and AI in the early 2000s when symbolic AI and expert systems dominated, then continuing into a PhD and a long career in the field. He highlights a core problem for businesses: generative AI is powerful for language tasks but not suited for some tasks.   He cites an MIT report that found only about 5% of AI projects delivered measurable ROI, with many failing outright or only partially working, often because companies chase shiny tools instead of starting from customer problems and strategy. Ultimately, he agrees everyone will be impacted, but the degree depends on willingness to adapt, noting that change is the only constant. I raise the idea of technological “singularity,” recounting a 2010 conversation with a technologist who predicted a tipping point around 2040, which has become more salient as AI advances. If singularity is defined as the point where interactions with machines feel similar to interactions with humans, he believes we’ve already gone “over the cliff” and that such convergence is likely before 2040, though he won’t commit to a date.  Quentin’s core advice is to “be customer-centric” and “fall in love with the problem, not the solution”. I help business owners get ready to sell and go through the process of getting top offers for their business. Let me know if I can help you. Enjoy the show! Chuck Crumpton 864.915.0066

  4. Jul 16

    Harvard grad Jeff Fidelman leaves his high profile position to make $3000 in his first year.

    Jeff stresses that entrepreneurship is a “vertical mountain climb with no equipment,” and that many people will not figure it out despite their best efforts, which must be acceptable. He quit a comfortable partner role at a venture fund the day he returned from his honeymoon, with no plan and earning only about $3,000 in his first year, leading to intense personal and marital strain before he eventually built a sustainable business. Chuck reinforces the emotional and relational toll of founding and exiting businesses, describing entrepreneurship as “jumping off the burning building” and praising spouses who endure the “foxhole” stress alongside founders. In a rapid-fire segment, Jeff addresses myths and red flags in fundraising. He agrees with Chuck that founders shouldn’t “raise as little as possible” but rather raise what they truly need. There's a lot in this conversation and I hope you enjoy! Let me know if I can give you perspective if you're looking to sell your business one day. Chuck Crumpton 864.915.0066

  5. Jul 8

    "You only lose by quitting in business" with Pink Zebra CEO Ron Holt

    Ron describes a pivotal “aha” moment during his early corporate career in Atlanta. Stuck in traffic on I‑85, he looked at the empty expressions of commuters around him and felt a pit in his stomach, realizing he didn’t want that to be his life, even if his salary doubled or tripled. His core message is that success is less about intelligence or money and more about persistence: “you can only lose by quitting in business,” and people who succeed simply never give up because they believe deeply in what they’re building. Ron offers direct advice to new entrepreneurs: set aside the operational details initially and “have fun dreaming,” defining a big, clear goal and truly believing in it.  Ron and I discuss the emotional and psychological side of entrepreneurship, including loneliness and the struggle to “get to the next day.”  I help business owners build and sell remarkable companies. If I can help you, let me know. Thanks, enjoy the conversation! Chuck Crumpton 864.915.0066 Chuck@StrategicAdvisoryForum.com

  6. Jul 1

    Overcoming addiction to win in M&A - over $1 Billion in deals - CEO Shay Houser

    Shay Houser is one of the smartest and most vunerable people I know, and I'm honored to call him my friend. Battling and overcoming major addiction struggles, he went on to do over $1B in M&A deals. We talk life and business in this episode. I asked what advice Shay has for people “stuck” in comfortable corporate jobs who feel an entrepreneurial itch. His response is blunt: if it’s truly their calling, they must “do it” and go all in, including quitting their job and burning the bridge back to corporate life, because without that commitment the startup will never really begin. When asked how smaller entrepreneurs should relate to Shay’s billion-dollar deal history, he explains that large outcomes are built “one transaction at a time,” likening it to eating an elephant one bite at a time. You will find knowledge and encouragement in this conversation in Shay's no b******t approach to life and business. Enjoy! If you are considering selling or buying a business, let's talk. I get people great results in a high level of competence and caring. Chuck Crumpton 864.915.0066

  7. Jun 24

    Will AI achieve consciousness and take your job? Dr. Andrea Isoni, AI expert weighs in.

    Andrea expects AI will surpass humans in many tasks before 2040, but sees the real tipping point as when AI combines high competence with the ability to interpret real‑world context like a human (e.g., distinguishing genuine clinical depression from temporary sadness), something current systems cannot do because they must treat user input as true. On global AI governance, he says there is no “magic wand,” but the only viable path is international agreements on regulations that everyone accepts, even if they slow progress, so that all players are equally constrained—similar to existing frameworks for nuclear and chemical weapons. So much more...enjoy. Let me know if you're thinking of selling your business. I've done it 3 times and I can save you time, money, and pain. Chuck. 864-915-0066

  8. Jun 17

    "Think faster, talk smarter" with Stanford University professor Matt Abrahams

    Matt outlines what separates great from average communicators: they are audience‑centric (“it’s about them, not about you”) and deliver clear, concise messages with good structure.  Discussing the book, Chuck highlights a key line: the goal is not perfection but being clear, confident, and connected.  Listen to hear Matt's six key principles from “Think Faster, Talk Smarter” Let me know how I can help you grow your business before exiting. I've built and sold 3 of my own companies so I know business can be challenging at times. You don't have to do it alone. Chuck Crumpton 864-915-0066

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The Build Better Business Podcast, hosted by Chuck Crumpton, is a podcast by business leaders for business leaders. We have great guests every week discussing all areas of business from growth to possible exits. Entertaining and packed with great value. Enjoy the show! StrategicAdvisoryForum.com

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