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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The HR Lie Founders Keep Buying That Stalls Growth
Episode 377
Thursday, January 29, 2026 • Duration 45:40
Most founders are wasting a fortune on tools promising to shift the needle but instead it is quietly killing their growth.
This episode exposes why personality testing, competency models, and culture fit interviews often fail and what to replace them with if you want a team that actually delivers.
In this episode, I sit down with Barry Wolfe, an HR veteran with 30 years in the trenches helping founders and CEOs solve the people problems that stall growth. We go beyond generic HR and get into why businesses keep hiring great people who still do not perform, why teams break at certain revenue ceilings, and how leaders accidentally become the bottleneck.
Barry shares his value centric leadership approach, showing how to define roles by outcomes, improve hiring interviews, and align performance to the results that drive business growth. If you want to build a high performing team, improve employee retention, and scale without everything running through you, this conversation will challenge how you think about talent management.
Five takeaways: why you should listen
Why great CVs and strong interviews still fail and the real reason good people do not work out after 6 to 8 months
The most expensive hiring mistake founders and CEOs make and why smart leaders keep repeating it
The one thing to define before the interview starts: the 3 to 5 value added deliverables you need in the first 12 months
How to shift from managing actions to rewarding outcomes so roles are defined by what people deliver and performance becomes measurable
The first document to create if you are the bottleneck: define your key value drivers and business results so the whole team aligns and execution stops running through you.
Let’s be real — if you’re drowning in day-to-day crap, you’ll never scale or exit. Learn how to stop being your own bottleneck and start leading like a boss. Download this playbook for free, no email required and no BS.
Grab it now: https://adamstrong.notion.site/The-Exit-Playbook-Shift-from-Operator-to-Visionary-Leader-220f5f71e63b80bc91a0d7e0ca050c82?source=copy_link
ABOUT OUR SPONSOR
Ready to exit, but worried you'll regret it? Talk to our financial planners to get your exit number.
Visit: https://www.xentum.co.uk
ABOUT THE HOST
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong
Website: https://adamstrong.net
ABOUT THE GUEST
https://www.linkedin.com/in/barryrwolfe/
www.argoshr.com
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How To Break Stagnation and Drive Fast Growth
Episode 376
Thursday, January 22, 2026 • Duration 36:29
Let’s be real for a second: Law school, the accounting bodies, the professional exams they never actually taught you how to run a business. They taught you how to be a technician.
Now, you’re stuck in the trading time for money trap, thinking that being hardworking and professional gives you an edge over the competition. It doesn't. That’s just the baseline.
In 2026, relying on those standards is the quickest way to get left behind.
I joined Dan Warburton to talk about the shift from being a late-stage service provider to an early-stage strategic partner. We’re moving past the ego and getting into why your clients really buy from you—and it’s probably not what you think.
In this chat, we cover:
The Holiday Test: Why your inability to let go is capping your revenue and killing your culture.
Standards vs. USPs: Why telling people you're "punctual" is a waste of breath (and what to say instead).
The Ferrari Specialist: How to stop being a "generalist garage" and become the only logical choice for your ideal client.
Dinner, Drinks, and Real Data: My simple way to get your best clients to hand you your unfair advantage on a silver platter before the weekend hits.
AI vs. The Clock: Why billing by the hour is a losing game when tech can do your 8-hour task in 20 minutes.
If you’re tired of staying stuck, this is for you.
Want to exit your business but unsure where to start?
Take the ‘Exit readiness assessment’ and find out the gaps of what you need to do to plan your exit strategy confidently. Click on the link here: https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com
ABOUT OUR SPONSOR
Ready to exit, but worried you'll regret it? Talk to our financial planners to get your exit number.
Visit: https://www.xentum.co.uk
ABOUT THE HOST
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong
Website: https://adamstrong.net
ABOUT THE GUEST
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/investordanwarburton
Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2430923
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The Relationship Recession: Why “Fine” is Killing Your Company Valuation
Episode 375
Thursday, January 15, 2026 • Duration 55:52
Fine is the most expensive word in your business.
When your team tells you they’re fine, they aren’t being polite. They’re checking out.
We’re in a Relationship Recession, and it’s the silent tax stripping productivity, slowing decisions, and shaving value off your company from the inside.
In this episode, I sit down with Morag Barrett, leadership expert, member of the Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches, and the person CEOs call when trust is breaking and performance is slipping.
Morag explains why transactional leadership fuels burnout, how digital noise has replaced real connection, and what to do about it if you want a high trust culture that scales.
If your engagement is dipping or your business is being impacted by quiet quitting, this is the episode for you.
We discuss:
How to spot the “I’m fine” trap before turnover hits
How to identify allies, rivals, and hidden adversaries inside the Relationship Ecosystem
How to use a 60 second pulse check to measure trust fast
How to schedule spontaneity so remote teams feel like a community
How to shift from transactional to transformational leadership without more meetings
Want to exit your business but unsure where to start?
Take the ‘Exit readiness assessment’ and find out the gaps of what you need to do to plan your exit strategy confidently.
Click on the link here: https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com
ABOUT OUR SPONSOR
Ready to exit, but worried you'll regret it?
Visit: https://www.xentum.co.uk
ABOUT THE GUEST
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moragbarrett/
Website: https://skyeteam.com
Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cultivate-Winning-Relationships-Morag-Barrett-dp-1936487292/dp/1936487292/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
ABOUT THE HOST
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong
Website: https://adamstrong.net
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Your Hustle Is Killing Your Metabolic Health
Episode 374
Thursday, January 8, 2026 • Duration 39:53
I spent years chasing the myth that the harder you work the bigger the rewards. I was obsessed with growing my company to find freedom but it was a failed experiment. My business was scaling while my body was screaming a question I could not answer: how long can you actually sustain this for? I was winning on paper but my biology was being liquidated behind the scenes. Can you relate?
I used to treat my health like a cost centre I could manage after the next milestone.
In this episode I sit down with triple board certified physician Dr Amy Loden Tiffany to look at the metabolic crisis I was heading toward. We discuss the biological data points I was ignoring and why my desk was more dangerous than a smoking habit. This is a raw look at the hidden tax on success and why your current lifestyle is secretly draining your cognitive edge. If you have ever woken at 3am with your brain on overload this is an episode you cannot afford to skip.
Five reasons to listen
The Sitting Death Trap Discover why prolonged sitting is more lethal than smoking and the specific protocol to reverse the damage in weeks.
Hidden Mortality Markers The laboratory metrics most doctors ignore that predict early mortality and how insurance companies use them against CEOs.
The IQ Connection How metabolic health directly dictates decision making ability and why a compromised state leads to million pound mistakes.
Peak Energy ROI The three high impact micro habits that deliver maximum energy for founders working 12 hour days with zero gym time.
Biological Burnout Why burnout and metabolic disease share the exact same root causes and how fixing one automatically solves the other.
Want to exit your business but unsure where to start?
Take the ‘Exit readiness assessment’ and find out the gaps of what you need to do to plan your exit strategy confidently. Click on the link here: https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com
ABOUT OUR SPONSOR
Ready to exit, but worried you'll regret it?
Visit: https://www.xentum.co.uk
ABOUT THE GUEST
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-loden/
YouTube: @dramytiffany
Instagram: @dramytiffany
TikTok: @dramytiffany
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vitalitymwc
ABOUT THE HOST
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong
Website: https://adamstrong.net
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2026 Business Trends: My Strategy for Winning the Next 12 Months (A Must Listen)
Episode 373
Thursday, January 1, 2026 • Duration 22:11
Stop planning for 2026. If you are still preparing for the future, you have already been overtaken by those of us who are already living in it. Most people are waiting for a signal to move, but I am already executing the plays that will define the next twelve months.
I am not here to give you a forecast; I am here to give you the exact moves I am using to dominate while everyone else is still waking up.
The gap between the leaders and the crowd is widening, and the old rules of growth are officially dead. While the majority are distracted by vanity metrics and outdated hacks, I am betting everything on five specific shifts that are currently transforming my business.
In this episode, I reveal the internal roadmap I am using to scale intimacy through AI, why I am ignoring 90% of social media to build deeper trust, and the acquisition strategy I am using to bypass years of slow growth.
This is a raw look at my private playbook for 2026. Whether you are hearing this today or three weeks from now, the window to act is closing. This is how you win.
5 reasons to listen
I reveal how I use AI agents to scale genuine outreach and support without losing my human edge.
I explain my strategy for building a focussed personal brand that generates deep trust on a single platform.
I show you how I multiply my authority by turning depth content into a machine that attracts high value buyers.
I break down the specific community signals I track to ensure real growth instead of chasing empty impressions.
I share my blueprint for buying boring businesses to leapfrog traditional growth and create a massive exit.
Let’s be real — if you’re drowning in day-to-day crap, you’ll never scale or exit. The Exit Playbook is your ticket out of the chaos. Learn how to stop being your own bottleneck and start leading like a boss. It’s free, no email required and no BS.
Grab it now: https://adamstrong.notion.site/The-Exit-Playbook-Shift-from-Operator-to-Visionary-Leader-220f5f71e63b80bc91a0d7e0ca050c82?source=copy_link
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Entrepreneurial Success in 2026
06:41 Leveraging AI for Business Efficiency
12:06 The Power of Personal Branding
15:14 Shifts in Content Consumption
18:18 Community Over Vanity Metrics
21:07 Exploring Business Acquisitions for Growth
ABOUT OUR SPONSOR
Ready to exit, but worried you'll regret it?
Visit: https://www.xentum.co.uk
ABOUT THE HOST
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong
Website: https://adamstrong.net
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The M&A Playbook: Navigating the Identity Crisis After Selling Your Business
Episode 372
Thursday, December 25, 2025 • Duration 01:05:17
The deal closes. The champagne goes flat. And suddenly you're staring in the mirror wondering who the hell you are anymore. Your company's gone. Your title means nothing. The identity you wore for a decade has been stripped away. Did you just make the biggest mistake of your life?
I sat down with Jennifer Fondrevay, the M&A Whisperer who's lived through three multi-billion-pound acquisitions and consulted with over 60 CEOs on the hidden psychology of business exits.
As a best-selling author and TEDx speaker featured across global media, Jennifer has become the go-to expert on what nobody talks about in M&A: the identity crisis that follows the deal.
We explored the brutal truth about losing your business identity, why even the most successful founders feel like they're going crazy during transitions, and the battle-tested framework she developed from the trenches of corporate acquisitions.
This conversation revealed the exact emotional stages you’ll face post-exit and gave you the strategic playbook to rebuild your identity before a crisis hits. If your planning an exit in the next 2-5 years, this is a must listen.
Five reasons to listen
How to master the five stages of business grief - Jennifer reveals the proven framework she's used with Fortune 500 executives to transform anger and denial into acceptance and opportunity
The legacy question that changes everything - Discover the single most powerful question that forces clarity on who you are beyond your business title and protects what you've built
How the top 1% prepare for their final chapter - Learn the 6-month countdown strategy Jennifer developed after witnessing countless botched exits and seven-figure transitions gone right
Why your biggest advocates are hiding in plain sight - Uncover Jennifer's counterintuitive method for identifying team champions who'll accelerate change and shield you from emotional burnout
The breakthrough exercise CEOs didn't see coming - How Jennifer's unconventional music-based technique unlocks vulnerability in the boardroom and builds the trust required for seamless transitions
Let’s be real — if you’re drowning in day-to-day crap, you’ll never scale or exit. The Exit Playbook is your ticket out of the chaos. Learn how to stop being your own bottleneck and start leading like a boss. It’s free, no email required and no BS.
Grab it now: https://adamstrong.notion.site/The-Exit-Playbook-Shift-from-Operator-to-Visionary-Leader-220f5f71e63b80bc91a0d7e0ca050c82?source=copy_link
Chapters
00:00 The Identity Crisis Post-Exit
02:37 Navigating Mergers and Acquisitions
05:44 The Emotional Landscape of Exiting
08:05 Understanding Grief in Business Transitions
11:08 Building Trust During Change
13:56 The Role of Leadership in M&A
16:42 Acceptance and Moving Forward
19:29 Legacy and Impact After Exit
22:10 Preparing for the Future
25:10 Creating a New Narrative Post-Exit
31:41 Transitioning from Founder to CEO
35:30 Preparing for the Emotional Exit
37:21 Rebuilding Identity Post-Exit
41:52 Understanding Integration Debt
46:08 Navigating Grief in Leadership
59:31 Future Research Directions
ABOUT OUR SPONSOR
Ready to exit, but worried you'll regret it?
Visit: https://www.xentum.co.uk
ABOUT THE GUEST
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-fondrevay
Instagram: @jenniferj.fondrevay
Freebie: https://jenniferjfondrevay.com/resources
ABOUT THE HOST
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong
Website: https://adamstrong.net
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How to Buy Your Competitor with Zero Money Down
Episode 378
Thursday, December 18, 2025 • Duration 01:02:38
What if you could eliminate your biggest competitor without spending a penny upfront? While most business owners throw money at marketing and AI tools, there's a silent weapon hiding in plain sight: buying the competition that's stealing your clients.
In this episode, I’m joined by Jeremy Harbour, Wall Street Journal bestselling author and founder of The Harbour Club. We get practical about growing through acquisitions by buying your competitor.
We talk about why so many owner run businesses never sell, what makes today such a strong time to buy, and how to approach a competitor without turning it into an awkward sales pitch.
Jeremy shares what he looks for, what to avoid, and how to protect yourself so you are not left with a mess after the deal.
5 reasons to listen
Stop competing, start acquiring. Discover why buying your competitor is more effective than spending another pound on advertising or the latest AI automation.
The zero money down blueprint. Learn the exact structure Jeremy uses monthly to acquire businesses without borrowing from banks, signing guarantees or hiring expensive lawyers.
Baby boomer goldmine. Understand why 80% of businesses owned by retiring baby boomers are essentially free for the taking if you know how to structure the conversation.
Red flags become opportunities. Jeremy explains how client concentration, employee risk and owner dependency actually make deals easier, not harder.
Real-time acquisition coaching. Watch Jeremy coach me through structuring my first competitor acquisition, including the consulting to equity approach that eliminates upfront costs.
Learn how to stop being your own bottleneck and start leading like a boss. It’s free, no email required and no BS.
Grab it now: https://adamstrong.notion.site/The-Exit-Playbook-Shift-from-Operator-to-Visionary-Leader-220f5f71e63b80bc91a0d7e0ca050c82?source=copy_link
Chapters
00:00 The Strategy of Acquiring Competitors
02:46 Current Market Dynamics and Opportunities
05:36 Understanding Business Valuation and Acquisition Risks
08:25 Navigating the Acquisition Process
11:04 Building Rapport with Competitors
13:48 Personal Experiences in M&A
16:41 Identifying Sweet Spots for Acquisition
19:25 The Power of Group Strategies in M&A
22:09 Overcoming Mindset Barriers in M&A
25:04 Initiating Conversations with Competitors
29:19 End of Year Reflections and Motivations
30:03 Identifying Red Flags in Acquisitions
31:08 Leveraging Red Flags for Better Deals
33:18 Creating Asymmetric Risk in Transactions
36:34 Evaluating Business Concentration Risks
38:37 Recognizing Green Flags in Negotiations
39:21 De-risking Post-Acquisition Integration
41:07 Common Mistakes in the First 90 Days
44:47 Acquisition Strategies for Consulting Businesses
51:13 Navigating the Complexity of Acquisitions
55:23 Understanding Technology Business Valuations
57:20 Final Thoughts on Entrepreneurship and Acquisitions
ABOUT OUR SPONSOR
Helping you take the complexity out of exiting your business.
Go to https://www.adambenedict.co.uk
ABOUT THE GUEST
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyharbour/
Website: https://www.harbourclubevents.com
ABOUT THE HOST
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong
Website: https://adamstrong.net
Email: hello@adamstrong.net
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Stop Writing Content, Start Positioning: How to Command Authority on LinkedIn
Episode 370
Thursday, December 11, 2025 • Duration 14:22
Stop feeding the content monster. LinkedIn doesn’t reward volume; it rewards positioning.
If you are a founder with decades of experience but your posts are being ignored, the problem isn’t the algorithm. It is your structure. You don’t need 100,000 followers to dominate your niche; you need a framework that turns your specific life experience into a strategic asset.
In this episode, I am handing you the blueprint to my personal content strategy. This isn't theory; it is the exact methodology I use to generate consistent 10–15% engagement on every post with a modest following.
I break down the STRONG framework—a simple, repeatable system to transform your insights into posts that resonate with your ideal client profile, position you as an authority, and start real commercial conversations.
Here is why you need to listen:
The STRONG Framework Revealed: Master the 5-step formula to write high-converting content in under 15 minutes.
The Personal Proof Hook: Learn why starting with 'lived experience' beats theory every single time and stops the scroll.
Tension Through Contrast: Discover how to articulate the painful cost of staying stuck so your prospects feel compelled to act.
Reframing the Problem: How to flip the script on common industry issues to position yourself as the strategic solution.
Engagement Over Ego: Why I ignore vanity metrics to focus on the specific engagement rates that actually drive revenue.
Listen now to stop posting into the void and start building genuine authority.
Take the ‘Exit readiness assessment’ and find out the gaps of what you need to do to plan your exit strategy confidently. Click on the link here: https://readytoexit.scoreapp.comABOUT OUR SPONSOR
Helping you take the complexity out of exiting your business.
Go to https://www.adambenedict.co.uk
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the STRONG Framework
02:39 Breaking Down the STRONG Framework
05:44 The Importance of Personal Experience
08:18 Reframing Problems and Offering Solutions
11:03 Engagement and Call to Action
ABOUT THE HOST
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong
Website: https://adamstrong.net
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How To Use Licensing To Scale Your Business
Episode 369
Thursday, December 4, 2025 • Duration 56:44
What if the fastest way to scale this year is to stop selling your time and let other people sell your method for you?
If your calendar is full, your revenue is capped and you think another course or mastermind is the answer, this episode will flip that thinking on its head.
In this episode I sit down with licensing specialist April Beach to unpack how to scale by letting other companies pay to use your intellectual property.
We break down what licensing really is, when you are ready for it and why it is the step after courses, masterminds and memberships.
April walks through simple licensing models you can plug into your existing business and even coaches me live on how to licence my own exit framework, so you can apply the same thinking to your offers.
Take the ‘Exit readiness assessment’ and find out the gaps of what you need to do to plan your exit strategy confidently. Click on the link here: https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com
Value bombs
1. Discover a proven path to scale beyond 1-to-1 work Learn how to license your expertise to companies and create scalable B2B revenue streams without trading time for money.
2. Get the blueprint for identifying your most licensable content Learn how to pinpoint which of your programs or courses have the highest potential for corporate licensing deals.
3. Position yourself as an expert in your industry Elevate your authority and credibility when companies license your content, opening doors to premium opportunities.
4. Create a certification program that scales your impact Train and certify others to deliver your frameworks, expanding your reach while generating additional revenue streams.
5. Access simple, actionable steps you can implement immediately Get clear, practical strategies and concrete next steps to start licensing conversations with companies today.
ABOUT OUR SPONSOR
Helping you take the complexity out of exiting your business.
Go to https://www.adambenedict.co.uk
ABOUT THE GUESTInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilbeachlicensing/?hl=en
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aprilbeach
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilbeach/
Free Resource:
https://www.sweetlifeco.com/licensing101ABOUT THE HOST
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong
Website: https://adamstrong.net
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Human Edge in an AI World
Episode 364
Thursday, November 27, 2025 • Duration 43:45
What is the real competitive advantage for founders of small and medium sized businesses right now, smarter AI or leaders who know how to be deeply human.
In this episode, I sit down with executive coach and former COO Chris March to explore the human edge in an AI world and why treating AI as a shortcut instead of a multiplier is quietly damaging trust, culture and credibility in smaller businesses.
If you are a founder or owner of an SME leaning into AI but worried about losing the soul of your business, this conversation is for you.
Here is what we cover
Why blaming layoffs on AI is backfiring and how that story destroys trust even faster inside small teams
How generic AI generated content weakens your authority as a founder and what to do instead if you want real connection with prospects
The human edge for SMEs, using judgement, experience, emotional intelligence and real stories as a moat that big companies cannot copy
Practical ways to use AI as a force multiplier rather than a crutch so you can step out of low value tasks and back into leading the business
Three key principles for SME founders who want to use AI while protecting trust through education, transparency and simple governance
Take the ‘Exit readiness assessment’ and find out the gaps of what you need to do to plan your exit strategy confidently. Click on the link here: https://readytoexit.scoreapp.comABOUT OUR SPONSOR
Helping you take the complexity out of exiting your business.
Go to https://www.adambenedict.co.uk
ABOUT THE GUEST
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherrmarch
Website: https://chrismarchcoaching.com/
Sign up for my free bi-weekly newsletter: Subscribe | The Leading Edge: https://leadingedge.beehiiv.com/subscribe
ABOUT THE HOST
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong
Website: https://adamstrong.net
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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