The Business Strategist With Adam Strong

Hosted by Adam Strong

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416

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Oct 2026

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About the show

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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November 5, 2026Episode 4171 hr 5 min

Selling Your Business? What Happens the Morning After

What happens to you the morning after you sell the business you spent a decade building? I’ve sat with founders who planned every number of their exit and never once planned for the person left standing when the deal closes. In this episode I sit down with Jennifer Fondrevay, who went through three acquisitions worth billions from the inside and then interviewed more than 60 CEOs to find out whether what she felt was normal. We get into the emotional side of exiting that nobody prepares you for, why grief shows up even when the deal goes well, and the question I ask every founder that almost none of them can answer. Jennifer is an M&A culture and change consultant, TEDx speaker and author of the bestselling Now What? A Survivor’s Guide for Thriving Through Mergers and Acquisitions. 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 your identity disappears the moment the deal closes The stages of grief every founder goes through after an exit Where betrayal creeps in and how fast trust collapses with your senior team The six month rule Jennifer gives founders handing over the keys A music exercise that gets CEOs talking openly about loss Timestamps 00:00 What nobody tells you about selling your business 05:43 From advertising executive to accidental M&A expert 09:39 Interviewing 60 CEOs to find the patterns 11:01 The team that had been leaderless for a year 14:05 When she realised she had to write the book 15:45 Does everyone go through an identity shift after a deal? 18:11 The stages of grief after an acquisition 23:15 Where betrayal and feeling blindsided show up 24:45 Why this doesn't mean you shouldn't exit 26:43 Who are you after you sell your business? 29:23 The exit planning question founders can't answer 33:16 Legacy versus impact after exit 34:20 The visualisation exercise for founders 37:14 Preparing for the emotional exit, not just the financial one 39:39 How to rebuild your identity without your business 43:20 Peeling back the layers of founder identity 46:11 Why there's no secret formula for exit 48:21 Coaching: leading a team through an acquisition 56:17 Coaching: lonely at the top during a deal 57:46 The playlist exercise that gets CEOs talking about grief 1:01:32 Integration debt and what's next for Jennifer ABOUT THE GUEST LinkedIn: Jennifer Fondrevay Instagram: @jenniferj.fondrevay Freebie: Resources ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

October 29, 2026Episode 4161 hr 6 min

How to Grow on LinkedIn With AI (Without Sounding Like AI)

Could AI be the reason my LinkedIn content still sounds like everyone else’s? I’ve been trying to get Charlie Hills on the show for well over a year and this conversation was worth every bit of the wait. Charlie built one of the biggest audiences on LinkedIn while admitting he was never a natural writer, and the way he did it isn’t what most people would expect. By the end he turns the spotlight on my own profile, and what he picked up on is something you’ll want to check on yours straight after listening. Charlie Hills is a LinkedIn creator and AI content strategist with over 160,000 followers who helps founders grow their audience and turn attention into sales and partnerships. In this episode Why context now beats clever prompts The AI privacy risk in your connected tools The CHEF framework for content that sounds like you When lead magnet posts build trust and when they burn it A live LinkedIn profile audit you can steal 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 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-hills/ ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

October 22, 2026Episode 4151 hr 9 min

Why Buyers Pay Less for Businesses That Sound the Same

Why would anyone pay more for your business when it sounds exactly like the firm down the road? I sat down with my good friend Les Evans for his return to the show, and this one turned into a proper masterclass. We got into the hidden cost of sounding like everyone else in your industry, why it drags down what a buyer will pay when you sell, and what a soap brand, a guitar maker and a law firm handing out free coffee can teach you about standing out. If you’ve ever read your own website and wondered why it sounds like your competitor’s, grab a notebook for this one. Les is the author of Uncopyable, has worked with founders in over 25 countries and once ran a $100 million investment fund. In this episode The sameness tax and what it costs you at exit How brand can add two or three to your multiple The one line that turned a fund manager into a bank robber How a law firm grew 400% without changing the law it practised The question that exposes what you’re really selling 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: https://reallesevans.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesevansofficial LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/les-evans-uncopyable/ ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

October 15, 2026Episode 4141 hr 4 min

Feeling Stuck in Business? Your Habits Are the Reason

My business isn’t held back by the market, the economy or my team, and I’d bet yours isn’t either. So why does nothing change when I already know exactly what needs to change? I sat down with Dr Michael Hagemann to work out why founders who know they need to change still don’t, and before long I was the one in the coaching seat. We got into why the habits that built your business can quietly hold it back, why people don’t really resist change so much as they resist being changed, and the slightly uncomfortable exercise that showed me what I’m actually chasing. If you’ve ever set a big goal and looked back twelve months later to find nothing had moved, this one is for you. My guest Dr Michael Hagemann is a change and transformation leader at a global multinational, founder of Transformationdoc and author of two books on leadership and change. In this episode Why people resist being changed, not change itself The real reason founders never follow through on the plan How to build your change muscle with one small daily habit The DOC framework for reinventing how you lead The eulogy exercise that reveals what you really want 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/ Timestamps 00:00 Why good businesses stall 03:00 From priest to change leader 08:22 People resist being changed, not change 10:49 The real reasons we resist change 15:03 Knowing you need to change but staying stuck 18:39 Why the plan never gets followed through 20:27 How your brain keeps you in a rut 23:48 How to train your change muscle 34:40 The DOC framework for getting unstuck 42:25 Live coaching: why my goals keep stalling 53:46 The eulogy exercise 58:39 The MIC method for changing your team 1:03:32 Final thoughts ABOUT THE GUEST https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-michael-hagemann-20359156 ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

October 8, 2026Episode 41345 min

How to Sell Your Business When the Brand Is You

For years I've heard founders being told to build their personal brand, so why does my guest believe it's the worst thing you can do if you ever want to sell your business? This conversation puts my guest at odds with Daniel Priestley and half of LinkedIn, and I wanted to find out why. We talk about the difference between brand and branding, why buyers hunt for undervalued businesses the way a dealer looks for a Picasso at a car boot sale, and the one asset Stevey says nobody can replace once you've sold. If you run a professional services firm and you've ever wondered whether your name is holding up the valuation, listen before a buyer asks you that question. My guest Stevey Arroyo started on the creative side, learning his craft at a studio in Australia whose clients included Apple. He now works on the deal side, putting a number on what a brand is worth when a business is sold. He also hosts The Brand Exit podcast, where he talks to founders and buyers about what makes a business worth more. Value bombs Why your personal brand could be the biggest risk in your exit Brand versus branding, and why only one shows up in your valuation How buyers use arbitrage to buy low and sell high The three things a buyer checks before making an offer What to do if you've spent years building your own profile 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 www.linkedin.com/in/steveyarroyo www.linkedin.com/company/the-brand-exit https://www.instagram.com/stevey.arroyo/ https://www.instagram.com/the.brand.exit https://www.thebrandexit.co.uk/ ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

October 1, 2026Episode 4121 hr 4 min

Why Culture Adds Millions to Your Business Valuation

What if two businesses with the same revenue and the same profit went to market, and one sold for millions more than the other? I've watched it happen more times than I can count, and the reason never shows up anywhere on the balance sheet. Alex Brueckmann has been a good friend of mine for the best part of five years, and this is the third time he's joined me on the show. This time we tackle the question most founders never think to ask until a buyer is already sitting across the table: why will an investor happily pay more for one business than another when the numbers look almost identical? Alex sits on both sides of that table, advising founders and investing in businesses himself, so he knows exactly what makes a buyer lean in and what quietly sends them walking. Towards the end I asked him to coach me through my own exit plan, and the very first question he put to me is one I think every founder planning to sell should be able to answer before they go anywhere near a deal. Alex is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Strategy Legacy and creator of the Nine Elements of Organisational Identity framework. Value bombs Why identical profits can sell at very different prices The dead body in the closet that kills deals How buyers read your culture in due diligence Why alignment is a dangerous word in your boardroom Where to start if you plan to exit in the next 24 to 36 months 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 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderbrueckmann Website: www.AlexBrueckmann.com ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

September 24, 2026Episode 4111 hr 6 min

How To Buy An Online Business (From A $120M Broker)

Would you rather spend three years building a business from scratch, or buy one that's already paying out every month? There's a whole market most founders never see. Websites, SaaS tools and digital products change hands every single day, some of them for millions. I sat down with someone who's brokered over $120 million of these deals. We got into what buyers are really paying for, why two businesses making identical profit can sell for double the price, and the million dollar purchase that went to zero overnight. I'm joined by Mike Swigunski, employee number four at Empire Flippers, the world's largest marketplace for buying and selling online businesses. He helped grow it to a 100 person remote team, brokered over $120 million in acquisitions, and is a number one bestselling author and TEDx speaker. He's now building Dividends, a platform that lets everyday investors own a share of cash flowing online businesses. Value Bombs The five checks that stop a business collapsing overnight Why equal profit can mean a 2x difference in price The £1M lesson one first time buyer learned the hard way How service firms can bolt on recurring revenue Why the best offer doesn't always win the deal 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 #1 Bestselling Book: https://globalcareerbook.com Dividends Raise: https://wefunder.com/dividends Dividends Website: https://dividendscapital.com TEDx Talk: https://youtu.be/MQpotNI5NvQ?si=vBq41Ts_io6eIbHV Instagram: https://instagram.com/mikeswigunski LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeswigunski YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/MikeSwigunski Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swigunski ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

September 17, 2026Episode 4101 hr 25 min

The Exit Most Business Owners Never Reach

For years I was convinced I had built a real business. So why did the whole thing fall apart the second I stepped away from it? Over 52% of business owners have no exit plan, and with the biggest wealth transfer in history already underway, that window is closing fast. In this episode, I had the privilege of appearing on James Lamb’s podcast called ‘The Ownership Journey, where I break down how to build a business that runs without you, the kind of company acquirers actually want to buy, so you can sell on your own terms and the exact blueprint to maximise valuation 2-3 years before exiting. I share why founder dependency is the biggest drag on your valuation, how an exit plan exposes the gaps in your company, and the mindset shifts that break the revenue ceilings trapping most entrepreneurs. I also go back to my own story, from elite distance runner to McDonald's manager to advisor, and why healthy high performance beat the hustle that was burning me out. Five key takeaways Why what you own might be a job, not a business Why founder dependency is the biggest drag on your business valuation How an exit plan exposes the gaps holding your company back The mindset shifts that break through revenue ceilings Why rest and recovery drive high performance more than hustle Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (01:49) The Exit Planning Crisis: Why 52% of Founders Have No Plan (03:13) My Athletic Roots: Training Alongside Mo Farah (08:47) From McDonald's Manager to Business Coach (14:18) How to Build a 400+ Episode Podcast That Lasts (21:25) Founder Dependency: The Biggest Drag on Business Valuation (30:48) The LAPS Framework for Tracking Business Metrics (37:17) Hustle Culture vs Healthy High Performance (43:05) A Holistic Approach to Exit Strategy for Business Owners (46:29) Breaking Through Business Growth Ceilings at Every Revenue Level (52:22) Lead Generation, LinkedIn Strategy, and Business Acquisition (01:05:52) What a Successful Exit Really Looks Like (01:08:58) Overcoming the Fear of Being Insignificant (01:12:53) Creating Your Own Economy: Build a Business That Runs Without You 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 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠ https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong ABOUT THE HOST James Lamb LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslambuk/ Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ownership-journey/id1882591694

September 10, 2026Episode 4091 hr 1 min

The No Money Down Business Acquisition Playbook

What if the smartest growth move you could make this year was buying the competitor that keeps stealing your clients? And what if I could do it with none of my own money? I got Jeremy Harbour back on the show and this one shifted how I think about growing my own business. We got into why buying a competitor beats trying to out market them, why most owners quietly wind their business down instead of selling, and the low key way to open that first conversation without spooking anyone. Jeremy is a Wall Street Journal best selling author and founder of the Harbour Club, the largest M&A community of its kind. He closes one to two acquisition deals every month. Value bombs Why 92% of small businesses never sell, and how that becomes your opening The buyer pyramid that quietly doubles what a business is worth How to spot a competitor worth buying in the first conversation Turning red flags into leverage for a no money down deal The consulting to equity route into your first acquisition 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 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 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

September 3, 2026Episode 40821 min

Business Valuation Secrets Private Equity Won't Tell You

What if the first thing that makes your business worth millions has nothing to do with growth? When private equity buys a company they never fix growth first. They fix five things most founders have never even looked at. And here is the part that should bother you, none of them are a secret. So why do owners leave that value sitting on the table for decades? I have watched buyers walk into a room and unlock value the owner left behind for years. No clever formulas, no trick the big firms know. Just five moves most founders never make until someone is sitting across the table with a chequebook and a list of demands. In this one I hand you the whole list so you can fix it yourself, keep the value and build a business worth buying, whether you ever sell it or not. What you will learn Why a business that depends on you sells for far less The two week test that exposes what breaks without you How to tell a reputation apart from a real client acquisition engine The one person sitting in the wrong seat quietly draining your growth The single claim that lets you charge a premium nobody can copy 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