The Business Strategist With Adam Strong

Most founders are convinced they're ready to scale. Most of them aren't. So how do you actually know the difference?The leads are coming in. The team's growing. Revenue's up. Then six months later you're more exhausted, more overwhelmed and somehow further from where you wanted to be. Sound familiar? In this solo episode I'm walking through the five indicators I actually look for before I tell any founder they're ready to scale. I've pulled in real stories from clients I've worked with recently, including an architecture firm doing something most businesses would never dare to do, plus a few mistakes I've made in my own business that I'd rather you didn't repeat.Inside this episodeThe five numbers I track every single week (and the three most founders ignore)Why one firm I work with deliberately turns paying clients awayThe cash flow trap that hits hardest right when things feel goodThe team conversation you keep putting off and what it's quietly costing youWhy being brilliant at your craft can actually keep your business stuckInterested in freeing yourself in the business? Take the exit ready diagnostics test and identify the gaps in your growth and scale model. Go here: Enjoyed today’s episode? Leave a review over on Apple or Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-business-strategist-with-adam-strong/id1518654325https://open.spotify.com/show/4vKVMmsZ4MwVooQOlEAzrdChapters00:00 Identifying Market Demand for Business Growth02:38 Understanding Cash Flow Dynamics05:47 Streamlining Operations for Efficiency08:25 Preparing Your Team for Expansion11:38 Crafting a Clear Growth PlanABOUT THE HOSTLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrongWebsite: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

12 exits. $925 million. And Gregory Shepard told me the one thing that nearly destroyed every single one of them was something no founder ever sees coming.Gregory Shepard is a serial entrepreneur, TEDx speaker and author of The Startup Lifecycle who has spent five years researching why over 90% of startups fail using 210,000 case studies. He walked me through the whiteboard technique he used to reverse engineer his own mistakes across three decades of building and scaling companies and the mindset shift around exit planning that changed everything. We got into some really honest territory around what hustle culture actually cost him, why he believes the people giving founders advice on growth and valuation are often the ones doing the most damage, and a dead simple piece of exit strategy advice for business owners who think they have left it too late to sell. This one is packed full of golden nuggetsIn this episode we coverThe real reason most startups fail and why nobody talks about itThe question you should be asking yourself every week that could save your business years of painThe exit strategy mistake that keeps 82% of business owners trappedWhy the people you trust most might be giving you the worst adviceThe signal that tells you exactly when to sell before you are left without a chairEnjoyed today’s episode? Leave a review over on Apple or Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-business-strategist-with-adam-strong/id1518654325https://open.spotify.com/show/4vKVMmsZ4MwVooQOlEAzrd00:00 Introduction02:54 Reflections on Early Entrepreneurship07:17 Learning from Mistakes12:15 The Importance of Documentation14:06 Pivotal Realisations in Business20:47 The Impact of Hardship on Resilience21:37 Balancing Multiple Startups24:26 Motivation Behind the Hustle26:30 Evolving Definitions of Wealth27:43 Mindset Shifts in Exiting Businesses31:34 Understanding Startup Failures36:25 Navigating Bad Advice in Entrepreneurship38:47 Navigating Startup Challenges40:09 Defining a Startup42:02 Lessons from High-Stakes Professions44:56 Handling Business Fires46:06 Moments of Brutal Honesty48:39 The Importance of Altruistic Capitalism49:08 Convincing Investors of Purpose54:00 Understanding Exit Strategies55:43 Selling to Competitors57:25 Life After Exiting a Business58:45 Future Aspirations and Legacy01:02:05 Identifying Opportunities in Disruption01:06:15 Timing Your ExitABOUT THE GUESTWebsite: https://www.gregoryshepard.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregshepardABOUT THE HOSTLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrongWebsite: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

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 LISTENFind 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.comEnjoyed today’s episode? Leave a review over on Apple or Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-business-strategist-with-adam-strong/id1518654325https://open.spotify.com/show/4vKVMmsZ4MwVooQOlEAzrdABOUT THE GUESTLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethlotardoABOUT THE HOSTLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrongWebsite: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong