Podcast
Atomic CEO
Hosted by Adam Hurd & Tom Marino · EN
Atomic CEO Podcast: Real conversations. Real lessons. No fluff. Each week on the Atomic CEO Podcast, Adam Thomas Hurd and Tom Marino, co-founders of Atomic Business Coaching, sit down with a guest CEO to talk about what’s really going on in their world, their clients’ world, and the world of small business. They’re not teaching preplanned lessons or reading from a script. They’re having open, unfiltered conversations about what it takes to "Be the CEO" of both your life and business. Expect stories, insights, and the occasional tangent. From leadership to mindset, from family to freedom, from mistakes to breakthroughs. Every episode connects back to one question: How do you stop running your business… and start leading it? 🎧 New episodes every week. Subscribe and join the conversation. Learn more about Adam & Tom → https://www.BeThe.CEO
25episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
How Founders Can STOP Self-Sabotaging Their Growth
Jan 2800:28:41Tap to summarizeIn this candid and deeply reflective episode of the BeTheCEO Podcast, Tom and Adam unpack how founders unknowingly sabotage their own growth. The conversation explores the internal habits, identity conflicts, and emotional patterns that quietly hold business owners back, even when their external strategy looks sound. Through honest discussion and lived experience, the episode highlights why growth often stalls not because of lack of opportunity, but because founders struggle to evolve their mindset, decision-making, and personal standards at the same pace as their business. The result is a practical, grounded exploration of how to recognize self-sabotage early and replace it with intentional leadership. 🎧 In This Episode, You’ll Learn: What self-sabotage actually looks like in founders Why growth exposes identity gaps before skill gaps How emotional avoidance quietly stalls progress Why founders resist the behaviours required for the next level The importance of personal responsibility in leadership growth How clarity and maturity unlock sustainable momentum ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Opening reflections on growth and internal resistance 02:30 - What self-sabotage really means for founders 05:10 - Identity conflicts that emerge as businesses grow 08:00 - Why founders avoid uncomfortable decisions 11:40 - Emotional maturity and leadership responsibility 15:20 - The cost of staying the same while the business grows 18:50 - Recognising patterns that limit progress 22:30 - Shifting behaviour to match ambition 26:00 - Practical ways to stop undermining your own growth 29:30 - Final thoughts on becoming the leader your business needs 🔥 Power Quotes Your business will only grow as fast as you are willing to grow. Self-sabotage is not obvious, it is comfortable. Growth demands a different version of you. You cannot lead what you refuse to confront. 📝 Topics Covered Founder mindset Self-sabotage patterns Identity and leadership growth Emotional responsibility Decision-making maturity Sustainable business growth 🧭 Key Takeaway Founders do not stall because they lack strategy. They stall because they resist becoming who their next stage of growth requires. By recognising self-sabotaging behaviours and taking ownership of personal development, founders unlock clarity, momentum, and sustainable progress. 💬 Connect with Us 👉 Visit bethe.ceo 👉 Follow Tom Marino & Adam Hurd on LinkedIn & Instagram
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The Standards Problem Killing Businesses
Jan 700:30:36Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we explore how unclear, uncommunicated, or unenforced standards quietly destroy businesses, teams, and cultures. While most people blame execution or motivation, the real issue is often the absence of clear expectations or the failure to reinforce them. Through everyday examples, business coaching stories, and personal anecdotes, this conversation breaks down why standards shape identity, behavior, and results. Without them, chaos creeps in. With them, clarity, leadership, and momentum follow. 🎧 In This Episode, You’ll Learn: Why standards are behaviors, not rules How unclear standards create frustration and chaos The difference between having standards and communicating them Why lowered societal standards impact businesses How leadership standards shape teams and culture Why reinforcement and accountability matter How standards affect focus, time, and execution ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Joe Rogan, curiosity, and personal standards 02:00 – Standards as the foundation of identity 04:20 – When standards are unclear, frustration follows. 06:55 – Establishing vs communicating standards 08:55 – How standards shape confidence and performance 10:25 – Lowered societal standards and business impact 13:40 – Reinforcement, accountability, and leadership 16:20 – Standards, chaos, and business breakdown 18:00 – Focus, flow, and perception of time 23:40 – Setting standards for execution timelines 29:00 – Final reflections on leadership and standards 🔥 Power Quotes “Standards are behaviors.” “If you don’t set standards, chaos decides for you.” “Unclear standards create frustration, not failure.” “What you tolerate becomes the standard.” “Leadership starts with enforced expectations.” 📝 Topics Covered Business standards Leadership and culture Accountability Communication Focus and execution Team performance 🧭 Key Takeaway Businesses don’t fail because people don’t work hard; they fail because standards are missing, unclear, or unenforced. When leaders define, communicate, and uphold standards, clarity replaces chaos and progress becomes inevitable. 💬 Connect with Us 👉 Visit bethe.ceo 👉 Follow Tom Marino & Adam Hurd on LinkedIn & Instagram
Transcribe →The Hidden Beliefs Killing Progress
Dec 3100:29:24Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we uncover why progress stalls even when effort is high and why the real issue is rarely behavior. Instead, it’s the hidden beliefs quietly shaping how you act, decide, and show up in your business and life. Through real client examples, personal stories, and practical analogies, this conversation breaks down how outdated or unexamined beliefs create procrastination, burnout, anxiety, and misalignment. Progress doesn’t come from trying harder; it comes from believing differently. This episode reframes growth as an inside-out process: believe first, behave second, and become last. 🎧 In This Episode, You’ll Learn: Why behavior change fails without belief change How procrastination is often a belief problem, not a discipline problem The difference between “should” and true commitment Why success can still feel wrong when beliefs are misaligned How identity dictates daily actions Why momentum can quietly pull you away from who you want to become How to reassess beliefs as you enter a new season or year ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Reflecting on business direction and the coming year 03:30 – What it really means to be the CEO of your life 05:45 – Why beliefs drive behavior, not the other way around 07:40 – Identity-based change explained 09:20 – Procrastination and belief misalignment 13:00 – Momentum, undercurrents, and losing direction 17:30 – Lack mindset versus abundance mindset 22:30 – The danger of the word “should” 27:00 – Believe, behave, become 29:40 – Final thoughts and reflection 🔥 Power Quotes “Behavior doesn’t change until belief changes.” “Procrastination is a belief problem.” “You can’t become someone new while believing old things.” “Should isn’t a commitment.” “Believe first. Behave second. Become last.” 📝 Topics Covered Belief systems Identity and behavior Procrastination Burnout and alignment Mindset shifts Personal and business growth 🧭 Key Takeaway Progress isn’t blocked by a lack of effort it’s blocked by beliefs you haven’t questioned. When you change what you believe about who you are and what you need, your actions naturally follow. 💬 Connect with Us 👉 Visit bethe.ceo 👉 Follow Tom Marino & Adam Hurd on LinkedIn & Instagram
Transcribe →How To Choose Your Next Chapter In Life
Dec 2400:40:45Tap to summarizeIn this reflective and honest episode, we explore what it really means to choose your next chapter in life — especially when certainty is missing. Through personal stories, business decisions, and long-term commitments, this conversation breaks down why confusion often appears right before clarity, and why discomfort is usually a signal that meaningful change is happening.Rather than chasing balance or novelty, this episode reframes progress as commitment. Choosing a chapter isn’t about finding the perfect plan — it’s about deciding what you’re willing to stay with long enough to build something real.🎧 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:Why confusion often signals the start of a new chapterHow long-term commitments create clarity over timeThe difference between interest and true commitmentWhy productive neglect can drive success but limit fulfillmentHow to think about life and business as harmony, not balanceWhy choosing a direction matters more than perfect certaintyHow discomfort plays a role in meaningful progress⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Why this year felt confusing but important02:00 – Understanding chapters and long-term consequences05:00 – Harmony vs balance explained09:00 – The instrument analogy and productive neglect14:00 – Reflecting on fulfillment and personal growth18:00 – Being good at something you no longer enjoy22:00 – Commitment versus interest26:00 – Making year-long commitments30:00 – Choosing the people and work worth investing in35:00 – Final thoughts on commitment and direction🔥 Power Quotes“Confusion often shows up right before clarity.”“You can be great at something and still not enjoy it.”“Interest feels good. Commitment feels heavy.”“Choosing a chapter means saying no to others.”“Progress requires staying with something long enough.”📝 Topics CoveredLife transitionsCommitment and focusPersonal growthLong-term decision makingProductive neglectHarmony vs balanceEntrepreneurial identity🧭 Key TakeawayChoosing your next chapter isn’t about certainty — it’s about commitment. When you decide what you’re willing to stay with through discomfort, clarity follows and progress becomes inevitable.💬 Connect with Us👉 Visit bethe.ceo👉 Follow Tom Marino & Adam Hurd on LinkedIn & Instagram
Transcribe →Why Smart Leaders Make Unpopular Decisions
Dec 1700:25:20Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we explore why the best leaders are willing to make decisions that aren’t popular but are necessary for long-term success. Using real-world examples from business, leadership, sports, and history, this conversation breaks down why comfort, familiarity, and fear often stop people from making the changes they know they need to make. This episode challenges the idea that good leadership is about keeping everyone happy. Instead, it reframes leadership as stewardship, making hard, intentional decisions based on vision, not approval. 🎧 In This Episode, You’ll Learn: Why popularity is a dangerous metric for leadership decisions How comfort and familiarity keep businesses stuck Why avoiding change leads to stagnation and decline The difference between intentional change and change for novelty How vision creates certainty in difficult decisions Why leaders must act as fiduciaries for their business How discomfort signals meaningful growth ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Why unpopular decisions define real leadership 02:30 – Comfort vs change and why people resist both 05:00 – Popularity, business, and the Mets analogy 08:00 – Change or die: historical lessons applied to business 12:00 – Vision as the filter for hard decisions 15:00 – Why leaders must accept discomfort 18:00 – Flexibility, adaptation, and long-term thinking 22:00 – Making decisions for the future, not the present 25:00 – Final thoughts on leadership and responsibility 🔥 Power Quotes “You can’t run a business based on popularity.” “Comfort is often more dangerous than failure.” “If you don’t change, you die.” “Vision makes the decision.” “Leadership requires doing what’s right, not what’s liked.” 📝 Topics Covered Leadership decision-making Vision and strategy Change management Comfort vs growth Business stewardship Adaptability Long-term thinking 🧭 Key Takeaway Great leaders are willing to be unpopular when the situation demands it. When decisions are guided by a clear vision not comfort or approval, leaders build businesses that endure, adapt, and grow. 💬 Connect with Us 👉 Visit bethe.ceo 👉 Follow Tom Marino & Adam Hurd on LinkedIn & Instagram
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