Episodes

Commitment, Effort, Obsession
Oct. 24, 2025

Commitment, Effort, Obsession

In this insightful episode of Be the CEO , hosts Adam Hurd and Tom Marino dive deep into what it really means to “be the CEO” — not as a title, but as a mindset. They redefine CEO as Commitment, Effort, and Obsession , explor...
Work-Life Harmony & Failing Faster
Oct. 17, 2025

Work-Life Harmony & Failing Faster

In this episode of Be the CEO , Adam Thomas Hurd and Tom Marino dive deep into two powerful ideas that define what it really means to be the CEO of your business, your time, and your life. They tackle the long-debated concept...
Turning Fear Into Fuel & The Power of Listening
Oct. 10, 2025

Turning Fear Into Fuel & The Power of Listening

Turning Fear Into Fuel & The Power of Listening In this episode of Be the CEO, Tom Marino and Adam Hurd explore two of the most overlooked yet powerful drivers of success for self-employed people: fear and listening. Whether ...
All In or In the Way
Oct. 3, 2025

All In or In the Way

In this episode, Tom Marino and Adam Hurd dive deep into what it really means to step out of self-employment and into true CEO leadership —at work and at home. What We Cover in This Episode: The trap of self-employment : Why ...
Do Less, Better & Start Small
Sept. 26, 2025

Do Less, Better & Start Small

In this episode of the Be the CEO Podcast , Tom and Adam dive into two powerful ideas that every business owner needs to hear: working less but more effectively, and the importance of small beginnings. Drawing inspiration fro...
From Skills to Systems: Why You Can’t Do It Alone
Sept. 19, 2025

From Skills to Systems: Why You Can’t Do It Alone

In this episode, Tom and Adam take a new direction with Be the CEO Podcast . Each week they’ll bring you content from top voices in entrepreneurship and leadership—posts they love, disagree with, or find thought-provoking—and...
From Growing a Business to Leading One: Shifting Mindset, Scaling, and Staying Present
Sept. 12, 2025

From Growing a Business to Leading One: Shifting Mindset, Scaling, and Staying Present

In this episode of Be The CEO , Adam and Tom dive into the mindset shifts required to go from simply growing a business to truly leading one. They answer questions posed by their assistant, Gary, based on real conversations w...
The Intentional CEO Podcast: From Accidental to Intentional Leadership
Sept. 5, 2025

The Intentional CEO Podcast: From Accidental to Intentional Leadership

In this first episode of the Intentional CEO Podcast, Tom and Adam reintroduce their mission: helping entrepreneurs move from being accidental CEOs—overworked and reactive—to intentional CEOs who lead with clarity, agency, an...
Burnout, Boredom, and Building Systems: Becoming the CEO Your Business Needs
Aug. 29, 2025

Burnout, Boredom, and Building Systems: Becoming the CEO Your Business Needs

In this episode, Tom and Adam dive deep into one of the biggest challenges new and accidental CEOs face—confusing burnout with boredom. They unpack why hustle isn’t a badge of honor but a warning sign, how being the bottlenec...
Stop Firefighting, Start Forecasting: The CEO Shift That Changes Everything
Aug. 22, 2025

Stop Firefighting, Start Forecasting: The CEO Shift That Changes Everything

In this episode, Tom and his co-host dive deep into the real challenges entrepreneurs face when running their businesses — from burnout and chaos to flimsy business models and the trap of being “busy.” Fresh off their recent ...
Accidental CEO? Here’s How to Take Back Control
Aug. 15, 2025

Accidental CEO? Here’s How to Take Back Control

In this episode, Tom and Adam tackle one of the biggest challenges small business owners face — getting stuck in the role instead of stepping into the CEO mindset. They share real-world client stories, personal insights, and ...
The Quiet Cost of Control: Breaking Free as an Accidental CEO
Aug. 8, 2025

The Quiet Cost of Control: Breaking Free as an Accidental CEO

In this episode, Tom and Adam dive into a challenge most entrepreneurs don’t even realize they’re facing—the quiet tax of control. From refusing to delegate to fearing the business will collapse without them, accidental CEOs ...
From Accidental CEO to Intentional Leader: Calculating Risk, Celebrating Wins & Staying Focused
Aug. 1, 2025

From Accidental CEO to Intentional Leader: Calculating Risk, Celebrating Wins & Staying Focused

In this real and raw episode, Tom and Adam peel back the curtain on the behind-the-scenes journey of creating a podcast as accidental CEOs—and why it’s okay to still be figuring things out after 130+ episodes. They dive deep ...
From Accidental CEO to Intentional Leader: Mastering Focus, Asking for Help, and Embracing Support
July 25, 2025

From Accidental CEO to Intentional Leader: Mastering Focus, Asking for Help, and Embracing Support

In this powerful and candid episode, Tom and Adam delve into the challenges and mindset shifts that every accidental CEO faces when transitioning into a confident and intentional business leader. They unpack the paradox of cr...
Accidental CEO: Building a Business Around Family, Purpose, and Presence
July 18, 2025

Accidental CEO: Building a Business Around Family, Purpose, and Presence

In this heartfelt episode, we dive deep into the real reasons behind why so many small business owners and entrepreneurs take the leap—often unintentionally—into the role of CEO. From building a business around family needs t...
Why Success Starts with Suck: Technology, Fear, and the Real Work of Business Growth
July 11, 2025

Why Success Starts with Suck: Technology, Fear, and the Real Work of Business Growth

In this episode, Tom and Adam dive deep into the messy reality of running a business in today’s rapidly evolving tech environment. From software updates disrupting workflows to business owners struggling with delegation, they...
The Journey from Accidental to Intentional CEO
July 4, 2025

The Journey from Accidental to Intentional CEO

In this powerful and reflective conversation, Tom and Adam unpack the experience of transitioning from running a business by chance to intentionally leading one as a CEO. They reflect on their recent morning workshop, the dyn...
Authenticity, Boundaries & the Method of One: Getting Real About Building a Purposeful Business
June 27, 2025

Authenticity, Boundaries & the Method of One: Getting Real About Building a Purposeful Business

In this deeply honest episode, Tom and Adam pull back the curtain on their recent frustrations with content creation and the overwhelming noise of so-called expert advice. They get real about what it means to remain authentic...
The Real Definition of Being Rich & The Journey of the Accidental CEO
June 20, 2025

The Real Definition of Being Rich & The Journey of the Accidental CEO

In this episode, we open with a story about wanting to use Nas’s track "Spicy" as our theme music—and what happens when audio hits differently depending on where you hear it. From there, we dig deep into the challenges and tr...
Fluency in Business: Learning the Language of Growth
June 13, 2025

Fluency in Business: Learning the Language of Growth

In this episode, Tom and Adam explore what it truly means to evolve as a business owner—emotionally, mentally, and strategically. Starting with a nostalgic nod to Nas and how music takes on new meaning as you grow, they unpac...
The Accidental CEO
June 6, 2025

The Accidental CEO

Hosts: Tom Marino & Adam Hurd Presented by: Atomic Business Coaching 🔍 Episode Summary: Tom and Adam reveal how they—and many of their clients—became accidental CEOs: people who never planned to run a business but ended up bu...
The Agony of Defeat – And the Power to Begin Again
May 30, 2025

The Agony of Defeat – And the Power to Begin Again

In this heartfelt and empowering episode, Tom Marino and Adam Hurd dive deep into what it really means to face the end of one chapter—and how to embrace the beginning of the next. Using the emotional close of Tom’s son’s high...
What the Hell Do You Do All This For?
May 23, 2025

What the Hell Do You Do All This For?

In this powerful, no-nonsense episode, Tom and Adam pull back the curtain on the real reason behind all the business-building activities like podcasting, content creation, and networking. They tackle a question every entrepre...
The Power of Trust: Navigating the Next Step in Business and Life
May 16, 2025

The Power of Trust: Navigating the Next Step in Business and Life

In this deeply insightful and candid episode, Tom and Adam explore the emotional and strategic challenges entrepreneurs face when standing at the threshold of “what’s next.” The conversation organically weaves through the rea...