In a world full of change, how do we evolve with intention—and not get swept up in noise? In this powerful and heartfelt conversation, Tom Marino and Adam Thomas Hurd (yes, he’s officially using his full name now!) take you inside the journey of transformation that led to the launch of the First M Club.

They share how superficial networking and unintentional business moves are holding entrepreneurs back, and reveal the formula they’ve discovered for cultivating authentic relationships, real momentum, and sustainable growth. Whether you’re trying to reach your first million in revenue or just crave deeper connections with like-minded go-getters, this episode is for you.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why opportunity often follows change, but how to become ready for both.
• The morning meeting model: 3 powerful questions that unlock connection and collaboration.
• Why most communities fail—and how the First M Club is structured to stay small in execution but big in value.
• How intentional networking beats transactional encounters (and why it leads to better clients and collaborators).
• The mindset shift from chasing leads to attracting the right ones through service.
• Why authenticity, vulnerability, and shared experiences are the secret weapons to growth.
• How limiting beliefs and saboteurs like the restless saboteur block business potential—and what to do about it.
• Adam’s transition from “Adam Thomas” to “Adam Thomas Hurd” and what it symbolizes for the journey ahead.

Key Quotes:

“You have to start to change to see the opportunities.”

“It’s not about networking for the sake of networking—it’s about networking with intention.”

“A club thrives when people show up authentically and want to help each other.”

“We’re not building a community. We’re building a club—because clubs have standards and real connection.”

“I’m not excited. I’m nervous. And that means it matters.”

What Is the First M Club?

The First M Club is a private club for business owners and entrepreneurs working toward their first million dollars in revenue. Rooted in collaboration over competition, the club brings together small groups (8 or fewer) for meaningful networking, peer coaching, and real-time support. It’s about belonging, growth, and building business momentum—together.

You’ll be part of:

• Monthly Morning Meetings asking: What’s going right? What’s going wrong? What do you need help with?
• Targeted intentional networking sessions with immediate, actionable results.
• A vetted network of business owners serious about helping and supporting one another.
• A culture of service-first, where leads are attracted, not chased.

Resources & Mentions:

• Free Crash Course on improving networking, prospecting, and defeating limiting beliefs
• Success stories from Project 2740 and pilot members of the First M Club

Join the Movement:

If you’re done with empty networking and want to be part of a high-trust, high-impact environment, the First M Club may be your new business home.

🟢 Visit

In this episode, Adam and Tom dive deep into the fogginess that entrepreneurs experience when they lose clarity in their businesses. They explore how to clear that fog — not with Benadryl, but with truth, intention, and aligned action. The conversation is a powerful reflection on the importance of letting go of excuses, embracing reality, and fully stepping into who you are right now, rather than waiting for the “perfect moment.”

🔑 Key Takeaways

🌫️ 1. Business Allergies and the Fog of Confusion

• Just like seasonal allergies, entrepreneurs often go through “foggy” seasons in business.
• Lack of clarity stems from resistance to change or trying to force solutions that don’t fit.
• The remedy? A dose of honest reflection and intentional action, not more noise or tactics.

🧭 2. Submit to Your Reality

• Success lies in recognizing what actually works for you, not what’s trending or “supposed to work.”
• Adam shares their journey of discovering that relationship-building, not advertising, is their strength.
• For many relationship-style businesses (like coaching or consulting), personal connection is the foundation, not flashy marketing.

❌ 3. Stop Making Excuses

• Excuses become self-imposed obstacles. The more you repeat them, the more you believe them.
• Instead of blaming external conditions, face the reality: if something isn’t working, fix it or change it.
• Tom emphasizes that success requires iteration, not perfection.

🔁 4. Shift From Have-Do-Be → Be-Do-Have

• Common mindset trap: “Once I have money, I’ll do more work, and then I’ll be successful.”
• New approach: “Be the productive, helpful person now, do the work, and you will have the results.”
• Flip the script — identity first, then action, then outcomes.

🔥 5. Be the Coach — Even Without the Client

• Waiting for sales before stepping into your role keeps you stuck.
• Don’t wait to be the coach, creator, or service provider — start being it now.
• Genuinely help people first; the business will follow naturally.

🧠 6. Set the Right Intention Based on Who You Are

• Intentions change based on the role you choose to embody: coach vs. salesperson.
• Focus on the main thing you want to be, even if you wear multiple hats.
• Your roles should serve your purpose — not distract from it.

🌟 7. Live and Express Your Purpose

• Tom shares how his life purpose (helping others live better lives) has stayed consistent, even as his roles have changed.
• Purpose fuels intention, and intention drives results.
• When you veer away from your purpose, you lose energy and clarity.

💬 Quote of the Episode

“Be your purpose. Because if you be your purpose, you will be the intention. You will be the result of everything that you're trying to do.” – Tom

🔄 Next Steps for Listeners

• Reflect: What role are you trying to be in your business right now?
• Identify: What excuses are keeping you stuck?
• Act: Choose one way you can be the person you want to become — today.

In this episode, Tom and Adam dive deep into what really makes sales happen — and it’s not just slick tactics or great networking. It’s about consistency, mindset, and mastering the simple selling system that turns casual conversations into paying clients.

You’ll hear stories from their 5WH program, real client breakthroughs, and how combining execution strategy with mindset mastery is the game-changer for business owners. Whether you're overwhelmed by follow-ups, frustrated with unproductive networking, or struggling with sabotaging behaviors — this episode has the tools, mindset shifts, and clarity to help you close more deals with less stress.

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Key Takeaways:

• ✅ Follow-up is everything. If you’re not following up consistently, you’re leaving money on the table.

• 🧠 Your consistency doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. Define your version and stick with it.

• 💬 Conversations that close are built by asking the right questions. When done correctly, prospects will literally tell you how to close them.

• 🔄 Sales success isn’t just tactical—it’s internal. Saboteurs, limiting beliefs, and disempowering self-talk can crush your ability to execute.

• 📅 Networking without a system is a waste of time. The stack of business cards means nothing if you don’t have a plan to engage the right people.

• 💥 The ‘People Pleaser’ trap is real. Learn to set boundaries and say no to the wrong people so you can say yes to the right ones.

• 🔁 Repetition makes it real. Like golf, the awkwardness of new techniques fades with practice and the system becomes second nature.

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Links & Resources:

🎯 Free Starter Course:

Get immediate access to our Simple Selling System overview — absolutely free.

👉 atomicbusinesscoaching.com/course

💡 Learn how to:

• Identify your 5Ws

• Master follow-up strategy

• Ask powerful, closing questions

• Manage your mindset & saboteurs

• Network with precision & intention

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Join the Conversation:

💬 What resonated most with you from today’s episode?

📧 Send your thoughts or questions to info@atomicbusinesscoaching.com

📱 Follow us on Instagram: @atomicbusinesscoaching

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Quote of the Episode:

“You're not being pushy — you just know you have the solution to their problem. When you ask the right questions, they'll tell you exactly how to close them.”

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Next Steps:

✅ Watch the free course

🎧 Subscribe to the podcast

📆 Show up each week as we continue to break down the Simple Selling System and help you transform your business, one conversation at a time.

In this candid episode, Tom and Adam unpack the emotional rollercoaster of entrepreneurship and why so many business owners feel like they're always starting over. From podcast inspiration to coaching revelations, they discuss the importance of patience, trusting your intuition, and resisting the temptation to constantly compare your journey to others'. They also dive deep into the harsh truth: the grass often looks greener because it's been heavily fertilized — sometimes with a whole lot of crap.

If you’ve ever struggled with staying the course, felt the pressure to pivot, or believed you should be further along, this episode will remind you why the long game matters, how to identify the right kind of fertilizer for your growth, and why building a successful business really does take a decade.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• The Podcast Shift: Listening to a wider variety of podcasts revealed a gap between philosophy and tactical guidance, sparking reflection on what truly adds value — and how that applies to your own business and content creation.

• The Grass is Greener… Because It’s Fertilized: Growth takes fertilizer — aka “the shit” you have to go through. There’s no shortcut to rich, sustainable success. Embrace the grind instead of trying to avoid it.

• Coaching vs. Courses: Clients in coaching programs think long-term. Course-takers often seek immediacy. Each mindset needs different strategies, but both must go through the hard stuff.

• Comparison Kills Progress: When you compare your journey to someone else’s highlight reel, you ignore the foundation they built — framing, wiring, and all. Focus on your build, not their finished product.

• Trust Your Intuition: When comparison takes over, your intuition gets drowned out by ego and insecurity. Your gut knows what’s right — you don’t need permission to follow it.

• Business Takes a Decade: It’s a journey of layers: build, exploit, delegate, and scale. Most people quit too early and restart, losing time instead of gaining ground.

• Stop Chasing 10x Before You’ve Hit 2x: Growth isn’t magic; it’s methodical. You can’t skip the process. Master what you’re already good at before leaping to what’s next.

• Embrace the Bipolar Nature of Business: There will be highs and lows. Don’t let either extreme control your decisions. Learn to ride the waves without crashing.

• Know Who You Are and Why You’re Doing This: Use tools like the Simple Focus System to realign your values, identity, and business goals. Success starts with clarity.

🔗 Resources & Links:

• Explore programs, courses, and coaching at atomicbusinesscoaching.com/course

• Learn more about the Simple Focus System to align who you are with the business you want to build.

👋 Final Thoughts:

If you’re stuck, overwhelmed, or caught in another comparison trap — don’t pivot blindly. Let us help you identify if the “shit” you’re in is worth growing through. You can build something amazing — just make sure it’s yours.

In this episode, Tom and Adam explore one of the biggest mind traps for entrepreneurs and business owners: the pressure to grow constantly. They discuss the value of repetition in learning, the importance of sustainable progress, and why stabilizing your success may be your most strategic move this year. From learning fatigue to cash flow struggles, they cover the mindset shifts and tactical strategies needed to grow smart, not just big.

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🔥 Key Takeaways:

• Repetition is not the enemy. Saying the same message repeatedly, especially when it's valuable, is a sign you're doing it right.

• Learning never ends. As adults, learning feels harder because we carry the ego of “already knowing.” But real growth comes from embracing error correction and constant improvement.

• Stabilization is the new growth. Instead of trying to outgrow your business, focus on sustaining and fully realizing your current level of success.

• Cash flow gaps are normal. But many business owners misuse debt and revolving credit. A line of credit should be gap coverage, not growth fuel.

• Predatory lending warning signs: high interest rates, daily payments, and fees that compound quickly. If the loan terms feel risky or desperate, they probably are.

• Growth vs. Scale: Growth often requires more resources. Scaling uses your current resources more effectively to increase revenue.

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👀 Visual Metaphor of the Day:

Think of your business like sound levels on a mixer board. Cranking them up too fast leads to distortion and noise. The goal is smooth, stable, balanced sound, just like business growth.

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💬 Memorable Quotes:

“If you start sounding like a broken record, you’re probably doing something right.”

“Learning is just error correction—it’s constant improvement.”

“You don’t need to 10x every month. You need to stabilize before you scale.”

“Don’t call it debt—call it gap coverage.”

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👥 Who This Episode Is For:

• Entrepreneurs scaling from early traction to stable revenue

• Business owners battling growth addiction and burnout

• Founders navigating cash flow and financial management

• Coaches and consultants educating others on sustainable business practices

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📢 Call to Action:

Love what you're hearing? Help us help more people!

👉 Share this episode with a fellow business owner

👉 Visit AtomicBusinessCoaching.com to learn more about our coaching, systems, and mindset tools

👉 Stay in the loop and follow us for more episodes, resources, and wisdom

In this insightful episode, Tom and Adam explore the essential role of board meetings in both corporate settings and entrepreneurial ventures. Whether you’re running a billion-dollar organization or operating as a solopreneur, board meetings provide the structured time and space necessary to evaluate your business performance, plan strategically, and make informed decisions.

Drawing from their personal experiences—ranging from corporate boardrooms to coaching clients through their Simple CEO system—the hosts break down how regular board meetings can become a transformative practice that elevates clarity, direction, and leadership.

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📌 Key Takeaways:

✅ 1. Board Meetings Aren’t Just for Big Business

Every business owner should conduct regular board meetings—monthly, quarterly, or annually—to assess progress, identify challenges, and align on future goals.

✅ 2. A Holistic Approach: Business + Owner

Unlike traditional board meetings, Atomic Business Coaching incorporates the well-being and mindset of the business owner, not just business performance. This dual focus provides clarity on how personal habits impact business results.

✅ 3. Eliminate Emotion from Decision-Making

Business owners often make haphazard decisions based on fear, urgency, or lack of clarity. These meetings provide the space to make data-driven, strategic decisions that support long-term growth.

✅ 4. Know Your Numbers

Understanding your financials—profit & loss statements, cash flow, marketing metrics—is critical. Numbers remove emotion and offer objective insight into what’s working and what needs to change.

✅ 5. Tasks vs. Habits

Each board meeting ends with actionable takeaways:

• Tasks to execute immediately

• Habits to build long-term sustainability

✅ 6. Ask Better Questions

Before committing to vendors, services, or hires, understand exactly what you’re receiving. Many poor business decisions stem from unclear expectations and assumptions.

✅ 7. Use Slow Seasons Strategically

Times of reduced business activity are ideal for reflection. Holding a board meeting during these periods allows owners to pivot, reset, and optimize for the future.

✅ 8. Take Ownership of Your Decisions

Failure to assess leads to decisions being made for you—causing stress, burnout, and reactive management. Make time to step away from the day-to-day and regain control.

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💡 Final Thought:

Successful business ownership requires regular reflection, intentional decision-making, and strategic planning. Board meetings provide the structure to do just that. Whether you're leading a team or working solo, taking the time to evaluate where you've been, where you are, and where you’re going is critical to sustained success.

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🔗 Resources & Contact:

• Visit AtomicBusinessCoaching.com to learn how we help business owners make better decisions and build scalable, sustainable companies.

• Connect with us on LinkedIn:

Adam Thomas

Tom Marino

• Follow us on all major platforms @AtomicBusinessCoaching

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🎧 If you found this episode valuable, share it with a fellow business owner who’s ready to move from reactive to strategic leadership.

In this episode, we dive deep into the impact of the Controller saboteur on business owners and their teams. We discuss how a need for control can stifle growth, prevent effective delegation, and create unnecessary stress. We also explore how shifting from a controlling mindset to a curious and open approach can improve leadership and team dynamics. Additionally, we break down the importance of problem-solving in business and how the most successful entrepreneurs embrace challenges rather than avoid them.

Key Takeaways:

• Recognizing Your Saboteurs: Many business owners struggle with the Controller saboteur, which can hinder their ability to delegate, accept feedback, and foster collaboration.

• The Antidote to the Controller Saboteur: Remaining curious and open to learning helps counteract the need for control and allows for better decision-making and team involvement.

• The Impact on Others: Controlling tendencies don’t just affect the individual but also impact employees, stifling their ability to contribute and collaborate effectively.

• Breaking Through Comfort Zones: Business growth requires continuous evolution, stepping out of familiar roles, and embracing new challenges.

• The Transition to Leadership: When business owners finally have an efficient team, they often struggle with their new role, sometimes self-sabotaging by creating unnecessary problems.

• Managing Money Issues: Entrepreneurs often experience financial stress when they stop doing what initially made them successful. Staying focused on revenue-generating activities is crucial.

• The Importance of Problem-Solving: Business is about solving problems. The best entrepreneurs develop systems to assess and address problems efficiently rather than getting overwhelmed.

• Handling Business Transitions: Transitioning from one level of success to the next requires maintaining core business activities while also adapting and growing into new responsibilities.

• Planning for Success: Business owners should anticipate potential challenges and create strategies to handle obstacles as they arise, rather than reacting in crisis mode.

Actionable Steps:

1. Assess Your Saboteurs: Identify if you have controlling tendencies and how they may be impacting your business.

2. Practice Curiosity: Challenge yourself to seek feedback and remain open to learning from others.

3. Empower Your Team: Allow employees to take ownership of their roles so you can focus on strategic growth.

4. Stay Financially Disciplined: Don’t create unnecessary expenses just because your business is growing—stay focused on generating revenue.

5. Embrace the Problem-Solving Mindset: Shift your mindset from “problems are overwhelming” to “problems are opportunities.”

6. Plan for Transitions: Make intentional plans for growth rather than assuming success will continue without change.

Resources & Next Steps:

• Learn more about identifying and overcoming your saboteurs at AtomicBusinessCoaching.com.

• Check out the Simple CEO Program to help you step into your role as a business leader effectively.

• Connect with us on social media for more business insights and coaching tips.

Join the Conversation:

What are your biggest struggles with delegation and control in your business? Share your thoughts with us and let’s discuss strategies to help you grow.

Tune in Next Week!

Be sure to subscribe and join us next week as we continue diving into the mindset shifts and strategies that help business owners succeed!

In this episode, Tom and Adam dive into a common challenge business owners face—achieving success but still operating as if they’re struggling. Many entrepreneurs have built thriving businesses, yet they hesitate to fully embrace their success, still holding onto old fears and habits from when they were starting out.

Using an insightful “new computer” analogy, they break down why some business owners metaphorically leave their new, upgraded system in the box, afraid to use the resources and time they’ve worked so hard to earn. They also explore how stress and uncertainty can trigger default behaviors, causing business owners to revert to outdated mindsets.

Tom and Adam also discuss the importance of communication in partnerships—both in business and at home. They highlight how many entrepreneurs fail to align expectations with their spouses, families, and business partners, leading to unnecessary friction. The conversation touches on why business growth requires not just internal change, but also open dialogue and recalibrated relationships with those around you.

Key Takeaways:

✅ You’ve built it, now use it! Many entrepreneurs have grown their businesses but still act as if they’re struggling. It’s time to open the metaphorical "new computer" and leverage your success.

✅ Default mode vs. upgraded mode: Stress often makes business owners revert to outdated habits. Recognizing this can help prevent self-sabotage.

✅ The power of expectations: Unspoken expectations can cause frustration—both in business and personal relationships. Clear communication is key!

✅ Permission vs. forgiveness: Too many business owners make big decisions without consulting their partners and then ask for forgiveness later. Proactive communication prevents unnecessary conflict.

✅ Entrepreneurs and communication challenges: Business owners need to adapt their outreach methods and recognize that different clients prefer different ways of communication.

Mentioned in This Episode:

🔹 5WH Simple Selling System: A comprehensive course to help business owners master sales, prospecting, and overcoming limiting beliefs. Limited-time offer: $499! Learn more here

🔹 FirstM Community: A mastermind network built for entrepreneurs who want to support and be supported.

🔹 Atomic Business Coaching 1:1 Coaching: Personalized coaching for select business owners ready for next-level success.

Connect With Us:

🌐 Website: AtomicBusinessCoaching.com

🔗 Follow Us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook

If you found this episode valuable, don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review! 🎧