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Be The CEO

Be The CEO

By: Adam Hurd & Tom Marino
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Most self-employed people never set out to become CEOs — it just happens. One day you’re working for yourself, the next you’re responsible for everything, everywhere, all at once. That shift creates a ceiling: you’re stuck as the bottleneck in your own business, trading freedom for frustration. On Be the CEO, Adam Hurd and Tom Marino open the curtain on what it really takes to cross the bridge from being “accidental CEOs” to becoming intentional CEOs — at work and at home. This is not a highlight-reel podcast. It’s raw conversations about our origins, our dogmas, our flaws, and the very ideas we fight against. You’ll hear about the enemies we’ve had to confront — not just people, but behaviors, beliefs, and blind spots that keep entrepreneurs small. Instead of theory, we use the world’s most popular business and personal growth ideas as a launching pad. We’ll bring you content from voices like Alex Hormozi, Dan Martell, Brené Brown, Tony Robbins, and others. Sometimes we’ll double down and connect their ideas to our core dogmas. Other times we’ll push back with a contrarian view, exposing why a common piece of advice may not work for the self-employed striving to become true CEOs. And often we’ll reveal where we learned the lesson the hard way — through our own flaws, missteps, and lived experience. Each episode is designed for one audience: the self-employed individual who knows there’s more on the table. The freelancer who wants to build a company. The solo business owner who wants to lead a team. The person who’s been grinding for years and realizes they don’t just want to “own a job” — they want to be the CEO. What makes this podcast different? We’re not interested in puffing up your confidence. We’re here to help you develop agency — the power to make intentional choices that shape your business and your life. And we’ll help you build certainty — the clarity to know exactly why you’re making those choices. That combination eliminates doubt, speeds up decisions, and creates momentum toward the future you actually want. You’ll walk away from each conversation with real perspective on: - How to spot the beliefs and behaviors holding you back. - Why the self-employed mindset will only get you so far — and what it takes to upgrade to the CEO mindset. - Where your flaws can be reframed into fuel for growth. - How to build a business that gives you both profit and freedom. If you’re ready to move beyond the self-employed ceiling and step fully into the role of CEO — in your company and in your home — this podcast is for you. Stop being an accidental CEO. Start being the CEO.2025 Atomic Business Coaching Economics Leadership Management Management & Leadership Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • The Moment You Actually Become a CEO
    Feb 25 2026

    In this episode of the BeThe CEO Podcast, Tom and Adam share real-world stories that bring their philosophy of Believe, Behave, and Become to life. Rather than speaking in theory, they unpack moments where belief systems shifted, behaviors changed, and true transformation occurred.

    They explore the identity shift that happens in fatherhood, the power of certainty in decision-making, and the behavioral standards that separate leaders from followers. Through practical examples, they demonstrate how belief fuels certainty, certainty drives decisive behavior, and consistent execution is what ultimately defines who you become.

    This episode is a behind-the-scenes look at what transformation actually looks like in business and life, and how you can intentionally create it for yourself.

    🎧 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

    1. How belief shifts during major life transitions like fatherhood
    2. Why certainty eliminates hesitation and fuels decisive action
    3. The role of meaningful goals and standards in behaving like a CEO
    4. How fear disappears when belief becomes clear
    5. The difference between grinding alone and leading through delegation
    6. What execution really means in the journey to becoming a CEO


    ⏱️ Timestamps

    00:00 – Introducing Believe, Behave, Become through real stories

    03:00 – Fatherhood and the instant shift in belief

    08:00 – Thinking five steps ahead as a leader

    12:00 – Certainty, meaningful goals, and standards

    15:00 – Decisive action and overcoming fear

    19:00 – Execution versus doing everything yourself

    21:30 – Delegation as the turning point of becoming a CEO


    🔥 Power Quotes

    When belief becomes certain, decisions become simple.

    People follow decisive action.

    Fear disappears when you truly believe you’re ready.

    You haven’t become the CEO until execution happens without hesitation.


    📝 Topics Covered

    1. Believe, Behave, Become philosophy
    2. Identity shifts and leadership growth
    3. Meaningful goals and standards
    4. Certainty and decisive action
    5. Delegation and execution
    6. Personal evolution in business


    🧭 Key Takeaway

    Real transformation requires intentional belief, disciplined behavior, and decisive execution. When you strengthen your beliefs, align them with meaningful goals, and act without hesitation, you don’t just behave like a CEO—you become one.


    💬 Connect with Us

    👉 Visit bethe.ceo

    👉 Follow Tom Marino & Adam Hurd on LinkedIn & Instagram

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    23 mins
  • Why You Feel Stuck (And The Power You’re Missing)
    Feb 18 2026

    In this powerful episode of the BeThe CEO Podcast, Tom and Adam explore the real reason many founders and leaders feel stuck, despite knowing what decisions they should make. The conversation uncovers a critical distinction between certainty and agency, revealing that while people often gain clarity about why they should act, they frequently lack the internal permission, confidence, or power to execute.

    Through reflections on identity, vulnerability, control, and personal evolution, they explain how true progress requires more than strategy. It demands the courage to step into a new version of yourself, release the illusion of controlling outcomes, and focus instead on what is genuinely within your power.

    This episode reframes personal development as a journey toward agency, fulfillment, and intentional action, challenging listeners to confront the beliefs and fears that quietly hold them back from becoming who they know they could be.

    🎧 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

    1. Why certainty in results is impossible, but certainty in decisions is essential
    2. The true meaning of agency and why many people never activate it
    3. How identity evolution creates fear, hesitation, and resistance to action
    4. Why vulnerability is not weakness but a pathway to clarity and certainty
    5. The importance of focusing only on what you can control
    6. How commitment, effort, and obsession shape meaningful success


    ⏱️ Timestamps

    00:00 – Revelations about certainty and agency

    01:20 – Why results can never be guaranteed

    02:30 – The difference between knowing and executing

    04:00 – Identity change and the fear of stepping forward

    07:30 – Personal development as transformation

    10:30 – Growth, fulfillment, and challenging beliefs

    13:30 – Feeling stuck, amateur versus professional thinking

    15:00 – Control, responsibility, and personal power

    18:30 – Vulnerability as the path to certainty

    21:00 – Commitment, effort, and obsession (CEO mindset)


    🔥 Power Quotes

    You can’t get certainty in results, but you can get certainty in why you act.

    Agency is the freedom and power to actually take the action you know you should take.

    Vulnerability isn’t losing control, it’s how you find truth and certainty.

    If you focus on what you can control, progress becomes possible.


    📝 Topics Covered

    1. Certainty versus agency
    2. Identity evolution and personal growth
    3. Control, responsibility, and execution
    4. Vulnerability and emotional safety
    5. Fulfillment beyond money
    6. Commitment, effort, and obsession


    🧭 Key Takeaway

    Feeling stuck rarely comes from a lack of knowledge or strategy. More often, it comes from missing agency, the internal permission and power to act. When you shift your...

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    24 mins
  • The Standards That Change Everything
    Feb 11 2026

    In this deeply reflective episode of the BeThe CEO Podcast, Tom and Adam explore the invisible force shaping every result in business and life: standards. What begins as a conversation about energy, habits, and daily structure quickly unfolds into a powerful examination of belief, intention, and alignment.

    They reveal why most people fail, not because of poor tactics, but because they abandon the standards that should guide their actions. When belief disappears, behaviors drift, teams disengage, and progress quietly stalls. True growth, they argue, comes from defining meaningful standards, allowing tactics to evolve beneath them, and maintaining unwavering belief in the mission those standards serve.

    This episode challenges founders and leaders to reassess what they truly believe, realign their standards with meaningful goals, and operate with the clarity and intention required to build lasting success.

    🎧 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

    1. Why standards, not tactics, ultimately determine outcomes
    2. How belief shapes values, behaviors, and long-term success
    3. The danger of abandoning standards when tactics stop working
    4. Why energy, habits, and structure influence leadership performance
    5. How misalignment between belief and action creates internal friction
    6. What separates committed leaders from those merely following the status quo


    ⏱️ Timestamps

    00:00 - Energy, focus, and daily performance habits

    04:00 - Structuring schedules for clarity and productivity

    08:30 - Addiction, habits, and behavioral conditioning

    11:00 - Predictability, recovery, and managing mental energy

    14:30 - Standards versus rigid tactics in daily work

    17:00 - How standards create intention and certainty

    20:00 - Why people abandon standards when tactics fail

    23:00 - Belief, culture, and retaining aligned teams

    26:00 - Commitment, obsession, and being “all in”

    27:00 - Final reflections on belief and progress


    🔥 Power Quotes

    Standards create intention, and intention creates certainty

    When you abandon belief in your standards, everything begins to drift.

    You’re either all in, or you’re in the way.

    Great businesses aren’t built on tactics, they’re built on belief.


    📝 Topics Covered

    1. Standards versus tactics
    2. Belief and alignment
    3. Energy management and habits
    4. Leadership culture and commitment
    5. Behavioral change and intention
    6. Progress versus status quo


    🧭 Key Takeaway

    Lasting success doesn’t come from perfect tactics—it comes from clear standards backed by genuine belief. When founders define meaningful standards, stay aligned with their purpose, and adapt tactics without abandoning intention, progress becomes sustainable, teams stay engaged, and...

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    27 mins
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