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...

In this raw and unfiltered episode of the BeTheCEO Podcast, Tom and Adam confront a growing frustration many founders feel but rarely articulate: the overwhelming noise created by technology, platforms, and performative professionalism that stalls real progress.

What begins as a candid vent quickly evolves into a powerful examination of intention, seriousness, and direction. Tom and Adam break down why most founders are not actually stuck because of strategy, tools, or opportunity, but because they are avoiding directness, clarity, and personal responsibility. This episode challenges listeners to stop playing games, set clear intentions, and move forward with purpose.

🎧 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

1. Why technology often creates noise instead of leverage
2. How performative networking blocks real opportunity
3. The cost of avoiding direct conversations in business
4. Why most founders lack clear intention in their actions
5. How ego and indecision quietly sabotage momentum
6. What it means to operate like a serious professional

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 - How technology amplifies noise and distraction

02:30 - The frustration of performative engagement

05:40 - Why most online interactions go nowhere

09:30 - Playing games versus being professional

13:40 - The importance of intention in networking

16:50 - When ego blocks opportunity

20:00 - Real-world examples of missed follow-through

24:00 - Noise versus clarity in modern business

28:30 - Trusting the process without tolerating nonsense

33:30 - Final thoughts on cutting through the noise

🔥 Power Quotes

No one is serious anymore, and it’s killing progress.

Noise feels like motion, but it isn’t progress.

Clarity starts when you stop playing games.

Being direct is a form of respect.

📝 Topics Covered

1. Noise versus progress
2. Professionalism in business
3. Intentional communication
4. Networking behaviour
5. Ego and avoidance
6. Direction and clarity

🧭 Key Takeaway

Founders don’t get stuck because they lack tools or platforms — they get stuck because they lack intention. When you stop tolerating noise, get honest about what you want, and communicate directly, progress becomes inevitable.

💬 Connect with Us

👉 Visit bethe.ceo

👉 Follow Tom Marino & Adam

In 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:

1. What self-sabotage actually looks like in founders
2. Why growth exposes identity gaps before skill gaps
3. How emotional avoidance quietly stalls progress
4. Why founders resist the behaviours required for the next level
5. The importance of personal responsibility in leadership growth
6. 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

1. Founder mindset
2. Self-sabotage patterns
3. Identity and leadership growth
4. Emotional responsibility
5. Decision-making maturity
6. 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