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The Strategic Thinkers Podcast
Welcome to the Strategic Thinker’s podcast. Where we navigate the real path to business success - your path.
About The Strategic Thinkers Podcast
Welcome to the Strategic Thinkers Podcast, where we dive deep into authentic conversations with business owners and entrepreneurs about their unique journeys to success. Each episode uncovers the pivotal moments, strategic decisions, and personal insights that have shaped our guests' paths to achieving their individual goals.
Our conversations explore the real challenges and turning points that every business owner faces, along with the thoughtful strategies that have helped them overcome obstacles and define success on their own terms. From developing effective systems to navigating crucial decisions, our guests share honest stories and practical insights that listeners can apply to their own business journeys.
Latest episodes
Search, Trust, Hire: Fixing the Broken Way We Choose Business Partners
In this episode of Strategic Thinkers, Sean Atkinson sits down with SEO and digital trust strategist Wendell Jordan for a brutally honest conversation about how small businesses make hiring decisions—and why so many of them go wrong.
Maximizing Your Entrepreneurial Potential with AI
In this conversation, Rich discusses the entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing the importance of time management and the role of AI in enhancing productivity and achieving goals. He highlights that the process of entrepreneurship can be as significant as the end goal itself, and that leveraging AI can lead to greater accomplishments within a given timeframe.
Beyond the Layoff- Building an Unshakable Portfolio Career
In this eye-opening episode of the Strategic Thinkers Podcast, Sean M Atkinson sits down with Abby Schommer, co-founder of CalPal and host of The Marginalized Podcast, to explore how portfolio careers can transform professional vulnerability into unshakable resilience.
Attention Management: The Key to Stress Relief
In this insightful conversation, Sean M. Atkinson welcomes Mischelle O'Neal to discuss the powerful connection between attention management and stress reduction. Drawing from her military background and extensive experience in workplace wellness, Mischelle reframes stress as a symptom of attention problems rather than the root cause itself. The episode explores practical strategies for managing triggers, setting boundaries, and leveraging team strengths to create healthier work environments.
How to Build a Thriving Online Community
In this episode, Kyle Van Dusen, founder of The Admin Bar, reveals how he built an engaged online community of 11,000+ members—without compromising authenticity. Host Sean Atkinson explores the power of real community vs. just an audience, monetization strategies that don’t feel “salesy,” and how community-driven business models can create financial stability and work-life balance.
Unlocking Business Success with Analytics
In this episode, discover how to move beyond vanity metrics and create a holistic view of your business performance. Lorraine breaks down complex analytics into practical frameworks, helping you understand everything from website traffic sources to effective SEO strategies. Whether you're running an early-stage startup or an established business, you'll learn how to leverage tools like Google Search Console to gain deeper insights into your audience's perception and behavior.
Unlocking Business Growth with the S.T.A.G.E. Framework
In this episode of the Strategic Thinkers podcast, Sean M Atkinson introduces the S.T.A.G.E. framework, a systematic approach to scaling and growing businesses with confidence. The conversation emphasizes the need for clarity and confidence in business processes, the significance of fine-tuning existing products, and the importance of maintaining brand identity while pursuing growth.
T.I.M.E.D.: The Reality Check Framework.
In this episode of the Strategic Thinkers podcast, we dive deep into the T.I.M.E.D. framework, a practical approach for both early-stage and seasoned business owners. Unlike conventional business advice that often assumes perfect scenarios, this episode emphasizes the importance of basing your strategies on current circumstances and reality.
The Art of Strategic Thinking with P.A.U.S.E.
In this episode of the Strategic Thinkers Podcast, Sean M Atkinson introduces the P.A.U.S.E. framework, emphasizing the importance of due diligence in business. A break down the components of P.A.U.S.E. - Potential Assessment, Assessing Timing, Understanding Market Needs, Strengthening Your Foundation, and Executing When Ready.
The F.I.R.S.T. Framework: Building a Strong Foundation for Business Success
In this episode of the Strategic Thinkers podcast, Sean M Atkinson discusses the foundational elements necessary for establishing a successful business. He introduces the F.I.R.S.T. framework, which emphasizes Focus, Identify, Research, Structure, and Test as critical steps in the entrepreneurial journey.
From Record Labels to Business Strategy: Why Process Matters
In this episode, Sean M Atkinson shares his origin story and the insights he gained from his experiences in the music industry and career. Sean introduces the F.I.R.S.T., P.A.U.S.E., and T.I.M.E.D. frameworks as essential tools for building a solid foundation for business growth
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Search, Trust, Hire: Building Smarter Business Partnerships
Choosing the right partners isn't just about services—it’s about trust, timing, and clarity. In this Strategic Thinkers episode with Wendell Jordan, we break down how to build smarter business relationships by simplifying communication, vetting providers properly, and prioritizing real visibility over vanity metrics. If you want partnerships that drive real growth, not just promises, this conversation is your blueprint.
Small Business, Big Capabilities: Leveraging AI to Compete with
Larger Companies
In today's fast-paced business environment, small businesses often struggle to compete with well-funded corporations. However, as AI expert Rich reveals in this article, artificial intelligence is becoming the great equalizer that allows entrepreneurs to punch above their weight class.
Discover how treating AI as a trainable tool rather than "magic" can transform your business operations, from reviewing contracts and managing time to streamlining reports. Learn practical implementation strategies that helped Rich turn a six-hour monthly task into a five-minute process, and how you can apply similar techniques to focus on your core expertise while AI handles everything else.
Portfolio Careers: The Key to Resilience in Today's Uncertain Job Market
In this eye-opening episode of the Strategic Thinkers Podcast, Sean M Atkinson sits down with Abby Schommer, co-founder of CalPal and host of The Marginalized Podcast, to explore how portfolio careers can transform professional vulnerability into unshakable resilience.
"When you get laid off, it literally changes your life. It'll change the way you look at work for the rest of your life," shares Abby, reflecting on her unexpected layoff from Facebook despite stellar performance and recent promotions. This pivotal experience led her to rethink traditional career paths and develop what she calls a portfolio career—becoming "the lady with nine jobs."
Why Stress Management Is Actually an Attention Problem: Insights from Mischelle ONeal
In a world where burnout has become normalized and "stress management" techniques often merely treat symptoms, Mischelle ONeal offers a revolutionary perspective: stress isn't the root problem—it's a symptom of an attention management issue. On a recent episode of the podcast,
Mischelle shared insights from her military background and extensive experience in workplace wellness to help professionals regain control over their attention, set healthy boundaries, and optimize their productivity.
Building an Authentic Community: Lessons from The Admin Bar Founder Kyle Van Deusen
In a digital world obsessed with metrics and quick monetization, Kyle Van Deusen took the road less traveled. Starting The Admin Bar without a business plan, he built a thriving community of 11,000+ WordPress professionals based on genuine connection and collaborative learning.
Kyle reveals how rejecting the "leader on stage" model in favor of a "mosh pit" approach created space for everyone to contribute valuable insights. His selective membership process, strict no-promotion policies, and focus on relationship-building eventually transformed into a sustainable business that provides work-life balance and meaningful connections.
Discover the practical strategies that allowed Kyle to transition from exhausting client work to digital products and strategic sponsorships while maintaining his core values. His journey proves that putting community before profit can ultimately lead to greater personal and professional rewards.
Beyond Vanity Metrics: Building a Data-Driven Business That Matters
Beyond vanity metrics lies the true power of data-driven decision making. In this article, discover how to transform overwhelming analytics into actionable insights that drive real business growth.
Learn the strategic framework for identifying which metrics actually matter, how to build a holistic view of your business performance, and why making the inconvenient convenient through data is key to sustainable success. Whether you're a startup founder or leading an established company, you'll find practical steps for using analytics to make better business decisions and drive meaningful results.
Featuring insights from my conversation with Lorraine Watson, founder of TriSphere Consulting, this guide helps you cut through the noise and focus on the data that truly moves the needle for your business.
Scale Without Breaking:
The S.T.A.G.E. Framework
Discover how the S.T.A.G.E. framework helps businesses scale systematically without sacrificing the quality that made them successful. Learn why the best time to build systems is before you need them, and how to grow your business with confidence using this proven approach to strategic expansion.
Business Advice Is Lying to You: The T.I.M.E.D. Framework: Building Success on Reality, Not Perfection
Discover why most business advice fails in the real world and how the T.I.M.E.D. framework helps you build strategies that work in both crisis and abundance. Stop chasing perfect scenarios and start building sustainable success.
Mastering the P.A.U.S.E. Framework for Business Success: Creating Intentional Growth Through Strategic Awareness
Discover how the P.A.U.S.E. framework transforms business decision-making from reactive to strategic. Learn why successful entrepreneurs don't just seize opportunities—they evaluate them with purpose. Through real-world examples and practical insights, master the art of being aware in the present while staying intentional about your business's future.
From Record Labels to Business Strategy: Understanding the Process Behind Success
NEW YORK CITY – My journey into business strategy began in an unexpected place - the data department of Atlantic Records. What I learned there about the business of music taught me universal lessons about success that I've spent four decades proving across industries. Discover how understanding the process behind success can help you build the business you envision.
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