🎧 Strategic Automation for Business Owners: From Hustle to Harmony
If you’re a business owner looking for strategic automation tools and tactics that actually work, this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes is for you.
Tom Nassr, CEO of XRay.Tech, joins Jamie Seeker to discuss how he helps businesses create smart, human-first systems that automate the right things, reduce friction, and amplify productivity. This is not about replacing people — it’s about giving them their time back to do what matters most.
From his background in philosophy and design to building systems for Fortune 500s, Tom brings a refreshing take on strategic automation for business owners who are tired of burnout and ready to scale smart.
👤 Meet the Guest: Tom Nassr, CEO of XRay.Tech
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Location: New York City
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Background: Former founder of Checkmate.Digital (sold in 2019)
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Current Role: Co-Founder & CEO of XRay.Tech
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Mission: Help businesses design smarter workflows and eliminate low-leverage tasks
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Specialty: Workflow automation using Zapier, Airtable, Make, and AI integrations
🔄 Why Strategic Automation for Business Owners Matters
Tom explains that automation is only strategic when it supports a clear outcome. Too often, businesses try to automate broken processes or buy into hype before laying the foundation.
🧠 “We always start outcome first — then rigorously question the ingredients that lead to that result.”
He emphasizes a human-first strategy that centers around clarity, consistency, and compounding small wins over time.
🧰 Top Tips on Strategic Automation from Tom Nassr
1. 🧭 Start With the End Result
“You can’t automate something you haven’t done right manually.”
Always define what success looks like. Build automation around proven, repeatable outcomes.
2. ⚠️ Don’t Automate Broken Processes
“Way too many people try to automate a process they’ve never performed correctly yet.”
Automation doesn’t fix a flawed process. It amplifies whatever foundation you already have.
3. 🛠️ Structure for the Happy Path, Plan for the Rest
“Send a Slack alert when something’s off — don’t try to automate every single edge case.”
Your automation should handle routine tasks. Humans should intervene when logic breaks or exceptions happen.
4. 🌍 Real-World Example: COVID Lab Logistics
During the pandemic, Tom’s team helped a global supplier streamline complex spreadsheets that nearly stalled their operations. The automation system they designed helped triple the company’s revenue — and supported labs building actual COVID vaccines.
“A spreadsheet could’ve stopped global R&D — automation made the impossible, possible.”
💬 What It Takes to Be a Business Owner
At the end of every episode, we ask our guests: What does it take to be a business owner?
Tom’s response was grounded and deeply relatable:
“It takes humility to admit something could be better — and resilience to try, knowing you’ll only get halfway there again and again. But it’s still worth doing.”
🔗 Tools Mentioned by Tom Nassr
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Zapier
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Airtable
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Make.com
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LowCodeEngineers.com (coaching + collaborative building)
📲 Where to Connect with Tom Nassr
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Website: https://www.xray.tech
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Instagram: @xrayautomation
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LinkedIn: Tom Nassr
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YouTube: XRay.Tech Channel
🎙️ Listen to the Full Episode
Catch the full episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes on Spotify or your favorite podcast platform. Learn how strategic automation for business owners is changing the game — and how to get started the right way.
📢 Final Thoughts + Share It
If you’re ready to stop working in the weeds and start building systems that support your growth, this episode is your roadmap.
📩 Share it with a fellow entrepreneur, tag us on Instagram @seekersolution, and subscribe for more real conversations with business owners who are building with intention.
