George B. Thomas
āOwner | Sidekick Strategies
š United States
Value-First Team Role:
VF Humans Co-Host, Data Summit Practitioner, Superhuman Framework Creator
"HubSpot Expert & Human-Centered Transformation Catalyst: Proving Frameworks Fail When Industrial-Age Structures Remain"
Professional Headline
George B. Thomas has 35+ HubSpot certificationsāalmost every certification HubSpot offers. Heās spoken at events with thousands of attendees. Heās trained corporations who have gone on to earn millions of dollars. Heās created thousands of marketing and sales videos. And heās a high school dropout.
This isnāt a humble brag. Itās the evidence that human potential thrives when artificial barriers are removed. Georgeās entire career demonstrates what happens when you stop judging people by credentials and start enabling them through genuine support, authentic connection, and tools that serve rather than constrain.
As creator of the Superhuman Framework and co-host of Value-First Humans, George proves that human-centered business frameworks sound beautifulābut fail spectacularly when implemented in organizations still running on industrial-age structures. The problem isnāt the frameworks. Itās the compensation plans, KPIs, and systems that make human-centered decisions impossible.
Professional Background
From High School Dropout to HubSpot Authority
Georgeās career arc isnāt just impressiveāitās instructive. Over 30+ years in sales and marketing and 12+ years specializing in HubSpot, heās built a reputation not just for technical knowledge but for his ability to inspire organizational transformation.
His progression shows deliberate evolution: from individual contributor doing hands-on work, to educator teaching others, to content creator reaching thousands daily, to professional speaker influencing entire organizations, to agency founder creating systematic transformation.
Each transition demonstrated his ability to scale impactāfrom helping individual teams to helping thousands through daily content to influencing entire organizations through his Superhuman Framework.
The Breakthrough Recognition
Georgeās breakthrough came when he realized the most valuable work wasnāt tactical HubSpot helpāit was teaching people to think differently about how technology should serve humans, not vice versa.
This insight led to his Superhuman Framework (four cornerstones: Love, Purpose, Passion, Persistence + 10 H-pillars) and his evolution toward Value-First thinking. But implementing his framework across organizations revealed a harder truth: most organizations canāt actually implement human-centered frameworks because their compensation plans, KPIs, and systems prevent the very decisions those frameworks require.
This recognition became the foundation for Value-First Humansāexploring not just what human-centered business should look like, but why it fails in industrial-age structures and what must change for it to succeed.
Sidekick Strategies: A New Generation of HubSpot Partner
In April 2024, George founded Sidekick Strategies with positioning as āA New Generation of HubSpot Partner Agency.ā The name itself signals the philosophy: sidekick, not hero. The agency exists to enable client capability, not create vendor dependency.
Sidekick Strategies combines Georgeās unmatched HubSpot expertise with his human-centered transformation approachāproving that technical excellence and authentic care for client success arenāt competing priorities.
Areas of Expertise
HubSpot Platform Mastery Unmatched depth across all hubs and capabilities with 35+ certifications covering Inbound Marketing, Inbound Sales, Contextual Marketing, CMS Implementation, Email Marketing, Content Marketing, and many others
Superhuman Framework Four-pillar approach (Love, Purpose, Passion, Persistence + 10 H-pillars) for human-centered business growth
Inbound Marketing Strategy How to attract, engage, and delight audiences authentically rather than through interruption and extraction
Modern Sales Process Excellence Sales approaches based on trust and relationship building rather than manipulation and pressure
Content Strategy & Creation Teaching-focused content, video production, written content, podcast format across multiple platforms
AI-Human Partnership Using AI to augment human capability without replacementāAI handles mechanical tasks so humans can focus on creativity, judgment, and connection
Leadership & Organizational Development Helping leaders create cultures where human potential flourishes and innovation emerges naturally
Business Growth Strategy Scaling organizations while maintaining human values and authentic relationships
Video Marketing Strategy Harnessing video for storytelling and trust-building in educational contexts
Community Building Creating engaged audiences and facilitating meaningful connections that compound over time
Recognition-First Positioning: What George Sees That Others Miss
The Tool/Culture Gap
Your organization blames HubSpot for adoption failures when the real problem is organizational culture and leadership behavior. George recognizes the uncomfortable truth: āIf leaders donāt live in it, no one else will either.ā The tool works fine. Your leadership team just isnāt modeling the behavior they expect from everyone else.
Adoption Is a Leadership Issue, Not a Training Issue
You canāt train your way to adoption. You have to lead your way there. George recognizes what kills implementations: Adoption fails when leaders donāt model the behavior they expect. Every time a VP asks for an Excel export instead of opening HubSpot, they signal that the CRM doesnāt matter. Training canāt overcome that signal.
Frameworks Donāt Survive Industrial-Age Structures
His Superhuman Framework is brilliant in theory, but George recognizes the implementation barrier: Most organizations canāt implement it because their compensation plans, KPIs, and systems prevent the human-centered decisions it requires. This is why transformation initiatives failānot because people donāt understand the framework, but because the structure makes it impossible to act on.
AI Amplifies Existing Approaches
AI wonāt save teams with extractive cultures. George recognizes what most miss: AI will just make them more efficient at extraction instead of value creation. If your current approach treats humans as resources to optimize, AI will help you optimize that exploitation faster. The technology amplifies your philosophyāit doesnāt change it.
Questions Unlock Collective Intelligence
The biggest missed opportunity in most organizations is that leadership provides answers instead of asking powerful questions. George recognizes the leverage point: Questions unlock human intelligence and creativity. Answers shut them down. When leaders spend more time telling than asking, they waste the collective intelligence of their entire team.
Voice Matters in the AI Era
As voice becomes the primary interface with AI, the ability to communicate clearly, ask good questions, and engage in dialogue becomes more valuable than ever. George recognizes the shift: Organizations that develop voice communication capability will thrive. Those that donāt will struggle.
The Superhuman Framework
Framework Vision
George developed the Superhuman Framework to help organizations create environments where humans thrive and technology serves human flourishing.
Four Cornerstones
1. Love Genuine care for customer and teamānot as marketing rhetoric, but as operational reality
2. Purpose Clear mission beyond profitāunderstanding why the organization exists and who it serves
3. Passion Energy and commitment to excellenceābringing full self to work rather than manufactured professionalism
4. Persistence Long-term thinking and resilienceābuilding for sustainable success rather than quarterly extraction
10 H-Pillars
Specific practices supporting the cornerstones (content, communication, education, systems, culture, leadership approaches)
The Hard Truth
The framework is brilliant in theory. But most organizations canāt implement it because their compensation plans, KPIs, and systems prevent the human-centered decisions it requires.
This is the real barrier to transformationānot lack of good frameworks, but organizational structures that make those frameworks impossible.
Value-First Humans Show
Show Focus: Exploring why human-centered frameworks fail in industrial-age organizations and what transformation actually requires
Co-Host: Chris Carolan Launch: October 2025
Episode Highlights:
- Episode 1: āThe Superhuman Foundationā - Origin story of Superhuman Framework and why organizational structures prevent its implementation
Why This Show Matters:
The business world is full of human-centered frameworks: servant leadership, conscious capitalism, people-first cultures, stakeholder value. They all sound beautiful. And they all fail in most organizations.
Not because the frameworks are wrong. Because organizations implement them inside structures designed for industrial-age extraction, control, and measurement. You canāt build human-centered businesses with industrial-age blueprints.
VF Humans explores the seven Value-First Humans commitments that address specific barriers to human-centered transformation:
- Addressing industrial-age structures that make human-centered decisions impossible
- Moving from KPI-driven extraction to relationship-driven value creation
- Replacing command-and-control management with curiosity and empowerment
- Designing systems that enable rather than constrain human potential
- Measuring success through human flourishing, not just financial metrics
- Building cultures where questions unlock collective intelligence
- Using AI to amplify human capability, not replace human judgment
The Mission:
Show why so many human-centered frameworks failāand what must change for transformation to actually work.
Teaching Philosophy
George is known for exceptional ability to inspire and educate simultaneously:
High-Energy Presenter Electrifying presence that leaves audiences energized and motivated, not just informed
Accessible Expert Makes complex HubSpot concepts understandable without dumbing them downārespects audience intelligence
Story-Based Teaching Uses narratives and examples rather than abstract conceptsāshows rather than tells
Servant-Leader Approach Genuinely focused on audience benefit, not personal promotionāāI donāt just show up to talkāI show up to inspire action, ignite growth, and equip your audience with the tools they need to create lasting changeā
Practical & Inspirational Balance Both āhereās the tactical approachā AND āhereās why this matters for humanityā
Authentic Personality Brings genuine self to all interactionsānot manufactured persona or corporate polish
Continuous Learner Models ongoing growth and evolution of thinkingādemonstrates that mastery includes admitting what you donāt know
Makes Complex Simple Philosophy that āif you come from a content creation place of āitās all about the humans,ā you quickly realize that simplifying the complex, writing to be understood, and leaving the jargon at the door are all superpowersā
HubSpot Helper & Content Creator Access
Subscription Model Innovation
George pioneered a subscription model for HubSpot expertise:
HubSpot Helper ($25/month) On-demand access to Georgeās expertise without agency retainer costs
Content Creator Access Group Subscription model for teams needing ongoing HubSpot education and guidance
Why This Matters
The subscription approach demonstrates Georgeās commitment to removing barriers to expertise. Not every organization can afford $10K/month agency retainers, but they still need expert guidance. The Helper model makes Georgeās 35+ certifications and 12+ years of experience accessible to teams at every stage.
Delphi AI Integration
George uses AI to maintain his teaching voice across high-volume content (HubSpot daily updates, educational materials). This isnāt AI replacing Georgeāitās AI amplifying his ability to serve more people while maintaining authentic voice and genuine care.
Notable Insights & Quotes
On Leadership: āIf leaders donāt live in it, no one else will either.ā
On Training vs. Culture: āYou canāt train your way to adoption. You have to lead your way there.ā
On Framework Implementation: āSuperhuman Framework is brilliant in theory, but most organizations canāt implement it because their structures prevent the human-centered decisions it requires.ā
On AI: āAI wonāt save teams with bad cultures. It will just make them more efficient at extracting value instead of creating it.ā
On Intelligence: āQuestions unlock collective intelligence. Answers shut it down.ā
On Content Creation: āIf you come from a content creation place of āitās all about the humans,ā you quickly realize that simplifying the complex, writing to be understood, and leaving the jargon at the door are all superpowers.ā
On His Journey: āIāve spoken at events with thousands of attendees. Iāve trained corporations who have gone on to earn millions of dollars. I have 30+ HubSpot Certifications. And Iām a high school dropout.ā
Professional Contributions
Sidekick Strategies (Owner, April 2024-Present) āA New Generation of HubSpot Partner Agencyā focused on enabling client capability through human-centered transformation and technical excellence
Value-First Humans Show (Co-Host, October 2025-Present) Exploring why human-centered frameworks fail in industrial-age organizations with Chris Carolan
HubHeroes Podcast (Creator) Long-running podcast exploring critical human-centered topics in business transformation
Superhuman Framework (Creator) Comprehensive methodology for creating organizations where humans thrive and technology serves human flourishing
HubSpot Helper (Founder, April 2024) $25/month subscription providing on-demand access to expert HubSpot guidance
Content Creator Access Group (Founder) Subscription model for teams needing ongoing HubSpot education
Professional Speaking Regular keynotes and workshops at industry events (sales, marketing, leadership conferences)
HubSpot Academy 35+ certifications demonstrating unmatched platform mastery
Daily Content Creation LinkedIn Live shows, blogs, videos, and educational content reaching thousands
30+ Years Sales & Marketing Experience Including 12+ years specializing in HubSpot implementation and strategy
Who Benefits from Georgeās Expertise
HubSpot Users Seeking Platform Mastery Teams wanting to move beyond basic usage to strategic implementation and adoption
Marketing and Sales Leaders Undergoing Transformation Organizations recognizing that technical tools require cultural transformation to succeed
Teams Struggling with Tool Adoption and Change Management Companies where HubSpot implementation failed not because of the tool but because of leadership and culture
Leaders Frustrated with Command-and-Control Management Executives recognizing that industrial-age management approaches prevent innovation and growth
B2B Organizations Prioritizing Relationship Building Companies seeking to move from extraction-based to value-creation-based approaches
Organizations Wanting Human-Centered Business Culture Teams committed to creating environments where human potential flourishes
Collaboration & Contact
Professional Presence:
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/george-b-thomas
- Website: georgebthomas.com
- Sidekick Strategies: sidekickstrategies.com
- YouTube: Various channels and appearances
- Podcasts: HubHeroes, Women of HubSpot, multiple guest appearances
Value-First Shows:
- VF Humans (Co-host with Chris Carolan) - Exploring barriers to human-centered transformation
Sidekick Strategies: A New Generation of HubSpot Partner Agency enabling client capability through technical excellence and human-centered transformation
HubSpot Helper: $25/month subscription for on-demand HubSpot expertise
Collaboration Interests:
- Expanding human-centered business thinking across industries
- Bridging gap between transformation frameworks and organizational implementation
- Creating conditions for human potential to flourish in business contexts
- Teaching organizations to use AI for human augmentation, not replacement
- Building cultures where questions unlock collective intelligence
- Demonstrating that technical excellence and authentic care arenāt competing priorities
Why George Contributes to Value-First
Georgeās Superhuman Framework already embodied human-centered transformation principles. But implementing it across organizations revealed the deeper challenge: frameworks fail when organizational structures prevent the decisions those frameworks require.
When he encountered the Value-First methodology, he recognized it as addressing the structural barriers his framework couldnāt overcome alone. Value-First doesnāt just describe what human-centered business should look likeāit confronts why industrial-age structures make it impossible.
Through Sidekick Strategies, his co-hosting of VF Humans, and his HubSpot Helper model, George demonstrates that transformation requires both excellent frameworks AND structural changes that enable those frameworks to work.
His participation in the Data Summit and ongoing Value-First work proves his commitment to not just teaching human-centered businessābut creating the conditions where it can actually succeed.
His high school dropout story isnāt inspirational rhetoric. Itās evidence that when you remove artificial barriers and provide genuine support, human potential flourishes. Thatās not just Georgeās career story. Thatās the Value-First principle in action.
Value-First Humans with George B. Thomas & Chris Carolan Exploring why human-centered frameworks fail in industrial-age structuresāand what transformation actually requires
Sidekick Strategies A New Generation of HubSpot Partner Agency: Technical excellence meets human-centered transformation
The High School Dropout with 35+ HubSpot Certifications Evidence that human potential thrives when artificial barriers are removed
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