Posts by David Shriner-Cahn

Dr. Jürgen Strauss, the founder of Innovabiz, is globally celebrated as a human-centered podcasting coach. He guides high achievers in leveraging podcasting for business growth. Having produced over 590 InnovaBuzz Podcast episodes, his expertise resides at the intersection of technology, human behavior, and marketing. 

He utilizes his years of experience in both the corporate and small business sectors to cultivate deep connections, thus broadening the professional networks of high-impact individuals. He expertly integrates generative AI, such as ChatGPT, with human connection to enhance effective communication. Beyond his professional pursuits, he is a passionate photographer, speaker, and cyclist.

In today’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to pivot according to your audience’s needs, the significance of asking the right questions, and how to utilize AI tools for more human-like interactions.

Jürgen and I discuss:

• The importance of audience understanding and quick adaptation [00:13:50]
• How Jurgen pivoted his business approach [00:14:00]
• Jurgen’s methods of understanding the market [00:14:30]
• The art of asking meaningful questions [00:14:40]
• The concept of assistance versus help [00:15:00]
• How to identify gaps and contribute effectively [00:15:30]
• Jurgen’s dream for Flywheel Nation [00:19:10]
• The benefits of being in a community [00:20:00]
• Jurgen’s definition of community [00:21:40]
• The application of ChatGPT in business [00:22:10]
• How to leverage AI tools for human connection [00:23:35]

Learn more about Jurgen at www.innovabiz.co and more about his community at www.innovabiz.co/flywheel.

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Sara Murray is an advisor, consultant, and speaker working with leaders and sales teams to unlock the untapped potential in their prospecting and business development efforts. 

With a focus on construction, real estate, hospitality, design, and technology industries, Sara empowers professionals to enhance their communication skills, approach prospecting creatively, and effectively address business needs rather than simply push products.

As the host of the popular podcast “Prospecting on Purpose,” Sara provides a valuable platform for discussions on prospecting, sales, business strategies, and mindset, leaving listeners with tangible takeaways and increased confidence.

In today’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, you’ll learn about the importance of structure and accountability in establishing and growing your own business. Sara offers practical advice and tangible methods for achieving your sales goals and creating a successful business model.

Sara and I discuss:

• The transition from corporate life to entrepreneurship [02:04]
• The process of establishing structure in your business [04:15]
• Decision-making in terms of which business model to pursue [07:51]
• The role of workshops in growing a business [10:37]
• Practical ways of developing business sales [14:12]
• The benefits of using a podcast as a resource [16:19]
• Navigating challenges in entrepreneurship [20:41]
• Strategies for personal and business growth [23:14]
• Resource availability and how to get in touch with Sara [25:55]

Learn more about Sara at connect.saramurray.com and follow her on LinkedIn. You can also access her podcast, Prospecting on Purpose, on YouTube and all significant platforms where podcasts are available.

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Marcey Rader believes health powers productivity. As the founder of RaderCo, she helps corporate refugees banish burnout through practical tools and sustainable habits.

Marcey is a multi-certified health and productivity expert, a digital wellness practitioner, three-time author, has spoken on five continents, and is part of the 1% of speakers worldwide with the distinguished Certified Speaking Professional® designation. 

In today’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, Marcey shares her wealth of knowledge on how to bring balance into your life and work while skyrocketing your productivity and achieving success in your business.

Marcey and I discuss:

• How Marcey transitioned from being the primary earner in her family to becoming an entrepreneur [02:15]
• The importance of a coach and a mastermind group in her business journey [04:22]
• Dealing with the corporate mindset and the challenges it presents when starting your own business [09:02]
• Techniques for placing value on your services [14:11]
• Marcey’s insights on the importance of a carefully curated group in leadership roles [19:30]

Learn more about Marcey www.helloraderco.com and www.marceyrader.com.

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Lois Creamer works with speakers, consultants, and experts who want to book more business, make more money and fully monetize their message. 

In today’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn about marketing and sales techniques for deliverable results, the significance of leveraging relationships and databases for revenue, the advantages of self-publication, and the joy of leading a successful membership community.

Lois and I discuss:

• Lois’s journey in developing her sales skills and the importance of selling one’s unique expertise [02:30]
• The uniqueness of each person’s expertise delivery and how to leverage others’ expertise [06:10]
• The value of databases as a strategic business asset and why it’s essential to take it seriously [09:17]
• Lois’s self-publication journey and reasons for choosing self-publication over traditional publishing [13:21]
• The joy, value, and structure of Lois’s membership community [26:05]

Learn more about Lois Creamer at bookmorebusiness.com. Sign up for her blog and receive a free eBook on how to sell a speech.

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Scott Brenner is a seasoned digital entrepreneur and the strategic brain behind Online Business From Scratch, a business that guides aspiring entrepreneurs to launch successful online businesses. Brenner, who has decades of online business and technical experience, firmly believes in imparting actionable strategies for the fruition of those ideas.

In today’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to build a successful online business, find the right niche, and grow your digital entrepreneurship journey with smart actionable steps.

Scott and David discuss:

• What led Scott Brenner to become an entrepreneur [00:02:48]
• How Scott found his niche in online business coaching [00:06:32]
• The relevance of building a profitable business model [00:08:11]
• Why choosing the right audience is crucial in entrepreneurship [00:09:21]
• The significance of validating business ideas [00:12:15]
• How Scott delivers value to his clients [00:14:02]
• Navigating the entrepreneurial journey with communities [00:17:01]
• Scott’s approach to creating interactive business courses [00:19:45]
• Scott’s free ebook and a special offer for Smashing the Plateau audience [00:23:32]

Learn more about Scott at https://14steps.online/.

Thank you to our sponsor:

The Smashing the Plateau Community

Annie Franceschi is a leading branding expert, professional speaker, and founder of Greatest Story Creative. After working for Disney and becoming a “branding super sleuth”, she is now devoted to helping savvy entrepreneurs tell their story.

In today’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how leaving your corporate career and focusing on what you’re best at can result in significant business growth.

Annie and David discuss:

• Annie’s journey from a corporate career at Disney to becoming an entrepreneur [02:13]
• How Annie found her niche in business branding [05:46]
• The benefits of having repeatable processes in your business [08:34]
• The importance of support from like-minded entrepreneurs [11:12]
• The significance of running a well-focused business instead of trying to be all things to all people [14:40]
• Advice for those wanting to venture into entrepreneurship [16:39]
• A closer look at what Annie does for her clients now [21:54]

Learn more about Annie at www.greateststorycreative.com.

Thank you to our sponsor:

The Smashing the Plateau Community

Mindy Iannelli is the Chief Focus Architect of Complete Online Presence, an organization that helps people build their online businesses. Mindy is an expert in creating courses and communities designed to help entrepreneurs become more productive and reach their goals. 

In today’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to harness the power of community to fuel your entrepreneurial journey and reach new heights in your business.

Mindy and I discuss:

• How Mindy transitioned from web development to building a community [00:13:25]
• The importance of being open to unexpected opportunities [00:14:05]
• Mindy’s experience as a community member and leader [00:14:02]
• The kinds of problems community can solve [00:17:35]
• How someone else’s post motivated Mindy to take action [00:18:39]
• Mindy’s definition of community [00:19:30]
• The ultimate dream for Mindy’s community [00:20:30]
• Where to get in touch with Mindy and learn more about her community [00:20:43]

Learn more about Mindy at https://completeonlinepresence.com/succeed-with-ease-membership/

Thank you to our sponsor: 

The Smashing the Plateau Community

Robin Wycherly is the CEO of Optimize Your Design Business, a company that caters to corporate clients and high-level customers. Robin is also an accomplished interior designer and a business coach, leveraging years of experience in building a small but effective company.

In today’s episode, you will learn how to avoid the loneliness of going solo.

Robin and David discuss:

• Robin’s evolution as an entrepreneur and the shift to coaching [00:13:35]
• The importance of having a clear vision and identifying a niche [00:13:45]
• The value of setting up processes and checklists from day one [00:14:00]
• The significance of systematizing your business process and delegating tasks [00:14:50]
• The struggle designers experience with delegating tasks [00:15:10]
• How online communities can provide a supportive environment for solopreneurs [00:18:30]
• The use of a basic spreadsheet to provide a quick visual insight into your business [00:22:04]

Learn more about Robin and his work at optimizeyourdesignbusiness.com. You can download Robin’s spreadsheet dashboard at optimizeyourdesignbusiness.com/free.

Thank you to our sponsor:

The Smashing the Plateau Community

Tatiana is a community business strategist, teacher, and founder of The Business of Community, a learning organization helping community founders scale values-driven community businesses. Before focusing exclusively on supporting community founders, Tatiana worked in international sales, marketing, product management, and growing her own community business to 2000+ members. 

She believes our childhood experiences with connection and belonging play a major part in the communities and businesses we build. Part of her job is helping community founders unlock those experiences and leverage them to build stronger communities.

In today’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how Tatiana founded the Business of Community and what makes community a unique aspect of how a business can succeed.

Tatiana and David discuss:

• How Tatiana’s varied background led her to building communities [00:02:35]
• The challenges and rewards of creating a community-led business [00:14:30]
• The unexpected decision to become an entrepreneur [00:14:40]
• The shift from working in a startup to venturing out on her own [00:15:15]
• The transition from in-person community to online during the pandemic [00:17:30]
• The elements that make community-building fun and rewarding [00:17:10]
• The evolution of Tatiana’s business, from consulting to creating a community [00:18:35]
• The tension and balance between building community and running a business [00:20:40]
• How to incorporate ‘community vibes’ into standard business operations [00:22:30]

Learn more about Tatiana, her work, and The Business of Community at https://businessofcommunity.co

Thank you to our sponsor:

The Smashing the Plateau Community 

Michal Stawicki, nicknamed Mr. Consistency, is a bestselling author in the personal development field(19 books, over 85,000 copies sold), business coach, and founder of the book advertising agency Resurrecting Books. 

He is obsessed with changing the world through daily habits, starting with his own habits and his world. Michal preaches and practices consistent daily action. He believes this is the means to achieve success in any area of life, from parenting to business.

In today’s episode, you will learn what happens when you give yourself permission to start something new.

Michal and David discuss:

• Michal’s transition from a lifelong employee to an entrepreneur [00:05:00]
• The power of consistent daily action in achieving success [00:10:10]
• The challenges and rewards of managing a team and oneself in entrepreneurship [00:15:10]
• The importance of adapting online lessons to one’s specific situation [00:20:15]
• The role of community and collaboration in business success, as exemplified by Michal’s experiences [00:25:35]

Learn more about Michal at his personal blog, Expand Beyond Yourself, and his business website ResurrectingBooks.

Thank you to our sponsor: 

The Smashing the Plateau Community 

Alicia Ramsdell is the Founder & CEO of Mindful Career Path. She started this organization with the intention of making career fulfillment a career reality for her clients.

Since then she inspires Corporate Partners and individuals through career development conversations. Most recently, she inspired her audience sharing her message on the TEDx stage.

In today’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to make career fulfillment a career reality.

Alicia and I discuss:

• About her career journey [01:42]
• What is the correlation between mindfulness and career fulfillment [04:35]
• Why is she in her business [06:10]
• How did she navigate unexpected transitions [12:40]
• How to be true to the values and teachings [14:34]
• How to be authentic in yourself [17:53]
• What is the primary problem she solve for her ideal clients [18:22]
• What are the benefits of being in a community [23:55]

Learn more about Alicia:

• Visit her page at www.mindfulcareerpath.com
• Listen to her TedX talk: “It’s not whether we achieve our goals, but whether we dared to try”
• Check out her highly-rated children’s book: “The One and Only Incredible ME!”

Thank you to our sponsor:

The Smashing the Plateau Community

Ethan is a performance improvement coach and change management consultant. His unique value proposition is, he specialize in working with clients to improve their people’s performance, productivity, and profitability through training, coaching, and culture consulting.

In todays’ episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn techniques you can use to ask friends, colleagues and mentors for help even when it feels difficult to do so.

Ethan and I discuss:

• Ethan’s experience becoming a corporate refugee [00:24]
• How our self-worth reflects what we share with others [01:55]
• 4-5 relationships that are key to your success [06:12]
• Asking for help is not so easy [10:07]
• Techniques to ask for help when it feels hard to do [12:05]
• Relationships in a community [18:49]

Learn more about Ethan at https://thechazingroup.com or get in touch with Ethan at ethan@thechazingroup.com. 

Thank you to our sponsor:

The Smashing the Plateau Community