Posts by David Shriner-Cahn
Making The Pivot
On yesterday’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, Greg Hickman discussed what it takes to make the shift from one successful business to another. Here are some of his biggest influences: 1) Gary Keller His book, The One Thing, helped me realize I had to focus on the things that were most important, and spend a…
Read Full PostHow To Reinvent Your Business (And Yourself) With Greg Hickman
“Fall in love with the problem, not the solution.”
Although Greg Hickman’s mobile marketing service found some success early on, the sales conversations weren’t quite connecting with customers. Realizing he needed to concentrate on the problem rather than his solution, Greg shifted his business from mobile to automated services and systems. Now his company is skyrocketing, and his customers couldn’t be more satisfied. Today he discusses how to shed old identities and successfully reinvent yourself.
Greg discusses:
- How to shift from one business to another (and make it work).
- Why it’s critical to have detailed operating procedures, guidelines, and systems.
- Why you need to hire people who are smarter than you (and be okay with it).
- The origins of his successful podcast, Zero To Scale, and what it’s done for his career.
Greg Hickman is the CEO and Founder of System.ly, a done-for-you sales funnel and marketing automation service for entrepreneurs and small businesses. His team works with clients such as Entrepreneur on Fire, Eventual Millionaire and many other top online entrepreneurs.
Greg’s work has been featured on Copyblogger, Social Media Examiner, Business.com, Target Marketing Magazine and more. Greg is the co-host of the Zero To Scale Podcast and he writes about entrepreneurship and business building on his blog.
Learn more about Greg at LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.
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Culture And Innovation
Yesterday on Smashing the Plateau, Matt Munson discussed the importance of building teams who fight for the same goals. Here are some of his biggest influences: 1) The Nomadic Developer We strongly encourage anyone who’s new to our company to read this! It’s essentially a how-to book on being a good technology consultant and good…
Read Full PostHow To Create A Collaborative Culture With Matt Munson
Matt Munson has an untamed enthusiasm for building teams. With an expertise in talent acquisition, Matt challenges those around him to grow, seek innovation, and successfully adopt whatever comes next. Today he discusses the real meaning of collaborative culture and teaches you how to build one.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- The benefits of having a company reading list.
- Why you need to actively create opportunities for professional development.
- The challenges of starting a services company (and how to overcome them).
- Why a delegation mindset and a complementary partnership are the keys to scalability.
Matt Munson is a serial entrepreneur with deep roots in the Seattle region and the technology industry. His passion is geared toward starting and building businesses that leverage culture and innovation.
Learn more about Matt at dev9.com, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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Network Equals Net Worth
On yesterday’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, Judy Robinett taught us how to build a powerful network. Here are some of her biggest influences: 1) Steven Covey His book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, is a great focus on time management and what is important. 2) Kent Taylor He is a retired attorney,…
Read Full PostHow To Cultivate A Truly Powerful Network With Judy Robinett
“I meet people everyday who either don’t have connections or they don’t leverage their connections, and so they can’t really get to their dreams.”
Judy Robinett is a networking powerhouse. During her impressive career as an author and keynote speaker, she has made valuable connections with some of the world’s biggest luminaries, which include billionaires, TV & film executives, and big-league CEOs. Now as the Founder and President of JRobinett Enterprises, she teaches entrepreneurs and business leaders how to attain their goals by connecting quality relationships with strategy. Today she tells us what she knows.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- Why your network equals your net worth.
- How to define a great network (and make it work for you).
- The importance of looking to who you already know.
- What scares most people about networking (and how to get over it).
In her career Judy Robinett has led both public and private companies as CEO, and served in management positions at Fortune 500 companies. She is on the advisory boards of Illuminate VC, Pereg VC, and Springboard Enterprises. Judy previously served as a managing director of Golden Seeds Angel Network, and as a member of the faculty of Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Business Program. Judy’s book, How to Be a Power Connector: the 5+50+150 Rule, was named the #1 Business Book of 2014 by Inc. She has been profiled in Fast Company, Forbes, CBS, The Huffington Post, and Bloomberg Businessweek.
Learn more about Judy at judyrobinett.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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Putting Processes In Place
Yesterday on Smashing the Plateau, Matt Perlman discussed why aligning your personal goals with your business goals is key to building a successful business. Here are some of his biggest influences: 1) Robert Kiyosaki Early in my adulthood (high school), his books opened me up to a new dynamic of how things could be and…
Read Full PostMeshing Your Professional and Personal Goals With Matt Perlman
After reading the works of Robert Kiyosaki, Matt Perlman immediately jumped off the corporate ladder to build something special of his own. Over the course of his relatively short career Matt has already founded several successful advertising companies and Internet marketing companies. Today he discusses why your personal and business goals need to be in alignment in order to build a business that creates better revenue and more satisfaction.
Listen to discover:
- The importance of putting ironclad processes in place.
- How to establish a business when your niche is new to the market.
- Why you should be reverse-engineering your plans.
- How to surround yourself with sounding boards.
Matt Perlman has led seminars, training, and workshops for over a thousand people on topics ranging from how to leverage Internet marketing for business growth to personal development. He’s been skydiving twice (he has the video to prove it) and during his time living in South Florida, he was named a Top 30 Under 30 CEO by Atlantic Avenue Magazine.
Learn more about Matt at www.pathinteractive.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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The Important Conversations
On yesterday’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, Todd Heslin discussed a variety of topics including growth, passive income, and how to approach investors. Here are some of his biggest influences: 1) Tim Ferriss His book, The 4-Hour Workweek, changed my life and has challenged my thinking ever since. 2) Derek Sivers He is a very…
Read Full PostGetting Wise To What Works For You With Todd Heslin
“We make good decisions and bad decisions, but if you’re not clear about what you want, then you can never personally say, ‘is this right for me or not?’”
Todd Heslin has been building businesses since his teenage years. Now as a consultant, blogger, and angel investor, Todd helps other entrepreneurs hone in on their personal intent. Are they striving for passive income or building a business to sell? According to Todd, once your aspirations are realized, everything else will fall into place.
Todd discusses:
- Why the emergency mode mindset is detrimental to growth.
- Why you need to ask yourself startup questions.
- Is passive income actually passive?
- Why your personal goals need to be clear before you take on your business.
Todd Heslin is an Australian Entrepreneur who started his business life at the age of 15 selling crayfish from his parent’s farm about 2 hours south of Sydney. After a (relatively) short stint of working at the Big 4 accounting firm Ernst & Young, Todd wondered why many people don’t care about working on things that matter. In 2008, he co-founded Apathco Group, a boutique Sustainability Advisory practice helping businesses transition into a low carbon economy.
Learn more about Todd at beingremarkable.me, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
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A Supportive Community
Yesterday on Smashing the Plateau, Aaron Walker discussed how engaging in mastermind groups can help you make sharper business decisions. Here are some of his biggest influences: 1) Dan Miller I have been in his mastermind group for almost two decades now. He has been an absolute champion of a guy to be around. He’s a…
Read Full PostSurrounding Yourself With Masterminds Featuring Aaron Walker
For the past twenty years, Aaron Walker has been an active member, advocate and facilitator of mastermind groups. Within these communities, thought leaders come together to share their ideas, problem-solve, and offer honest advice that can lead to game-changing business decisions. Today Aaron shares some of the group experiences that helped shape his career.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- How to find a supportive community (that shares your motivation).
- In person groups versus online groups.
- The importance of staying true to yourself and designing a purposeful life.
Aaron Walker is a veteran entrepreneur with a passion for success. He started his first business at age 18, and sold it to a Fortune 500 company nine short years later. Unwilling to rest on past successes, he started, bought, and sold eight successful companies over the past 36 years. Today, Aaron spends the majority of his time helping men grow in success and significance as the President and Founder of View from the Top, a premier life and business coaching resource. He continues to strengthen his personal development in a weekly mastermind group with Dave Ramsey, Dan Miller, Ken Abraham, and seven other notable Nashvillians. Aaron has enjoyed a 35-year marriage with his beautiful wife, Robin.
Learn more about Aaron at viewfromthetop.com, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
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Simplicity In High Performance
On yesterday’s episode of Smashing The Plateau, Joe Calloway discussed the power of simplicity when building a better business. Here are some of his biggest influences: 1) In Search of Excellence This is “the grandfather” of all business books. It influenced me in how to create ideas to help others succeed. 2) Fortune Magazine It’s…
Read Full PostHarnessing A High-Performance Mindset With Joe Calloway
“If you’ve got the wrong mindset, then nothing you do is going to work, and if you have the right mindset … then it just puts you miles ahead of your competition.”
As a celebrated author, business keynote speaker and workshop leader, Joe Calloway knows what it takes to build (and sustain) a booming business. According to Joe, the common thread between successful companies of any size is how the organization thinks about their businesses. Today he discusses why the right mindset is essential for high performance, and why only focusing on three things within your business is the secret to success.
Listen to discover:
- Why mindset is more important than strategy and tactics.
- The power of simplification.
- How to pick a lane (and stay in it).
- What you need in order to make your business boom.
Joe Calloway is a business author, consultant and speaker whose client list reads like an international Who’s Who in business, ranging from Coca Cola and Verizon to Cadillac and American Express. Joe also works with small to mid-sized businesses including franchises, medical practices, law firms, and a range of professional services groups.
Joe is the author of Be the Best at What Matters Most and five other ground-breaking business books including Becoming A Category of One: How Extraordinary Companies Transcend Commodity And Defy Comparison (which received rave reviews from The New York Times, Retailing Today, Publishers Weekly and many others), as well as his newest book, Magnetic: The Art Of Attracting Business. Joe is also the Executive in Residence at the Belmont University Center for Entrepreneurship
Learn more about Joe at joecalloway.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
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The Power of Systems
Yesterday on Smashing The Plateau, Brian Casel taught us the importance of productizing your service in order to achieve freedom and scalability. Here are some of his biggest influences: 1) Seth Godin I like to read his stuff every day. His books have been game-changers. He’s a super brilliant marketing mind, and really just an…
Read Full PostTrading Services For Systems With Brian Casel
Despite his success as a freelance web designer, Brian Casel knew something wasn’t quite right. Then he decided to stop offering his services and set up systems instead. From that point forward, Brian transformed from freelancer to thriving business owner. Today he teaches us how to replicate his success.
Brian discusses:
- Why it’s not necessary to invent a one-of-a-kind product.
- Learning to leverage within each phase of your career.
- How to discover what you’re best positioned to solve.
Brian Casel left his job to launch a successful career as a freelance web designer. He soon transitioned out of freelancing and into the products businesses. Brian built and grew a SaaS company (which he sold for a six-figure exit), as well as a Productized Service Company with an awesome distributed team and some amazing clients. Brian also launched an educational course and community with hundreds of members, in which he teaches others how to systematically remove themselves from the day-to-day service tasks so they can focus on the bigger picture. Brian lives in Norwalk, CT with his wife, daughter, and his black lab named Trey.
Learn more about Brian at casjam.com, audienceops.com and Twitter.
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One World Education
On yesterday’s episode of Smashing The Plateau, Eric Goldstein discussed how he improves the learning processes of our youth through his non-profit organization, One World Education. Here are some of his biggest influences: 1) Family Members I have family members who have consistently modeled working hard, doing things the right way, and being honest even…
Read Full PostReinventing The Way We Approach Education (Featuring Eric Goldstein)
“Students shouldn’t write for a grade, they should write to be read.”
Eric Goldstein is breathing new life into the American classroom. His teaching model enriches our children’s writing, researching, and presentation skills by focusing on material that resonates with them. Now as the Co-Founder of One World Education, this award-winning educator is making a significant impact on a grander scale. Today he teaches us how to grow an organization whose mission breaks the status quo.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- How to market an unconventional idea (and make it take hold).
- Why it’s okay to start small and descale.
- How to use numbers to tell a powerful story.
Eric Goldstein is the Executive Director and Founder of One World Education, the Washington, DC-based nonprofit organization that leads middle and high school programs that teach students the necessary skills for college and career writing, while also teaching them about cultural and global issues. Eric has been an educator in public, charter and independent schools, and earned a United States Department of the Interior Partners in Education Award while teaching in a charter school in Southeast Washington DC in 2006. He has worked with educators in more than ten countries and holds a Masters in Education from the University of Vermont and Masters of International Policy from George Washington University. His career in education started after a solo, 5,000-mile bicycle trip across the United States.
Learn more about Eric at One World Education, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
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Creativity And Innovation
On yesterday’s episode of Smashing The Plateau, Suzanne Fetscher and Sheila Mullen discussed how business leaders can harness the power of creativity and innovation. Here are some of their biggest influences: Suzanne 1) Daniel Pink His book, A Whole New Mind, is an argument for the importance of right brain thinking and creative capacity for…
Read Full PostUnleashing Your Creativity With Suzanne Fetscher & Sheila Mullen
At their creativity think-tank, the McColl Center for Art + Innovation, Suzanne Fetscher and Sheila Mullen have gathered artists from all over the world to teach business leaders how to find clarity, discover solutions, and unleash their artistry. In today’s episode, Suzanne and Sheila illustrate the power of creativity, how business leaders can learn from artists, and how to unlock (and harness) your imagination to foster innovation.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- How to develop your curiosity and courage.
- Why predictability is the antithesis of innovation.
- How to seek out inspiration in new (and uncomfortable) environments.
- Why businesses need to investigate their own intuition.
Suzanne Fetscher is the President & CEO of McColl Center for Art + Innovation. Prior to this appointment, Suzanne served for five years as Executive Director of Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Before becoming Executive Director, she served as Atlantic Center’s Assistant Program Director, and then Program Director.
As a former entrepreneur, business consultant, and IBM executive, Sheila brings more than 20 years of experience in technology sales, marketing and business development. She is also a graduate of the Innovation Institute and an involved community advocate serving in various volunteer capacities including Health’s Angel’s Board Chair, Girls on the Run Coach, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team Coach and Queens Learning Society Member. She has an MS from Queens University in Organizational Development and Executive Coaching, an Executive MBA from Baldwin Wallace College, and a BA in Human Environment and Design from Michigan State University.
Learn more about Sheila and Suzanne at McColl Center For Art + Innovation – Innovation Institute.
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A Master Communicator
Yesterday on Smashing The Plateau, Dr. Laura Sicola discussed how to master the 3Cs of Executive Vocal Presence. Here are some of her biggest influences: 1) JV Crum III Fantastic business coach. He has helped me restructure my business for greater profitability. The Conscious Millionaire is a great book. 2) Jonah Berger His book, Contagious:…
Read Full PostUse Your Voice To Control Your Destiny With Laura Sicola
“Little details in the way that you use your voice can have really big influences on how effective you are, and whether or not someone is even open to hearing or receiving your message.”
As a linguist, multicultural educator, and international keynote speaker, Dr. Laura Sicola has unique insight into the power of communication. Laura teaches everyone from corporate CEOs to small businesspeople how to quickly command an audience and deliver an authentic (and persuasive) message.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- How to get over your fears and command the room.
- Why public speaking isn’t about you.
- How to use communication to create compelling content.
- Why everyone is in sales (and why that’s okay).
Dr. Laura Sicola is an executive communication expert, who helps leaders communicate their message effectively and persuasively to any audience by showing them how to confidently and authentically master the 3Cs of Vocal Executive Presence: Command the room, Connect with the audience, and Close the deal.
As the Founder of Vocal Impact Productions in Philadelphia, PA, she has spent nearly 20 years training, coaching, lecturing, researching and publishing on language, cognition, pronunciation, culture, the voice, and learning. She is a speech coach for the TED Fellows program, and has delivered TEDx talks, workshops, presentations and keynote addresses on topics ranging from the art of persuasive speaking to intercultural business communication for audiences across the US, in Egypt, Japan, Spain, China and Germany.
Learn more about Laura at vocalimpactproductions.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
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What Does Success Mean To You?
On yesterday’s episode on Smashing The Plateau, Matt Inglot taught us how to seek out success that is centered around lifestyle instead of assets. Here are some of his biggest influences: 1) Tim Ferriss He is probably my biggest influencer. The Four Hour Work Week forced me to re-evaluate what I actually wanted from my…
Read Full PostRedefining Your Success With Matt Inglot
Like most of us, Matt Inglot viewed success through a glamorous scope. Truth is, we all don’t have to be the next Donald Trump in order to be a megahit in our fields, and when Matt recognized this, he reevaluated his definition of success, repositioned his priorities, and now he couldn’t be happier (and more successful). Today he discusses why there is no blueprint for success, and why measuring your achievements by lifestyle instead of assets will lead to a more fulfilling life and better business.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- How to create a successful (and scalable) business as someone who sells expertise.
- Why you need to niche down to compete in the global market.
- The importance of surrounding yourself with the right people (and how to find them).
- How to master the price conversation.
Matt Inglot is the creator of FreelanceTransformation.com, where he helps fellow consultants and creative service providers to earn more and build their consulting business around their lifestyle. His expertise comes from running a web agency for 10 years which he transformed from a traditional bricks and mortar office and 80 hour work week to significantly less work and far greater profitability. From that experience Matt has realized that most freelancers and consultants make life far more difficult for themselves than it needs to be.
Learn more about Matt at tiltedpixel.com, freelancetransformation.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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A Master of Sales
Yesterday on Smashing The Plateau, Bob Burg discussed why providing value for others will make you a master of sales. Here are some of his biggest influences: 1) My Parents I have fantastic, wonderful parents who set an example of great mentorship on how to live life and how to be a person! My dad…
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