Posts by David Shriner-Cahn
STP022: How to Get Yourself Out of the Pricing Game with Pia Silva
Branding expert and strategist Pia Silva delves into the topic of revamping a company’s image on this episode of “Smashing the Plateau,” with some wisdom thrown in about how to run a business when your partner is also your spouse.
Topics include…
- What branding really means (and why it matters)
- Why the best brands always evolve
- How to get out of the pricing game
- How branding supports your sales
- Getting rid of assumptions between partners
Pia Silva is a Founding Partner and Brand Strategist at Worstofall Design, a boutique branding company whose mission is to pair deep, emotional connections with strategic business thinking.
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Al Rivera’s 5 Top Favorite Sources Of Inspiration
Yesterday we brought you Al Rivera, CEO of ERH Contracting. Al talked about coming to terms with not doing everything yourself when demands are high. (If you missed Al, go back and listen here.) More than many others, Al has learned how to find outside resources than can lend a helping hand. He values the…
Read Full PostSTP021: Bringing In The Ringer with Al Rivera
Al Rivera has learned firsthand the upside of hiring outside help. On this episode of “Smashing the Plateau,” he tells us about his struggles with trying to do it all and why stepping aside is actually the exact thing leaders need to do sometimes.
Topics include…
- Why sincerity has nothing to do with leadership
- How to know when to hire outside talent
- Where stress actually comes from
- The trick to combining logic and intuition
- The importance of a leadership scorecard
Al Rivera is the CEO of ERH Contracting, which provides full-service remodeling and additions for residential and commercial buildings.
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Paul Berkman’s 3 Top Personal Influences
Yesterday we brought you Paul Berkman, Financial Consultant at AXA Advisors. He explained why people should stop seeing low points and frustrations as obstacles, but opportunities. (If you missed Paul, go back and listen here.) Even superstar leaders know it takes a village. People need inspiration sometimes, and for Paul that inspiration comes from the…
Read Full PostSTP020: Learning to Win In Good Times and Bad with Paul Berkman
Financial consultant Paul Berkman believes gray hair is an asset in his field. On “Smashing the Plateau,” you’ll hear him talk about overcoming the frustrations of unmet expectations, holding yourself accountable, and not fearing down markets (whatever your field).
Topics include…
- How to overcome the frustration of getting stuck
- How to turn adverse market conditions into an advantage
- Why helping clients see the big picture helps you
- The best time to show your real worth
- The asset of an always open mind
Paul Berkman is a Financial Consultant at AXA Advisors. He specializes in investments and life insurance policies, retirement and estate planning, and disability services.
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Larry Sharpe’s 5 Top Inspirational Books
Yesterday we brought you Larry Sharpe, Managing Director of the Neo-Sage Group. He may no longer be in the marines, but the attitudes and principles he learned have stuck with him. (If you missed Larry, go back and listen here.) But, no man is an island – military personnel included. Larry Sharpe’s favorite resources all…
Read Full PostSTP019: Managing Like a Marine with Larry Sharpe
Former Marine Larry Sharpe infuses his military background into his management consulting and executive coaching business, Neo-Sage. On this episode of “Smashing the Plateau,” he discusses the need for internal motivation and creating a mistake-friendly environment.
Topics include…
- When emotions must come before logic
- The 3-step plan for business growth
- How to decide on growth strategy
- The most important 30 minutes of your week
- Why leadership trumps management
Larry Sharpe is the Managing Director of the Neo-Sage Group, providing corporate training and management consulting to professionals in the industries of finance, technology, media, real estate, luxury, and healthcare.
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Brooke Wise’s 3 Top Sources of Inspiration
Yesterday we brought you Brooke Wise, the Founder of Wise Matchmaking. Brooke explained the difficulties in keeping personal matters out of professional ones, and vice versa. (If you missed Brooke, go back and listen here.) The best leaders know they can’t do it alone. They need someone or something to turn to, and Brooke Wise…
Read Full PostSTP018: The Matchmaker’s Balancing Act with Brooke Wise
Matchmaker Brooke Wise relays the challenges she faces with keeping her personal life and professional life separate. The first step, she says, was not taking it personally when people’s first reaction to her career was: “Really?” She discusses this topic and more on this episode of “Smashing the Plateau.”
Topics include…
- Why you shouldn’t justify your prices
- How to blend the personal and professional
- The struggles of discussing your numbers
- Why good work matters most
- How to avoid the wrong clients
Brooke Wise is the Founder of Wise Matchmaking, a private full-service relationship and matchmaking company that caters to men and women in the Greater New York City area and around South Florida.
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Alex Vachon’s 6 Top Sources of Inspiration
Yesterday we brought you Alex Vachon, the Founder of Cartouche Creations. Alex talked about client retention, getting unstuck, and how to overcome rejection. (If you missed Alex, go back and listen here.) Sometimes the resources the best leaders find aren’t quite on the nose of their business. Alex Vachon describes his favorites, which range from…
Read Full PostSTP017: Business in the Year of the Video Blog with Alex Vachon
Video and television producer, consultant, and filmmaker Alex Vachon gets into the finer points of turning the passions of film into a career of networking, overcoming hurdles, and flipping negatives into positives on this episode of “Smashing the Plateau.”
Topics include…
- Trusting yourself to get unstuck
- Why you should be asking retirees for advice
- How to get clients to keep coming back
- The key to staying ahead of the game
- Why you should stop seeing rejection as a negative
Alex Vachon is the Founder of Cartouche Creations, a NYC-based video and television production company that helps companies big and small deliver their content for the sake of marketing and public relations.
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Fi Haywood’s 4 Top Self-Help And Business Books
Yesterday we brought you Fi Haywood, who leads Training and Development at Café Style Speed Training. Fi discussed the value of building a strong team through open workplace culture. (If you missed Fi, go back and listen here.) It’s no secret the most successful people are always learning, about their businesses and about themselves. Fi…
Read Full PostSTP016: Creating a Culture of Openness with Fi Haywood
Fi Haywood, who co-founded Café Style Speed Training, explains the principles that underlie her signature “Café Style” method in this episode of “Smashing the Plateau.” She discusses collaboration, creativity, and why workplace culture could be what makes or breaks your company.
Topics include…
- What makes the “Café Style” approach so solid
- Using language to everyone’s advantage
- How big failures can turn into learning opportunities
- Finding the right time and place for emotions
- Why intuition could be your biggest asset
Fi Haywood serves as the Training and Development Lead at Café Style Speed Training, where she personally designs games, exercises, and creative strategies designed to uncover the hidden ways in which employees interact with one another.
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Keith Arem’s 5 Top Sources of Inspiration
Yesterday we brought you Keith Arem, video game developer and media expert at PCB Productions, who discussed why companies need to match their product with their audience. (If you missed Keith, go back and listen here.) It’s no secret the most successful people get help, and Keith is no exception. He explains how he looks…
Read Full PostSTP015: Finding Your Platform For Creativity and Business with Keith Arem
Keith Arem has had a remarkably successfully career in almost every branch of the entertainment business. He is probably best known for his pivotal role in creating video games like Call of Duty. On “Smashing the Plateau,” Keith discusses the elements that make a creatively minded businessperson most likely to succeed.
Topics include…
- A unique approach to goal-setting
- What all innovators can learn from video games
- How to make your audience pay attention
- How to spot and seize promising opportunities
- The best time to ask for help
Keith Arem is President of PCB Productions and PCB Entertainment. With more than two decades of experience as a video game talent director, designer, director, composer, and writer, Keith has worked on some of the industry’s biggest properties.
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Scott Messer’s 5 Top Book And Mentor Picks
Yesterday you heard Scott Messer talk about “anti-selling” and how to take risks. (If you missed it, go back and check it out here.) We hear a lot that the most successful people find help along the way. That’s why we asked Scott to give us his biggest sources of inspiration, drawing from books and…
Read Full PostSTP014: How to Sell More and Guess Less with Scott Messer
Scott Messer is a pioneer of an approach that takes the guesswork out of sales. On this episode of “Smashing the Plateau,” Scott talks about what the best salespeople all have in common, how to see the world from a potential client’s point of view, the mechanics of leaving your comfort zone, and much more.
Topics include…
- How “anti-sales” could be your best revenue booster
- The secret of healthy and productive risk-taking
- How to get your employees working on overdrive
- The true value in knowing what you’re good at
- Why you should never be the most talented person in the room
Scott Messer and his company Sales Evolution LLC have revolutionized how companies approach their sales tactics. He is also co-author of the business novel The Outcome.
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Our Favorite Online Resources of the Week
Author and lecturer David Zweig has built a massive portion of his career on understanding what makes the “invisibles” in every company tick. They’re the ones that fly under the radar, yet often produce some of the work most critical to the success of the company. This week we look at how to cultivate the…
Read Full PostSTP013: The Advantage of Being Anonymous with David Zweig
David Zweig is convinced that today’s constant focus on self-promotion is killing productivity and creativity. In his book Invisibles (Penguin) and on this episode of “Smashing the Plateau,” Zweig discusses how staying in the shadows is an oft overlooked common denominator in the success strategies of many of the world’s most prominent people.
Topics include…
- How to get noticed without overtly seeking attention
- The real reason your marketing isn’t working for you
- The quiet power of listening
- What happens when you give people their space
- Pursuing collaboration, not competition
David Zweig is an author, lecturer, and musician. His most recent book Invisibles: The Power of Anonymous Work in an Age of Relentless Self-Promotion is an ode to the voiceless engines of progress in business and a guide for business owners looking to uncover the people who can most help them achieve success.
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Our Favorite Online Resources of the Week
If revenue spikes are a signal of business growth, learning is a sign of personal growth. And while leaders should no doubt have the first in mind, the second is equally important. As the world gets more advanced, falling behind gets a heck of a lot easier. Here are some resources to help you stay…
Read Full PostSTP012: How to Get Better Once You’re Already Good with Ruben Quinones
Ruben Quinones is unafraid to discuss the fears he’s had to conquer in his professional journey. In this episode, you’ll learn how to channel your own fears to continually add to your skill set so that you never become stagnant in pursuit of your goals.
Topics include…
- The power of facing your greatest fears
- What it really means to communicate effectively
- Why you must treat honest feedback as your best friend
- What advantageous professional relationships look like
- The competitive advantage of having a thick skin
New Media guru Ruben Quinones deals with the challenge of adapting to rapidly changing technology every day. He is the Digital Director at iFuelinteractive, Director New Media at Path Interactive, and the Creator of the Facebook Analytics dashboard Social Tofu.
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Our Favorite Online Resources of the Week
Leaders often have the bad habit of thinking they have to do everything themselves. This is especially true when it comes to taking risks. But people rarely need to know how your business works in order to offer business help. This week we bring sage advice from Richard Branson, Marc Ecko, and Wesley Hein to…
Read Full PostSTP011: Why Risks Aren’t Reckless with Wesley Hein
Wesley Hein likes to talk about risk, whether it’s the risk of starting a new business, the risk of staying where you are, or the risk of sticking with your dream when everyone is telling you to abandon it. As the founder of Enigma Records (the label responsible for signing such musical artists as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Motley Crue, and Devo) and early Silicon Valley pioneer, Wesley knows about risk better than most.
On this episode of “Smashing the Plateau,” Wesley discusses his views on unique perspective on risk and how you can use it to your advantage.
Topics include…
- What passion actually means
- Conquering the first step: pulling the trigger
- Why accepting the fear of failure is mandatory
- Finding success in unexpected places
- How to turn personal struggle into group triumph
Wesley Hein is the CEO of Master Channel (formerly Idea Den), a branding company that blends content, commerce, and community. Throughout his career, he has repeatedly found himself at the forefront of whatever new opportunity seemed the most exciting.
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Our Favorite Online Resources Of The Week
Good leadership is something people just get. They can see it immediately. But behind each seasoned leader is a leader in the making, who’s constantly improving. We think that’s a mentality worth having, so this week we’re bringing you our favorite posts on building a strong leadership presence – whether it’s in starting your own…
Read Full PostSTP010: The Power of Community in Business with Christina Lattimer
After years coaching influential business leaders, Christina Lattimer was finally inspired to bring them together in an online community where they could discuss their most challenging issues. What happened next went far beyond anything she ever dreamed of. On this episode of “Smashing the Plateau” Christina discusses her unusual transition from corporate employee to business owner, how she built her powerful online ecosystem, and the leadership strategies that have sustained her throughout it all.
Topics include…
- How to keep your cool when you’re feeling vulnerable
- The ins and outs of making important transitions
- What we can learn from bad managers
- Why staying consistent is so essential
- Growing your following from 300 members to 10,000
Christina Lattimer is the Founder of the e.MILE Community, a chattering hub of leaders looking to improve their ability to guide a team and execute. Christina specializes in leadership development, coaching, and consulting. She mentors managers and is an expert in human resources, as well as an accomplished leadership author.
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