Posts by David Shriner-Cahn

Dame Natalie Ledwell is a bestselling author, host of the podcast, Not Over, Just Different, co-host of the cable TV show WAKE UP, and founder of Mind Movies, the hugely successful and revolutionary online Personal Development company that has reached over 10 million people worldwide.

In today’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to identify your niche and create a BIG vision to turn it into reality.

Natalie and I discuss:

• How she found her audience [02:26]
• Why personal development and mindset are her primary focus [03:15]
• How to wind down activities as you are launching something new [05:46]
• Why surrounding yourself with the right people is critical to your success [10:31]
• The importance of a BIG vision [15:03]
• How 50+ year old women can achieve success that fills their soul [16:45]

Learn more about Natalie at: 

https://mindmovies.com/

https://mindmovies.com/podcast/

https://personalgrowthstudies.com/

Tom Ruwitch is founder and Chief Story Officer at Story Power Marketing. Coaches, consultants, and other experts hire Tom to power up their stories because most dish out the same “blah, blah, blah” content, put prospects to sleep, and then feel fed up and stuck.

In today’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to transform content from boring to brilliant, turn marketing from frustrating to fun, and convert results from pitiful to profitable.

Tom and I discuss:

• Why he started Story Power Marketing [03:04]
• Why he decided to focus on expert-based businesses [05:13]
• Why relationships are so important [08:39]
• How storytelling distinguishes you as an expert [16:12]

Learn more about Tom at:

https://storypowermarketing.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomruwitch/

tom@storypowermarketing.com

Eric Elam is the founder and president of Elam Associates, a solo marketing agency focused on delivering customized marketing solutions for small and midsized companies.

In today’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to start and build a solo business in your field of expertise.

Eric and I discuss:

• His career journey
• How Eric went out on his own
• How long it took Eric to land his first client
• We’re all product of our past environments
• Why you need to invest in marketing during economic challenges
• How to listen for your ideal client opportunity

Eric’s 3 decades plus career traversed from corporate side marketer to consultant to ad agency executive, then on to his current solopreneur role. Eric resides in Cincinnati, Ohio with his wife of 41 years, Cindy.

You can learn more about Eric at:

www.elamassociates.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elamassociates/

https://twitter.com/ericelam

513-703-5334

LinkedIn trainer Marc Halpert helps consultants and professional service professionals build their thought leadership with LinkedIn.

In todays’ episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to be viewed on LinkedIn as a resource providing high-quality, consistent ideas to your audience.

Marc and I discuss:

• How to increase your revenue [03:02]
• How often you should update your profile [07:28]
• How to get people to see your posts [09:40]
• Quantity vs. structure in your activity [13:19]
• Using non-text content [22:58]
• Marc’s vision for LinkedIn [26:11]

Marc W. Halpert is a self-described “multi-preneur.” Since leaving the corporate finance world in 2001, Marc has started 3 companies, all of which he still operates.

In 2010, Marc started his third concurrent company, connect2collaborate, to spread his LinkedIn and networking evangelism to train and coach others. In all his LinkedIn training and coaching, he offers professionals the opportunity to better explain their brand and positioning on their LinkedIn profile pages: who they really are and why them vs. the competition.

For several months, Marc ranked among the top 5 list for fastest growth in number of followers among global LinkedIn coaches and trainers (#1 in August 2020!). He attributes that standing to consistently high-quality curated material and original thought leadership he shares daily on LinkedIn.

As a personal LinkedIn coach, he advises and mentors professionals to tell “why they do what they do” (not “what”) as he works with them to renovate their LinkedIn personal and company profiles.

As a LinkedIn trainer, Marc has been recognized as a high-energy speaker at national and regional Conferences, instructor to sales/marketing and HR/training departments at large and small professional service firms and businesses, and trainer in specialized groups of professionals such as associations.

Marc is a frequent podcast guest, has authored numerous articles on the latest LinkedIn techniques for self-branding in national publications, both in paper and online. He blogs every business day with a LinkedIn Nugget.

His book, LinkedIn Marketing Strategies for Law and Professional Practices (2021 second edition, American Bar Association), helps all types of professionals learn to better market themselves using the tools in LinkedIn.

Learn more about Marc at https://connect2collaborate.com, https://www.linkedin.com/in/marchalpert/, https://twitter.com/marchalpert, and https://www.facebook.com/connecttwocollaborate

Craig is a Former IT Consultant, Co-Founder of CreativeLive, and Seattle EO Accelerator Chair

We discuss:

• How Craig learned to sell consulting services
• How to have a sales mindset
• Where to create the boundary between what you give away and what you charge for
• How employee vs. consulting behavior impacts your sales ability
• How to turn a surface-level question into a sales conversation
• Finding out how much a prospect really wants to solve a problem
• How you can leave a job and start selling yourself as a consultant

Craig Co-Founded CreativeLive, and he is now the Seattle EO Accelerator Chair.

Learn more about Craig at https://craigswanson.org, and on LinkedIn.

Julie DeLucca-Collins is the Founder and CEO of Go Confidently Services and the host of the popular Casa DeConfidence Podcast®.

We discuss:

• A journey of a teacher to the corporate world [02:28]
• The planner without a real solid plan [06:18]
• Mr. Google as a good ally in the career journey [10:51]
• The fear of talking to your first potential client [12:29]
• When price is rarely the issue [15:50]
• Why you should make your pricing packages sexy [17:24]
• A referral from a superfan [19:18]
• How to overcome the drama that might come with being an entrepreneur [20:25]

As a Business and Life Strategist Coach, Julie helps women business owners launch or grow their businesses, get clients, be productive, and achieve their dreams. Julie helps her clients create simple habits to achieve goals and change lives. Julie is also the best-selling author of the newly released book Confident You (simple habits to live the life you’ve imagined).

Learn more about Julie at https://www.goconfidentlycoaching.com.

We have produced 150 episodes of Going Solo since we launched this show in 2019.

In today’s episode you will hear my reflections on what it takes to be successful when you leave your job and start your own consulting business.

We are pausing Going Solo. We are continuing to produce weekly episodes of Smashing the Plateau, sharing stories, strategies and resources to help you build your consulting business after a long career as an employed professional.

Maria Rosati is the founder and CEO of Eminence Communications – a boutique advisory working with change makers to build brands and corporate reputations.

We discuss:

• How to [re]embrace your individualism [02:40]
• The people that [don’t] want to be a cog in the wheel [05:30]
• A mental equation to help you know if entrepreneurship is for you [08:38]
• Women in corporate communication who are past the age of 60 [10:20]
• What it feels like to take control of your destiny [13:11]
• When entrepreneurs should turn the lights out and shut the door [15:47]
• The power of community to test your idea [17:58]
• The difference between having the business come to you through referrals versus selling [20:19]
• Right and wrong ways to build a personal brand [21:54]

Learn more about Maria at www.eminencenyc.com and LinkedIn.

After 30 years of successfully managing money for institutional investors including Citicorp and Para Advisors, Laura Rotter founded her own firm, True Abundance Advisors, a fiduciary, fee-only financial planning firm located in White Plains, NY with a satellite office in New York City.

Laura created a business that was in alignment with her own values and took advantage of her strengths.

Rock Robinson is an accomplished Sales Executive with 40 years of achievement growing revenue with the likes of McGraw-Hill, Sallie Mae, Stericycle & the Univ. of Phoenix.

Rock developed a framework for developing new relationships that can open up fabulous opportunities.

Learn more about them here:

Laura Rotter: https://trueabundanceadvisors.com/

Rock Robinson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rockrobinson9

As author of The 6 Myths of Small Business Branding, and author of and co-pioneer of Brand DNA; Uncover Your Organization’s Genetic Code for Competitive Advantage, and her 3rd book, Personal Brand Clarity; Identify, Define, & Align to What You Want to Be Known For, she is helping to pave the evolutionary highway for businesses to grow by conscious, strategic design, not by default! She facilitates the Brand DNA methodology (an internal brand identification, definition and alignment process) for her clients across the U.S.

We discuss:

• Unique differentiators to use when describing yourself [02:54]
• How to start sharing personal information in brand development [07:10]
• Conscious versus unconscious branding [11:25]
• How to course-correct when you feel out of alignment [12:40]
• How clarity can help when going out of your comfort zone [16:10]
• How to create a brand clarity process [19:11]

Learn more about Suzanne at https://brandascension.com, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

John Mitchell is a serial entrepreneur. John has created a 12-minute-a-day technique, related to the popular book, Think and Grow Rich.

In todays’ episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how a 12-minute-a-day technique creates success.

John and I discuss:

• What happened when John turned 50 [00:34]
• How to take control of your life and make money [06:28]
• Actions you can take that will produce your desired financial results [08:55]
• Focusing on the bottom line [13:04]

John’s technique caused his own income to go to $5 million a year, after 20 years of low six figures a year.

You can learn more about John and get access to a private podcast that lays out his technique by texting AUTOPILOT to 55444.

You can also find John at: 

https://thinkitbeit.com 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-mitchell-76483654/

Tina Larsson is the co-founder and owner of The Folson Group, the premier coop and condo cost consultant who helps NYC coop and condo owners and apartment building owners increase their property values. The company is a business consultant and a disruptor in the residential real estate world. Tina holds a LEED Green Associate designation and is on a mission to make NYC greener, more sustainable and more affordable one building at a time.

We discuss:

• How not to introduce yourself as a financial advisor [02:20]
• It takes ten years to make an overnight success [06:10]
• How to prove there’s a high demand when no one sees it [08:26]
• The sweet spot for a new business idea [13:25]
• Unexpected ways that you can get fired [15:02]
• Not a social media platform but a networking event [22:00]

Learn more about Tina at https://www.thefolsongroup.com/

Diane is Founder and Principal of Startup Distillery — a global consulting firm that helps entrepreneurs launch successful businesses and secure funding. She focuses primarily on early-stage startups, regardless of industry. That means Diane gets to work with founders in a wide variety of fields, ranging from clean energy to cannabis, movie studios to life sciences, consulting, consumer products, design… and distilleries, of course. Her extensive background in finance, manufacturing, operations and retail informs all the work that she does as she helps entrepreneurs distill their ideas into growing businesses.

We discuss:

• The words drive the business [03:51]
• How to avoid running into a cash crunch [06:33]
• You can’t budget for something if you don’t know what that something is [11:07]
• Research tip: there is no substitute for talking to people [17:05]
• The sources and uses of funds [21:14]

Learn more about Diane at https://startupdistillery.com.

Nina Froriep has seen it all from the early 90ies on independent features, to big national TV commercials, corporate mega-shows, and Emmy award-winning documentary films, including one she produced and directed, called Abraham’s Children.

We discuss:

• A better, faster, cheaper way to put yourself out with videos [02:25]
• The connection between finding your audience and niching down [06:34]
• What people really need to start shooting videos [08:21]
• Three kinds of groups that find it hard to show up on video [12:32]
• How to gain confidence to post your videos online [14:38]
• The biggest fears about creating videos [18:53]
• Future trends in video production [21:52]

Today she’s super excited to enable business coaches and service-based entrepreneurs to grow their businesses with fun + easy video marketing so they can attract their ideal clients.

Learn more about Nina at https://clockwiseproductions.com and LinkedIn.

Jacquie Doucette has undergraduate degrees in Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy and has worked for Canada’s Defence Department, both in uniform and as a civilian, for 40 years.

We discuss:

• There’s more to life than just a job and a desk [02:00]
• A podcast that’s beyond retirement [04:15]
• We can make more money but we can’t make more time [07:50]
• The challenges of creating your own structure [10:24]
• The thin line between freedom and responsibility [12:53]
• When you finally find out what you want to do with your time [15:20]
• What to do when income is not part of the equation [17:49]

She knows there’s more to life than a job… and more to retirement than just leaving a job. With Beyond Retirement, she’s hoping to shed some light on other paths people have taken in their journeys away from the corporate world, to share with her listeners and her clients a variety of ways to lead rewarding and fulfilling lives outside that 9-5 world.

Learn more about Jacquie at https://beyondretirement.ca.

David Henzel is the CEO of upcoach and a veteran entrepreneur who has been building in the saas and e-com space for over 20 years. He had multiple exits, including MaxCDN.

We discuss:

• Applying business principles to your personal life [03:14]
• A one-stop-shop for your coaching business [06:57]
• 80% of the problems in the coaching industry [08:03]
• How to avoid scaling too fast in the initial phase [11:24]
• What makes upcoach different from other similar platforms [14:11]
• The liberation of hiring people who are better than you [16:27]

His passion is to help individuals and their organizations reach their full potential.

Aside from upcoach (Coaching Delivery System), he has a small portfolio of companies including LTVplus, (Outsourcing for e-commerce & saas), TaskDrive (Sales Development), Shortlist.io (Digital Marketing Agency), and his passion project Managing Happiness (Peak Performance Group Coaching for entrepreneurs).

Learn more about David at www.davidhenzel.com/, www.upcoach.com, www.managinghappiness.com, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Tom Scarda is a Certified Franchise Expert. He was the number one franchisee of the year with his first franchise concept and failed miserably in his second franchise. The lessons learned from failure are what make him such an expert.

We discuss:

• A business with training wheels [02:09]
• If you can’t make a movie about it, then you don’t really have a life [05:51]
• A funny way of God humbling you after a great success [07:35]
• The pros and cons of the franchise business [10:34]
• The synergy of a franchise network [12:57]
• What makes a good franchise candidate [14:49]
• How to find a consulting franchise that supports your goals [17:36]
• Reasons not to buy a franchise [20:39]

Tom is the author of several books including the number one bestseller, Franchise Savvy. He hosts The Franchise Academy Podcast and has produced an online Master Class on investing in a franchise. He has helped more than 1600 people figure out if franchising is for them since 2005.

Learn more about Tom at www.thefranchiseacademy.com

Daniel A. Varroney is the author of the groundbreaking new book, Reimagining Industry Growth. He is also founder of Potomac Core, a strategic consulting firm that specializes in association transformation and industry-focused strategic partnerships. He has built a successful career as an association executive, leading organizations with diverse focus, from manufacturing to high tech to finance and advocacy.

We discuss:

• An unquenchable thirst for writing [02:10]
• The bottom of what gets you out of bed in the morning [05:19]
• A third place between work and home [12:24]
• Why you don’t want to be a one-year wonder [17:28]
• Bitten by the bug [21:00]

Learn more about Daniel at https://potomaccore.com

Kristi is a Dallas native and at 50 years young, she reinvented herself and transitioned from a job she needed to creating the career she always dreamed of. Kristi is a certified resume writer, job search strategist and LinkedIn pro. In 2018, she launched her business We Write It Now and has never looked back.

We discuss:

• When fear of success is stronger than fear of failure [02:00]
• The most important aspect of a resume [06:02]
• Transforming resumes while transforming personalities [10:43]
• How to better take the lows for what they are [13:12]
• Chipping away blocks bit by bit [15:50]
• You can’t be everything to everybody [17:28]
• Where to find your tribe in terms of colleagues [19:55]

Learn more about Kristi at www.WeWriteItNow.com and LinkedIn.

Tim Ash is an acknowledged authority on evolutionary psychology and digital marketing. He is a sought-after international keynote speaker, and the bestselling author of Unleash Your Primal Brain and Landing Page Optimization.

We discuss:

• Great traffic to awful websites [02:52]
• How to make your transition from corporate to solopreneuership easier [05:15]
• Why it’s important to not put all your eggs in one basket [07:57]
• Don’t underestimate what you can do in a day [09:27]
• How to make billions of stars accessible to people [11:18]
• Understanding the human brain without any scientific jargon [13:57]
• How to take advantage of the negativity bias [16:27]
• Universal applicability versus technical trends [20:05]

Tim has been mentioned by Forbes as a Top-10 Online Marketing Expert, and by Entrepreneur Magazine as an Online Marketing Influencer To Watch. For nineteen years he was the co-founder and CEO of SiteTuners – a digital optimization agency. Tim helped to create over 1.2 billion dollars in value for companies like Google, Expedia, eHarmony, Facebook, American Express, Canon, Nestle, Symantec, Intuit, Humana, Siemens, and Cisco. Please help me welcome Tim Ash!

Learn more about Tim at https://timash.com.

Jake Lang is an author, entrepreneur, and founder of over eight online businesses. Jake now helps new entrepreneurs start and scale their first online business at TheEntrepreneurRideAlong.com where he shares his experiences along the entrepreneurial journey of starting and growing new businesses.

We discuss:

• What keeps people stuck in their day job [02:09]
• How to know when it’s time to jump [03:43]
• Secrets to getting your online business work [08:04]
• Why it’s crucial to share content that shows your expertise [10:27]
• Reasons why people don’t share content before selling [12:58]
• How to get over the fear of talking to people you don’t know [14:20]
• How to know if you have a good process for starting a business [16:12]
• Use your job to quit your job [17:55]

It’s Jake’s mission to start a new online business every year and share everything behind the scenes through his books, Podcast, and Blog so that new entrepreneurs can learn from Jake’s mistakes, understand the struggles of starting a new business, and find the path to entrepreneurial success.

Learn more about Jake at https://theentrepreneurridealong.com/. 

Jane Wesman is an entrepreneur, marketing expert, and mentor. President of Jane Wesman Public Relations, based in New York City, Jane is one of the country’s top book publicists with an impressive record of creating national bestsellers, particularly in the areas of leadership, management, and personal growth. She has worked with such business thought-leaders as Charles Schwab, Stephen Covey, Peter Drucker, Marcus Buckingham, and Keith Ferazzi.

We discuss:

• Major challenges for consultants who want to publish a book [03:19]
• When is a good time for publishing a book [06:30]
• Why a book can be beneficial for you and your business [08:53]
• A process that will help ensure success of a book [10:19]
• Types of investment options for getting your book effectively marketed [13:58]
• How to find a good team when writing your first book [20:40]
• What makes book publishing a long journey [22:35]

Jane’s own book, Dive Right In – The Sharks Won’t Bite: The Entrepreneurial Woman’s Guide to Success, was one of the first to offer concrete advice to help women launch and grow their businesses. She has lectured and written on the topics of leadership and business for many organizations and media outlets.

Jane served as president of the New York City chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners for four years. She currently sits on the boards of two non-profit organizations: ArtSail and the Women’s Media Group, plus she provides funding for an internship program at Simmons University to help students kick-start their careers.

Learn more about Jane at www.wesmanpr.com and YouTube.

Mick Spiers is the Founder and Principal of The Leadership Project and the host of The Leadership Project podcast. His vision is to inspire all leaders to challenge status and to have people stop, reflect and rethink what it means to be a leader. His mission is to empower leaders with all of the tools and skills they need to create amazing teams and workspaces.

We discuss:

• Flipping the way leadership development is done [02:08]
• Starting your own business versus starting one for other people [06:30]
• Why your first client could be your last employer [09:18]
• A skillset to discover yourself as a leader [14:57]
• How to align your market’s needs with your vision [20:34]

Learn more about Mick at www.mickspiers.com, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.

Since 2006, JD Gershbein has been at the forefront of the social media conversation. One of the world’s first independent LinkedIn consultants, JD pioneered a model of authentic business communication that serves ambitious professionals striving to make their mark in the Digital Age.

We discuss:

• What to do with your LinkedIn profile once you’re unemployed [04:33]
• Why it’s important to disambiguate yourself early on [06:47]
• How to find your dominant aspect of value [10:50]
• You can’t do too much too soon [13:22]
• How to use LinkedIn to build your social network [15:24]
• Why automated sales pitches don’t work for consultants [18:27]

As a speaker, facilitator, writer, and media producer, he draws upon his diverse academic background—a fusion of psychology, neuroscience, and the humanities—and the improvisation skills he honed at Chicago’s famed Second City to bridge the knowledge gap that exists between professionals and the virtual world.

Learn more about JD at LinkedIn.