Chris Dorris is in the business of Success Coaching. He helps people close the gap between how their lives are and how they want them to be.

We discuss:

• Do what you love, the money will follow [01:19]
• How to overcome the fear of charging more [03:43]
• The correlation between the level of your fee and the ability to get clients [05:09]
• The cheese factor in LinkedIn approaching [07:54]
• The design to maximize the probability of success [09:17]
• How linear the progression from social worker to coach is [10:27]
• The shortcut to stop slowing yourself down [14:55]
• The key to reinforce knowledge in junior golfers [16:39]
• It always goes back to someone’s first decisions [17:58]

Chris started his career as a social worker working on the streets of Atlantic City, helping the mentally ill, drug addicted and homeless populations upgrade their lives. Over the course of those several years, he observed that some of those folks – as a consequence of their belief and their persistence – were able to overcome some pretty serious challenges. That experience, in retrospect, was the perfect foundation for what would become his vocation.

He then decided to marry his passion for the power of the human spirit with his passion for sports. So he moved to Arizona to attend graduate school at Arizona State University. He created an internship with the Men’s Golf Team which evolved into a paid position as the formal Mental Toughness Coach. Over the course of those ten years he really learned a ton about the mechanics of training the mind. His new mission was to coach professional and amateur golfers. And he did that.

Since then, he discovered that the Mental Toughness tools that he was using with many of the world’s greatest athletes were perfectly applicable to many other disciplines beyond sport. Since then, he has trained the minds of world famous actors, NFL and NHL Coaches, business executives, Superbowl Champions and billionaires. 

Learn more about Chris at https://christopherdorris.com/, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Brief Description of Gift

The Daily Dose: Mental Toughness Tips in 30 Seconds or Less 

URL for Free Gift

https://christopherdorris.com/

Ahmad Munawar is the founder of the 90 Day Pipeline. He helps consultants win 5 & 6 figure deals (no begging for referrals, no networking).

We discuss:

• Necessity is the mother of invention [01:36]
• The times when consultants lose the respect of the client [04:02]
• How desperation makes the business unsustainable [05:50]
• Saying “no” as the hardest but most important skill for entrepreneurs [07:49]
• Why entrepreneurs should think like an investor even though they are not [09:01]
• The biggest mistake consultants make in pricing [11:30]
• Why smaller firms have an agility advantage that the larger firms don’t have [13:44]
• How to sell what you’ve got on the truck [15:20]
• Find the fastest path to cash [17:21]
• Who you want to be when you grow up [19:35]

Learn more about Ahmad at https://boutiquegrowth.com/, http://90daypipeline.com/ and Facebook.

Neil Schambra Stevens is a Business Coach and Strategist, focusing on well-being and productivity in the workplace, especially for the next generation of leadership. 

We discuss:

• People as a key motivator for changing career paths [02:25]
• Why things should fall apart [03:56]
• Four principles for dealing with the four major stress triggers in life [06:10]
• The distinction between pivoting away from and pivoting towards something [10:35]
• Why a period of reflection would advance you further in the long term [14:54]
• The emerging generation of leadership [17:39]
• Refreshing ways to overcome the current economic pressures [20:04]
• Creating a ripple of kindness and gratitude [22:50]

Neil draws on over 20 years’ experience as a CMO/VP with Fortune 500 brands and corporations, including Converse, Vans, Levi’s and Polaroid. This experience has highlighted the importance of putting ‘People First’ and encouraging them to be their best selves, both individually and collectively as a team, with particular attention to leading remotely. Originally from the UK, his career path has enabled him to collect life and work experiences along the way across Europe, Asia and US.

Neil believes in simplicity and encourages the principle of “Working from Anywhere’, and currently lives and runs Mercury Jam from a houseboat in Amsterdam.

Learn more about Neil at https://www.mercuryjam.com/, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Brief Description of Gift

10% discount for the first 5 people who sign up for 1:1 Business Coaching in February, starting with initial free Discovery Session

URL for Free Gift

https://www.mercuryjam.com/

Caroline Ceniza-Levine is the founder of the Dream Career Club and a career coach, writer, and media personality on job market issues. 

We discuss:

• A classical pianist figuring out a career change [02:05]
• The trigger that enables you to leave W-2 income and start business income [04:39]
• How to use publicity to foster your growth [08:12]
• Dedicating time to do something versus doing x, y, z [09:44]
• PR tools to help you structure and gain publicity [11:08]
• If you were advising yourself earlier in your business career [12:41]
• Why we should all have buffer in our schedule [13:55]
• How a publicity plan is different from a marketing plan [14:59]
• The best kind of publicity for consultants and coaches [15:49]
• Mistakes you can make early on in understanding where your audience consumes information [17:11]
• The times when your niche can change [19:00]

Caroline is a Senior Contributor to Forbes Leadership and an adjunct at Columbia University. Caroline helps experienced professionals in tech, media, financial services and other industries make a great living doing work they love.

Learn more about Caroline at https://cenizalevine.com/.

Brief Description of Gift

Free publicity calendar – 40 pages of timely topics to land media placement

URL for Free Gift

https://cenizalevine.com/2021prcalendar

Daniel Daines-Hutt is a self-confessed ‘marketing nerd.’ He has a background in Direct Response advertising, but ironically, it’s his Content Marketing that people know him for.

We discuss:

• Cracking the code of getting people to read, listen or watch your content [02:21]
• Pre-framing problems and objections in advance [03:40]
• The goal of your content [05:13]
• The Ikea effect: building a bigger audience [07:38]
• Strategies behind before and after launching an article [10:07]
• No one wants to eat in an empty restaurant [11:49]
• Selling content on autopilot [13:10]
• Why Google gives higher rankings when we remove thin content [14:11]
• Different business, same techniques [16:42]
• A Netflix of everything content marketing [18:22]
• The unexpected effect of stopping marketing during a pandemic [19:43]

He’s had the Top 10 content of all time on inbound.org and Top content of 2017 and 2018 on GrowthHackers. With only 8 articles in years, he’s been referenced or shared by: Ryan Deiss, Neil Patel, Joanna Weibe, Glen Allsopp, Co-Schedule,

Active Campaign and many more.

He teaches people how to write less often, but get more traffic at https://www.ampmycontent.com.

Learn more about Daniel at https://www.ampmycontent.com.

Dan Blank is the founder of WeGrowMedia.com where he helps writers develop a human-centered approach to marketing and reaching their readers.

We discuss:

• How we would have written the headline 50 years ago [02:40]
• Ways people are missing the boat when it comes to marketing their creativity [05:03]
• Why you should be promoting your competitors to your customers [09:27]
• The art kid who carved out a blogging role for himself [11:18]
• A pyramid of clarity cards [13:14]
• Loving working with people who love their work [14:54]
• How the web is changing publishing [16:30]
• The biggest sigh of relief [19:04]
• A marketing campaign that gives your work the best shot [21:10]
• What’s bigger than you in 10 years from now [22:45]

Learn more about Dan at https://wegrowmedia.com, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Gabe Arnold is the Founder & CEO of Business Marketing Engine. He is known as a serial problem-solver.

We discuss:

• Entrepreneurship is not a single-skill set [02:38]
• How to filter inputs that will [not] help you [06:02]
• How to accept or ignore a critique on your selling skills [09:04]
• Worrying about selling first and delivering second [11:36]
• Why you are creating a disservice when you’re putting out a free program [16:04]
• The effective hourly client facing rate [18:02]
• A customized approach with a focus on one primary area [20:45]

With 22 years of experience in professional writing, computer technology and marketing management, it’s a title that fits him well. He’s helped over a thousand young startups grow and establish enterprises. He has dedicated his life to finding ways to help teams of all sizes create effective results-based organizational models. Gabe created his first million-dollar product, Copywriter Today, in 2014 and has continued to scale and grow from there. Behind these successes lies a person who values personal relationships and living life to the fullest. He strives to create an environment of trust and open communication with his team and clients. Gabe believes that the people who make a lasting positive effect in this world are those who choose kindness, love and respect above all else.

Learn more about Gabe at https://businessmarketingengine.com/, Facebook and LinkedIn.

After finding the courage to say “bye-bye” to her corporate marketing career, Kathy Goughenour built a 6-figure Virtual Assistant business from her tiny house in the middle of a forest. Today, she teaches professional women how to create their own work-at-home Virtual Assistant and Virtual Expert^® businesses so they too can enjoy the freedom, flexibility, and financial security they desire and deserve.

We discuss:

• The biggest challenge virtual assistants have [02:19]
• How to figure out there is an opportunity for a particular audience [06:29]
• Where consultants and coaches get stuck most often [09:07]
• The shift that happens with your team once you’ve hit the million-dollar plateau [11:01]
• Embracing numbers instead of hating them [16:14]
• If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough [18:08]
• How to keep money flowing even when the world has stopped [20:35]

Learn more about Kathy at https://expertvatraining.mykajabi.com/

Jim Morris co-founded PowerReviews which grew to 1,200+ clients and sold for $168 million. He product-managed and architected one of the first ecommerce engines at online retailer Fogdog.com which had a $450 million IPO.

We discuss:

• The need for product discovery [02:06]
• Choose your own adventure [05:42]
• Why product discovery is so important for the software industry [07:30]
• The secret behind Zoom’s success in a time of pandemic [09:43]
• The time is now for every company [11:18]
• The best companies where product discovery works well [12:52]
• The wrong things product teams focus on [14:37]
• A reflective process with multiple solutions [17:08]
• From shepherding a concept through a process to becoming a subject-matter expert [21:56]
• A pattern-matching ability that translates theory into practice [23:38]
• Unlocking innovation in companies and potential in employees [25:46]

These days, he coaches Product teams and Product leaders at startups and corporations to replicate this success. He’s created a custom curriculum and training program that pulls from his 25 years of experience and the best minds in Product Management. He graduated from Stanford University with a BS in Computer Science.

Learn more about Jim at https://productdiscoverygroup.com and Twitter. 

Brief Description of Gift

A free 15-minute review of your website or app prototype

URL for Free Gift

https://productdiscoverygroup.com/prototype

Jennie Nash is the founder and CEO of Author Accelerator, a company on a mission to raise the bar on book coaching.

We discuss:

• A writer’s approach that makes all the difference [01:54]
• Helping a dream come true with no promises [04:05]
• The outcome is usually not the thing itself [07:10]
• Why [sports] people need a coach [09:53]
• How to charge as a business owner versus as a friend [11:20]
• How to have a ridiculously successful hit rate [15:03]
• Why it gets better after breaking through the one-million-dollar plateau [20:02]
• The opportunity that lies in what you’re angry at [22:31]

Author Accelerator has trained more than 60 book coaches to support writers through the entire creative process. Her own coaching clients have landed top New York agents and six figure book deals with Big 5 houses. Jennie is the author of 9 books in 3 genres, including Read Books All Day and Get Paid for It: The Business of Book Coaching.

Learn more about Jennie at https://jennienash.com/ and https://www.bookcoaches.com/.

Brief Description of Gift

Top ten tips for writers

Free series of videos about book coaching

URL for Free Gift

https://jennienash.com/

https://www.bookcoaches.com/

Merritt Minnemeyer, ACC, CPC, ELI-MP, is the Founder of Master of One Coaching, which serves visionary founders transforming into powerful leaders of purpose-driven movements. 

We discuss:

• Choose well, choose wisely, choose love [2:01]
• A guiding principle that creates a third option [12:25]
• Walking the walk of social entrepreneurship [14:25]
• How to turn around an employee’s mind and get them invested in the longevity of the company [18:39]
• Freedom to fail as a way to navigate a transition [20:24]

Merritt is a highly trained coach and speaker who employs 20 years in business, education, social justice, and the arts to create high-touch leadership programs for every client. Passionate about social entrepreneurship, Merritt is committed to contributing to the health, wealth, and harmony of the world. She shares her life with her remarkable husband, their three vibrant boys, and a menagerie of critters.

Learn more about Merritt at www.masterofonecoaching.com.

Brief Description of Gift

A free seven-day leadership journal

A 10 % affiliate fee commission for anybody who refers a client to Merritt

URL for Free Gift

www.masterofonecoaching.com

Meredith Bell is co-founder and President of Performance Support Systems, a global software company. Their award-winning assessment and development tools help leaders and team members become more effective performers. Many clients have done business with her company for more than 20 years.

We discuss:

• Lack of communication skills in a time full of communication tools [2:12]
• The foundational skill that will make your interactions amazing [5:20]
• The consequences of not listening effectively [7:42]
• Asking questions versus offering opinions [9:43]
• What most effective consultants do [11:43]
• How to improve someone’s listening skills without criticizing them [13:33]
• The confidence to start a conversation over again [19:23]
• The balance necessary to form relationships based on openness and honesty [22:02]

Meredith is author or co-author of two books. Her solo book is Strong for Performance: Create a Culture with Learning & Development Programs That Stick. She co-authored Connect with Your Team: Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills, with Denny Coates, her business partner of 30 years.

Learn more about Meredith at https://growstrongleaders.com/.

Brief Description of Gift

A free e-book, Listen Like a Pro

URL for Free Gift

https://growstrongleaders.com/free

Zachariah Moreno is the co-founder, CEO and CTO of SquadCast. He is a technologist, podcaster, author, and co-founder of SquadCast. Zach and his team are on a mission to connect creatives.  

We discuss: 

• Why developing only a product is not enough [1:34] 
• A side project that turns into a unique tool focused on quality and reliability [3:54] 
• When you don’t know that you’ve actually found a product fit [7:14] 
• A big leap of faith [8:41] 
• How audio quality impacts credibility [12:30] 
• Major differentiators for improving audio quality [16:00] 
• Creative opportunities to foster collaboration outside the studio [19:39]  

Learn more about Zachariah at https://squadcast.fm. 

Brief Description of Gift 

A promo code to get 10 dollars off your first month in addition to a 7-day free trial – STP2020 

URL for Free Gift 

https://squadcast.fm. 

Stacey Hanke is author of the book “Influence Redefined: Be the Leader You Were Meant to Be, Monday to Monday”. She has trained and presented to thousands to rid business leaders of bad body language habits and to choose words wisely. She’s worked with leaders at FedEx, Nationwide, Boeing and Oracle. She is a Certified Speaking Professional – a valuable accreditation earned by less than 10% of speakers worldwide.  

We discuss: 

• Why most people believe they’re more influential than they really are [1:56] 
• How to understand how influential you really are [3:27] 
• The importance of silent observers for getting an honest feedback [7:20] 
• The gift you don’t want to receive [9:06] 
• The best way to grow and develop for free [10:50] 
• The three key drivers of influence [12:07] 
• The true test of a leader’s influence [14:19] 
• How consultants and coaches can achieve an athlete’s level of awareness [16:15] 
• The big step is momentum and repetition [20:01] 
• The video camera doesn’t lie [22:46] 

Learn more about Stacey at https://staceyhankeinc.com/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceyhanke/, and YouTube. 

Michael F. Schein is the founder and president of MicroFame Media, a marketing agency that specializes in making idea-based companies famous in their fields.

We discuss:

• What marketing is really all about [3:53]
• The Hype man: reverse-engineering as a way to make people take an action [8:22]
• Milk before meat [10:13]
• Hustle, hustle, hustle [13:50]
• If only people saw how good your product is [15:57]
• What makes negative hype artists so good at what they do [19:55]
• Why you need to make sure you don’t gravitate only toward people like you [23:33]

He is also the author of The Hype Handbook: 12 Indispensable Success Secrets from the World’s Greatest Propagandists, Self-Promoters, Cult Leaders, Mischief Makers, and Boundary Breakers, published by McGraw Hill, that will appear everywhere books are sold on January 12, 2021.

Learn more about Michael at www.microfamemedia.com, www.michaelfschein.com and TheHypeHandbook.

Matt Zinman is a difference-maker devoted to personally enrich the lives of at least 100 million people by 2025.  

We discuss: 

• How interns could be helpful when going through a major transition [1:32] 
• Putting earned confidence in action [6:27] 
• Hiring interns versus hiring virtual assistants [8:30] 
• Ways to use interns as a multiplier [9:30] 
• Overcoming business challenges with a no-quit attitude [12:56] 
• Why it’s important to have a Plan B [14:14] 
• The impact plan: changing the lives of at least 100 million people by 2025 [15:10] 
• A snapshot of your life [18:10] 

His new book, “Z-isms: Insights to Live By” is based on his experiences as an entrepreneur, athlete, single parent, caregiver and nonprofit founder. He is also the host of “Insights to Live By,” a podcast that invites guests to share their own pearls of wisdom. In addition, Matt is CEO of The Internship Institute, which he established in 2007 to “Make Experience Matter.”  

Learn more about Matt at https://mattzinman.com, www.internshipinstitute.org and www.isazinman.com. 

Brief Description of Gift 

Free Self-care Report Card 

URL for Free Gift 

https://mattzinman.com/z-isms/report-card/ 

Uri Adoni is the author of the book “The Unstoppable Startup – Mastering Israel’s Secret Rules of Chutzpah”, published by Harper Collins.   

We discuss: 

• The secret sauce of the Israeli high-tech companies [1:53] 
• Summarizing your 30-minute talk to a tweet [4:07] 
• The six principles behind the mindset of chutzpah [6:34] 
• Why you need a good musical ear to dominate your niche [17:48] 
• How to validate a product before you even build it [21:15] 
• Foreseeing the future: the hypothesis startups should come up with [22:25] 

Uri has over 20 years of experience in high-tech as the CEO of Microsoft Networks Israel, a venture capitalist at JVP (Jerusalem Venture Partners), one of the leading VC’s in Israel, an angel investor, a board member in numerous companies and a speaker.  

Learn more about Uri at https://www.theunstoppablestartup.com/ and LinkedIn. 

Craig M. Chavis, Jr. is an author and coach that specializes in helping working professionals launch profitable businesses and successfully transition into full-time entrepreneurship.  

We discuss:  

• Planting the seeds of becoming an entrepreneur [1:55] 
• None of us are self-made [5:18] 
• A mentorship that turns things around [6:52] 
• The most important variable in the PIE formula [9:07] 
• The entrepreneur of your life [11:05] 
• Bucket number one and Bucket number two [12:40] 
• The roadblocks to creating something from nothing [17:04] 
• The best form of security there is [19:06] 

He is a serial entrepreneur, Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, former division-1 collegiate athlete, and received his BSBA from Samford University and MBA from the University of Tampa. Craig is also a super foodie, world traveler, and lifelong learner.  

Learn more about Craig at https://www.cre8ivecraig.com/ and https://www.burdensofadream.com/.  

Brief Description of Gift  

A signed hardback copy of Craig’s book – Burdens of a Dream  

URL for Free Gift  

craig@cre8ivecraig.com 

Trevor Turnbull is the CEO of Linked Into Leads and Founder of the transformative Expert Selling programs where he empowers B2B SOLOpreneur consultants and coaches to connect with their “Most Valuable Prospects” using the LinkedIn LINCHPIN Method.

We discuss:

• The mistakes consultants and coaches make that cause them to be stressed and overworked [2:31]
• The less daunting perspective on scaling your business [4:25]
• All the different ways that a person could get in front of their ideal clients [6:14]
• It always starts with the profile [7:13]
• Why you should not be afraid to go niche [8:49]
• How to relate your personal story to your potential clients [12:15]
• The reason to work with certified coaches and consultants [14:16]
• How to take opportunity of the situation before marketers ruin it [16:39]
• Change your thoughts, change your mind, change your life [19:53]

He has served over 26,000 people with his Repeatable, Predictable, Measurable Client Acquisition System and has shared his story and methods in numerous media publications including Forbes, Entrepreneur, Time, Money and Business Insider about how to go from being stressed, frustrated and over-worked to confident, empowered and profitable.

Learn more about Trevor at http://expertselling.com, http://linkedintoleads.com and http://trevorturnbull.com.

Brief Description of Gift

Trevor’s LinkedIn LINCHPIN Method

URL for Free Gift

https://go.expertselling.com/smash

Neil Sahota is an IBM Master Inventor, United Nations AI Advisor, author of the book Own the A.I. Revolution., and Chief Innovation Officer the University of California. 

We discuss:

• Why it is so difficult for people to think differently [2:31]
• The trap of long-term consultant-client relationships [4:46]
• Why executives should get out there more often [6:38]
• What we forget about assumptions [9:27]
• Understand different: why consultants should fall out of love with their idea [12:32]
• Be different: how to avoid having a superior product fail [15:57]
• Own different: Why Tesla succeeded with electric cars while others failed [18:13]
• A little, disruptive, entrepreneurial piece within a big bureaucratic organization [19:57]

Over his 20+ year career, Neil worked with enterprises to launch business ventures by creating next generation products/solutions powered by emerging technology as well as helping organizations create the culture, community, and ecosystem needed to achieve success, like the U.N.’s AI for Good initiative. Neil also actively pursues social good and volunteers with nonprofits like the Zero Abuse Project to prevent child sexual abuse. 

Learn more about Neil at https://www.neilsahota.com/, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

Thank You to Our Sponsor: SiteHub

www.smashingtheplateau.com/sitehub

Tamar Hela is an entrepreneur based in Shanghai and the COO of the digital agency Genius Encel. She helps Fortune 500 companies in Asia generate leads through LinkedIn. 

We discuss:

• What about LinkedIn makes it a great opportunity in China [2:05]
• The benefits of practicing what you preach [4:50]
• Approaching community as a good way to pivot, evolve and get feedback [6:32]
• Why you should use English content on LinkedIn regardless of your location [8:49]
• What large companies most need on LinkedIn [10:08]
• How to use a lead magnet to capture people’s attention [13:33]
• The firms that manage really well in webinars [16:26]
• It’s all in the follow-up [18:38]

As the Co-President of LinkedIn Local Asia, Tamar has created a network of communities made up of LinkedIn lovers, embracing the original idea of LinkedIn Local: getting to know “the person behind the profile.” Tamar founded the LinkedIn Local Shanghai community, which has more than 3000 members, making it one of the most professional and active networks in China.

Learn more about Tamar at www.geniusencel.agency and LinkedIn.

Thank You to Our Sponsor: SiteHub

www.smashingtheplateau.com/sitehub

Kenneth Gronbach is president of KGC Direct, LLC and is an internationally respected demographer who has been able to forecast societal, commercial, economic, cultural and political phenomena with uncanny accuracy.

We discuss:

• An unusual blend of marketing savvy and common-sense demography [2:23]
• The power of shifting demography [5:04]
• The connection between the millennials and the current protests [5:55]
• Why businesses should focus on the need of shelter [7:09]
• Endless opportunities based on a single generation [9:14]
• Shifts coming up from the current pandemic [11:09]
• Why there will be better cops in the future [12:47]
• A kinder business climate: how millennials change the way people work [14:16]
• Barbie Dolls, Hot Wheels, and Latinos [16:02]

Ken is predicting that the United States and the Americas, because of their superior demographics over any other continent, will excel culturally and economically in the post corona era.

He keynotes all over the United States and the world. His company does high value, customized demographic research. Ken is the author of the current best-selling book The Age Curve: How to Profit from the Coming Demographic Storm. His first book Common Census: The Counter-Intuitive Guide to Generational Marketing was released in 2005. Ken’s 2011 book Decades of Differences: Making It Work is a comprehensive guide to coping with three generations in the workforce. Ken’s newest book Upside: Profiting from the Profound Demographic Shifts Ahead was published in April 2017.

Learn more about Kenneth at www.kgcdirect.com.

Thank You to Our Sponsor: SiteHub

www.smashingtheplateau.com/sitehub

Arline Warwick shows businesses, entrepreneurs and nonprofits how to find large sums of money to build their businesses and organizations. 

We discuss:

• Why you don’t need to be big to have sponsors [2:30]
• The myth of sponsorship being a donation [5:28]
• The good guy: How to approach a sponsor [8:19]
• The best place to start making connections with potential sponsors [11:22]
• Why a big car company would sponsor a small charter fishing boat [16:34]
• The importance of following up on a “No” from a sponsor [19:24]

Arline teaches people how to partner with local businesses and corporations so they can work with them and get paid handsomely to do so. After learning from her own experiences and years of research, Arline now guides businesses through a system that reveals the easiest approach to finding the best partnerships so they can grow, blossom and bloom.

Learn more about Arline at Facebook.

Brief Description of Gift

A list of 100 corporations and contact information

URL for Free Gift

Send an email to info@findcorporatesponsors.com with “100” in the subject line

Thank You to Our Sponsor: SiteHub

www.smashingtheplateau.com/sitehub