Laurence was recently introduced at an Association of Fundraising Professional meeting as, “Our Fundraising Guru.” The fundraising dilemmas of nonprofits consume his thoughts each and every day, and he writes about them offering real world solutions: books, white papers, training videos, and his weekly free blog post. 

We discuss:

• Why fundraising resources often aren’t deep enough [3:42]
• How non-profits could get to know their donors better [6:15]
• Pay it forward: a career commitment to public education [7:28]
• Half a dozen ways to get overhead cost paid for [9:30]
• Laurence’s magic of being a consultant [11:10]
• Relief plans for organizational adaptability [14:22]
• How are you indispensable to your clients? [17:54]
• The merits of having consultants employed on a short-term basis [20:23]
• The next generation of fundraisers [21:31]

Laurence has served as the executive director of three nonprofits. He has been a faculty member of the New York University Heyman Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising, and has coached groups of nonprofit executive directors at New Jersey’s Rutgers Business School’s Institute for Ethical Leadership. He writes, teach and consults in order to help advance the nonprofit’s fundraising program. Celebrating 25 years as a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), he has served on their Planning Committee for Fundraising Day in New York City. He earned three graduate degrees all related to public service. He teaches workshops and offers webinars on fundraising all over the country, across Europe and SE Asia. In response to CV19, he launched special webinars called Our Time to Shine which draw upwards of 500 attendees.

Learn more about Laurence at http://www.lapafundraising.com and www.laurencepagnoni.org.

Brief Description of Gift

A 30-minute free phone consultation about fundraising if you are staff or board member of a nonprofit

URL for Free Gift

www.lapafundraising.com/contact

Thank You to Our Sponsor: SiteHub

www.smashingtheplateau.com/sitehub

David’s entrepreneurial journey begins back in his early 20’s when he sold Australia’s most loved sporting ground, the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Since then, his business experience spans from franchising retail clothing stores to founding one of Australia’s most trusted digital agencies, melbourneSEOservices.com.

We discuss:

• How not to end up locked into the machine you’ve created yourself [2:29]
• The line you need to draw in the sand [4:57]
• The hardest piece of a business owner’s world [8:06]
• How to deliver a core product without the business owner involved [12:38]
• A little extraordinary example of a business systemized [16:04]
• Healthy and unhealthy systems in life and business [19:12]
• The worst person to systemize in a business [21:10]

In 2016, David successfully systemized himself out of the business, hired a CEO and stepped back from the daily operations. Through this process he become a systems devotee – founding systemHUB™ & SYSTEMology®. Today, his mission is to free all business owners worldwide from the daily operations of running their business.

Recognized as a high achieving entrepreneur, you will find many of David’s keynote presentations on YouTube including: TEDx, WordCamp and Problogger.

Learn more about David at www.systemology.com.

Brief Description of Gift

Preview chapters of David’s coming book

URL for Free Gift

www.systemology.com/book

Thank You to Our Sponsor: SiteHub

www.smashingtheplateau.com/sitehub

Catherine VanVonno is the President and CEO of 20four7VA, one of the most trusted remote staffing companies in the eCommerce industry. 

We discuss:

• The result of teaching and helping others replicate your business [2:52]
• A natural fit between eCommerce and remote work [5:14]
• How to have customers develop a new company with you [6:06]
• Strategies for achieving a balance between flexibility and stability [9:04]
• How to start adding virtual assistants to your business [14:40]
• The times when local staffing is better than remote [17:25]
• Combined hiring approaches that could save businesses money [18:23]
• What it takes to trust a person who is half a world away [20:34]

On any given day, you’ll find Catherine managing her global team of 40+ right from her kitchen table, demonstrating one of the biggest perks of remote work. Before starting 20four7VA, Catherine worked in the healthcare management industry. She has a Master’s degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and a Ph.D. in Research and Evaluation Methods with a cognate in Applied Statistics from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Catherine resides in Berlin, Maryland and enjoys traveling with her husband in her free time.

Learn more about Catherine at https://20four7va.com/hire-a-va/, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Brief Description of Gift

Waiving of 50% of the setup fee

URL for Free Gift

Promo Code: SMASHING2020

Thank You to Our Sponsor: SiteHub

www.smashingtheplateau.com/sitehub

Ray Silverstein is a small business expert and author with more than three decades of experience and a somewhat unusual approach. 

We discuss:

• Why it’s time to start breaking things [3:01]
• Unbiased thoughts on surviving tough circumstances [4:53]
• Hidden opportunities in thinking differently [7:23]
• What makes people move forward [9:13]
• The dos and don’ts of who should fit within a group [11:23]
• How to blend sophistications when a person naturally outgrows a group [13:55]
• The correlation between risk-taking and thriving [15:12]
• Some type of groups, in some place, somehow [16:43]

He gets most of his ideas, not from books and theories, but from in-the-trenches entrepreneurs who pool their collective wisdom in peer advisory board meetings. Ray has facilitated more than 1,500 such meetings since 1993 when he found that PRO (Presidents Resource Organization). This is a peer advisory board network based in Chicago and Phoenix and in addition they also offer online advisory boards.

In his monthly forums small business owners meet to share challenges and solutions, create accountability and offer support.

Ray is the author of two books “The Great Secrets of Great Small Businesses” published by Source Books in 2006 and the newly released “The Small Business Survival Guide: How to Survive and Thrive During Tough Times”.

Learn more about Ray at http://peeradvisoryboard.com/ and LinkedIn.

Brief Description of Gift

A digital of copy of “The Small Business Survival Guide: How to Survive and Thrive During Tough Times”

URL for Free Gift

Send an email to ray@peeradvisoryboard.com

Thank You to Our Sponsor: SiteHub

www.smashingtheplateau.com/sitehub

Nathan Hirsch is an entrepreneur and expert in remote hiring and e-commerce. 

We discuss:

• Entrepreneurship has a funny way of throwing you around [2:19]
• The internal job it takes to do small, consistent things every day [3:49]
• Key ingredients for working with virtual assistants [6:52]
• Making a decision to sell that’s a win for everybody [8:22]
• Cracking the VA code [11:26]
• Helpful resources to make an informed decision when selling your business [13:39]
• The challenges and opportunities that come with opening a business during a global economic disruption [15:09]
• The name of the game: systems and processes [17:30]
• How to add value to a client when you’re not an expert at what they ask for [21:34]

Nathan co-founded FreeeUp.com with 5k and grew it to 12 million a year in revenue. FreeeUp was then acquired in 2019. It is a marketplace that connects businesses with pre-vetted freelancers in e-commerce, digital marketing, and much more. Nathan has sold over $30 million online and regularly appears on leading business podcasts around the world.

Learn more about Nathan at outsourceschool.com, his personal Facebook, his business page on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Brief Description of Gift

Free tool for seeing how many virtual assistants you can afford

URL for Free Gift

outsourceschool.com/vacalculator

Thank You to Our Sponsor: SiteHub

www.smashingtheplateau.com/sitehub

Monika is a marketing consultant helping entrepreneurs scale fast by building social proof and expert status, and blending automation, organic and paid marketing for faster growth.

We discuss:

• Achieving a larger reach in a noisier Internet space [1:37] 
• Every pivot makes you better at what you do [4:23]
• How to make your [financial] business visible online [6:58]
• Three online sales strategies that low-budget business owners can immediately implement [9:01]
• How to overcome the agony of getting your first piece of content out there [13:21]
• Swap [15:37]
• Why speaking online might give you more traction than speaking in your neighborhood [17:44]
• How social proof beats experience and skills [18:24]
• The perseverance one needs to start and keep up with the global online trends [19:39]
• The next level of online marketing [20:39]

Learn more about Monika at https://theexpertimpact.com/opf and Facebook.

Thank You to Our Sponsor: SiteHub

www.smashingtheplateau.com/sitehub

Steve Feld is a coach, author, professional speaker, and award-winning business management executive. He has with over 30 years of extensive senior-level experience in highly competitive industries. An expert in all aspects of business, Steve has a large passion for everything business.

We discuss:

• A great relationship of giving back [1:37]
• The collaborative method: the power of mastermind groups [4:54]
• The problem with new consultants and coaches trying to jump the cubicle [6:28]
• Why you should “use” a sniper rifle when targeting your customers [8:34]
• Top three problems of small business owners [9:20]
• Building a strong niche business in less than a month [10:23]
• It’s hard to see all the trees in a forest [13:30]
• How being a published author changes clients’ perspectives [16:18]
• The importance of having systems and processes for thriving in challenging times [19:37]
• Why nobody is going to steal your idea [20:53]

Steve created and owned six-figure businesses and operated three others. He managed divisions for three brand name Fortune 500 companies. Steve has written three books about business. He co-owns a publishing company geared to coaches, consultants, and experts. Steve also conducts workshops and training on a variety of subjects for business owners.

Learn more about Steve at https://www.bizcoachsteve.com.

Brief Description of Gift

Spotlight book program where anyone can get their own “expert” book published within 30 days

URL for Free Gift

http://spotlight-books.com

Thank You to Our Sponsor: SiteHub

www.smashingtheplateau.com/sitehub

James has 15+ years of “in the trenches” marketing experience. He is happy to have worked together with businesses from dozens of industries and hundreds of people over that time. James meets you where you are (with no judgment), and specializes in coming up with a concrete plan to move your business forward. Most importantly, James teaches you to believe in your business and yourself.

We discuss:

• Ideas are a dime a dozen [1:51]
• How to take back control of your company once you’ve put its fate in the hands of another company [3:54] 
• Random acts of marketing [6:30]
• It’s not funny when you’re missing money [8:14]
• The number one reason why people switch companies [11:06]
• Three key elements for increasing your marketing presence [13:08]
• Responsive ability: How small businesses should talk to customers [14:59]
• All you need to be doing is fostering and connecting [16:40]
• Why you should start a group on social media now [21:40]

James teaches his clients not just the step-by-step “how-to”, but he also teaches his clients how to think about marketing strategically. This puts the power back into your own hands. James has been featured in both the Globe & Mail and also the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

Learn more about James at https://www.lookaheadmarketing.com/erf.

Brief Description of Gift

Two free documents: “How to Market to Your Customers in the Past, Present and Future” and “Facebook Ads Structures That Actually Work”

URL for Free Gift                       

www.smashingtheplateau.com/lam

Andrew Tarvin is the Founder and CEO of Humor That Works, teaching professionals how to use humor to achieve better business results. 

We discuss:

• Comedy equals tragedy plus time [1:53]
• Stress is not a bad thing when dealt with humor [2:41]
• How engineers could be funny as well [4:00]
• A humor map that helps you strategize laughter as a business tool [6:20]
• How to use humor to strengthen your network [7:30]
• Why it’s important to understand the different styles of humor [9:23]
• Curating humor breaks for greater efficiency at work [10:26]
• Laughter as a way to get people on the same side together [12:49]
• What tracking and rating managers’ humor could improve at work [13:56]
• Why you should start your town hall meetings with knock-knock jokes [17:39]
• Elevating humor as a vital skill to learn [19:48]

Andrew has partnered with leading organizations including IBM, the UN, and the FBI to solve human challenges with humor solutions.

A best-selling author, Andrew has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and FastCompany, and was named a Visionary Under 40 by the P&G Alumni Network. His TEDx talk on the skill of humor has been viewed more than six million times, only half of which were his mother.

Learn more about Andrew at https://www.humorthatworks.com.

Brief Description of Gift

A 7-day humor challenge

URL for Free Gift

https://www.humorthatworks.com

Thank You to Our Sponsor: SiteHub

www.smashingtheplateau.com/sitehub

Terry Ogburn is the owner of Ogburn’s Business Solutions. He has developed a Business Development Process that helps Entrepreneurs and Business Owners learn the importance of working on your business instead of being caught up in the day-to-day grind. His unique system and personal devotion to the development of others has contributed to the excess of hundreds of small to large business ventures.

We discuss:

• The best people to sell your business to [2:06]
• If you take care of the customer, the customer takes care of you [4:11]
• Why it’s smarter to empower the frontline person than the manager [5:54]
• How low-margin businesses could forecast sales and expenditures [8:57]
• The stages of business development that would require help [13:07]
• The words you should [not] put on your business card [15:42]
• Embracing technology as a key to multitasking [17:30]
• The 30-2-2 Rule: how to sell in an era when nobody wants to be sold [20:47]

Terry began his business career in 1979 when he invested his last $118.42 to start an air conditioning service business. At that time, he had no car or truck, but he did have the knowledge and ability to build relationships. By 1983, he was a top 5 nominee for Small Businessman of the Year. In 1984, he won the award for Outstanding Young Businessman of the Year for the State of Florida. In 1985, successful in his business and recognized as a leader in the business community, he began to mentor other small business owners. In 1989 he developed his own business success program based on his experience and the teachings of his favorite business books. 

His program was so successful that in 1992 Terry was asked to join UniGlobe Active Travel as a Director of Operations to boost individual store performance. Within months, he took the store to a $2.5 million Dollar Travel Agency. He then took the program national to improve performance organization wide. In 1994 he became a founding team member of EXA Travel International and took on the role of Director of Training & Development and within two years the company grew to 11 regional offices, with over 2000 franchisees and went public in late 1996.

Learn more about Terry at https://terryogburn.com/ and http://www.ogburnsbusinesssolutions.com.

Brief Description of Gift

Free Coaching Session

URL for Free Gift

http://www.terryogburn.com

Thank You to Our Sponsor: SiteHub

www.smashingtheplateau.com/sitehub

Kat McLead is the creator of Pinpoint Your Perfect Business: *the* proven framework for pinpointing your perfect niche for a high profit, high purpose, and high pleasure business while staying MOM first.

We discuss:

• Why the riches are truly in the niches [1:40]
• The most common [mom] traps when moving into entrepreneurship [6:56]
• What to do when circumstances change in your niche business [10:04]
• The art of combining skills for developing a high-profit business [12:17]
• The best way to start a niche business [13:58]
• The signs that show you which is the right business for you [15:28]
• When it is the appropriate time to pivot after niching down [18:13]
• How to craft the offer that your clients want to buy [19:14]

Kat helped sex workers transition out of the adult industry into high profit entrepreneurship 13 years ago. And that’s how she developed the Profit and Purpose Framework. It’s since been continually refined and is now designed specifically for busy moms.

She started her first multiple 6 figure business 20 years ago, and hasn’t slowed down since, not even after having her son. A fun fact: That business’ profits meant that she had way more money than her husband when they first got married, and was able to pay the entire $450,000 down payment on their home. 

Learn more about Kat at https://www.sahmentrepreneur.com

Brief Description of Gift

The 4 Key Steps to Starting Your Own Ideal, High Profit Business as a busy Stay at Home Mom

URL for Free Gift

https://www.sahmentrepreneur.com

Thank You to Our Sponsor: SiteHub

www.smashingtheplateau.com/sitehub

Cynthia Sestito is a chef/ restaurant owner and consultant. She has been in this business for 25 years. Before that she had a clothing and fabric / houseware goods company in Paris and New York. Cynthia has two dresses in the Met collection/ awards.

We discuss:

• Self-protection at times of adversity [2:40]
• The propelling factor of never being successful enough [4:14]
• How to maneuver into the next part of dealing with the COVID-19 situation [7:09]
• Why you can’t be afraid of challenging times [9:04]
• New worlds that can make cooking exciting again [10:48]
• Heightening a dinner experience: smell, flavor and health [13:04]
• Sticks and seeds and lousy weed [18:25]
• The time to hear yourself [21:50]
• A memoir of life and food [24:31]
• What makes a cooking book stands out [26:49]

In 2017, Cynthia woke up to find her catering business was gone, for myriad reasons, including kitchen fire and burns, loss of license, loss of home and a bad partnership. Cynthia is currently trying to reestablish her catering on a smaller scale, and she is creating foods in the world of micro-dosed cannabis. 

Cynthia is an alumnae of the show Top Chef, and she recently appeared on the Netflix show Cooked with Cannabis. She has spent the last two years writing a cannabis cookbook and the outline / recipes for a memoir cookbook.

Learn more about Cynthia at www.cynfulfood.com, www.cynfulycanna.com and Instagram.

Thank You to Our Sponsor: SiteHub

www.smashingtheplateau.com/sitehub

With nearly 15 years of diversified public accounting experience, Justin founded McAuliffe CPA Enterprises, P.C. in 2018 to work with small business owners to organize their books and records, assist with management of the general ledger, develop and/or retool the chart of accounts, and help develop or maintain an accounting infrastructure serving as an outsourced controller and CFO and COO for key clients, when necessary.

We discuss:

• The trigger that forces entrepreneurship on you [1:56]
• The best part of 2020 [4:48]
• Recognizing opportunity: a $20 gift card [6:21]
• The value of revenue starts off with small [8:53]
• The seven people you meet in Heaven [10:42]
• The line that separates giving away for free versus charging [14:26]
• A startup owner’s perspective on buying at Best Buy [17:10]
• How to expedite networking from your couch [19:35]
• Changing the narrative by providing people with financial freedom and purchasing power [23:26]

Learn more about Justin at https://www.cpa.enterprises/, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Brief Description of Gift

A free copy of Justin’s book, Are We Reconciled Yet? 

URL for Free Gift

https://www.cpa.enterprises/

Thank You to Our Sponsor: SiteHub

www.smashingtheplateau.com/sitehub

Purdeep Sangha is widely known as “The Strategist for Men in Business” and teaches men how to become a Profit-Multiplying Powerhouse. 

We discuss:

• The beginning of the life you want [1:55]
• How to remove the friction between your personal and business life [5:35]
• The perfect storm for going from employee to entrepreneur [6:51]
• What path to take after you’ve burnt all your bridges [10:37]
• Why you should not leave any stone unturned [12:04]
• The mistakes that consultants and coaches make that set them back [15:53]
• The confusion around what it means being a man [19:25]

His personal mission is to help men grow their businesses massively, increase their personal fulfillment in life and improve their relationships with their wife and kids. He is the founder behind the movement #MenWhoWin, men who are mindful, alpha males. As an award-winning author, entrepreneur, speaker, podcaster, business coach, husband and father, Purdeep knows exactly how tough it can be to balance a successful business with a happy family. After studying and working with some of the most successful men around the globe, Purdeep shows men the neuroscience behind becoming limitless. 

Learn more about Purdeep at https://themaleentrepreneur.com/, https://purdeepsangha.com/, LinkedIn, Twitterand Facebook.

Brief Description of Gift

Purdeep’s free Profit-Making Powerhouse Checklist

URL for Free Gift

https://purdeepsangha.com/freebies/

Thank You to Our Sponsor: SiteHub

www.smashingtheplateau.com/sitehub

Chris Meade is the co-founder of CROSSNET, the world’s first four-way volleyball game.

We discuss:

• The best idea out of a hundred ones [1:40]
• How to go from a group of people who trust you to a business that makes money [5:15]
• How to “take advantage” of your online skills [7:09]
• The video component: creating a big impact with a very small investment [9:10]
• What makes high-quality email marketing [12:34]
• A price point that makes a difference in terms of online sales [14:23]
• Where to get outside help in order to cover the missing skills for your business [15:24]
• Techniques to enhance your ability to hire somebody who’s a good fit on the first try [17:23]
• Trying to prepare for wild success while struggling with cash flow [19:11]

Learn more about Chris at https://www.crossnetgame.com/ and LinkedIn.

Brief Description of Gift

$25 Off w/ Coupon Code

URL for Free Gift

https://www.crossnetgame.com/

Thank You to Our Sponsor: SiteHub

www.smashingtheplateau.com/sitehub

Chief Evangelist at BombBomb, co-author of Rehumanize Your Business, and host of The Customer Experience Podcast, Ethan has collected and told personal video success stories in hundreds of blog posts, in dozens of webinars and stage presentations, and in countless conversations. 

We discuss:

• The history of humans speaking versus writing in the context of modern technology [2:21]
• How to be around your clients as often as you’d like to be [5:17]
• Your very best asset: Why you need to be as human as possible [7:49]
• A frictionless experience: The best promise of AI technology [11:47] 
• How to build a psychological nearness with people before even meeting them [15:24]
• A simple idea to accelerate the relationship aspect of your business [20:35]

Prior to joining BombBomb, Ethan spent a dozen years leading marketing teams inside local television stations in Chicago, Grand Rapids, and Colorado Springs. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Michigan and UCCS in communication, psychology, and marketing. Ethan now lives in Colorado Springs with his wife and son.

Learn more about Ethan at https://bombbomb.com/.

Brief Description of Gift

A two-week free trial of the software

URL for Free Gift

https://smashingtheplateau.com/bombbomb

Thank You to Our Sponsor: SiteHub

www.smashingtheplateau.com/sitehub

Known far and wide as “Dr. Cindy,” the First Lady of Sales, she is an expert in the areas of sales. She helps people get over the “Ick” of selling and use the skills of sales professionals to get what they want and deserve at work and in life. 

We discuss:

• A skillset that’s been within you all your life [2:49]
• The time that you got your teacher to accept a late assignment [4:59]
• Walking commercials that can say why you are amazing [7:24]
• The flipside of pitching your product to a business prospect [9:50]
• How to ask for what you want when the chance does arrive [12:02]
• The difference between asking someone for referral and asking a prospect for business [13:22]
• The magic in the follow-up of sales [15:35]
• Sometimes the gift is not just another referral [17:37]
• How to craft a sales process that’s authentic to you [18:33]

Dr. Cindy is the author of the Wall Street Journal Best Seller, Every Job is a Sales Job: How to Use the Art of Selling to Win at Work, and as a popular and an inspiring speaker. As the CEO of Orange Leaf Consulting, her team works with companies and entrepreneurs to grow their business.

Learn more about Dr. Cindy at https://drcindy.com/, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Brief Description of Gift

A bonus chapter on personal branding as well as a tip sheet for sales

URL for Free Gift

Go to https://drcindy.com/ and enter “SMASHING ” in the promo code area, or message Dr. Cindy on social media.

Thank You to Our Sponsor: SiteHub

www.smashingtheplateau.com/sitehub