Thomas Bertels is a business transformation expert on a mission to make work more productive, valuable, meaningful, and impactful. He has three decades of experience helping companies—from start-ups to Fortune 5—transform how work gets done. In today’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to overcome an identity shift when leaving a long corporate career and build a business that delivers lasting results for yourself and your clients. Thomas and I discuss: Why leaving a decades-lo...
Jun 30, 2025•25 min•Ep. 793
Bob Goodwin is the President of Career Club, dedicated to helping organizations and professionals unlock their full potential. As a LinkedIn Top Voice and a member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, he is a recognized expert in career development, leadership, and organizational performance. Bob hosts The Work Wire with SHRM CEO Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., as well as Career Club Live, where he interviews Fortune 500 executives. As an executive coach, he helps senior leaders enhance perfo...
Jun 23, 2025•26 min•Ep. 792
Matt is a lifelong entrepreneur, a software developer since age seven, and the founder of over 30 startups. A world traveler who has visited more than 70 countries, he hosted and produced “Places to Go” for Amazon Prime. He holds a commercial pilot’s license, a real estate broker’s license, and is a musician with over 30 published songs. A GIA-certified gemologist, black belt in Karate and Aikido, scuba diver, and photographer, Matt is a U.S. expat splitting his time between Colombia and Switzer...
Jun 16, 2025•24 min•Ep. 791
Prosper Taruvinga is the founder of Live Long Digital, where he helps coaches and consultants scale from six to seven figures with ease and flow. A Zimbabwean-born entrepreneur based in Australia, Prosper blends digital strategy with heart, helping experts stop relying on algorithms and build profitable, enjoyable businesses they love. In today’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to embrace unexpected opportunities, the importance of owning your media, and how building the righ...
Jun 09, 2025•28 min•Ep. 790
Wagner Denuzzo is the author of Leading to Succeed , a book on essential skills for the new workplace. He is currently a consultant and coach at his own firm. Previously, he served as the VP and Global Head of Leadership Development at IBM, as well as the VP and Head of Capabilities for the Future of Work at Prudential Financial. He is a seasoned leader in organizational development, human capital strategy, and leadership transformation, with over two decades of experience across global enterpri...
Jun 02, 2025•30 min•Ep. 789
Nathan Tanner is an executive coach who helps CEOs, founders, and high-impact leaders scale themselves and their companies. He's coached leaders from companies including Electronic Arts, EA, LinkedIn, Lyft, and Google. Prior to becoming a full-time coach, he held several HR executive roles, including leading the HR team at DoorDash. Nathan has served as an advisor at Y Combinator and has written for Forbes, Inc., and Fast Company. He's an IRONMAN triathlete, holds an MBA from BYU, and lives with...
May 26, 2025•25 min•Ep. 788
Dorie Clark has been named three times as one of the Top 50 business thinkers in the world by Thinkers50. She is a keynote speaker and teaches executive education at Columbia Business School. She is also the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Long Game , Entrepreneurial You , Reinventing You , and Stand Out , which was named the #1 Leadership Book of the Year by Inc. magazine. A former presidential campaign spokeswoman, she writes frequently for the Harvard Business Review. Learn more...
May 19, 2025•30 min•Ep. 787
Lyndsay Dowd is a speaker, founder, author, coach, podcast host, and disruptor. She is an accomplished leader and decorated seller who has successfully managed large, diverse, high-performing sales teams over the last 25 years, 23 of which were spent climbing the ranks at IBM. Lyndsay was also a featured guest lecturer at Harvard University. In creating her company, Heartbeat for Hire, she has devoted her career to transforming leadership by building irresistible cultures and implementing modern...
May 12, 2025•23 min•Ep. 786
She has an innate curiosity, which she has leveraged to build business relationships and teaches others how to do the same. Her passion lies in working with people who want to grow their businesses through relationship marketing and networking—and she accomplishes this using both online and offline strategies. LinkedIn training is a significant part of Janice’s business. She believes that all business professionals need to have a magnetic LinkedIn profile and that LinkedIn is THE platform for at...
May 05, 2025•25 min•Ep. 785
Jane Wesman is the creative force behind the public relations agency that bears her name. An expert in book marketing and publicity, she is the author of Dive Right In - The Sharks Won't Bite: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Guide to Success , which has been called "a clear and concise blueprint for the tasks of operating a business" by The New York Times . Wesman is a hands-on strategist who is deeply involved in every project that her company undertakes. Her articles on marketing and entrepreneurs...
Apr 28, 2025•25 min•Ep. 784
Jason Resnick helps Course Creators, Digital Product Creators, and Coaches double their revenue from their email lists in 90 days without using email as a blunt tool to broadcast to everyone. This approach addresses the unclear path they have for converting subscribers into customers, allowing them, as business owners, to build a business designed around the life they want to live. In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to leverage email marketing to create sustainable bu...
Apr 21, 2025•23 min•Ep. 783
Simon Robinson is one of the pioneers of customer experience, having co-authored the world’s first article on customer experience strategy in 1995. In the 1990s, he served as the business development manager responsible for smartphones at British Telecom (BT Cellnet/O2) and was a co-founder of Genie Internet, one of the UK’s first startup unicorns developed inside BT Group. He is the Worldwide CEO of Holonomics, an international keynote speaker, and a bestselling author, including Designing Cust...
Apr 14, 2025•29 min•Ep. 782
Renee Frojo has spent over 20 years helping businesses tell impactful stories. As the founder of A Good Reputation, Renee combines her journalism background with her passion for entrepreneurship to help purpose-driven startups, founders, fractional leaders, and freelancers uncover and share the stories that resonate most. Renee's relatable stories have earned her nearly 10,000 followers on LinkedIn. Through her signature approaches—Your Story is Your Strategy, which demonstrates how to build tru...
Apr 07, 2025•23 min•Ep. 781
Michael F. Schein ghostwrites books that make business leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs famous in their fields. He is the founder of the marketing and consulting company MicroFame Media, and some of his clients have included Lockton, eBay, Magento, the University of Pennsylvania, the United Methodist Publishing House, LinkedIn, and Citrix, to name a few. His writing has appeared in Fortune, Forbes, Inc., Kitces, Business Insider, Psychology Today, and the Huffington Post, and he is a speak...
Mar 31, 2025•28 min•Ep. 780
Jeannie Dougherty is a money expert and mental fitness guide who can help you rewire your money brain and make your money work for you. In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to break free from stressful money cycles and harness a positive money mindset. Jeannie and I discuss: The power of believing you are more than your money [00:00:24] Understanding the emotional aspects of financial decisions [00:03:03] The concept of the "money brain" and its impact on behavior [00:0...
Mar 24, 2025•24 min•Ep. 779
Scott went from being gainfully employed to bankrupt to experiencing a breakthrough. In 2015, after 27 years of top-level leadership in a national multimillion-dollar family business, the door slammed shut, and Scott found himself a 50-year-old without a career. After a period of dark days and months, he knew he had to rebuild and rediscover his identity. Through trial and error, mistakes, and victories, Scott became proficient at problem-solving and executing a plan. He began to experience the ...
Mar 17, 2025•23 min•Ep. 778
Jahmaal Marshall is a corporate wellness advocate and leader who reshapes work cultures to prioritize mental health. With a 12-year track record, he equips executives and HR professionals with strategies to combat burnout and stress, teaching them how to have more energy and increase their focus and drive to thrive both professionally and personally. Through consulting and coaching programs, Jahmaal addresses deep-seated challenges such as constant stress, feelings of doubt, worry, and work-life...
Mar 10, 2025•25 min•Ep. 777
Alison Ver Halen majored in English and Psychology without realizing she was obtaining the perfect degree for content marketing. It wasn't until a few years after she graduated, when a family friend asked her to write blog posts for his law firm, that she realized she could make money doing what she loves. Fast forward to today, and Alison is still writing blog posts, as well as website landing pages and emails. She also integrates SEO and marketing strategy into the content she writes to give h...
Mar 03, 2025•24 min•Ep. 776
Tammy Gooler Loeb is an executive leadership and career coach, speaker, and facilitator with expertise in leadership, team development, organizational culture, communication, and career transitions. For over two decades, she has enjoyed supporting clients across a wide variety of sectors and industries. Tammy is the author of the award-winning book, Work from the Inside Out: Break Through Nine Common Obstacles and Design a Career That Fulfills You . She hosts a biweekly podcast, Work from the In...
Feb 24, 2025•26 min•Ep. 775
John Neral is an executive and career transition coach who helps mid-career professionals find a job they love or learn to love the job they have. He is also an author, speaker, and host of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast. When he’s not working, John is a professional bowler who continues to compete on the PBA Regional Tour. In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn the importance of storytelling and stability for career advancement in a rapidly evolving job market. John and I discus...
Feb 17, 2025•22 min•Ep. 774
Philip VanDusen is a branding consultant serving SMBs and entrepreneurs based in New Jersey, USA. As a thought leader, Philip shares his expertise in marketing, design, and entrepreneurship on YouTube to his 295k subscribers, in the Brand•Muse newsletter, the Bonfire mastermind community, and on the Brand Design Masters podcast. Philip has led creative teams in both global branding agencies and global corporations — serving as VP of Design for PepsiCo and Old Navy, and as Executive Creative Dire...
Feb 10, 2025•30 min•Ep. 773
Jon Leland has been a media innovator for over 40 years, including serving as the founding director of creative services for the USA cable TV network. He has led video production and creative services companies for over 30 years. Currently, Jon is the host and producer of the Video Mojo video podcast and the creative director of the boutique marketing agency ComBridges, which delivers content, social media, and video marketing services, as well as AI creativity consulting. Jon's passion is suppo...
Feb 03, 2025•28 min•Ep. 772
Blair began his career in New York at the HarperCollins Speakers Bureau, a business he never knew existed. From there, he had the privilege of leading the Hachette and Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureaus for GTN (now UTA Speakers), before moving west to work with Keith Ferrazzi (author of "Never Eat Alone"). He served as his chief of staff for over three years and learned how keynote speaking can be strategically positioned for corporate coaching and consulting while also studying at UCLA Ande...
Jan 27, 2025•24 min•Ep. 771
Philippa Levenberg is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Sable Strategy, a senior-level strategic communications firm specializing in PR and reputation management for corporations, nonprofits, and trade associations. The firm was recently named to Inc. Magazine's 2024 "Best in Business" list. Philippa’s career has focused on leveraging digital, social, and paid media strategies to build employer brands, develop thought leadership programs, engage advocates, navigate crises, and shape policy ...
Jan 20, 2025•26 min•Ep. 770
Debra Eckerling is a goal strategist, workshop leader, and award-winning author and podcaster on a mission to change goal culture both inside and outside the workplace. As the creator of The DEB Method for simplified goal-setting, Debra works with individuals, teams, and businesses on personal and professional projects, networking strategies, and book proposal development. She hosts the GoalChatLive/GoalChat and Taste Buds with Deb podcasts and is the author of "Your Goal Guide" and "52 Secrets ...
Jan 13, 2025•27 min•Ep. 769
Liz Steblay is sometimes referred to as "the Yoda of solopreneur success." She isn’t small, green, or ancient, but she has mentored thousands of self-employed professionals, helping them realize their dreams of becoming solo entrepreneurs. With decades of experience in building her own solopreneur career, including the creation of two thriving businesses that serve independent consultants, Liz recently published her bestselling book, "Succeeding as a Solopreneur: Six Keys for Taking the Leap, Wi...
Jan 06, 2025•27 min•Ep. 768
Dr. Carla Fowler is an MD, PhD, and elite executive coach. For the last decade, she has been a secret weapon for scores of CEOs, entrepreneurs, and other senior leaders. Carla’s unique approach combines the latest research in performance science with timeless best practices to help top performers level up and achieve their goals. In today’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to make bold career transitions, leverage your existing skills in new ways, and maximize your performance...
Dec 30, 2024•25 min•Ep. 767
Holly Jean Jackson is a Revenue and Performance Consultant, Speaker, Podcast Host, Author, and founder of Business Builder Throw Down. Her career spans technology, communications, organizational change, public relations, and content strategy. She has dedicated over 12 years to helping business leaders get their groove back physically, mentally, and emotionally. She led a Local to Global Policy Initiative to influence future leaders' impact on communities. Fun Fact: Holly played first chair clari...
Dec 23, 2024•19 min•Ep. 766
Monika started Mastermind Mentoring in 2023 after spending 23 years in the high-tech consulting world, where she focused on solving customer problems through technical innovation, growth strategy, and client relationship management. The entrepreneurial path found her when life threw her a curveball, and her position was eliminated. During that time of transition, she felt a heartfelt calling to pursue a path of service to others and became an intuitive life coach and healer. Now, she focuses on ...
Dec 16, 2024•23 min•Ep. 765
Kellan is the ultimate alchemist for entrepreneurial growth, a bestselling author of 20 books, and the founder of "Your Ultimate Life." Kellan helps entrepreneurs move mountains, melt barriers, and mobilize superpowers to achieve their dreams. Kellan's personal journey includes battles with depression and addiction. Now, he is committed to helping 300 million people create income and impact in the world by discovering, developing, and serving with their skills, gifts, and life experiences. In to...
Dec 09, 2024•27 min•Ep. 764
