Nina is a LinkedIn™️ Brand Builder and Content and Engagement Strategist for Creators, Coaches, and Consultants. She works with service-based entrepreneurs and visual artists to develop strategies and create digital content that helps them grow their businesses organically on LinkedIn.

Nina is a "recovering" film producer and documentary filmmaker. She has worked on Emmy award-winning documentaries, including one she produced, Abraham's Children.

Nina is a visual artist and loves spending time in her native Switzerland with her owner, Tigger, an 11-pound Dachshund mix who has her well-trained.

In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to use LinkedIn Live to build your brand and grow your business without the weekly commitment of a podcast.

Nina and I discuss:

1. What is LinkedIn Live [04:04]
2. The technical setup process for LinkedIn Live [05:47]
3. What format to use for your LinkedIn Live shows [08:37]
4. What doesn't work as a LinkedIn Live strategy [10:00]
5. The differences between LinkedIn Live and podcasts [13:18]
6. Strategies for interacting with your audience [17:21]
7. How to foster community interaction during LinkedIn Live [20:15]
8. Repurposing LinkedIn Live content into conversation highlights [22:04]

Learn more about Nina at https://clockwiseproductions.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-froriep/.

______________________________________________________________

About Smashing the Plateau

Smashing the Plateau shares stories and strategies from corporate refugees: mid-career professionals who’ve left corporate life to build something of their own.

Each episode features a candid conversation with someone who has walked this path or supports those who do. Guests offer real strategies to help you build a sustainable, fulfilling business on your terms, with practical insights on positioning, growth, marketing, decision-making, and mindset.

Woven throughout are powerful reminders of how community can accelerate your success.

______________________________________________________________

Take the Next Step

• Experience the power of community.

Join a live guest session and connect with peers who understand the journey:

https://smashingtheplateau.com/guest

• Not ready to join live yet? Stay connected.

Get practical strategies, stories, and invitations delivered to your inbox:

https://smashingtheplateau.com/news

Curtis McCullom helps CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs eliminate the blind spots that have silently held them back since childhood—unlocking greater income, confidence, and personal freedom. Through his LGET Mindset™ framework (Learn, Grow, Expand, Transform) and powerful modalities like NLP, Mental Emotional Release® (MER), and Hypnotherapy, he facilitates reprogramming subconscious blocks for deep, lasting transformation.

In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to break through invisible ceilings by reprogramming subconscious blocks for deep, lasting transformation.

Curtis and I discuss:

1. Curtis's career journey from financial services to mindset coaching [02:22]
2. What triggered his transition from financial services [04:02]
3. Why executive coaching wasn't enough [05:09]
4. The difference between conscious and subconscious behavior [05:20]
5. How the LGET framework was created [06:55]
6. Curtis's ideal client and invisible ceilings [08:26]
7. An example of breaking through relationship blocks [09:15]
8. How to acknowledge problems without identifying with them [11:00]
9. The importance of diaphragmatic breathing [12:20]
10. The one-day mindset reset process [14:00]
11. The mindset shift from employee to entrepreneur [15:22]
12. Why undervaluing your worth is common [17:25]
13. The biggest blocks people face [18:44]
14. Curtis's personal story about sabotaging success [19:36]
15. How peers and community help overcome blocks [22:30]

Curtis would love to offer your audience two powerful resources at a special rate:

From Anxious to Aligned: The Anxiety Reframe Kit — normally $297, but available to your listeners for just $27. This proven system helps flip anxiety into clarity, confidence, and focus in minutes. Bespokehpcanxietyreframe.bespokehpc.com/home

Discover & Align: 60-Minute Breakthrough Session — normally $500, but available to your listeners for only $97. In this personalized session, Curtis helps uncover core values, reveal hidden blind spots, and realign mindset so you can move forward with clarity and confidence. Bespokehpcvaluesdiscovery.bespokehpc.com/home

______________________________________________________________

About Smashing the Plateau

Smashing the Plateau shares stories and strategies from corporate refugees: mid-career professionals who’ve left corporate life to build something of their own.

Each episode features a candid conversation with someone who has walked this path or supports those who do. Guests offer real strategies to help you build a sustainable, fulfilling business on your terms, with practical insights on positioning, growth, marketing, decision-making, and mindset.

Woven throughout are powerful reminders of how community can accelerate your success.

______________________________________________________________

Take the Next Step

• Experience the power of community.

Join a live guest session and connect with peers who understand the journey:

https://smashingtheplateau.com/guest

• Not ready to join live yet? Stay connected.

Get practical strategies, stories, and invitations delivered to your inbox:

https://smashingtheplateau.com/news

Madeleine Niebauer is a seasoned executive with two decades of experience across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. Madeleine spent five years as a Chief of Staff at Teach For America. She loved the fast-paced, ever-changing nature of the work and the ability to truly leverage a leader's time so they could be more productive and successful. She knew many leaders could benefit from this service on a part-time basis, which inspired her to launch VChief.

Prior to joining TFA, Madeleine was a strategy consultant for foundations and nonprofit organizations at The Bridgespan Group. Earlier in her career, Madeleine managed a tutoring center with SCORE! Educational Centers and served in the Peace Corps in Ivory Coast.

Madeleine earned a BA with honors from Stanford University and an MBA from Columbia Business School. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin with her three children, who all share her love of globetrotting, camping, and family fun.

In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to build a scalable service business that doesn't depend on you doing all the work.

Madeleine and I discuss:

1. Madeleine's career journey and what prompted her to start VChief [02:28]
2. How she experienced product market fit in real time [03:57]
3. The decision to not take on more clients herself [05:01]
4. Shifting from technician to CEO [06:41]
5. When she decided to build a company instead of being a solopreneur [09:02]
6. How long it took to reach financial sustainability [10:23]
7. Her approach to marketing beyond her network [11:27]
8. The support she brought on along the way [13:29]
9. Hiring fractional and part-time help strategically [14:25]
10. The trigger for rapid growth after COVID [18:46]
11. Her experience with community and peer groups [20:19]
12. How to stop being the bottleneck in your business [23:32]

Learn more about Madeleine at https://www.vchiefs.com

______________________________________________________________

About Smashing the Plateau

Smashing the Plateau shares stories and strategies from corporate refugees: mid-career professionals who’ve left corporate life to build something of their own.

Each episode features a candid conversation with someone who has walked this path or supports those who do. Guests offer real strategies to help you build a sustainable, fulfilling business on your terms, with practical insights on positioning, growth, marketing, decision-making, and mindset.

Woven throughout are powerful reminders of how community can accelerate your success.

______________________________________________________________

Take the Next Step

• Experience the power of community.

Join a live guest session and connect with peers who understand the journey:

https://smashingtheplateau.com/guest

• Not ready to join live yet? Stay connected.

Get practical strategies, stories, and invitations delivered to your inbox:

https://smashingtheplateau.com/news

Janice began her career as a teacher, was a corporate trainer for many years, and have now found her niche in coaching business owners to network at a world-class level. For the past several years, she has owned her own business. She is committed to showing others how to grow their businesses and training them to build and sustain solid relationships with past, present, and future customers to lead to more sales and more referrals.

In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to build authentic business relationships through sustainable daily habits and strategic LinkedIn networking.

Janice and I discuss:

1. The power of long-term relationships in business [02:54]
2. How to overcome overwhelm when balancing client work and business development [04:04]
3. The importance of finding your rhythm with relationship building [06:17]
4. Creating sustainable habits for LinkedIn engagement [06:46]
5. Using greeting cards and gifts to nurture relationships [07:09]
6. Daily practices that transform networking results [08:21]
7. How to evaluate and accept LinkedIn connection requests [10:17]
8. Strategies for meaningful LinkedIn outreach [14:44]
9. Starting conversations without jumping to the sales pitch [16:29]
10. Using creative conversation starters to build rapport [17:04]
11. Why loyalty is at the heart of community and relationships [20:02]
12. How to be sincere and avoid the numbers game on LinkedIn [23:04]

Learn more about Janice at https://www.janiceporter.com and linkedin.com/in/janiceporter

______________________________________________________________

About Smashing the Plateau

Smashing the Plateau shares stories and strategies from corporate refugees: mid-career professionals who’ve left corporate life to build something of their own.

Each episode features a candid conversation with someone who has walked this path or supports those who do. Guests offer real strategies to help you build a sustainable, fulfilling business on your terms, with practical insights on positioning, growth, marketing, decision-making, and mindset.

Woven throughout are powerful reminders of how community can accelerate your success.

______________________________________________________________

Take the Next Step

• Experience the power of community.

Join a live guest session and connect with peers who understand the journey:

https://smashingtheplateau.com/guest

• Not ready to join live yet? Stay connected.

Get practical strategies, stories, and invitations delivered to your inbox:

https://smashingtheplateau.com/news

Jane Hyun is the leading authority for leveraging culture and differences to drive innovation. Often called an "interpreter," she has been a trusted coach for over 20 years to thousands of leaders at Fortune 500 companies including PepsiCo, Clorox, Merck, and USGA, as well as schools and nonprofits, guiding their growth by building their cross-cultural capability. She is the pioneering author of Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: Leadership Toolkit for Asians and the co-author of Flex: The New Playbook for Managing Across Differences. Through her Cultural Fluency in Leadership Project, Jane enjoys helping leaders forge stronger teams by closing the gaps that get in the way of growth and collaboration.

She has been featured on CNN, CNBC, and NPR and has written for Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Fast Company, and The Wall Street Journal on the topics of culture, career development, and onboarding. As a sought-after speaker, Jane has keynoted at Microsoft, ESPN, the International Coaches Federation (ICF), and the Conferences for Women. Recently, Jane received the Marshall Goldsmith 50 Leading Global Coaches Award as the #1 Coach for Cultural Fluency and the NAAAP Vision 100 Award.

Her life's calling is to help others flourish in their workplaces and in their communities.

In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to build a meaningful, sustainable consulting practice by leveraging cultural fluency and staying true to your values.

Jane and I discuss:

• Jane's career journey from corporate to consulting [03:02]
• How Jane developed her cultural fluency specialty [05:27]
• Assessing and improving cultural fluency in leaders [08:32]
• How Jane's business has evolved over 20 years [12:31]
• The importance of saying no to the wrong clients [14:45]
• The role of community and peer support in business growth [17:42]
• Integrating personal and professional life as an entrepreneur [19:35]
• The strategic importance of rest and self-care [22:11]
• Seeing growth as an iterative process [24:00]

Learn more about Jane at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-hyun/, https://www.instagram.com/janehyun_author/, and https://substack.com/@janehyun429198.

______________________________________________________________

About Smashing the Plateau

Smashing the Plateau shares stories and strategies from corporate refugees: mid-career professionals who’ve left corporate life to build something of their own.

Each episode features a candid conversation with someone who has walked this path or supports those who do. Guests offer real strategies to help you build a sustainable, fulfilling business on your terms, with practical insights on positioning, growth, marketing, decision-making, and mindset.

Woven throughout are powerful reminders of how community can accelerate your success.

______________________________________________________________

Take the Next Step

• Experience the power of community.

Join a live guest session and connect with peers who understand the journey:

https://smashingtheplateau.com/guest

• Not ready to join live yet? Stay connected.

Get practical strategies, stories, and invitations delivered to your inbox:

https://smashingtheplateau.com/news

Christina Holloway is an executive coach and leadership strategist known for helping professionals build influence, communicate with confidence, and advance without losing themselves in toxic or high-pressure workplaces. She has coached leaders across major global companies, and her insights have been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, and HuffPost. Through her YouTube channel and workshops, Christina provides practical tools for career clarity, courageous communication, and stepping into leadership with authenticity and power.

In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to maintain your power during career crises, negotiate from a position of strength, and build a thriving business based on authentic leadership.

Christina and I discuss:

1. Her career journey and becoming a corporate refugee in 2001 [02:33]
2. The story of being let go without notice and working a full day after termination [03:13]
3. How to prepare for and respond to a crisis [08:44]
4. Managing emotions to maintain power in critical moments [10:23]
5. Staying solution-focused during difficult negotiations [12:52]
6. Working as a contractor for 13 years and the transition to remote work in 2001 [07:28]
7. How her experience shaped her coaching business philosophy today [16:27]
8. Her journey from chief of staff to executive coach [19:22]
9. The role of community, collaboration, and peer support in business growth [21:03]
10. Why trusted relationships are essential for entrepreneurs [23:00]
11. Avoiding the trap of staying stuck in endless to-do lists [23:30]

Learn more about Christina at https://www.youtube.com/@ChristinaHolloway1205/

______________________________________________________________

About Smashing the Plateau

Smashing the Plateau shares stories and strategies from corporate refugees: mid-career professionals who’ve left corporate life to build something of their own.

Each episode features a candid conversation with someone who has walked this path or supports those who do. Guests offer real strategies to help you build a sustainable, fulfilling business on your terms, with practical insights on positioning, growth, marketing, decision-making, and mindset.

Woven throughout are powerful reminders of how community can accelerate your success.

______________________________________________________________

Take the Next Step

• Experience the power of community.

Join a live guest session and connect with peers who understand the journey:

https://smashingtheplateau.com/guest

• Not ready to join live yet? Stay connected.

Get practical strategies, stories, and invitations delivered to your inbox:

https://smashingtheplateau.com/news

Jim coaches product management in startups, growth-stage companies, and Fortune 100s. He's a Silicon Valley founder with over two decades of experience, including an IPO and a buyout. These days, he coaches product leaders and teams to find product-market fit and accelerate growth across a variety of industries and business models. Jim graduated from Stanford University with a BS in Computer Science and currently lectures at both Stanford and University of California, Berkeley in product management.

In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to navigate the AI era in product development and build a sustainable coaching practice around your unique expertise.

Jim and I discuss:

1. Jim's career journey from building products to coaching [01:59]
2. The importance of curiosity and ambition in product management [06:07]
3. The benefit of having a dedicated product management coach [09:33]
4. How AI tools are reducing friction in finding the right product [11:55]
5. The exciting opportunities for companies that adopt AI tools effectively [14:32]
6. Why internal transformation is the key competitive advantage [17:18]
7. Advice for professionals building a consulting business [21:03]
8. How peer relationships enhance transformation [24:41]
9. Helping people navigate the turmoil of adopting new AI technologies [25:53]

Learn more about Jim at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmorrisstanford/ and https://productdiscoverygroup.com

__________________________________________________________

About Smashing the Plateau

Smashing the Plateau shares stories and strategies from corporate refugees: mid-career professionals who’ve left corporate life to build something of their own.

Each episode features a candid conversation with someone who has walked this path or supports those who do. Guests offer real strategies to help you build a sustainable, fulfilling business on your terms, with practical insights on positioning, growth, marketing, decision-making, and mindset.

Woven throughout are powerful reminders of how community can accelerate your success.

__________________________________________________________

Take the Next Step

• Experience the power of community.

Join a live guest session and connect with peers who understand the journey:

https://smashingtheplateau.com/guest

• Not ready to join live yet? Stay connected.

Get practical strategies, stories, and invitations delivered to your inbox:

https://smashingtheplateau.com/news

Bou is a leadership consultant who helps his clients discover how to bring out the best in themselves and others. He designs and delivers customized leadership development workshops for executive teams around the globe. Bou also has a thriving executive and life coaching practice. With his wife, Riva Greenberg, he supports people who live with diabetes. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.

In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn why community is essential for solo entrepreneurs and how it can transform both your well-being and your bottom line.

Boudewijn and I discuss:

• Why community is so important to Boudewijn [02:25]
• The kinds of communities Boudewijn has experienced [05:11]
• How collective intelligence helps navigate complexity and uncertainty [06:36]
• The practical outcomes of being part of a community [08:43]
• Why interdependence is more accurate than independence [09:43]
• How community increases profitability by a factor of three to four [11:25]
• The financial impact of compassionate support through neurobiological co-regulation [13:10]
• What makes communities different from corporate structures [15:03]
• The importance of psychological safety in community [18:01]
• How community provides both wellbeing and advancement [20:27]
• Why now is the most critical time to be part of a community [23:01]

Learn more about Boudewijn at www.spimanagement.com

______________________________________________________________

About Smashing the Plateau

Smashing the Plateau shares stories and strategies from corporate refugees: mid-career professionals who’ve left corporate life to build something of their own.

Each episode features a candid conversation with someone who has walked this path or supports those who do. Guests offer real strategies to help you build a sustainable, fulfilling business on your terms, with practical insights on positioning, growth, marketing, decision-making, and mindset.

Woven throughout are powerful reminders of how community can accelerate your success.

______________________________________________________________

Take the Next Step

• Experience the power of community.

Join a live guest session and connect with peers who understand the journey:

https://smashingtheplateau.com/guest

• Not ready to join live yet? Stay connected.

Get practical strategies, stories, and invitations delivered to your inbox:

https://smashingtheplateau.com/news

Paige Arnof-Fenn is the founder and CEO of global branding and digital marketing firm Mavens and Moguls, based in Cambridge, MA. Her clients include Microsoft, Virgin, The New York Times Company, Colgate, venture-backed startups, as well as nonprofit organizations. She graduated from Stanford University and Harvard Business School. Paige serves on several boards, is a popular speaker and columnist who has written for Entrepreneur and Forbes.

In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to build a thriving knowledge-based business by making authentic connections and staying true to your values.

Paige and I discuss:

• What caused Paige to become an entrepreneur [02:23]
• How Paige decided on her business model [13:04]
• Who Paige's ideal clients are [05:59]
• How to navigate AI tools without losing your brand's authentic voice [08:18]
• What makes it challenging to build a sustainable knowledge-based business today [09:48]
• The importance of making friends before you need them [15:07]
• How to build your reputation with every conversation [17:06]
• What makes it easier than ever to start a knowledge worker business [18:32]
• The do's and don'ts of connecting with others in community [21:20]
• Why quality over quantity matters in building your brand [23:28]

Learn more about Paige at https://www.linkedin.com/in/paigearnoffenn and www.mavensandmoguls.com

__________________________________________________________

About Smashing the Plateau

Smashing the Plateau shares stories and strategies from corporate refugees: mid-career professionals who’ve left corporate life to build something of their own.

Each episode features a candid conversation with someone who has walked this path or supports those who do. Guests offer real strategies to help you build a sustainable, fulfilling business on your terms, with practical insights on positioning, growth, marketing, decision-making, and mindset.

Woven throughout are powerful reminders of how community can accelerate your success.

__________________________________________________________

Take the Next Step

• Experience the power of community.

Join a live guest session and connect with peers who understand the journey:

https://smashingtheplateau.com/guest



• Not ready to join live yet? Stay connected.

Get practical strategies, stories, and invitations delivered to your inbox:

https://smashingtheplateau.com/news

Kenneth Gorfinkle is a clinical psychologist and owner of Common Sense Therapy, a private psychotherapy practice in Manhattan. His career transitioned from decades of work with medical patients in hospitals to a full-time private practice in 2016. As his own practice slowly winds down, he finds himself caring for many individuals at the late stages of their careers. Retirement has become an outmoded idea, now that there are myriad ways to stay engaged in meaningful work.

In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to navigate late-career transitions while maintaining your sense of identity, purpose, and self-worth beyond the paycheck.

Ken and I discuss:

• The differences between mid-career job loss and late-career transitions [03:02]
• The advantages of gradually winding down versus stopping abruptly [04:36]
• How accumulated wisdom and experience add value in later career stages [06:04]
• Connecting your identity to your wisdom rather than your work [08:00]
• The fear and anxiety people face when approaching retirement [09:14]
• Strategies for finding meaning beyond work [11:34]
• How to address financial fears and planning [13:37]
• Ways to transition your business model as you wind down [18:51]
• The importance of community and intentional friendships [24:06]

Learn more about Kenneth at www.commonsensetherapy.com

__________________________________________________________

About Smashing the Plateau

Smashing the Plateau shares stories and strategies from corporate refugees: mid-career professionals who’ve left corporate life to build something of their own.

Each episode features a candid conversation with someone who has walked this path or supports those who do. Guests offer real strategies to help you build a sustainable, fulfilling business on your terms, with practical insights on positioning, growth, marketing, decision-making, and mindset.

Woven throughout are powerful reminders of how community can accelerate your success.

__________________________________________________________

Take the Next Step

• Experience the power of community.

Join a live guest session and connect with peers who understand the journey:

https://smashingtheplateau.com/guest

• Not ready to join live yet? Stay connected.

Get practical strategies, stories, and invitations delivered to your inbox:

https://smashingtheplateau.com/news

Ann Vanino is a career and new directions coach and author whose passion is collaborating with her clients to create the life they want to live. Prior to coaching, Ann enjoyed a 21-year career in the environmental, health, and safety field, including running New York City's 24-hour chemical emergency response team, responding to over 600 emergencies a year. Ann authors a weekly blog, Opening, and a monthly newsletter, Working Happy, guiding readers to work that leaves them happy at the end of the day.

In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn what it takes to reinvent yourself when the path forward isn't clear and how vulnerability builds true resilience.

Ann and I discuss:

• Ann's non-linear career journey from Asian history to environmental studies [02:05]
• How she became the leader of NYC's chemical emergency response team [04:14]
• Navigating male-dominated environments as a young woman [06:17]
• Leading without formal authority when people don't listen [08:29]
• What triggered her transition to entrepreneurship [10:14]
• Hitting the glass ceiling and recognizing it wasn't her fault [11:31]
• Starting Williams and Vanino environmental consulting firm [12:36]
• The rainmaker and operator business partnership dynamic [13:33]
• Taking the leap from security-conscious family to coaching [16:48]
• Joining the founding board of International Coach Federation in LA [20:20]
• Her husband's illness and passing in 2022 [20:35]
• Navigating life alone on two acres in wildfire country [21:56]
• The dramatic wildfire evacuation during her home sale [25:00]
• The connection between vulnerability, community, and resilience [29:13]
• Getting comfortable with change as a key to a fulfilling life [32:34]

Ann authors a weekly blog and a monthly newsletter called Working Happy, guiding readers to work that leaves them happy at the end of the day.

Learn more about Ann at: https://annvanino.com, https://annvaninoauthor.com, and https://www.linkedin.com/in/annvanino/

__________________________________________________________

About Smashing the Plateau

Smashing the Plateau shares stories and strategies from corporate refugees: mid-career professionals who’ve left corporate life to build something of their own.

Each episode features a candid conversation with someone who has walked this path or supports those who do. Guests offer real strategies to help you build a sustainable, fulfilling business on your terms, with practical insights on positioning, growth, marketing, decision-making, and mindset.

Woven throughout are powerful reminders of how community can accelerate your success.

__________________________________________________________

Take the Next Step

• Experience the power of community.

Join a live guest session and connect with peers who understand the journey:

https://smashingtheplateau.com/guest

• Not ready to join live yet? Stay connected.

Get practical strategies, stories, and invitations delivered to your inbox:

https://smashingtheplateau.com/news