Smashing the Plateau

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 speaker for international audiences, spanning from the northeastern United States to the southeastern coast of China. His book, "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, is available wherever books are sold.

In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to harness the power of strategic marketing and ghostwriting to become a recognized thought leader.

Michael and I discuss:

• Michael's journey from copywriting to marketing consultancy [02:18]
• The concept of becoming a "micro celebrity" [06:10]
• The importance of having a book to establish expertise [07:00]
• Overcoming the fallacy of scale in business [08:12]
• The impact of community on professional success [16:34]
• How to balance intuition and external advice [18:00]
• Michael's insights on thinking like a scientist to find your niche [21:35]

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 [00:07:02]
• Practical steps to change your financial narrative [00:09:06]
• The importance of taking actionable steps to improve cash flow [00:10:28]
• Shattering your own glass ceiling in business [00:12:55]
• Building a supportive community for financial success [00:18:21]
• Jeannie’s mission with the caregiver conference [00:20:43]

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 joy of his newly discovered freedom. He is doing what he loves and earning a living doing it. This experience has given Scott a unique vantage point to understand the life of business owners or executives who are facing a transition in their careers and don’t know what their next act looks like.

Scott has dedicated his hero's journey to helping others transition from executive to freelancer. He has honed the skills and methodology to reach clarity more quickly and accelerate progress.

In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to break free from living by default and design a fulfilling life.

Scott and I discuss:

• Scott's journey from gainfully employed to bankrupt to breakthrough [01:36]
• The impact of the 2008 financial collapse on his career [03:12]
• Discovering the importance of identity beyond career roles [05:45]
• How to transition from living by default to living by design [07:58]
• The six hallmarks of a fantastic fourth quarter [10:02]
• Strategies for iterating and executing a new life plan [12:34]
• The role of community in navigating transitions [15:10]
• Tips for finding the right support network [18:25]

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 imbalance. His solutions foster healthier work environments, yielding more present, energized employees and a more robust bottom line for the company.

In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to create a supportive workplace culture that prioritizes mental health.

• His early career and the progression to a corporate wellness advocate [00:01:55]
• The impact of personal experiences on his professional mission [00:03:09]
• Transitioning from government work to in-depth counseling [00:04:10]
• The signs of overworking and its long-term effects on health [00:07:07]
• The development of his Rewire and Renew framework [00:08:39]
• How personal crises influenced his professional perspective [00:09:17]
• The transformative effect of setting boundaries in professional life [00:15:37]
• His approach to content creation and community building on LinkedIn [00:12:15]

Learn more about Jahmaal at:

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 her clients the best chance of attracting, engaging, and converting their ideal clients.

In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to transform your passion for writing into a successful business.

Alison and I discuss:

• How Alison stumbled into content marketing as a career [01:54]
• The importance of talking about your passion [02:05]
• Finding your community and networking effectively [03:38]
• The evolution of Alison's business model [06:01]
• The significance of SEO and marketing strategy in content creation [09:11]
• How to track what works and what doesn't in your business [10:31]
• The role of consistent content creation in building trust [13:00]
• Tips for professionals struggling with content creation [14:54]
• The importance of distribution channels for your content [16:21]
• Alison's approach to leveraging YouTube and podcasts [18:00]

Learn more about Alison at: