Smashing the Plateau

Susan M. Barber is a leading visibility coach who transforms quiet high achievers into visible and influential leaders so they can confidently position themselves for new opportunities. With over 25 years of experience in leadership roles at Kraft Heinz, she has a deep understanding of the challenges corporate leaders face. Susan is the author and podcast host of The Visibility Factor and author of Your Journey to Visibility Workbook. Her mission is focused on empowering leaders to show their value and be seen for their true talent.In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn the key differences between starting a business and running one, and how to build a sustainable enterprise by focusing on what truly moves the needle forward.Susan and I discuss:The main differences between starting a business and running a business [03:17]What metrics move the needle forward [04:40]Why the choice that scares you the most is the one you should pick [06:33]Things Susan decided not to do and why [08:00]How to avoid the trap of perfectionism [10:21]Key strategies for visibility that help your business [11:22]Common challenges clients face around fear and imposter syndrome [12:51]How to demonstrate capability without having done the exact thing before [14:25]The role of community, collaboration, and peer support in growth [16:21]One thing a corporate refugee can do today to move forward [19:21]Susan's Your Journey to Visibility Workbook [21:49]Learn more about Susan at https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanbarbercoaching/ and https://susanmbarber.com__________________________________________________________About Smashing the PlateauSmashing 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

Nina is a LinkedIn™ featured brand builder and a content and engagement strategist for creators, coaches, and consultants.She collaborates with service-based entrepreneurs to develop strategies and create digital content that enable them to grow organically on LinkedIn.Nina is a recovering producer and documentary filmmaker. She’s seen it all — from the early days of independent features to national TV commercials, corporate mega-shows, and Emmy Award–winning documentaries, including Abraham’s Children, which she produced.Nina is from Switzerland. She owned 11-pound Dachshund mix who has her well trained.In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to spot the right time to pivot, how to use AI without losing your authenticity, and simple LinkedIn routines that build real relationships instead of noise.Nina and I discuss:Nina’s career journey and pivots from filmmaking to online coaching and video marketing [00:02:19]The pivot from video production to focusing on organic LinkedIn strategy [00:04:03]Techniques to listen for market changes and when to consider a pivot (including AI) [00:05:38]How to acknowledge AI in your messaging without chasing every shiny thing [00:08:44]The LinkedIn shift from a social graph to an interest graph — why engagement now drives visibility [00:11:00]The power of a consistent commenting practice and why you can post less but comment more [00:11:53]Nina’s “list of 25” tactic for regular, strategic engagement [00:12:59]Why commenting builds meaningful relationships (and comment etiquette to avoid “bro marketing”) [00:13:47]Organizing LinkedIn outreach: engagement groups, spreadsheets, and simple CRMs [00:16:51]The role of community in business growth and the inspiration/accountability it provides [00:19:32]Ideal community size for meaningful connection (Nina’s sweet spot: 30–100) [00:21:41]Questions to ask when choosing the right community for your transition (size, topic, demographics, geography, founder) [00:23:08]Where to find Nina’s resources (Five Steps to a Perfect LinkedIn Post; Nine Steps to a Near-Perfect LinkedIn Profile) and how to connect with her [00:25:48]Learn more about Nina at https://clockwiseproductions.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-froriep/______________________________________________________________About Smashing the PlateauSmashing 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

Dr. Gregory T. Obert is a clinical psychologist and the founder and CEO of the Royal Oasis Psychotherapy Institute, a premier telehealth practice delivering elite, discreet, evidence-based psychotherapy. He brings over 15 years of experience helping thousands navigate anxiety, depression, trauma, and life transitions. He specializes in veterans’ issues, PTSD treatment, and fostering resilience through personalized, holistic care. Additionally, he is the author of The Man on the Bench, a novel about hope amid loss, and the host of the podcast Meditations by Gregory T. Obert, featuring guided meditations for wellness.In today’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to move from structure to self-direction—reframing fear, narrowing your focus, pricing with confidence, and using real community to shorten your path to traction.Gregory and I discuss:Why Gregory chose to start his own practice [05:18]Why many keep private practice as a side gig—and the bigger opportunity [05:46]The two biggest barriers: fear of variable income and insurance constraints [07:20]Referrals, pipelines, and the internal conflict about charging [10:47]A simple first step to strengthen your pricing mindset [13:44]The hidden knowledge gap: marketing, visibility, and “putting yourself out there” [15:12]Differentiation through a few clear specialties (and why it works) [17:50]Community as a necessity: one hour > months of Googling [20:04]Learn more about Gregory and receive premium psychotherapy at www.royaloasispi.com.Follow him on social media:Website:https://gregorytobert.com/ Locals: https://drgregorytobert.locals.com/ Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/drgobert Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@docgobert LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorytobert  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrGOBERT Libsyn: https://meditationsbygto.libsyn.com/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meditations-by-gregory-t-obert/id1168490615Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0esz5sbFAeAmJzPp5NJbz9______________________________________________________________About Smashing the PlateauSmashing 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

Melanie focuses on practical data science and AI. Her career highlights include driving client outcomes at Petsch Analytics, LLC—her data science consultancy; designing and building custom applications with generative AI and large language models, incorporating humans in the loop, at Palantir Technologies; modeling and analyzing truly big data at the New York Stock Exchange; writing quantitative research and a book on commodity investing at Goldman Sachs; teaching at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA); and serving on the Mechanical Engineering Advisory Council at Purdue University.In today’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to reframe uncertainty, communicate value clearly, and turn vague requests into staged projects that produce quick wins.Melanie and I discuss:Melanie’s career journey and pivotal transitions [01:54]How the 2008 crisis led to launching her consultancy and landing an eight-year anchor client [03:21]Employee vs. consultant mindsets and why she’s ambivalent about the labels [05:24]Teaching students to handle ambiguity and have honest client conversations [07:40]Why open, candid dialogue can be easier as a consultant [09:37]A mindset shift for corporate refugees to attract the next right clients [13:47]Identifying your highest-value skills and applying them to modern needs like generative AI [14:13]Communicating with nontechnical stakeholders and using mockups to align quickly [16:50]“That’s not my data” — using anomalies to improve data quality and trust [18:05]Feedback that matters and the power of meeting audiences where they are (data dictionary story) [19:08]The networking story of earning an eight-year client by not hiring someone [21:24]Human-first relationships vs. transactional interactions [23:30]How to connect with Melanie [24:29]Learn more about Melanie at http://www.petschanalytics.com/.______________________________________________________________About Smashing the PlateauSmashing 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

Michael Himmelfarb is the founder of HG Partners, a consulting firm that advises growing tech companies on monetization and go-to-market strategy. He developed a unique consulting model that combines the advantages of AI with the human superpowers of creativity, empathy, and experience to deliver high-impact results in as little as 48 hours. A former GM of a $200M Nielsen business and a five-time tech CXO, he is passionate about teaching consultants how to leverage AI without losing the human trust advantage. His blog, Reframing Forward, explores the future of AI-enhanced business and work.In today’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to use value-based pricing, quick-win offers, and authentic relationship-building to stand out, earn attention, and convert conversations into paid work in a risk-averse market.Michael and I discuss:Michael’s path from corporate leadership to independent consulting [01:49]A clear one-sentence offer grounded in value-based pricing [06:24]How to capture attention with show-don’t-tell executive summaries and easy-to-buy offers [07:11]Why trust beats automation: using AI with human oversight (and a cautionary math example) [10:47]Practical advice for consultants struggling to convert interest into revenue [12:12]A simple LinkedIn strategy: thoughtful comments that spark real conversations [12:49]Community, collaboration, and helping others as a growth engine [14:23]Drawing the line between giving value and getting paid (share in the upside) [15:52]Cutting through noise: do your own work, use AI for augmentation, quantify outcomes [17:15]Shaping the offer: transactional, advisory, recurring, or loss leader—staying flexible [18:54]An agile, iterative approach to prompts and analysis for better AI outcomes [20:51]The long game of relationships and radical transparency [21:40]Where to explore more of Michael’s ideas and connect [23:12]Learn more about Michael at: www.Hg-partners.com, https://reframingforward.substack.com, and linkedin.com/in/michaelhimmelfarbThank you to our sponsor:The Smashing the Plateau Community______________________________________________________________About Smashing the PlateauSmashing 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