Smashing the Plateau

By Smashing the Plateau

Smashing the Plateau features candid conversations with experienced professionals who are building businesses around their expertise and creating greater control over their work and their lives.

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FAQs about Smashing the Plateau:

How many episodes does Smashing the Plateau have?

The podcast currently has 1,250 episodes available.

Smashing the Plateau episodes:

September 07, 2026Leading Without a Handbook — Limor Bergman-Gross
Limor Bergman-Gross is an executive leadership coach, speaker, and host of the podcast From a Woman to a Leader. A former director of engineering with over 20 years in tech, Limor helps women in tech and leadership move from being overlooked to becoming visible, influential, and confident leaders. Through coaching, speaking, and her podcast, she supports leaders in strengthening executive presence, strategic influence, self-advocacy, and authentic leadership — without trying to become someone they are not.
In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to become visible, build strategic influence, and lead with confidence — even without a roadmap.
Limor and I discuss:
What drove Limor's biggest career transitions [02:25]
How hiring a coach helped her break through to the director level [03:44]
What made her leave corporate and start her own business [04:29]
The mindset shift required to run your own business [05:29]
Why doing great work isn't always enough to get noticed [08:40]
How people-pleasing holds women back from being seen as leaders [11:00]
Why negotiation is a skill everyone needs — not just business owners [12:22]
How to navigate independence without institutional structure [14:27]
What it looks like when a client gives themselves permission to lead [18:21]

Learn more about Limor at:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/limorbergman/
https://limorbergman.substack.com/
https://limorbergman.com/podcast/
______________________________________________________________
About Smashing the Plateau
Smashing the Plateau is a podcast for experienced independent leaders who have left corporate roles to build sustainable, expertise-based businesses.
Each episode features a thoughtful, experience-driven conversation about what changes when you no longer have the infrastructure of an organization behind you.
We explore judgment, decision-making under uncertainty, growth plateaus, identity shifts, and the role of trusted thinking partners in sustaining long-term success.
______________________________________________________________
About Smashing the Plateau
Smashing the Plateau features candid conversations with experienced professionals who are building businesses around their expertise and creating greater control over their work and their lives.
Each episode explores the decisions, challenges, and opportunities that come with independent work, drawing on the experiences and perspectives of people who have navigated them firsthand.
Take the Next Step
Better decisions begin with seeing your situation more clearly. Get the free SMASH System™ Self-Assessment at SmashingThePlateau.com/clarity.
...more
26min
August 31, 2026Accounting as the Heartbeat of Business — Albert Butler
Albert Butler, CPA, MBA, is an author, nationally recognized strategic advisor, and creator of the Legacy Alignment System, a framework designed to help leaders, entrepreneurs, and families align purpose, structure, money, and legacy.
With more than 25 years of experience in public accounting, business advisory, and executive financial leadership, Albert has built his career around one core belief: accounting is the heartbeat of business. To him, accounting is not just about tax returns, audits, or compliance — it is the truth system that reveals where a person, family, or organization has been, where they stand today, and whether they are prepared for the future.
Albert Butler is a nationally recognized CPA, strategic advisor, and creator of the Legacy Alignment System, a framework designed to help leaders, entrepreneurs, and families align purpose, structure, money, and legacy.
In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how accounting goes far beyond taxes and compliance — and how understanding your numbers can help you build a business and a legacy that lasts.
Albert and I discuss:
How Albert's background shaped his approach to money and legacy [00:03:33]
Why money isn't real — and what you should be focused on instead [00:04:57]
How a corporate paycheck can quietly suppress your dreams [00:08:56]
The five muscles of enterprise every entrepreneur must develop [00:10:34]
Why you must scale yourself and your family before you scale your business [00:11:45]
How accounting serves as a fortune teller for your business past, present, and future [00:18:08]
Why talking about money in a trusted community helps you make more of it [00:20:17]

Learn more about Albert at @albertbutltercpa on Instagram and TikTok.
______________________________________________________________
About Smashing the Plateau
Smashing the Plateau is a podcast for experienced independent leaders who have left corporate roles to build sustainable, expertise-based businesses.
Each episode features a thoughtful, experience-driven conversation about what changes when you no longer have the infrastructure of an organization behind you.
We explore judgment, decision-making under uncertainty, growth plateaus, identity shifts, and the role of trusted thinking partners in sustaining long-term success.
______________________________________________________________
Take the Next Step
• Experience the power of peer perspective.
Join a live guest session and connect with experienced professionals navigating similar challenges:
https://smashingtheplateau.com/guest
• Stay connected to the conversation.
Get new episodes, reflections, and invitations delivered to your inbox:
https://smashingtheplateau.com/news
...more
25min
August 24, 2026Leading From Within the Life You Built — Fiona Grant Leydier
Fiona Grant Leydier is the founder of The Inflection Method, a leadership advisory practice for leaders navigating the tension between ambition and sustainability. Her work is for leaders who have built careers and lives they're proud of — and are ready to lead from within them with greater ease, clarity, and intention. This isn't about walking away. It's about learning to live well inside the life you've created.
Drawing on 20+ years as a communications executive in high-pressure environments — and decades of her own lived experience with pressure, transition, and rebuilding — Fiona helps clients move through demanding seasons with greater steadiness. Her approach weaves Human Design and daily embodied practice into something grounded, relational, and practical.
In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to lead well from inside the life you've already built — with greater ease, clarity, and intention.
Fiona and I discuss:
Why leading from within the life you've created matters [02:17]
How repeated career rebuilds led Fiona to entrepreneurship [05:11]
The identity crisis that comes with leaving corporate [06:52]
How Human Design became a practical leadership blueprint [09:50]
What the Inflection Method is and how it works [10:52]
How self-knowledge changes the way you show up under pressure [15:26]
Why real confidence is not performed confidence [16:43]
The role of safe spaces and trusted thinking partners [20:50]

Learn more about Fiona at http://www.theinflectionmethod.com/session.
______________________________________________________________
About Smashing the Plateau
Smashing the Plateau is a podcast for experienced independent leaders who have left corporate roles to build sustainable, expertise-based businesses.
Each episode features a thoughtful, experience-driven conversation about what changes when you no longer have the infrastructure of an organization behind you.
We explore judgment, decision-making under uncertainty, growth plateaus, identity shifts, and the role of trusted thinking partners in sustaining long-term success.
______________________________________________________________
Take the Next Step
• Experience the power of peer perspective.
Join a live guest session and connect with experienced professionals navigating similar challenges:
https://smashingtheplateau.com/guest
• Stay connected to the conversation.
Get new episodes, reflections, and invitations delivered to your inbox:
https://smashingtheplateau.com/news
...more
25min
August 17, 2026When Outside Perspective Changes Everything — Kyle Romaniuk
Kyle Romaniuk is a serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and author of EMBARK: Providing the Refraction Pathway, a Proven Framework for Organizational Growth. Over a full career spanning more than 30 years, Kyle has built businesses across industries, worked with iconic brands including Red Bull, Scotiabank, and GoodLife Fitness, and earned a spot on WIRED Magazine's Top 100 New Products of the Year list. A career shaped by many rich influences, he now channels that experience as founder of FRAKXION, helping founder-led businesses scale with intention.
In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how fractional leadership can help your business scale smarter — and why it might be the most overlooked growth strategy for founder-led companies.
Kyle and I discuss:
How Kyle's entrepreneurial journey started [02:31]
What motivated Kyle to build FRAKXION [05:01]
How Kyle recognized he was the bottleneck in his own business [06:01]
The key difference between fractional leaders and consultants [07:40]
Why hiring fractional may be smarter than hiring full-time [08:15]
A real client success story [10:50]
How fractional leaders bring impartiality to complex decisions [14:01]
Trends in mid-career professionals choosing the fractional model [16:46]
How to build a support community as an independent professional [20:04]

Learn more about Kyle at https://www.frakxion.com/.
______________________________________________________________
About Smashing the Plateau
Smashing the Plateau is a podcast for experienced independent leaders who have left corporate roles to build sustainable, expertise-based businesses.
Each episode features a thoughtful, experience-driven conversation about what changes when you no longer have the infrastructure of an organization behind you.
We explore judgment, decision-making under uncertainty, growth plateaus, identity shifts, and the role of trusted thinking partners in sustaining long-term success.
______________________________________________________________
Take the Next Step
• Experience the power of peer perspective.
Join a live guest session and connect with experienced professionals navigating similar challenges:
https://smashingtheplateau.com/guest
• Stay connected to the conversation.
Get new episodes, reflections, and invitations delivered to your inbox:
https://smashingtheplateau.com/news
...more
27min
August 10, 2026Structure Without a Safety Net — Daria Rudnik
Daria Rudnik is a Team Architect and Executive Leadership Coach — and the author of Clicking, a practical framework for building high-performing teams that don't depend on the leader to function. A former Chief People Officer and ex-Deloitte professional with 15 years of international experience in tech and telecom, she has helped leaders across six continents navigate financial crises, wars, and COVID-19. Today she works with executives and HR leaders who are building teams that can perform — and hold together — in an AI-driven world.
In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to build high-performing teams and a resilient independent career that doesn't depend on institutional support.
Daria and I discuss:
What drew Daria to entrepreneurship after a fast-rising corporate career [03:41]
Why a corporate job is no longer the safe choice [05:15]
What independents get wrong about building a team [08:45]
Why shared understanding is the foundation of every strong team [09:56]
The role of well-designed processes in making delegation work [10:28]
The five elements of high-performing teams from her book Clicking [12:48]
How Daria navigates plateaus and keeps moving forward [15:13]
Why optimism and perseverance are non-negotiable for entrepreneurs [16:05]
How to build a peer support network outside of corporate [18:18]
What makes a community worth being part of [20:20]
Why building a parallel career is the smartest first step [21:37]

Learn more about Daria at https://dariarudnik.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariarudnik/.
______________________________________________________________
About Smashing the Plateau
Smashing the Plateau is a podcast for experienced independent leaders who have left corporate roles to build sustainable, expertise-based businesses.
Each episode features a thoughtful, experience-driven conversation about what changes when you no longer have the infrastructure of an organization behind you.
We explore judgment, decision-making under uncertainty, growth plateaus, identity shifts, and the role of trusted thinking partners in sustaining long-term success.
______________________________________________________________
Take the Next Step
• Experience the power of peer perspective.
Join a live guest session and connect with experienced professionals navigating similar challenges:
https://smashingtheplateau.com/guest
• Stay connected to the conversation.
Get new episodes, reflections, and invitations delivered to your inbox:
https://smashingtheplateau.com/news
...more
25min
August 03, 2026The Limits of Analysis — Boudewijn Bertsch
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, and also has a thriving executive and life coaching practice.
In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to trust your inner knowing and use community to navigate the complex decisions that come with building an independent career.
Bou and I discuss:
The difference between conceptual and non-conceptual knowing [00:04:48]
How the Cynefin framework explains why analysis alone fails in a complex world [00:19:06]
Why leaving corporate can feel like both a terrifying leap and a profound relief [00:08:13]
The biological reason hierarchy creates fear and stress [00:09:31]
Why community is indispensable for sense-making when the path isn't clear [00:23:06]
What Bou wishes someone had told him when he first went solo [00:28:00]

Learn more about Boudewijn at https://www.spimanagement.com/.
______________________________________________________________
About Smashing the Plateau
Smashing the Plateau is a podcast for experienced independent leaders who have left corporate roles to build sustainable, expertise-based businesses.
Each episode features a thoughtful, experience-driven conversation about what changes when you no longer have the infrastructure of an organization behind you.
We explore judgment, decision-making under uncertainty, growth plateaus, identity shifts, and the role of trusted thinking partners in sustaining long-term success.
______________________________________________________________
Take the Next Step
• Experience the power of peer perspective.
Join a live guest session and connect with experienced professionals navigating similar challenges:
https://smashingtheplateau.com/guest
• Stay connected to the conversation.
Get new episodes, reflections, and invitations delivered to your inbox:
https://smashingtheplateau.com/news
...more
32min
July 27, 2026Unraveling the Matrix — Shanta Inshiqaq
With more than 25 years of experience in global publishing, Shanta Inshiqaq has built a career leading international sales, marketing, distribution, and strategic growth initiatives for major publishing organizations. She has held senior leadership roles at companies including Penguin, Bloomsbury Publishing, Baker & Taylor, and Columbia Business School Executive Education.
Drawing on decades of corporate leadership, relationship building, and market expansion expertise, she now advises publishers and authors through Inshiqaq Global, helping clients navigate growth, partnerships, and industry strategy with practical insight and a global perspective.
In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how decades of insider experience in a specialized industry can become the foundation for a consulting business built on access, relationships, and trust.
Shanta and I discuss:
How Shanta's career in publishing began — and why it didn't start the way she planned [02:07]
Why her career grew through relationships and reputation rather than job applications [04:32]
What it means to be a "starter-upper" and why she kept getting tapped for new roles [11:39]
What changed when she left corporate life to run her own business [13:00]
Who her ideal clients are and what she helps them do [15:38]
How she decides what to say yes and no to as a new business owner [19:04]
The role of trusted peers and a small circle of thinking partners [20:40]
Her mission to stop gatekeeping and unravel the publishing matrix for clients [23:32]

Learn more about Shanta at https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanta-inshiqaq and www.inshiqaqglobal.com.
______________________________________________________________
About Smashing the Plateau
Smashing the Plateau is a podcast for experienced independent leaders who have left corporate roles to build sustainable, expertise-based businesses.
Each episode features a thoughtful, experience-driven conversation about what changes when you no longer have the infrastructure of an organization behind you.
We explore judgment, decision-making under uncertainty, growth plateaus, identity shifts, and the role of trusted thinking partners in sustaining long-term success.
______________________________________________________________
Take the Next Step
• Experience the power of peer perspective.
Join a live guest session and connect with experienced professionals navigating similar challenges:
https://smashingtheplateau.com/guest
• Stay connected to the conversation.
Get new episodes, reflections, and invitations delivered to your inbox:
https://smashingtheplateau.com/news
...more
28min
July 20, 2026When the Small Market Is Your Advantage — Matthew Davis
Matthew Neill Davis is an attorney and entrepreneur who led his solely owned firm, Davis Business Law, through over 1,000% growth over ten years, making it one of the very rare law firms ever to make the Inc. 5000 list. With over twenty-five years of experience helping business leaders with their legal and entrepreneurial matters, Davis now teaches them how to deal with their vulnerabilities so they can capitalize on their opportunities through his firm's proprietary Strong Protected Business System.
In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to grow a professional services business beyond referrals by building digital marketing muscles and surrounding yourself with the right people.
Matthew and I discuss:
What led Matthew to leave his firm and practice solo [02:26]
Why he started a law firm after six years on his own [02:53]
How he grew his firm through digital marketing [04:03]
His approach to cracking new markets [05:19]
Why measuring qualified leads matters more than traffic [08:17]
How he learns digital marketing without outsourcing it [09:09]
His thoughts on AI and the future of digital marketing [13:34]
How he approaches decision-making with his leadership team [16:36]
The frameworks and books that guide his thinking [17:24]
Where he goes for peer support and trusted advice [18:54]
His suggestions for solos who haven't found their tribe yet [21:03]

Learn more about Matthew at:
https://davisbusinesslaw.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/davisbusinesslaw
https://www.facebook.com/davisbusinesslaw
______________________________________________________________
About Smashing the Plateau
Smashing the Plateau is a podcast for experienced independent leaders who have left corporate roles to build sustainable, expertise-based businesses.
Each episode features a thoughtful, experience-driven conversation about what changes when you no longer have the infrastructure of an organization behind you.
We explore judgment, decision-making under uncertainty, growth plateaus, identity shifts, and the role of trusted thinking partners in sustaining long-term success.
______________________________________________________________
Take the Next Step
• Experience the power of peer perspective.
Join a live guest session and connect with experienced professionals navigating similar challenges:
https://smashingtheplateau.com/guest
• Stay connected to the conversation.
Get new episodes, reflections, and invitations delivered to your inbox:
https://smashingtheplateau.com/news
...more
25min
July 13, 2026The Second in Command — Derek Fredrickson
Derek Fredrickson is an American entrepreneur based in Paris and the founder of The COO Solution, a firm that embeds fractional COOs into founder-led businesses as the trusted second-in-command — the bridge between vision and execution. For the better part of two decades, he has helped business owners scale to seven- and eight-figure levels while reclaiming their freedom. His team serves clients across the U.S., the UK, and Europe. Outside of work, he skis the French Alps and pursues a lifelong mission to master French wine.
In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how embedding a fractional COO into your business can bridge the gap between vision and execution while freeing you to lead at a higher level.
Derek and I discuss:
How Derek transitioned from Wall Street to entrepreneurship [01:41]
What it felt like to leave corporate life and redefine his identity [02:52]
How Derek discovered his zone of genius was running other people's companies [06:14]
The identity shift of going from COO to CEO of his own firm [06:39]
How Derek decides what to say yes and no to [08:01]
How to navigate unexpected plateaus in your business [09:34]
Why focusing on one client avatar unlocked more traction [11:19]
What makes The COO Solution different from matchmaking or placement services [14:44]
The role of emotional intelligence in COO leadership [17:17]
Why experience-based peer communities matter more than advice [18:35]

Learn more about Derek at https://thecoosolution.com/.
______________________________________________________________
About Smashing the Plateau
Smashing the Plateau is a podcast for experienced independent leaders who have left corporate roles to build sustainable, expertise-based businesses.
Each episode features a thoughtful, experience-driven conversation about what changes when you no longer have the infrastructure of an organization behind you.
We explore judgment, decision-making under uncertainty, growth plateaus, identity shifts, and the role of trusted thinking partners in sustaining long-term success.
______________________________________________________________
Take the Next Step
• Experience the power of peer perspective.
Join a live guest session and connect with experienced professionals navigating similar challenges:
https://smashingtheplateau.com/guest
• Stay connected to the conversation.
Get new episodes, reflections, and invitations delivered to your inbox:
https://smashingtheplateau.com/news
...more
28min
July 06, 2026The Scarcity We Carry — Larry Kesslin
Larry Kesslin is an executive coach and business strategist and the author of his fourth book, The Joy Molecule. He focuses on the human side of growth, believing that sustainable success starts from within. His work sits at the intersection of business, philanthropy, and spirituality, guiding others to build meaningful relationships, create impact, and experience more joy in life and work. His mission is to help people connect with themselves, connect with others, and connect to the resources they need to leave the planet better than they found it.
In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn why smart, driven people often end up unhappy despite outward success, and what it actually takes to build a thriving business as an independent professional.
Larry and I discuss:
Why high performers in corporate often carry the heaviest load [10:27]
What caused Larry to leave a promising corporate career [06:07]
The hidden cost of scarcity thinking for new entrepreneurs [17:49]
The Five Dots business development system [18:59]
Why building strategic advisor relationships matters more than selling [19:39]
The enough equation and why comparison kills joy [11:51]
Why scarcity is a mental state, not a reality [22:28]

Learn more about Larry at http://www.5-dots.com/.
______________________________________________________________
About Smashing the Plateau
Smashing the Plateau is a podcast for experienced independent leaders who have left corporate roles to build sustainable, expertise-based businesses.
Each episode features a thoughtful, experience-driven conversation about what changes when you no longer have the infrastructure of an organization behind you.
We explore judgment, decision-making under uncertainty, growth plateaus, identity shifts, and the role of trusted thinking partners in sustaining long-term success.
______________________________________________________________
Take the Next Step
• Experience the power of peer perspective.
Join a live guest session and connect with experienced professionals navigating similar challenges:
https://smashingtheplateau.com/guest
• Stay connected to the conversation.
Get new episodes, reflections, and invitations delivered to your inbox:
https://smashingtheplateau.com/news
...more
29min

FAQs about Smashing the Plateau:

How many episodes does Smashing the Plateau have?

The podcast currently has 1,250 episodes available.