Smashing the Plateau

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.

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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

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

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

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

Monica Maltzman is the author of You Are the Prototype: Own Your Too Much in a World That Wants Less and an advisor on human-centered work. She works with professionals at critical moments in their careers — when their influence is expanding, their authority is being challenged, or their work environment is quietly eroding their clarity and ability to hold their ground.

After 15+ years leading global teams across corporations, government, startups, and technology, she identified a pattern most organizations overlook: the hidden human cost created by the way work is experienced day to day.

Her work helps people build trust-based influence and reduce the human cost of how they work — so they can stay, grow, or leave from a place of clarity, not pressure.

In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to identify the real problem keeping you stuck — and how to move forward from a place of clarity, not pressure.

Monica and I discuss:

• Monica's career journey and transition out of corporate [02:48]
• Why organizations create corporate refugees [03:45]
• Her decision to leave Apple and go independent [04:22]
• The two distinct groups Monica works with [08:00]
• Why most stuck people are solving the wrong problem [09:33]
• A client story: building a product nobody could onboard [10:36]
• How leaders lose their voice in difficult environments [12:28]
• Plateaus Monica has faced and overcome [14:36]
• The role of trusted peers and thinking partners [16:37]
• One piece of advice for early-stage corporate refugees [18:53]

Learn more about Monica:

Your Next Move Strategy Session with Monica Maltzman: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/7RHUL93T9EPGE

Website: http://monicamaltzman.com/

You Are The Prototype: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G275NNB8

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamaltzman/

______________________________________________________________

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

Trippe Steven Fried is a business lawyer and consultant with the "outside-the-box" belief that attorneys can actually add value to the ventures they represent.

In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to build a legal and consulting practice that clients actually want to engage with — and how to apply the same principles to your own independent business.

Trippe and I discuss:

• How Trippe landed on his current business model [03:44]
• Why nobody wants what he's selling — and how he solved it [05:02]
• How to communicate your value proposition around wants, not needs [07:34]
• What separates successful involuntary entrepreneurs from those who struggle [12:00]
• How professionals can collaborate without a formal arrangement [14:08]
• How trusted thinking partners shaped Trippe's success [18:41]
• The future of businesses formed by involuntary entrepreneurs [17:32]

Learn more about Trippe at http://www.olyverapp.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

Camille L. Miller is the Founder and Visionary behind the Soul Professional® Movement, a global initiative redefining success for purpose-driven professionals. She has built an international community spanning 6 continents and 48+ countries, bringing together leaders and visionaries committed to aligning their work with who they truly are.

A three-time Amazon bestselling author, Camille's work explores the intersection of purpose, business, and leadership. Through her writing, speaking, and community building, she is leading a new conversation around authentic success. Her mission is simple: to help others bring their gifts to the world and create a lasting impact.

In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to build a purpose-driven community that outlasts you and operates beyond your personal involvement.

Camille and I discuss:

• What led Camille to start the Soul Professional Movement [03:38]
• How Camille's prior business experience shaped her approach [05:08]
• The evolution from a coffee club to a global community [07:06]
• The shift from a paid to a free community model [10:01]
• How Camille learned to lead instead of do [08:23]
• The biggest hiring mistakes she made and what she learned [15:29]
• What it means to build a double bottom line organization [20:00]
• How Camille finds thinking partners as a pioneering CEO [23:36]

Learn more about Camille at her:

Website: https://www.soulprofessional.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camillelmiller/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@camillelmiller

______________________________________________________________

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

Federico Malatesta is the founder of FM Transformational Coaching™, a practice that integrates executive insight, leadership frameworks, and lived experience to explore how identity evolves through change. His background includes 15 years in oil and gas, culminating as Chief Investment Officer responsible for a $40B capital program. He is also a serial entrepreneur and writes the newsletter "Almost Everything Is Context." In 2022, Malatesta founded The Artha Ranch in Texas, which functions as both a coaching space and a working reined cow horse ranch.

In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to build a business rooted in lived experience, personal values, and the wisdom that only comes from navigating major life transitions.

Federico and I discuss:

• What led Federico to leave his dream job and pursue entrepreneurship [03:27]
• How watching a documentary changed the direction of his life [05:00]
• What horses reveal about leadership and communication [06:07]
• Why every person — and every horse — requires a different approach [08:15]
• How Federico structured his boutique coaching business around a chosen lifestyle [12:13]
• Why solo entrepreneurs must stay connected to community to grow [15:35]
• What Federico means by "almost everything is context" [18:14]

Learn more about Federico at https://www.federicomalatesta.com/podcast/smashingtheplateau

______________________________________________________________

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

Glenn is a professional economist and management consultant who specialises in local and regional economic development. After leaving a senior public sector role in 2013, Glenn has worked as a freelance consultant with local, regional, and national government in the UK, and over the past two years has ramped up his online presence, developing online business ideas — aiming to commercialise his knowledge in new ways whilst maintaining the social purpose of improving economic prosperity for localities and communities. Glenn is a member of Smart Passive Income.

In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to build a distinctive consulting brand and create your own breakthrough as an independent expert.

Glenn and I discuss:

• What prompted Glenn to become independent [02:36]
• How Glenn differentiated himself in a competitive consultancy market [06:37]
• How Glenn developed his brand as a visible expert [08:46]
• The tension between financial realities and staying focused [14:49]
• How Glenn uses his peer network to make strategic decisions [18:07]
• How Glenn's definition of success has evolved [20:11]
• The role of community and thinking partners in business growth [23:06]

Learn more about Glenn at https://www.economicdevelopment.world

______________________________________________________________

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

Miki Feldman Simon, MSc, PCC, is an executive coach, global business leader, speaker, and author of CORE Leadership: A Four-Step Framework to Lead Yourself, Grow Your Influence, and Amplify Your Impact. Over her three-decade career, she has held leadership roles in marketing, operations, and HR across multiple industries and guided organizations through growth and successful acquisitions. In her coaching, she helps leaders align values and actions to lead with greater clarity and influence. Known for her warmth, sharp insight, and candor, she blends behavioral science with practical tools that drive lasting change.

In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how leading yourself first can transform the way you show up as a leader and build deeper influence with the people around you.

Miki and I discuss:

• Miki's non-linear career journey across Israel, Australia, and the US [02:56]
• How unexpected career breaks shaped her leadership philosophy [05:28]
• Why leadership starts with leading yourself [12:26]
• The CORE framework: Clarify, Operationalize, Reflect, Evaluate [13:19]
• How habit stacking builds intentional leadership [15:42]
• Understanding self-talk and limiting beliefs [17:21]
• The gap between intentions and impact [19:18]
• Real results leaders experience through the CORE framework [20:31]
• The role of curiosity and psychological safety in community [23:39]

Learn more about Miki at https://mikifeldmansimon.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikifeldmansimon/

______________________________________________________________

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