Smashing the Plateau

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Smashing the Plateau

Where experienced independent leaders navigate judgment, uncertainty, and growth plateaus together. smashingtheplateau.com

Our community and podcast explore decision-making, sustained success, and the power of trusted thinking partners.

03/25/2026

After years of running your own practice, what's the hardest part of decision-making without corporate infrastructure?

🔵 No built-in feedback loops to validate your thinking
🟢 Carrying the weight of strategic decisions alone
🟡 Knowing when to pivot vs. when to stay the course
🔴 Trusting your judgment when the stakes are high

Vote below and share what's helped you navigate this 👇

03/23/2026

𝗚𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗰𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀.

Kirsten Graham helps experienced business owners use financial data to make confident decisions—without needing to become accountants themselves.

𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲, 𝗞𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀:
📌 How to read your financial data with clarity and confidence
📌 The metrics that actually matter for independent leaders
📌 Why "gut feel" decisions can create stagnation after years of success
📌 How data supports better judgment—without replacing intuition

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲:
📌 Making decisions without clear financial visibility
📌 Navigating growth plateaus and wondering what's really happening
📌 Ready to run your practice with more confidence and less guesswork

👇 Link to the full episode in the comments.

03/20/2026

"𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳—w𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘶𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥."

Philip VanDusen nailed the metaphor.

When you're leading independently, you're a single log trying to stay lit. But surrounded by others who are also navigating complexity with curiosity and experience? The energy spreads. The perspective compounds. The momentum builds.

That's the power of being in the right room—especially after years of running your own practice.

Swipe through for more insights on why community fuels sustained growth 👉

Who's been the spark in YOUR community? Tag them below 👇

03/18/2026

Long-term client relationships are the foundation of a sustainable practice.

What's worked best for YOU in keeping clients engaged over time?

🔵 Regular check-ins (even when there's no active project)
🟢 Delivering unexpected value beyond the scope
🟡 Being genuinely curious about their evolving challenges
🔴 Staying visible through content and thought leadership

Vote below and share what's sustained your best client relationships 👇

03/16/2026

𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺—i𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆.

Jane Wesman has spent decades helping authors and independent leaders build sustainable visibility. She's proof that experienced solopreneurs can hold their own against larger players when they market with authenticity.

𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲, 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀:
📌 How to maintain visibility without it feeling forced or salesy
📌 The judgment calls around when (and whether) to build a team
📌 What changes about marketing after years of independent practice
📌 The identity shifts that come with being your own brand

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲:
📌 An established leader navigating the tension between delivery and visibility
📌 Rethinking how you show up after years in business
📌 Weighing the tradeoffs of staying solo vs. building infrastructure

👇 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.

03/13/2026

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿.

𝗝𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆:
"𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘴𝘬, 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘺, 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯."

As independent leaders, we often carry the weight of decisions alone—convinced that asking for help signals weakness.

But the most experienced leaders I know have learned the opposite: the right question, to the right people, can save months of uncertainty.

When was the last time you asked for help—and got it?

I'd love to hear your story 👇

03/11/2026

Even after years of running your own business, challenges evolve.

What's requiring the most judgment from you right now?

🔵 Deciding what opportunities to say no to
🟢 Navigating a growth plateau after years of stability
🟡 Balancing delivery work with staying visible
🔴 Replacing the feedback loops that corporate once provided

Drop your answer below 👇

(Bonus: What's helped you navigate this challenge?)

03/11/2026

What's harder—figuring out what to post, or actually posting it?

Going live with Nina Froriep on Wednesday, March 11 to talk about showing up online—LinkedIn strategy, podcast guesting, and what actually works.

Bring your questions. Tag someone who needs to hear this.

03/10/2026

Every week, we share insights from experienced independent leaders navigating the complexity of running sustainable, expertise-based businesses.

Not tactics. Not hype. Thoughtful perspective on judgment, growth plateaus, and what it takes to sustain long-term success without corporate infrastructure.

What you'll get:
📌 Lessons from 800+ podcast conversations with seasoned leaders
📌 Reflections on decision-making, tradeoffs, and navigating uncertainty
📌 Invitations to peer-powered community sessions
📌 Perspectives you won't find anywhere else

If you're leading an independent practice and want clarity, not noise—this is for you.

📬👇 Subscribe link in the comments.

03/09/2026

𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲—i𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.

Nina Froriep has built a reputation helping independent leaders use LinkedIn Live strategically to build authority and deepen trust with their audience.

𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲, 𝗡𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀:
📌 Why LinkedIn Live creates deeper connection than static content
📌 How to show up consistently without burning out
📌 The mindset shift from "creating content" to "building presence"
📌 What she's learned about visibility after years of independent practice

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲:
📌 An established leader looking to increase visibility without feeling salesy
📌 Navigating the tension between delivery work and staying visible
📌 Seeking sustainable ways to build authority over time

👇 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.

03/06/2026

Building a business while hiding your struggles?

In this week's bonus audio, Curtis McCullom—mindset coach and CEO of Bespoke Human Potential Coaching—cuts right to what most experienced leaders won't admit:

"𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦, 𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘴, 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩."

Curtis reminds us that real growth starts when we drop the mask. Being part of a safe community gives us permission to be vulnerable—and that vulnerability is where clarity and transformation actually begin.

You can experience that kind of safe space 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗮𝘁 𝟭:𝟬𝟬 𝗽𝗺 𝗘𝗦𝗧 in our 𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗛 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀™ 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻—and a few guest spots are still available.

𝗜𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿, 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗹𝗹:
📌 Bring one real challenge
📌 Hear how others see it differently
📌 Leave with clearer next steps

👇 Link to reserve your guest spot in the comments.

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https://smashingtheplateau.com/, https://smashingtheplateau.com/workshops/, https://smashingtheplateau.com/community/

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03/25/2026

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