Episode 811 • November 3, 2025 • 28 min
How to Use Metaphors and Visual Communication to Engage Clients and Sustain Business Growth Long-Term Featuring Todd Cherches
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Show notes
Todd Cherches is the CEO and co-founder of BigBlueGumball, a NYC-based leadership and executive coaching firm. He is a member of Marshall Goldsmith’s “MG 100 Coaches,” a three-time award-winning adjunct professor of leadership at NYU, a lecturer on leadership at Columbia University, a TEDx speaker, and the author of the groundbreaking book, "VisuaLeadership: Leveraging the Power of Visual Thinking in Leadership and in Life."
In today’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to leverage relationships, community, and visual thinking to build a thriving business after leaving the corporate world.
Todd and I discuss:
- What led Todd to start his own business [02:47]
- Key challenges in balancing business development and client work [03:32]
- The importance of relationships and community for business growth [04:21]
- How teaching, speaking, and content creation fuel relationship building [05:22]
- Keeping relationships warm over time—especially for introverts [06:36]
- Using LinkedIn to nurture your network [06:36]
- The power of metaphors, analogies, and visual leadership for entrepreneurs [10:16]
- Four ways to communicate ideas visually [11:14]
- How visual thinking helps corporate refugees stand out [15:53]
- Becoming a resource for organizations in a VUCA world [16:55]
- Todd’s “four G’s” philosophy for leadership and community [22:14]
- How to start building your network and why it’s never too late [24:19]
Learn more about Todd at:
https://www.amazon.com/VisuaLeadership-Leveraging-Visual-Thinking-Leadership/dp/1642933376
https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddcherches/
Thank you to our sponsor:
The Smashing the Plateau Community
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