Paper Napkin Wisdom: Recent Episodes
Govindh Jayaraman
I've asked 1000s of the worlds top Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers to share with me their most important pearl of wisdom on a simple paper napkin. Then I ask them to have a conversation about why they shared that Paper Napkin Wisdom with me and what it meant to them and for them in their life.
Best-selling author, world renowned customer service expert, founder of the DiJulius Group, business success – John DiJulius III has tapped into something special. On this podcast, John discusses applying his methodology beyond business, and why his life purpose is to “live an extraordinary life, so that others will.”
Stating your purpose isn’t enough. You have to deliver what you say and what you declare happen. “We all have seeds of potential,” John asserts, “and the seeds of potential that we don’t grow to their fullest potential...cheats all the people that are dependent on us.” Many people just say that they want to live an extraordinary life, but they don’t do the things that can get them there.
John reveals why he tells his employees, “I don’t want your best…,” while sharing inspirational tips and perspectives. “When each of us chose to be...a leader, we gave up the right to make excuses.” Their best is not needed. The only thing that is needed from an individual is to make a difference.
For John, his personal purpose statement is there “to remind me of my obligation,” in both his professional and personal life. Whether dealing with business colleagues or family and loved ones, it’s always important to remember those who work behind the scenes to help with a leader’s success, and to never run over them.
“Great leaders set high expectations for their teams, but even higher expectations for themselves,” says Mandy Burage, Director of Operations at Petra Coach. She explains that through the course of her childhood and early career, she encountered many personal and professional disappointments stemming from the fact that she set very high expectations for herself, while others did not set the same expectations for themselves, and as a result, team successes were adversely impacted. Later, Mandy realized that when leaders, especially entrepreneurs, set high expectations for the team, and even higher goals for themselves, it leads to success.
“When recruiting and hiring, I look for team players who possess motivation and high expectations,” says Mandy. “However, they also must be self-starters who follow through on tasks without needing to be ‘managed’ constantly. If a team member can’t fulfill their role independently, it slows the progress of every team member and hinders overall success.” Mandy also notes that collaboration is best when everyone brings something to the table.
True leaders have walked the walk. Hands on experience is a key element of being a good leader. “If I ask an employee to work late, or travel on a Saturday, they know that I also work late and travel on Saturdays.” Petra Coach succeeds because of a strong culture, with six core values that employees and candidates adhere to in the quest for success. One of the core values is Please and Thank You. Petra Coach teammates write and send thank you cards to one another. When employees are appreciated, and appreciate others, it increases morale, and fends off burnout.
DICS is also part of the Petra Coach culture. It is a big part of the way Mandy views herself professionally and personally, and how she operates as part of the Petra Coach team, as well as her home team (wife and mother). DISC stands for: Dominance (D), Inducement (I), Submission (S), and Compliance (C).
Learn more about great leaders leading great teams, with Mandy Burage, on this episode of Leading Behind the Scenes.
How are you doing on your goals for the year? Your New Year’s Resolutions? Do you even remember what they were?
So many times we’re hard on ourselves for the early misses.
We say we’re going to eat low or no carbs, three weeks in we’ve eaten some delicious pastry, fries, or even cake and abandon ship.
We say we’re going to work out every morning, wake up earlier, go to sleep earlier, read more, watch less TV, connect more … whatever.
Whatever it is, it’s important enough to declare and make a goal around, but behavior change is harder than that. It can take HUNDREDS of days to break a habit that you’ve had for many years.
So here’s an idea – celebrate NOTICING that you’ve repeated the habit you want to change. Smile and give yourself a pat on the back for noticing that you’re repeating it and change then. Don’t beat yourself up … don’t get down on yourself.
Celebrate catching yourself doing something you wanted to change and change it. Sometimes you have to celebrate getting it wrong so that you can create the momentum to get it right.
The best time to have caught yourself may have been before, but the second best time is right now.
Attach powerful positive feelings with the act of catching yourself and conquer new heights with your goals for this year.
Let’s work together to make this year the best one yet.
I want to help you. Please go to www.PaperNapkinWisdom.com and sign up, we’ll send you the e-book that contains the secret structure that will build more scalable, even exponential results than you had thought possible.
You have so much to give, you had better start now.
Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!
This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!
Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success ? get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.
Subscribe to both our podcasts Paper Napkin Wisdom and to Take Action by Paper Napkin Wisdom now.
The goal of Carey Anne Nadeau, founder of Open Data Nation, is to “bring expertise in open data and data science to bear on the most pressing urban issues.” What compelled her to start the company was that she “wanted something to exist that just didn’t exist.” She was frustrated, dissatisfied, and complaining. The industry tended to be a “boys’ club,” and she experienced this firsthand when she was getting paid significantly less than a male peer. “The structures that already existed were not supportive to my growth,” she says. When told by a friend she should just “do it herself” she found the inspiration to start her own business. She chose to focus on using data science for societal benefit – to improve health and safety in cities – and become a female role model.
At one point, her entire company was female. This did not occur intentionally, but because it was mostly women who were motivated to do data statistics for the betterment of our society. Hence the title, “the future is female.” Carey Anne sees “a lot of opportunity for women to have a greater role. When they do, businesses see a lot of benefits.”
However, because her industry is still a “boys’ club,” Carey Anne is very aware of how she can be perceived. When she meets with new clients, talks about her value proposition, and lets her audience know she’s an MIT data scientist and city planner, they are often taken aback. Their reaction is, “What? That can’t be.” Knowing that have people have questioned or doubted a young, female entrepreneur’s standing in the industry, she suggests that one be very aware of people’s possible predispositions with respect to race, age, ethnicity, etc. – even whether a man has a beard.
Carey Anne sees data’s role in business as helping think about, anticipate, and prepare for the future, not just as means of reviewing the past. For example, she will ask clients, “What pain points are you overwhelmed with?” to gain an understanding of how to get ahead of the problem.
Carey Anne does believe “the future is female,” but she is not saying the future is not male. It is not a zero-sum game. In her own experience, her male and female advisors offer divergent, but complementary, business-building help and insights. Where men are very focused on the current business and have opened boardroom doors, women have pushed more aggressively about how to make money. They “are really scrappy, looking for another angle, they don’t pigeonhole,” she says. At the same time, it is often a female characteristic to offer love, appreciation and support, and Carey Anne hopes that men, too, see themselves as “examples for others in the way we can all live our lives with more love and more happiness.”
A client is calling and they want a discount because something went wrong.
An employee is missing on targets and results are slipping, they need to be realigned.
The bank just called and a supplier took payment of a delivery early via automated transfer and there’s a cash crunch.
As a leader things come at us from all directions all the time – but how do we cope?
Well, usually we need a little help to resolve all of these … sometimes from the other party. We can’t get their help with a closed fist – with a fight. Sure, sometimes we can beat them into submission.
We can convince the customer that no – no discount that’s the way it is.
We can levy consequences on our employees and hold them accountable, force them to do better.
We can scream at the bank, or the supplier.
Or … we can do the uncommon thing and be kind. Being kind opens the door to handling challenges from a position of opportunity, with an open hand … also allows people around you to help.
Leverage is all about getting people to help you – especially in uncommon circumstances.
Be kind!
Let’s work together to make this year the best one yet.
I want to help you. Please go to www.PaperNapkinWisdom.com and sign up, we’ll send you the e-book that contains the secret structure that will build more scalable, even exponential results than you had thought possible.
You have so much to give, you had better start now.
Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!
This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!
Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success ? get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.
Subscribe to both our podcasts Paper Napkin Wisdom and to Take Action by Paper Napkin Wisdom now.
On this episode of Paper Napkin Wisdom, entrepreneur and author Damion Lupo makes his case for the gift of errors, “Mistakes are the universe gifting us wisdom, wrapped up inside the struggles in life.” Damion further explains that throughout our lives, we make mistakes, and as we do, we are taught that mistakes are bad. As a result, we revere people, who we believe, do not err or who are perfect at what they do. In truth, perfection is a farce, a fabrication of society. To understand the depth of knowledge, and succeed in any endeavor, mistakes must be made and overcome.
“If you want to succeed, don’t make mistakes, and don’t challenge authority; go with what you’re told to do.” Damion notes that this philosophy teaches people to become robots and puppets. Those who truly succeed are the ones think for themselves, who make mistakes, and who are willing to venture into the dark and learn from that void.
From the corporate and entrepreneur point of view, Damion further discusses that people don’t always acknowledge when they have made mistakes, so they continue to err. For example, Damion’s friend refused to accept that he’d lost a small fortune. Instead of admitting his money investing mistakes, he hid them, and the financial failures continued. Nothing was learned.
“If you’re gonna be in motion, you’re gonna make mistakes.” Damion describes, as a leader, one must be willing to be bold and move forward, even in the face of adversity. Learn from mistakes and move on quickly. This top-down behavior sets a corporate standard. Employees must be confident to come forward with problems and mistakes, or a firm will never succeed.
At the end of the day, mistakes are a gift, that when accepted and acknowledged, lead to wisdom, progress, and success.
Life and leadership is a contact sport.
You need to make contact with people every day as a leader and in life. There’s no avoiding it.
So how do you build protection for the energy vampires that surround us? They are every where now. More and more.
In the sea of all of that – remember that you need to bring protection with you. But where do you get it? How does that start?
It’s starts when you wake up in the morning. Remember your bedroom is a no-cellphone zone. No electronics and blinky shiny lights to move you to the danger zone.
Start by thinking great thoughts – better yet, write them down. But start somewhere … and thinking about the great day that could be is a good step in the right direction.
Then, think about your intention for the day. Who do you want to … need to … show up as today? What can you give to the people around you via energy and intent? Set that mindset up with visualization, repetition.
Think, write, and FEEL gratitude in the morning – let yourself feel the momentum that will create.
Use the Paper Napkin Wisdom Simple Planner (get it at www.PaperNapkinWisdom.com) … it’s free. Or write on a blank page – your goals, and one thing that you can do to move closer to your goals today. Start now.
Take Action …
Focus on the one thing that you need to do today, right now, that you can do to move yourself forward. Do you know what that is? Focus on it now.
Go do it. Make it happen.
Let's work together to make this year the best one yet.
I want to help you. Please go to www.PaperNapkinWisdom.com and sign up, we’ll send you the e-book that contains the secret structure that will build more scalable, even exponential results than you had thought possible.
You have so much to give, you had better start now.
Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!
This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!
Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success ? get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.
Subscribe to both our podcasts Paper Napkin Wisdom and to Take Action by Paper Napkin Wisdom now.
The Johari window was created by two psychologists in the mid-1950s as a tool for personal, group, and relationship development. Peter Mellen uses the Johari window as the framework for discussing how individuals and groups act, and how communication and relationships can grow.
There are four sections to the Johari window:
- Arena or Open: This is information we know about ourselves that’s also known to others.
- Façade or Hidden: This is information known to us that we do not share with others.
- Blind: This is information we don’t know about ourselves but others do.
- Unknown, or what Peter calls Generative Space: What neither we nor others know about ourselves.
Peter says it is important to expand Arena in order to achieve successful relationships. The more we get to know about the other person, the stronger our relationship would become. These relationships could lead to successful results in groups. As Peter says, “As we grow Arena, we build trust stronger and more transparent relationships.”
In the Façade area Peter asks, “What does an entrepreneur choose to keep behind the façade in the realm of the hidden and why do they do it?” It could be because of the fear that if entrepreneurs expose what’s hidden, it would lead to failure. Basically, “a fake it, until you make it” mentality. The challenge for the entrepreneur in this area is to let that fear go and seek the help that’s needed.
The next area, Blind, Peter explains how we might deny our blind spots’ existence, and they can be difficult to hear about. A first reaction might be to push it away. But a better response he says is “thank you.” He suggests that we “listen generously and be willing to try it on.” It is an area for learning and personal growth.
The last area is Generative Space. Peter explains this portion by calling it our “potential” – where all the unarticulated parts of ourselves are and “where miracles happen.” It is where creation exists. He describes how this portion is our strengths and all those potential skills that we do not know about ourselves, but can discover by looking at ourselves from a different angle, or challenging ourselves to push the envelope.
Growing as an entrepreneur includes the challenge of finding our strengths and working on what we do not know about ourselves every single day. With better knowledge of ourselves and others knowing us as well, barriers are opened up and organizational relationships can grow.
This has nothing to do with an ACTUAL well.
It has to do with the structure and support systems we need as leaders, as entrepreneurs.
It’s such a roller-coaster of ups and downs out there that we need support to help keep us a little more level and a little more in the zone to be in flow … to capture the momentum around us.
The challenge is that we tend not to do that when things are good – we’re so focused on the ride up that we forget about creating layers of support and structure for the way down.
What does that look like? It looks like truly transparent relationships that are nurtured with peers, people who are doing what you want to be doing in life and business. This transparency needs to happen in a rhythm, one that gets quicker when you need it (like a heartbeat). But is also there when you don’t (also like a heartbeat).
Focus on building meaningful relationships with people you aspire to be like, and show up with transparency – show up with challenges, opportunities, and problems that you haven’t figured out yet.
Ask them for help – build a well.
Let`s work together to make this year the best one yet.
I want to help you. Please go to www.PaperNapkinWisdom.com and sign up, we’ll send you the e-book that contains the secret structure that will build more scalable, even exponential results than you had thought possible.
You have so much to give, you had better start now.
Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!
This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!
Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success ? get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.
Subscribe to both our podcasts Paper Napkin Wisdom and to Take Action by Paper Napkin Wisdom now.
Small business marketing expert and entrepreneur Jim Palmer’s fifth book is entitled, “Stop waiting for it to get easier, create your dream business now!” The sentence explains itself. “There is no perfect time,” Jim says as he recounts his own experience: broke and heavily in debt, on unemployment for 15 months, suffering from a serious health issue. Jim started in a very low place, and he knows you should not wait for the time to be perfect to start your dream business.
“It’s bigger than yourself,” Jim says about the importance of creating your business. If you have an idea and the resources, you should go for what you believe you can do. Now. He makes the analogy of sand in the hourglass. Time is running out, so stop waiting and act!
Jim realizes that people are hungry for success, but you really can’t make your business successful immediately. It’s a time-consuming process, “like a pearl or stained glass, it doesn’t happen instantly,” he says. Everyone starts small and eventually they can reach their dream level. Nothing comes that easy. You have to strive to work hard to make your business a dream business.
He talks about ‘perfectionism’ - how people have the idea of having everything in a perfect way and doing everything at the perfect time. The idea of perfectionism Jim says, is a business killer: it kills momentum. Since you can’t always have the ideal time and the ideal business or the ideal workplace, this will always stop you from moving forward if you think things need to be perfect from the outset. Get over being a perfectionist, Jim advises. “Choose to be judged on the value of the content, information or service and not on the imperfect way you do it.”
Another factor to be successful at what you do? You consciously commit to stretching where you don’t want to go. “The top 1% learns to be comfortable being uncomfortable. Do the hard work others don’t do,” Jim says.
Swift decision-making is critical for success as well. Trusting your gut is one of the most important strategies that you need in your business. The main thing that you have to do is make a decision right when you are faced with a question or a problem. There is no maybe; there is no in between. What an entrepreneur needs to do is to decide with a firm yes or no. Jim explains that the ability to make decisions is like a muscle. The more you make decisions be they big or little, the more you strengthen your muscle. You are training yourself and getting better at deciding and acting effectively. And if the decision isn’t right, you can course correct.
Delegating is also something entrepreneurs or leaders have to learn to be successful. In a chapter entitled, “Delegate or stay small forever,” he explains that you need to hire smart, and train people into your culture. Then empower them to act. If you micromanage, your business can’t grow.
So act. Start that business. Make mistakes. Grow. Push yourself to realize your entrepreneurial dream.
It’s so important to build transparency in the life of the entrepreneur, leader, and difference maker.
Too often we don’t hold space for our most important relationships, the ones with our spouses, life partner, and families. We need to save space for them, and us, to share our dreams, our challenges, our hopes.
Structure time in the evening to debrief on the day, and more importantly to brief on the day before you start. This is not an opportunity to vent, this is an opportunity to share a vision for the day.
At the end of the day, it gives you an opportunity to share what you’ve learned, what you won, and what you’re grateful for. Think of it as a night time huddle with your most important partner – the one you wake with and end with each night.
Give each-other a safe and soft place to land after another busy day and support each other to remember and restate your family, personal, and even business dreams.
There is nothing more intimate than those moments of peace before and after falling asleep. If you happen to be on the road, or away from loved ones, then turn to a journal …
If you have made your bedroom a no cell phone zone, then this becomes even easier.
Have more pillow talk and give your self a soft place to land each day, and a great place to start in the morning.
This transparency will have you end and start each day with support at a level that will help you create momentum and take action on your dreams and goals.
Let`s work together to make this year the best one yet.
I want to help you. Please go to www.PaperNapkinWisdom.com and sign up, we’ll send you the e-book that contains the secret structure that will build more scalable, even exponential results than you had thought possible.
You have so much to give, you had better start now.
Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!
This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!
Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success ? get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.
Subscribe to both our podcasts Paper Napkin Wisdom and to Take Action by Paper Napkin Wisdom now.
Being second in command is tricky terrain to navigate; just ask Adventure Links COO Adam Trautenberg. Co-host, Miranda Barrett joins Govindh Jayaraman to get the inside scoop on how this COO takes charge of a demanding job that’s constantly in flux.
“The role is defined by the relationship with the CEO,” explains Adam. That relationship isn’t something that simply grew overnight. For him, “it was an organic experience…it built over time.” Trust is the most essential result of that developmental period. The two key components of their symbiosis involve him understanding his CEO’s vision, and, “her having the trust in me that I’ll get there.”
With trust, comes candor: “Mistakes are open and discussed.” For Adam and his CEO, it’s about finding solutions, not pointing fingers. “She’s not going to scream and yell, or fire me, or threaten to fire me…It’s a really honest and open communication line.” However, that doesn’t protect him from political pitfalls.
COOs often find themselves, for better or for worse, as the liaison between the CEO and the rest of the company. “If you cover too much for the CEO…you can lose a little bit of the trust of the team.” It’s a fine line that only a few have the balance to walk.
So, what does it take to make a great COO? Adam quickly asserts, “Adaptability.” Apparently, there simply isn’t a normal day for him, which explains why, “there’s no job description for COO.”
As leaders we discuss holding space for our team. We all recognize that we need to give them time and space to succeed, for their mindset. How clear are you, as a leader, however, that you too need time and space?
Former Paper Napkin Wisdom guest and Big Data Expert John Johnson says that we are bombarded by more than 30 tractor-trailer loads of information each day. With all that noise (and most of it bad news) we need to hold space for ourselves and for our loved ones. The people we share our homes with …
Cell phones in our hands when we are talking to each other send the very clear message that the person in front of us is less important than whatever could be going on in the digital world around us. Protect the time and space for yourself and make your bedroom a no-cell phone zone. Yes, this might mean that you need to get a $7 alarm clock. So go get one.
You can extend this policy to work. No cell phones in meetings – or in boardrooms.
Or you can go even further and make your home a no-cell phone zone. Create a charging space in the foyer, mudroom, or entrance of your home or apartment where phones can charge (on silent). Of course this might mean getting a $5 a month home phone so that people can call you (yes and speak with you not just text) when there is an emergency.
Creating no cell-phone zones protect your ability to preserve your mindset and develop more meaningful relationships with those around you. You owe it to yourself to create space for yourself to think, to dream, to connect, to refresh.
Let`s work together to make this year the best one yet.
I want to help you. Please go to www.PaperNapkinWisdom.com and sign up, we’ll send you the e-book that contains the secret structure that will build more scalable, even exponential results than you had thought possible.
You have so much to give, you had better start now.
Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!
This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!
Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success ? get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.
The title says it all: Think Big, Start Small. This is the philosophy behind many accomplishments and dreams that individuals and entrepreneurs bring to fruition.
Every big endeavor requires a step-by-step process of achievement. Innovative ideas are the big picture, each step turns that idea into reality is the small. Thinking big keeps eyes focused on the prize. Small achievements along the way are their own mini-prizes.
Andrew Davis shares his big dream story in today’s interview. From the time he was a child, Andrew wanted to work for the Jim Henson Company, with their famous characters, the Muppets. He began by doing magic tricks; he worked his way up to performing little puppet shows. Andrew dedicated three years to skills practice, and wrote thirty-six job query letters to the Jim Henson Company, letters he sent every month. He finally received notice. With no contacts and no formal idea how to achieve his dream, Andrew managed to land an interview. This is a real example of how to think big and start small!
As Andrew explains, success is achieved by breaking down goals. The big plan may seem impossible to others, but if each small step is clear and consistent, support increases. As Andrew notes, “Consistency is important to achieving big ideas.” That’s what he did. He stayed consistent and kept the rhythm.
Breville is another dream big, start small and achieve company. Breville sells kitchen appliances and juicers. Their dream was to sell more juicers. They did so by targeting overweight 40-year-old men via a 90-minute documentary film called, “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead.” They partnered with food companies and movie theaters and sold so many juicers that Breville ran out of juicers to sell!
As Andrew says, “A rising tide lifts off ships.” It’s a clear depiction of how small steps can give rise to think BIG dreams and ambitions.
Are you looking for uncommon results in your company? Or maybe just for yourself? There’s a structure to build the uncommon results you crave for yourself and your team and it starts with transparency.
I’m not just talking about 2% or 5% growth from year to year. I’m talking about double digit year-over-year growth. Even triple digit growth!
This comes from taking your SMART2 goals to another level by combining Process and Volunteered Accountability. What does that mean? It means having your Team opt into sharing progress on Priorities openly with others on a regular schedule.
On top of that, they have to agree on how far someone can go with no progress and no problems. If there is no progress and no problems over a prolonged period of time, that should be a problem!
Take your growth to the next level by implementing The Structure of Transparency and earn yourself some Uncommon Results!
I want to help you. Please go to www.PaperNapkinWisdom.com and sign up, we’ll send you the e-book that contains the secret structure that will build more scalable, even exponential results than you had thought possible.
You have so much to give, you had better start now.
Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!
This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!
Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success ? get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.
Being a good manager and effective leader is not just about making decisions on your own, but about understanding how much decision-making depends on the customer’s behavior.
In this podcast, we talk with Chris McGoff, founder and chairman of The Clearing, who has been helping big brands and the federal government drive change and find success for 30 years. Chris provides a simple visualization of how managers divide their time: customers to the east, peers to the west, boss to the north, and staff and employees to the south.
“Spending your time in each of the four places is not equal. Some places are much more important than the others,” Chris tells us. As a typical manager, we are taught to keep focus on all the aspects, which isn’t wrong, but some areas need more focus than others.
What Chris focuses on is the importance of customers. When you spend time with your peers, boss and staff, without first and foremost spending time getting to understand your customers, you aren’t generating much power, Chris says. The manager who first goes to the customers, communicates with them, understands their problems, and then brings that voice to their boss, staff, and peers creates more powerful conversations.
When you “surrender your own voice, you take on the voice of the customer,” and you can go to your boss, peers, and staff knowing what your customers need, and approach solutions from that space.
Chris states, “Everything is created through value distribution to the East,” so your focus should be on communicating with customers first and regularly, then bringing that knowledge to the other groups in your circle.
The sole reason a business exists is because of the customers, so communication is critical but doesn’t have to be overwhelming. As Chris points out, “The coolest part about this is: it’s easy! It’s ancient. There’s nothing new here. You simply go and have a good conversation with people.”
Ever wonder how there are some small teams that just get it done time and time again? They are tight and nothing comes through the cracks in their communication, organization, service, or delivery? How do they do it?
I call this the X Org Chart – or the Exponential Org Chart. It’s the way that teams (small and large) can create more dynamic and important communication, collaboration and accountability.
It starts with the leader creating a strong sense of focus, aligning the team with it in a structure that promotes communication and collaboration, and finally momentum. You need to create action for The X Org Chart to come to life.
Organizations that operate here, in this form, beat large competitors who are 10 or even 100 times their size because they have each-other’s backs.
I want to help you. Please go to www.PaperNapkinWisdom.com and sign up, we’ll send you the e-book that contains the secret structure that will build more scalable, even exponential results than you had thought possible.
You have so much to give, you had better start now.
Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!
This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!
Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success … get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.
Tom Bilyeu, the co-founder of Quest Nutrition and life-long entrepreneur, chooses to focus on “everything being in my control.” While most people would agree in principle, they don’t often put it into true practice. Once you start working on the things that you believe in, it will not only be a motivating process, but will bring promising results.
Much like the movie The Matrix, Tom’s philosophy is that “everything around us is a construct,” so by believing that everything is under our control, the choices we make towards the things we want to and can do become much more powerful and effective. Conversely, creating a web of lies in front of your eyes by not doing what you believe in leads to ineffective results.
Tom also explains the usefulness of knowing when you are wrong and being open to other’s point of views. Even though it is good to have strong beliefs, sometimes what you are doing might not be as right as you think it is. Knowing that you might, at times, be wrong about certain things allows you to open up to what others are saying and reconsider and refocus your goals and beliefs.
Those goals need to be crystal clear, because “everything is reverse engineering from that.” Once you figure out what you want, then you can figure out what’s needed to get you there. If you don’t know what you want, then you’ll be pulled in too many directions, and getting what you want will be “really hard.”
Moving toward your goal and can be scary, but Tom believes it’s important it is to do the things that you’re most scared of, in order to become the person you want to be. Doing things that you know are right and are what will get you to your goal may be painful, but also bring great reward in getting where you want to be.
It’s vitally important for leaders to feel like that they can trust their teams. Trust them to complete their tasks, to be strong for the team, complete tasks well, execute on the priorities we have set individually and collectively.
If we do this well, we are delegating tasks to them and they are getting them done. If that is going REALLY well – the team has a sense of ownership and they feel empowered.
There’s another level to this though that is even more important, and that is Trust 2.0. This sort of trust involves our team feeling like we won’t change how we feel about them, even if they get it wrong. In fact, we should wonder the opposite.
We should be highly suspicious of the people on our teams that effortlessly get all their stuff done without any questions, or issues. In growing organizations we are always doing things for the first time – new things, that’s the hallmark of growth.
So if we’re doing new things and not facing any, we’re either lying or hiding, or not trying hard enough. Leaders need Trust 2.0 to cut through this and truly support the progress of our teams to places we’ve never been before.
If you want a structure to help you do this, I want to give it to you. Please go to www.PaperNapkinWisdom.com and sign up, we’ll send you the e-book that contains the secret structure that will build more scalable, even exponential results than you had thought possible.
You have so much to give, you had better start now.
Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!
This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!
Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success … get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.
In this week’s Leading Behind the Scenes, Marlou Hermsen makes the case (without laughing) that those who wish for a better world should seek to, “CHANGE the world without being a smug twat.” If the statement makes you smile, and does not offend, it means you’re probably on the right track, because, as Marlou further explains, smugness, besides being a deterrent to team collaboration, is also a creative block. Collaboration is key to success, but when individuals are smug twats, they stifle new ideas and thwart joint ventures.
According to Marlou, there are people who work for worthy causes to personally benefit — via the acquisition of money or notoriety. These types of gains can lead to smugness. Instead of seeking profit, she says, find a purpose. But, how can one not be smug when they have been successful? Easy. Reflect. Celebrate the small steps, but don’t lose sight of the big picture. Avoid superficiality. If one remembers that work is never done, the impetus to be smug will diminish.
Despite wanting to change the world for the better, Marlou don’t consider herself to be an activist. She says, “The word ‘activist’ has a stereotypical feel, a negative connotation — it reeks of smug twat, of someone who is an individual, rather than a team contributor. Even though I have spent my whole career actively working towards change, I avoid labeling myself an activist. Instead, I prefer to be called naive.”
Naive is the opposite of smug, exactly what we need to succeed. Naive implies that one is not jaded, that one is open to new ideas. Curiosity, drive, and commitment are elements of naiveté. Once a person has become set in their ways, these traits vanish, and smugness takes hold. It’s like losing your superpower.
Everyone has a superpower — it’s comprised of what you enjoy doing, plus what you are good at. Superpowers are about balance. And balance is the key to being energy-resilient, which is so important when working towards a goal.
Marlou has learned that changing the world does not occur in a straight line. Instead, she notes, it’s two steps forward, five steps back, ten steps forward, one step back. As such, it would be easy for a smug twat to lose their balance, and energy, and forgo an opportunity to change the world.
This is the time of year when so many of us start to take stock of the year that passed and the one that’s coming. It’s that time that we start to think about what could be for the year ahead.
There have been studies done that show that most people only accomplish a small fraction of their goals from year to year. Yet there are others that do much much more.
There’s a simple way that you can make more of your goals happen, and more of your team’s goals happen, that requires little effort from you other than setting up an uncommon structure for them that involves transparency and dialog around progress … the ULTIMATE leading indicator.
Great teams do this way better than the rest … update your goals to SMART2 goals and make your results change like never before.
If you want a structure to help you do this, I want to give it to you. Please go to www.PaperNapkinWisdom.com and sign up, we’ll send you the e-book that contains the secret structure that will build more scalable, even exponential results than you had thought possible.
You have so much to give, you had better start now.
Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!
This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!
Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success … get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.
If you’re a long term Paper Napkin Wisdom listener, you may remember Christina Harbridge’s last visit EPISODE 47, when we had a lively discussion about shifting focus towards things that are enjoyable. If you’re just tuning in, Christina has a very interesting background. She has co-authored software, built a company that hit national revenue success, practiced acrobatic swing dancing, been a NASA test subject, and collaborated to design several large-scale metal sculptures currently on display in San Francisco, Austin, and Toronto. Now, she is the CEO of Allegory, a company that provides group training, one-on-one coaching, behavior change, and company culture services. In today’s podcast, she breaks down why drilling down on context is crucial to good communication.
Christina explains, “If I ask you for food and you hand me an apple, it’s because I wasn’t specific enough.” Taking it a step further, if she wanted a Granny Smith, she may find herself disappointed when you hand her a Golden Delicious for a midday treat. Recognizing levels of context has to become a habit, Christina remarks. As opposed to throwing around buzzwords, Christina recommends drilling down a bit and getting to the heart of the conversation and concerns. “Context is a deliberate practice and you must notice it everywhere in order to increase understanding. It will become more of a habit over time,” she says.
On an organizational level, becoming more contextual can pay dividends. Christina makes it a practice to ask for direct, tangible examples when a team member makes a complaint. “Getting examples can drive change and fulfill a person’s basic need to feel understood,” she believes. For example, as opposed to complaining that a Director of Finance is underperforming, Christina suggests asking team members for specific examples in order to change the complaint into a solution. “Context helps you understand if it's just a complaint or if there is a good example beyond the buzzwords,” she says.
Outside of complaints, Christina believes there is also a benefit in applying this philosophy to positive feedback. “When praising an employee, give root level feedback. Make sure to specify an example of exactly what you liked in order to see that behavior replicated,” she mentions. Christina admits that she wasn’t always a practitioner of this belief. “I used to not specifically articulate my needs and get mad when they weren’t met. It would bubble up until the point where a missed document would take me over the edge,” she recalls. By adopting this practice, she has found that things run more smoothly in both her personal and professional life.
How can you begin to practice specificity in your day-to-day life and organization’s life? Tweet us with your thoughts!
In a society where people expect things to materialize instantly, many would be entrepreneurs expect the same, as it relates to success. However, in today’s podcast, founder of RYSE Media, Jay Jackson discusses how his view of entrepreneurship has evolved over the years and provides tips for the next generation of entrepreneurs. “Some people dream of success, some people wake up and work hard at it every day,” he says.
With the insurgence of social media and the desire for instant gratifications, Jay finds that many people aren’t willing to put in the work required to be successful. “When you see a successful person, aspiring entrepreneurs often don’t understand the steps it took to get them there,” Jay says. Growing up, he often idealized the wrong people and was headed down a different path until he found a mentor who changed his perspective. The process of fulfilling his dreams by founding his own magazine wasn’t easy, “Early on, I realized the importance of consistency. I try to pass that value along to my team members and people I mentor.”
Jay believes that aspiring entrepreneurs should take the responsibility for their own empowerment and build doors, if necessary. “When I speak at high school and colleges, students often tell me they don’t encounter many entrepreneurs. Through sharing my story, I believe it empowers them a bit more,” he says. While many of the students idolize basketball players, they fail to realize the work behind the glitz and the glamour. “We’re living in a generation that wants everything instantly. But I think at the core, [my company] tries to expose people to success and the process to becoming successful,” Jay remarks.
As for Jay, his key to success is consistent and authentic innovation. “My team is young; the average person is around 25 years old. I’m always tapping them for ideas on how to engage and inspire through our content.”
What are tips you’d like to pass on to the next generation of entrepreneurs? Send us a tweet @WiseNapkin with your answer!
Too often we get stuck.
Caught.
Stopped dead in our tracks.
Usually we end up blaming ourselves for something we did or got wrong in the past. Or because we “wish” we were doing something else right now.
Remember one thing:
You are frekkin’ unstoppable …
Remind yourself ever day, all the time. And take epic action …
Move forward, you can do it. In fact, you’re the only one who can.
Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!
This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!
Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success … get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.
As entrepreneurs, it’s often tough to take time to smell the flowers. Learning how to juggle endless to-do lists, a budding business and loved ones can be difficult for even the most seasoned entrepreneur. However, in this week’s podcast, Trackmaven’s CEO Allen Gannett explains why he is making it a point to take time to be appreciative.
The 25 year old helms the fifty person B2B software company and managed to raise $26M. “I met investors who immediately fell in love with the business. There was a lot of momentum,” he recalls. Early on, he gravitated towards one of his investors and they began a mentor-mentee relationship. “As a young homosexual CEO, it was a confidence builder to find someone I connected with in a world where I wasn’t really fitting in,” Allen says. However, things took a turn when his mentor died unexpectedly. Stunned by the loss, he realized that he hadn’t been as appreciative of his mentor’s support. “It made me reflect on ways to appreciate those who have invested in me emotionally and financially.”
Allen began to find simple ways to acknowledge those around him. While entrepreneurs typically care more about getting the work done as opposed to getting a pat on the back, employees and team members often need that validation in order to feel appreciated. “There is a difference between entrepreneurship and leadership,” Allen explains. Now, if he sees an employee doing a stellar job, he’ll invite them out to lunch. “That validation can really make all the difference. As a CEO, people are constantly watching you - even in ways you don’t realize. It can be taxing, but its more positive and empowering. It can be a confidence builder for them,” he says.
While appreciation is important, he also thinks it’s necessary to have some sort of balance. In cases where the team is underperforming, he urges entrepreneurs to take a look at themselves first. “We have to be willing to ask ourselves if our goals are actually attainable,” he says. He also advises entrepreneurs to marry appreciation and accountability. “Put appreciation on a pedestal and develop a meritocracy culture.”
How do you show your team members that they’re appreciated? Sound off on our Twitter @WiseNapkin or on our Facebook Page!
With recent public events on my mind, I’ve been paying a little more attention (and asking questions) of my female teammates, colleagues, and other entrepreneurs, leaders and difference makers and have been stunned to hear their stories of having to “work harder” to be heard than their male colleagues.
I’m not saying this is everyone’s story – in fact I’ve been mostly oblivious to the issue in the bubble that is my entrepreneurial world. I say it’s time to draw a line in the sand and for men to ensure they #ManUp and no longer let their male counterparts, colleagues, and teammates to treat women in any lesser way than their male colleagues.
I know that the events of the last week will lead to other women, in other walks of life, to come out and speak about what’s happened to them in the workplace.
Let’s make sure they’re heard.
And let’s end this …
Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!
This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!
Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success … get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.
Abby Robinson is Atlas Corps’ Chief Development and Engagement Officer. Atlas Corps’ mission is to “address critical social issues by developing leaders, strengthening organizations, and promoting innovation through an overseas fellowship of skilled nonprofit professionals.”
She leads behind the scenes and works one step behind the entrepreneur, but is always in step. Although “make it big” might be a phrase we normally think of as applying to the entrepreneur or top executives, when Abby says it she means, “Wherever, whenever, whoever you are, you can do your best and have an impact. I think that’s a good saying to drive one through life.” Making it big includes helping others grow as well, to be inspirational and help young people achieve.
The key to being successful for Abby is by listening to the entrepreneur’s idea and creating her own system to get his visions and thoughts on paper efficiently. Seeing the bullet points and a timeline, she can create something achievable. Consistently, and that has built the CEO’s trust. For successful communications, once three emails have gone back and forth, she believes it is time for an in-person conversation. And if she sends emails to employees on weekends, she’s mindful that it will be treated as priority unless she says otherwise, so she’s clear in setting expectations.
When you act like everything’s a crisis and there’s no prioritization, it’s easy to lose staff engagement and the focus on making it big. “Everything always seems like it’s on fire,” Abby says, “But let’s be honest. We are an organization that provides fellowship opportunities, we’re not providing direct services, we’re not emergency services, so when things are on fire, that all needs to be in perspective…” Figuring out what matters most will keep up the energy and momentum to “make it big.”
Who among us doesn’t want better results?
So often we look at the bottom line and continuously set better goals and watch for the outcomes that we want to see. Whether it’s improving the bottom line, better customer service, client retention or other outcome based metric – we want to improve them.
Rarely, however, do we look to the process that created the outcomes and structure time and energy toward reviewing the process and making improvements. If you build a system around improving the processes of your organization, you’re guaranteed to get better results over time.
Try it out for yourself. The faster you apply the process improvements, the faster you can go up the hockey stick of growth.
Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!
This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!
Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success … get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.
It’s a tale as old as time - a regular human discovers their calling and springs to action. Our hero/heroin usually meets up with a mentor or a group of allies and they face a villain as a collaborative force. Joey Womack, CEO of Atlanta based Amplify 4 Good, thinks that entrepreneurs often follow a similar path. His organization uses a combination of out-of-the-box thinking, rapid problem-solving, and obsessive data tracking to help companies create impact. In today’s podcast, he talks about why “being a force for good” has become his guiding principle in his journey.
Joey initially adopted this mantra when he decided to go against the grain and opt out of accounting, the family trade. While searching for motivation to follow his entrepreneurial journey despite the naysayers, this quotes got him through dark times. He explains, “As change-makers and entrepreneurs, we are heroes. We have a responsibility to look out and have a bias to action.” A fellow Star Wars fan, he compared entrepreneurs to Jedis. “We bring balance to the force. It’s up to us to figure out deficits and make a contribution to the solutions,” he says. As with heroes, many entrepreneurs spring into action after meeting their Mr. Miyagis or Gandalfs - mentors that ultimately drive them to their destiny. “We hear this call on the inside which tells us we have to default to action,” Joey remarks.
During this action phase, he has also found that accepting failure during this process is a key to success. “I tell people in our innovation labs that they need to accept that failure is likely. Just like in some of our favorite movies, the main character loses the first battle with the villain. But they take time to regroup and learn,” he says. Joey believes that removing the fear of failure takes the pressure off and allows entrepreneurs to be creative and innovative. He also is intentional about surrounding himself with people who share the same bias for action. “Surround yourself with momentum. We need to rebel against our own limits,” he says.
Due to the pressures and inertia of life, most big hairy audacious goals can seem elusive due to their enormous simplicity. “I want to help one billion people by January 2039,” Joey says. “It’s a big goal, but I believe the universe will bend to your needs once you manifest it.”
How are you using your talents to be a force for good? Tweet us @WiseNapkin or comment on our Facebook Page with your answers.
Everyone is talking about the greatest PREDICTOR of success is how much “grit” or resilience someone has. How willing are they to slog through the rough stuff before reaching for the prize. Some call this delayed gratification, though I don’t think they are the same thing.
The secret source of resilience is within you … it lies with passion, love, and faith. Feeling passionately for what you’re doing, caring deeply about the work and the people you serve with and for, and faith in the vision are all lessons of the heart. Some call this the “soft stuff” … I call this the tough stuff.
Connect to that inner passion and you’ll find limitless resources not just for you but for everyone around you.
Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!
This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!
Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success … get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.
Is there a formulaic way to build a great startup? Today’s guest, Maxim Wheatley thinks so. Maxim comes from a very diverse background - he is an award-winning product leader and innovator, with proven success operating at the intersection of business development, innovation, and product strategy. Additionally, he is the co-founder of LifeFuels, a company that aims to leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning in order to to diagnose, manage, and cure health ailments. Maxim’s thoughts on entrepreneurship boil down to three basic tenets: “Dream big and start small, constantly seek new questions to answer, and remember that it’s the people who turn ideas into companies,” he says.
‘Dream Big & Start Small’
While it’s important to have vision, it’s also important to get comfortable to with taking small steps. “Like [Reddit Founder] Alexis Ohanian says, ‘Entrepreneur is a fancy word for someone who has ideas and does them’,” Maxim says. While having a big vision important, he urges entrepreneurs to figure out the small and intricate steps involved in helping them achieve their goals. He believes the lean startup culture has a certain bias to action that restricts founders from making moves as often as they should. “Early wins build momentum,” he remarks, “There is magic in relentlessly pushing as opposed to elegantly leaping.”
‘Constantly Seek New Questions to Answer’
Having a background in consumer electronic products, Maxim understands the hiccups that can come about when launching a business. “Great products are oriented around prototype questions. “If we’re doing something that doesn’t answer a question, it’s time to readjust,” he says. He urges entrepreneurs to constantly ask new questions and evaluate whether those questions link up to the ‘dream big’ portion of his theory. “Entrepreneurship can be a difficult and lonely road,” he mentions, “Asking new questions and getting them answered can provide you with a sense of victory.” While an inquisitive nature is important, Maxim warns against falling into an “incubator mentality”. Although testing can ensure success for future endeavors, he believes that there is “no validation or testing that will take away from the fact that you need to start taking action.”
‘It’s the People Who Turn Ideas into Companies’
Developing a team is a crucial part of turning ideas into a bonafide operation. If you had $5M and no one wanted to work for you, or $100K and seven people that were excited about your business opportunity, which scenario would you pick? “I’d pick the latter every time,” Maxim says. While many entrepreneurs find themselves working solo due to fear of criticism, egocentrism or lack of cash flow, he urges them to explore additional measures. “Find out how to pay people in different ways,” he says. Maxim recommends that entrepreneurs use their vision, as opposed to misguided promises of wealth, to attract their team. “Identify other currencies you have at your disposal. Find ways to help [your team] meet their short term and long term goals,” he says. By giving people the opportunity to be apart of something meaningful, he believes entrepreneurs will curate loyal teams.
Staying on Track
In order to stay focused, Maxim is intentional about these principles. While many startups often attract unsolicited opinions, he believes that successful founders understand how to weed through the noise, filter the quality feedback and turn it into meaningful action. Additionally, he stresses that goals should be simple. “The startup lifestyle is dog years multiplied by ten,” he laughs, “You have to try and not get too caught up in long term planning.” Rather, Maxim suggests that founders take time to ensure that their everyday activities are aligned with their bigger vision. He suggests that founders should ask themselves, “Is there meaningful progress? Are you creating something that you can show and evaluate? If not, change course.”
What “small steps” have you taken to achieve your “big dreams”? Comment below (www.facebook.com/PaperNapkinWisdom) or send us a Tweet (www.twitter.com/WiseNapkin)!
So many times our teams look to us to articulate clearly the future vision of the company or the project. It’s up to us to detail it for them. We have to show them where we’re going, what it looks like, what it feels like, what it smells like, even what it tastes like and sounds like.
How do we do that if we’ve never been there – it’s a future state after all. It’s a future vision that requires us to CHANGE what we’re doing to make happen.
The answer is simpler (but not easy).
Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!
This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!
Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success … get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.
We’re just a few days away from 2017! If you’re like most business owners, you’re looking for ways to evolve your marketing strategy next year. If so, this podcast is my New Year's gift to you. Former Paper Napkin Wisdom guest Joe Calloway recommended today’s guest, and I’m so glad he did. Jane Atkinson has over 25 years of experience securing top-tier speaking gigs for Fortune 500 C-Level executives.
In today’s podcast, we discuss her method that ensures success for her campaigns. Her three step process, “Ready, Aim, Fire”,which she outlines in her new book The Wealthy Speaker, provides the framework for her clients to succeed. “In the ‘Ready’ phase, we get crystal clear as to what we’re selling,” she says. Aim refers to gaining clarity around what the focus of the campaign will be, while ‘Fire’ is the execution of the campaign.
All great marketing plans have a formula and Jane’s “rule of threes” framework is no different. Prior to developing this outlook, she realized the need to develop a unique process. “I knew what I was talking about, but it wasn’t very organized,” she says. During the ready phase, she recommends entrepreneurs to gain clarity into what it is they’re selling. While this may be easy for some, she urges business owners to ensure that this clarity permeates all levels of the organization.
The aim phase is a bit more intense. “You have to pick a lane and narrow down where you’d like to be viewed as an expert,” she says. Developing a clear and concise promise statement is a large part of the aim phase. This statement “should explain what you do and who you do it for,” Jane recommends. She also puts a large emphasis on curating a target audience and understanding how the product or service will benefit them.
Following the aim phase, it’s time to “fire”. “Attempt to answer your buyers questions, then provide solutions,” she recommends.
This should be a cyclical process in any business, Jane says. “If your message isn’t resonating, ask yourself - are reaching out to the right market? Circle back to ready and evaluate,” she advises. While many entrepreneurs may be itching for change, she also warns against making major overhauls. Instead, she recommends strategic tweaks and evaluating strategies prior to moving forward. “I had a client who was looking to get in front of the healthcare community. He didn’t think our strategies were working. But it turned out that it was just taking more time that he was accustomed to,” Jane recalls. And, if a major overhaul is needed, Jane recommends that brands “put out feelers to see who the message resonates with the most in order to create momentum.”
It's normal for people to occasionally get stuck in the chaotic “ready” phase, but Jane says that it’s often fear that’s driving the bus. “If you're afraid, gain clarity around what's making you uncomfortable and refer to points in your past to combat that fear,” she says. While perfection is ideal, it’s also not very realistic. “[Business owners] need to be okay with not being perfect,” she says.
What phase are you currently in with your brand? What are some ways you can explore to become “unstuck”? Comment below (www.Facebook.com/PaperNapkinWisdom) or send us a Tweet at www.twitter.com/wisenapkin with your response.
Bottom line … when we are under pressure and stress (or distress) our pulse quickens. We need to distribute vital energy to various parts of our bodies quicker in these situations.
Our companies are no different. We need to speed up our communication rhythm in these situations and there is no doubt that there is value to having a regular heartbeat – a regular structure to daily, weekly, monthly communications.
Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!
This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!
Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success … get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.
Business success, especially entrepreneurial success, is about finding the right fit for your work, while also finding a harmony with everything else that affects your work. Business success is like relationship success. Sure, it would be wonderful to find the perfect match, but sometimes it’s even better to learn how to make an imperfect match fit. Communication and understanding allow unlike people to form mutually beneficial alliances. When alliances are formed, trust is born. It’s the same with business.
Moving at the speed of trust propels businesses to flourish in a timely manner, while reinforcing and strengthening the foundations of that success.
People often ask Tendrel’s Devon Davey how to build a solid business team. Her go-to reply is: start small with the power of two. Entrepreneurs can move so quickly that they are unable to initially communicate and receive feedback from a large team. Again, to use the relationship analogy, once the trust is established between two people, others can be brought in slowly, and then more rapidly, into the mix.
Listening becomes key in business relationships. Because it’s not about who is right or wrong, but rather it’s about different neutral perspectives having a voice. Neutrality fosters workplace winning, without ego. For instance, partners have strengths you many not possess. Instead of viewing that from a competitive perspective, if their strengths can be accepted as a plus that compliments your weakness, while your strengths also shine, progress can be made without getting personal or emotional. It’s a stretch to leave ego at the door and head into that mutually beneficial magnanimous territory.
Partners, business or personal, come together for each other’s strengths, but stay together because of each other’s stretches. Stretches require solidarity, convergence, and trust. Strengths are where we are comfortable. Stretches require us to take on the unfamiliar, without self-doubt. Together, these two forces are the cornerstones of all success.
Resilience is not an accident. It doesn’t arrive at the moment of need by default.
The reality is that resilience is there when we need it when we plan for it. Part of this is, of course, planning for it by having a great Playbook, aligned with your Path, and articulated with predictable communication structures to your Key Players. Without planning there’s no chance that you’ll have resilience when you need it.
The thing is, however, practice is important too. How do you practice resilience? Listen in … but it starts with building predictable structures of communication and collaboration. It continues with practicing these habits in good times – maintaining them during great times.
Holding space for your team (and yourself) daily helps.
Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!
This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!
Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success … get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.
Over the years, Paper Napkin Wisdom guests have described ways for entrepreneurs to structure their business and life in a way that gears them for success. While some topics have been complex, today’s podcast gets us back to the basic. Serial entrepreneur Bill Dallas explains his guiding principles in business and life for the past three decades. “Pairing means with meaning is the only way to live a full life,” he asserts. “Means” refers to the problems entrepreneurs solve, while “meaning” describes the purpose behind their efforts. He believes that merging the two ideals is the key to successful entrepreneurship and a happy life.
He started his businesses back in the 1980s in an old Victorian home. Back then, entrepreneurship was just barely in vogue. “I had to apply meaning to the things I was doing on a daily basis, even when they weren’t things I necessarily enjoyed doing,” Bill recalls. By deriving meaning from even the most mundane of tasks, he was able to parlay that passion and become the founder of several lending companies across the United States. “When you apply meaning to what you do today, you feel successful in the moment and it propels you to success and creates exponential results,” he says. He also doesn’t believe in putting any energy into tasks that don’t revolve around the ultimate goal, stating that it’s a waste of energy. “When you apply meaning to your means, the problems you solve and things you learn will end up teaching you where you need to go,” he remarks.
Bill has several nuggets derived from his years of experience. He believes in keeping things simple but intentional and authentic. In fact, Bill gives each of his new employees the acclaimed Robert Fulghum title All I Really Need to Know I’ve Learned in Kindergarten. “We already know pretty much everything we need to,” he says, “Living this way will attract like-minded people.”
He also believes that all entrepreneurs must embody four personas in order to be successful. “Act like an immigrant,” he says, “Have a chip on your shoulder, work hard and remember where you came from. You can’t be an entrepreneur and be entitled. ” Next, he urges entrepreneurs to be artisans and leave their mark on society. Thirdly, Bill advises entrepreneurs to act like a waitress or waiter, “They are the pinnacle of entrepreneurship. They know that their livelihood is dependent on the level of service they provide their customers.” Finally, he believes entrepreneurs should be coaches and serve as a mentor for their teams and fellow entrepreneurs.
By embodying these traits and principles, Bill believes any entrepreneur will find success – and, more importantly, meaning within their success. “Life is simple, just not easy,” he says, “Entrepreneurs should want a rich life more than they want riches.”
Let us know what you think on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WiseNapkin or via Facebook at www.facebook.com/PaperNapkinWisdom
If you’re a Rebel, Rule-Breaker and Renegade this is for you …
If you’re the kind of person that likes to follow along with all the rules (especially from other people) and loves doing JUST what their told this won’t make sense.
As an entrepreneur we like to color outside the lines … even our lines.
STOP IT! It’s the most challenging thing to do … but in this week’s episode I share why we need to stop and how it can move us forward.
Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!
This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!
Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success … get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.
Just in time for Christmas, there’s cold weather in the upcoming forecast here in Ottawa. So it’s fitting that today’s podcast discusses ways to raise the temperature on company culture. If you’re a long-time Paper Napkin Wisdom fan, you’re familiar with Motivational Speaker and Leadership Consultant Jason Barger. In today’s chat, we focused on how companies can collaboratively create and maintain a positive culture, or in Jason’s words, “Be a thermostat; proactively set your temperature.” Jason details this sentiment in his new book Thermostat Culture. The book centers on the difference between a thermometer and a thermostat – while thermometers just report the temperature, the thermostat controls and regulates the environment. “Culture is dynamic,” Jason says, “The most successful cultures are proactively managed.”
For the past decade, organizations and pundits have become obsessed with company culture. But Jason points out that a great culture consists of more than foosball tables, catered lunches and casual attire. “We throw around the term ‘culture’ so loosely. Part of setting a thermostat culture revolves around constant measuring and re-aligning,” Jason remarks.
So, how can companies effectively measure this culture? Jason proposes a method he’s dubbed “The 6A Process”. First, leaders must assess the current temperature. Jason recalls an instance where he and his hiking companions lost their way in the Adirondacks.
“We weren’t clear where we were on the map,” he recalls, “Until you travel to Point Z, you have to know where point A is.” He suggests having “conversations about the currency for change”, in which organizations really take an honest look at their current culture and assess the need for change. The second ‘A’, aligning, refers to bringing the organization together to determine whether or not everyone is aligned on the assessment and the need for improvement. “Basically, everyone needs to collectively agree on whether or not they’re buying into it,” Jason says.
Once aligned, organizations need to begin to determine where they want to be. “A wise man once said ‘He who aims for nothing, hits it every time’,” Jason says. He suggests giving people space during this period and allowing them to buy in to the ultimate company culture vision. The fourth ‘A’ stresses the importance of clearly articulating the culture. Developing, revising or referring to a brand platform that outlines mission and vision statements, core values and key messages is especially helpful during this time.
The final two ‘A’s – action and anchor – go hand in hand. Organizations must decide what they need to do to ensure their culture permeates through all aspects of their business and develop systems to make it stick. “After these steps are complete, I remind people to revisit them every so often – especially during times where it seems like the culture is going off-kilter,” Jason advises.
Developing and maintaining a strong company culture is undoubtedly one of the tenets of a great organization. However, Jason warns organizations to not get too comfortable. “The phrase ‘We have a good culture’ should end with a comma, not a period. Whenever it ends with a period, I’ve found that the culture is in peril. There should always be conversations surrounding ways to keep the culture alive. You have to make that investment.”
What are some of the ways you keep your organizations’ culture afloat? Share it with us via Twitter at www.twitter.com/wisenapkin or Facebook www.facebook.com/PaperNapkinWisdom
Each week I’€™ll post a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, just talking about how to apply the Paper Napkin Wisdom 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success in an everyday kind of way.
As I was speaking to a group of entrepreneurs about execution this week, we discussed the value of changing our Perspective as leaders to not think that we were out front, but rather out back of our teams supporting them as they charged forward.
The discussion evolved toward understanding the value of how elephants lead. While elephants have obvious size and strength, that’s not how they lead. The alpha female is the leader of the herd and she leads from the back of the group using skills like Problem Solving, Social Intelligence, Openness, Decisiveness, Patience, Confidence, and Compassion to guide the group.
Make it a great week!!
The world loves leaders. We write books and television shows about them and promote leadership as one of the defining qualities of a successful person. However, today’s guest Bill Treasurer, has a somewhat unorthodox take on what great leadership should really look like. After spending the last two decades as an author and leadership development coach for Fortune 500 brands, he has concluded that we have been wrong in our approach to the concept and essence of leadership.
“The first law of leadership is ‘It’s not about you’,” he says. A self-described leadership plumber (“I’m the one who gets the hairballs out,” he jokes), Bill explores this concept in his latest book entitled A Leadership Kick in the Ass. “I got the concept from my son. He was chosen to be class leader for the day. When I asked him how it went, he said ‘I got to open doors for people’,” Bill recalls. This seemingly innocuous but impactful statement revealed to Bill that one of the basic tenets of leadership was being overlooked. “Emerging leaders have sharp elbows of ambition. Sometimes leaders forget that the central of idea is about those being led. It’s never about the leader,” he says.
While leaders are praised for being exceptional motivators, Bill describes leaders as Chief Opportunity Creators for both their people and their organization. Instead of judging individuals and teams by their own cadence, Bill urges leaders to exude patience. “99% of the leaders I meet are impatient,” he says, “But leaders must accept that people will take time to walk through the door you open for them.”
With the number of responsibilities on their plate, leaders must find time to refocus – not only on the company’s goals – but also their leadership style. The renowned innovator Steve Jobs reportedly had a similar refocusing period after he was fired from Apple in the mid-80s. “He got back to the essentialism of it all. We learn best from experience and our transformational humiliating events,” Bill says.
Leaders must learn how to authentically rebuild themselves in order to provide the greatest value to their team. Additionally, leaders can refocus by setting vision and getting team members to become emotionally invested its success. “Growth is good, but it’s just an outcome or an ends to the means. People and investment are the means,” Bill remarks.
What are some ways you refocus your leadership? Let us know at www.Facebook.com/PaperNapkinWisdom or Twitter www.twitter.com/WiseNapkin!
Each week I’ll post a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, just talking about how to apply the Paper Napkin
Wisdom 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success in an everyday kind of way.
This week I visited a group of entrepreneurs for a workshop on Execution. On the way back, I had huge challenges getting back home for the weekend. Apparently there was some sort of computer error, which took a ton of time to fix and, predictably, let to me missing the flight home.
The challenge was that 1000s of other passengers had the same challenge as I did that day.
I never quit, nor did I think of quitting … in fact, I’ve never quit on anything. In fact, in never even occurs to me.
This week I share why.
Make it a great week!
Many entrepreneurs, both budding and seasoned, can sometimes find themselves in a standstill due to lack of action. But how can entrepreneurs make “action” their default? If you’ve been following our show, you’ll know that a motto of mine is “make it bad, then make it better.” Today’s podcast guest, John Henry explains why the motto “default to action” has become one of his guiding principles. “You’ll be surprised what you can build if you default to action,” says the 23 year old entrepreneur and founder of Cofound Harlem, “I think some people may disagree with that principle but that’s the stage of entrepreneurship I’m in.”
He adopted this mantra years ago when he founded his first business. A child of immigrant parents, John has always maintained a scrappy approach to entrepreneurship. While working as a doorman, he was approached by a resident who provided him with a business opportunity. “The resident offered to give me wholesale rates on dry cleaning if other residents were willing to do their dry cleaning at his businesses. If a shirt cost $6 to dry clean, he would charge me $2 and I would pocket the $4,” John recalls. Soon, he had launched a full scale operation which included providing dry cleaning services to popular shows, including Law and Order, Boardwalk Empire and more.
Defaulting to action has to become a default mindset. John follows a few routines to keep himself centered. “Before I go to sleep, I write out my to-do list and then prioritize based on which tasks will yield the biggest results, instead of by which tasks I find the most enjoyable,” he says. Sometimes, this means he opts to work with his accountant on tax issues as opposed to writing a blog post. In addition to this, he tries to catch himself whenever he becomes unfocused. “Facebook is the new TV,” he jokes. Instead of heading to social media, he reads articles from the Financial Times or some of his other favorite publications.
John views focus as a muscle – the more you work it out, the stronger it becomes. Being intentional about focus is a huge part of his motto. “I’m very intentional about greatness. At one point, I wrote greatness over and over in my black notebook. Now, when I’m not being productive, I feel guilty,” he says.
How would defaulting to action improve your business? Comment below or send us a tweet.
Each week I’ll post a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, just talking about how to apply the Paper Napkin Wisdom 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success in an everyday kind of way.
Had a fun, wine-filled conversation this week with someone about unlikely sources of cinematic inspiration. I’ve almost always gone back to this handful of movies when I feel like my belief in myself is shaken and I need a source of inspiration.
What movies do you watch for inspiration? My top few are in the podcast … but there are so many more (including my holiday favorite) It’s a Wonderful Life, and Scrooged, that could have made the cut.
Make it a great week!
Welcome to Episode 1 of Leading Behind the Scenes, a new channel focused on supporting those who support great leaders and entrepreneurs.
Miranda Barrett is an entrepreneur support expert with more than 10 years working with more than 400 entrepreneurs as part of the EO Global Team, and shares her insights on what it takes to be an effective leader.
Leaders often think they’re leading, but their staff is disengaged and disinterested in the overall mission. “If you think you’re leading and no one is following, you’re just out for a walk,” she says.
According to Miranda, the main trait of a good leader is someone who knows how to leverage and engage their team. “Entrepreneurs have so much energy and passion. It’s akin to an excited golden retriever,” she says. Leaders must understand how to share that excitement and vision with the team. Additionally, showing sincerity and curiosity is a crucial part of getting teams in line with their leader. She explains, “You have to admit when you’re stuck and turn to your team members to help fix the problem, instead of micromanaging. That trust is contagious and will come right back to you.”
Empowering your team through humility and vulnerability can also lead to teaching them to develop their inner leader, which, in turn, will help you reach your goals. The team needs to feel protected and supported by the leader before they’ll protect and support him or her. She recalls a situation where a supportive team led to success. “We were hosting our Global Student Entrepreneur Awards program. The team was phenomenal. My job was to make sure our emcee did the best job possible, despite last minute scheduling changes. In a very visible way, he was on the hook for anything that would have gone wrong, but he had a safety net. He looked alone but he was very, very well supported.”
Things don’t always turn out as planned. When teams don’t reach their goals, it’s important to take some time to regroup. “There’s a humility in being curious. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Was the process broken? If so, where was the breakdown? Unemotionally figuring out what happened and where, instead of immediately blaming your team is a crucial part of maintaining that trust,” she says.
Having a team of “yes-men” may mean that your team members don’t feel open enough to voice their opinions. A disengaged team can be just as bad as an incompetent one. “When you have people proactively looking ahead of you to help and feel safe making suggestions? That’s when you can be sure that your team wants to be there,” she says. Conversely, if your team isn’t making suggestions, they may not feel comfortable speaking up. People who follow like leaders help push each other to grow and be better.
Finding ways to draw the honesty out of your team ensures its health. Miranda suggests that leaders find “fun and inventive” ways to get honest feedback from team members that may not feel comfortable opening up. Miranda recalls a company that was opening a store in China. In a meeting, the team assured their managers everything was on schedule to open on time. However, after the managers let the team place bets on when they thought the store would actually open, they found out that no one on the team thought that making the deadline was possible. The store ended up not opening for months.
Provide a safe environment, and people will speak up.
Each week I’ll post a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, just talking about how to apply the Paper Napkin Wisdom 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success in an everyday kind of way.
I was visiting a group of 20-30 entrepreneurs in Washington, DC this week and we were discussing Execution (getting stuff done). There are so many of us that seem to get stuck in urgent tasks, instead of focusing on the important work that will move us forward. Sometimes we do this because it is more comfortable to play the role of the superhero and the save the day, the way we have always done, rather than do the uncomfortable task of doing something new.
Remember, the new task – the harder one to pick, is supposed to be uncomfortable. We have never done it before. Go for it … do the thing that you have never done to get the results you have never had.
Power is an interesting concept. Few other nouns evoke such a visceral response quite like the five letter word. Today’s Paper Napkin Wisdom guest has a unique take on power and has used this philosophy to guide his organization, Accountability Lab. “The best thing you can do with power is give it away,” says Blair Glencorse.
While many people seek to “change the world” by gaining power through political or economic means, Blair notes that the people who actually inspire change are those who give their power away. “I believe we are all powerful in our own way,” he muses. His organization works with young people across the world in an effort to make governments more accountable. “We help people generate accountability from the bottom up, through guiding them into realizing and channeling that power,” he says. He believes this system will help change governments.
Citing his film school in Liberia, Blair explains how marginalized people often have more power than they realize, “We often look at [them] from a Western perspective, which is not always the most accurate.” Through his work with the film school, students not only find their voices – they discover creative outlets for it.
This output inspires change through the creation of educational videos, such as a recent PSA which highlights the country’s sexual harassment problem. “Giving them the power to articulate their voices helps spark discussions on how to improve policies on both a micro and macro level,” he says. The group has even started Integrity Idol, a series where regular citizens nominate honest government officials. After the nominations all trickle in, people are able to vote for their favorite, authentic official.
While some people often pair accountability with consequences, Blair looks to celebrate integrity, posing that it’s “not necessarily a consequence for things going wrong, it’s a celebration for things going right.” In terms of corporate application, he also believes that leaders should seek to create “integrity idols” within their own organizations – “Companies must champion these values. It can shift the culture of an organization.”
He stresses that it’s important to discover what your team members are interested in and find ways to incorporate accountability in an authentic day. In Liberia, he regularly works with rappers in order to promote positive messages, but in their own voice. “You have to help them recognize the power they already have.”
What are some ways you can incorporate accountability into your company culture? Sound off on our Twitter @WiseNapkin
Each week I’ll post a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, just talking about how to apply the Paper Napkin Wisdom 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success in an everyday kind of way.
This week we continued to roll out a new product in one of my companies and the feedback has been great! In fact most of the time people are surprised we haven’t been around for years. But there’s no secret to how we did this – we practiced and practiced and practiced our pitch, story, and value proposition before taking it to the world.
Listen in and I share how you can do the same in your business.
Now that football season is back in full swing in the U.S., there’s no better time to discuss scrimmaging. However, we’re not talking about the traditional sports term in today’s podcast. Author and Motivational Speaker, Nathan Jamail recently released “The Leadership Playbook”, a guide which discusses the importance of coaching employees versus managing them.
A common theme in the book is the importance of scrimmaging. “Scrimmaging is getting into character to prepare for an upcoming event, while roleplaying is an exercise to see what you learn and/or know. Teams scrimmage to prepare for games. If you don’t learn how to scrimmage, you’re not getting the full effect of practice,” he says.
The idea of role playing can be intimidating for many members in Corporate America. However, Nathan believes this is due to the intent. He suggests swapping out roleplaying with scrimmaging. In sports, teams use scrimmage to not only practice, but to try out new techniques prior to Game Day. “It’s the time where you get to do what you think is right and test things out. When you create a culture of scrimmage, you’ll realize that your team will actually begin to have fun doing it,” he says.
Nathan first stumbled across this philosophy as a sales rep for a pager company in the 90s. He and his co-worker would have role-playing exercises to prepare for a long day of cold calling. A few years later, his friend (now boss) began to mandate role-playing. Many employees voiced fear due to the inherent judgmental nature of role-playing. However, in a scrimmage environment, the results shift. “I noticed that in a scrimmage culture, people are truly getting better, as opposed to role-play culture,” Nathan remarks, “The biggest difference that, when sustained, it becomes a way to communicate, as opposed to an activity.”
Nathan’s first philosophy of leadership (and most recent book) asserts that managers need to approach management like coaching. “In management, we spend time with people who need the attention. In coaching, we spend time with people who deserve the attention. In sports, players thrive for the coach’s attention. If we only spend times with people who need the attention, our attention turns into a consequence of failure.
You can’t coach someone who views your involvement as a negative,” he says. His second philosophy stems from the understanding that everyone needs training more so than practice. “Practice is getting better at something you already know. Training is learning something new,” he remarks. Coaching your employees to become better rather than just gaining more experience is crucial. “I have 20 years of experience golfing and I’m just as horrible as I was 20 years ago,” he jokes.
Nathan also believes that management should embrace conflict. “In coaching, we embrace conflict because we know that’s the only way to make people better,” he says. “In management, if someone isn’t able to embrace coaching and a scrimmage mindset, they should be cut from the team.”
He concludes his case for scrimmaging by asserting that making it into a practice only helps teams grow and learn. “If you and I scrimmaged before a client meeting, there is a 100% chance we would do better at that meeting. If we didn’t scrimmage, nothing would happen. There would be no consequence. Scrimmaging only helps.”
Each week I’ll post a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, just talking about how to apply the Paper Napkin Wisdom 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success in an everyday kind of way.
I had the opportunity to sit beside someone who was a Member of the Million Miles Club on a plane this week and we had an great conversation about the use of knowledge, technology, and leadership around the world. He spends a lot of time traveling to Asia, Europe, and elsewhere marketing innovative technologies around the world.
His key point – knowledge was becoming near valueless. Instead, execution, collaboration, communication, and connection are becoming increasingly valuable.
Listen in and find out why.
We have all been there. Feeling caged and unable to move forward due to real or perceived fears. But what if you realized that the cage was unlocked, and all you had to do was walk out? Zahra Al-Harazi, founder of Foundry Communications and UNICEF’s Canadian Ambassador, explains how entrepreneurs can overcome these boundaries. “There’s no lock on the cage,” she says, “No matter what cage you place yourself in or where others may put you, there’s never a lock there.”
Growing up in Yemen, she didn’t always subscribe to this idea. She moved to Canada with her children in 1996, where she became a stay at home mom. “I didn’t have any ambition and didn’t think I could really do much,” she admits. Upon realizing that this feeling wasn’t a regional thing, she began to think of ways to overcome it.
Fear had been holding her back from a variety of things, but she decided she didn’t have to be stuck there. She went on to live by this and share this philosophy at conferences and seminars across North America. Although she was mildly acrophobic, she took up a friend’s offer to go skydiving. “I threw up as soon as I landed,” she laughs, “But I did it.”
In order to escape the “cage”, Zahra found value in developing core values for herself and her business. “By developing these values and exemplifying them in everything you do, it allows you to live a more free life,” she says. For example, one of her core values states simply ‘Be Curious’. By consciously living that principle, she allows room for her curiosity to reign supreme and lead her to places where she may have once been afraid to go. “The fear never leaves. But you learn to work around it,” she says.
Another way to escape this fear is to overcome the reluctance to ask for assistance. “I have thirty mentors. I go to people for different things I need help with,” she says. When she was first starting out, she began to cultivate a tribe by asking for help.
“I learned how to be vulnerable and using that vulnerability to get out of this cage,” she recalls. When asked if she’s sometimes afraid to ask for help because she doesn’t want to “weak” or “ill-informed”, she admits that she does have these feelings sometimes. “However, I’ve learned that vulnerability can be contagious,” she says.
A tribe is undoubtedly the strongest tool in any entrepreneurs’ arsenal. When it comes to networking and discovering that tribe, she recommends that people develop a UVP (unique value proposition) and learn how to be of service to others in an authentic way. Additionally, she urges others to never discount someone prematurely, “Everyone has something to bring to the table.”
What “cage” have you locked yourself in? Is there a certain person that could help you get out of that cage? What can you bring to the table to overcome these fears? Let us know by Tweeting us at @Wisenapkin
Each week I’ll post a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, just talking about how to apply the Paper Napkin Wisdom 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success in an everyday kind of way.
I was lucky enough to be able to participate in one of the largest entrepreneur events in the world recently. While there, I met with and heard hundreds of entrepreneurs pitching their world-changing ideas. Some truly could change the world.
The problem with many of them though seemed to be that they were pitching to the wrong group. What they needed to do is get out there and get some customers! Incubators, however, seem more interested in grooming entrepreneurs to pitch to VCs, Private Equity, Angel Investors, and other Incubators.
255,207. Search “leadership” in Amazon and that’s the number of publications that will come up. With the plethora of ideas out there, is it possible to get to the heart of what leadership truly is? Val Jon Farris, CEO of Diamius Multinational Consulting Firm thinks so. With over two decades of experience conducting leadership development programs, he recalls that the more classes and seminars leaders go to, the more jaded they become.
“It diverts them from their innate knowledge of leadership. Doing a leader is not being a leader,” he says. Without an internal “leadership” compass, an abundance of misdirected actions can occur. Leadership is more than a checklist of best practices and lists. In this podcast, Val explains his thoughts behind this theory.
Having an innate understanding of what it means to be a leader is a major key to leadership success. “Leadership needs to be intentional and inherent,” he says, “The only person you can ever truly lead is yourself.” While he does not believe that everyone has a “leader” inside of them, he does believe that some people can take this approach to cultivate their inner trailblazer.
He stumbled upon this approach while working under the mentorship of inventor and world class engineer, Buckminster "Bucky" Fuller. Bucky believed in taking care of “Spaceship Earth” and all inhabitants of it. Val took this to heart and, over time, began to slowly shift his leadership style from “critic” to “education”. “I realized that things worked better when I put my pride aside and focused on making things work,” he recalls.
A second revelation occurred while he was ice climbing Mt. Shasta with some friends. After nearly falling to his death, he refused help from his fellow climbers. After taking a moment to step back, he realized that his ego was preventing him to getting the help he desperately needed at that moment. In fact, it was putting his entire team in needless danger.
“In that moment, I realized that I needed to move away from my ego – which was denying the help from my team, and move towards how I really felt—scared, shaken up and in need of assistance,” he says.
Listening to yourself and allowing your heart to influence your leadership decision is a crucial part of gaining your teams trust. Additionally, it provides space for others to flex their leadership skills. He calls this concept ‘holding space for someone’.
“I like to give my team space, while investing in them to be their very best. They’ll do so in their own way. They just need to know that you’re supporting them.”
What do you think about Val Farris’ theory? What’s driving the core of your leadership? Tweet us @WiseNapkin with your answers!
Each week I’ll post a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, just talking about how to apply the Paper Napkin Wisdom 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success in an everyday kind of way.
Following up on the bad news of a few weeks ago, things didn’t get better. I got some very tough breaks that blindsided me in business and life. It’s been a challenge to see the silver lining on the clouds of the last couple weeks.
What made it easier has been my Forum, my Mastermind group – my group of peers. There’s strength in finding people to help you unpack the challenges of life. I share how it’s helped me find my way in the last couple weeks.
Have you ever nearly tripped over a milestone or a goal because you were focused on the bigger prize?
That happened at Paper Napkin Wisdom and we nearly let the 150th Episode go by without any recognition of what we've learned and done over the last 3 years.
In that time we've collected more than a thousand paper napkins, done hundreds of interviews, released a book, and TENS of thousands of you have subscribed and listened to the podcast.
Since we were looking forward, however, we almost forgot to look back and see just how far we've come.
What happened next is incredible ... I asked our Contributors to come back and share what has changed for them, if anything, since they shared their wisdom with us. I wasn't sure if I'd get one or two folks. I was overwhelmed to get 11 contributors come back and join us.
The content here defies a write-up ... it requires a listen.
There are three easy ways to sign up for the Paper Napkin Wisdom Podcast:
- via iTunes at - https://goo.gl/J9lpnk
- via Google at - https://goo.gl/7yo17X
- via Stitcher at - http://goo.gl/OpZIni
or via www.PaperNapkinWisdom.com
In addition, this podcast launches the the vlog video version of Paper Napkin Wisdom so we recorded the live stream of the 150th Podcast Episode recording.
Join me as I talk to some of the world's most incredible entrepreneurs, leaders, and difference-makers and they share pearls of wisdom around faith, family, growth, people (teams), momentum, vulnerability, authenticity, resilience and success.
You can see the video on our YouTube Channel here.
Don't forget to get the book!
Each week I’ll post a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, just talking about how to apply the Paper Napkin Wisdom 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success in an everyday kind of way.
This week I share an experience from this week. I was dealt a huge blow late this week. It was a public failure – and to some degree very embarrassing on the surface. I share how taking responsibility for it has helped me evolve, learn, and grow remarkably quickly. I’m ready for the next time, and no worries, there is always a next time!
How do you respond to challenges and adversity?
How do you get ready for the next opportunity?
What does it take to be an effective leader? Thousands of books and articles attempt to answer this question (including our podcast). On today’s show, entrepreneur support expert Miranda Barrett is an shares her insights on what it takes to be an effective leader. For more than a decade, Miranda has worked with over 400 entrepreneurs as part of the EO Global Team.
“I work with our member leaders to discuss their goals for the upcoming years and I’ve found similarities between the people who end up meeting those goals and those who don’t,” she says. Often times, leaders think they’re leading but their staff is disengaged and disinterested in the overall mission. “If you think you’re leading and no one is following, you’re just out for a walk,” she says.
According to Miranda, the main trait of a good leader is someone who knows how to leverage and engage their team. “Entrepreneurs have so much energy and passion. It’s akin to an excited golden retriever,” she says. Leaders must understand how to share that excitement and vision with the team. Additionally, showing sincerity and vulnerability is a crucial part of getting teams in line with their leader. She explains, “You have to admit when you’re stuck and turn to your team members to help fix the problem, instead of micromanaging. That trust is contagious and will come right back to you.”
Empowering your team through humility and vulnerability can also lead to teaching them to develop their inner leader, which in turn, will help you reach your goals. She recalls a situation where a supportive team led to success, “We were hosting our Global Student Entrepreneur Awards program. The team was phenomenal. My job was to make sure our emcee did the best job possible, despite last minute scheduling changes. In a very visible way, he was on the hook for anything that would have gone wrong, but he had a safety net. He looked alone but he was supported. ”
Things don’t always turn out as planned. When teams don’t reach their goals, it’s important to take some time to regroup. “There’s a humility in being curious. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Was the process broken? If so, where was the breakdown? Figuring out what happened and where, instead of immediately blaming your team is a crucial part of maintaining that trust,” she says.
Having a team of “yes-men” may mean that your team members don’t feel open enough to voice their opinions. A disengaged team can be just as bad as an incompetent one. “When you have people proactively looking ahead of you to help and feel safe making suggestions? That’s when you can be sure that your team wants to be there,” she says. Conversely, if your team isn’t making suggestions, they may not feel comfortable speaking up.
Finding ways to draw the honesty out of your team ensures its health. Miranda suggests that leaders find “fun and inventive” ways to get honest feedback from team members that may not feel comfortable opening up. Miranda recalls a company who was looking to open a store in China. In the meeting, the team assured their managers everything was on schedule to open on time. However, after the managers let the team place bets on when they thought the store would actually open, they found that the entire team didn’t think the deadline was possible. The store ended up not opening for months.
What are some things you do with your team to keep them engaged? Send us a tweet @WiseNapkin with your answer!
Each week I’ll post a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, just talking about how to apply the Paper Napkin Wisdom 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success in an everyday kind of way.
This week I talk about how important it is to stay in your lane and remain focused on your main priority. Don’t get distracted with things that will pull you off course.
Are you staying on course? How do you do it?
Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitate. Roughly translated into “More things should not be used than are necessary,” Occam’s razor— a principle developed by Franciscan friar and logician—harps on the value of simplicity. In today’s podcast, Brian Kight explains the value of simplistic discipline. “[In order to be successful], one must choose discipline over default every day. It’s the one thing that enhances everything,” he says.
As CEO of Focus 3, an organization that helps organizations align leaders, culture and behaviors with strategy and goals, he routinely couches entrepreneurs on the value of discipline. “It’s a constant battle between our willingness to bring discipline to each day or to default into old habits. The hardest thing to do in the world is to execute the simplest tasks with discipline. Elite levels of discipline garner great results,” he continues.
While this idea seems simple enough, anyone can agree that it isn’t necessarily easy. Take diet and weight loss, for example. Everyone knows the basic ways one can shed pounds – healthy eating, exercise, regular check-ins with a dietician and so on. However, shutting down the default (also known as autopilot) and getting to the discipline part is what makes it so difficult. Default is anything driven by autopilot, resistance and impulse – three things that are not uncommon in the human experience. “Living a disciplined life means that you’re not on autopilot. You’re living intentionally,” he says.
For most people, the word discipline has an immediate negative connotation. But the word actually comes from a Latin word which translates into student. “All discipline means is learning how to narrow down and apply a system of standards,” Brian says, “In my observation, I encounter far too few people who have a definitive set of standards and living them with discipline.”
Contrary to popular science, Brian refuses to subscribe to the notion that it takes 21 days to establish a habit. “I don’t believe that discipline becomes our natural norm. It’s something you have to work on. Your brain is always going to want to find an easier path. Discipline must be a daily decision and very intentional,” he argues.
For leaders who are looking to incorporate more discipline into their corporate structure, Brian warns that discipline must come from within and not from external sources— otherwise, it’s just compliance. “First, you must set the standard, then give people tools that help them become disciplined and hold them accountable. It’s not about rules; it’s about establishing a standard through clarity and support,” he advises.
Take Action Premiere!
I talk about how my 9 year old son and I use our morning routines to help build a plan for the day.
Are you building a plan for your day? How do you do it?
Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!
This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!
Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success ... get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.
Entrepreneurs, what big plans have you been putting off because they seemed unrealistic or too far-fetched? Have you ever asked yourself, “Well, why not? What’s the worst that can happen?” Today’s podcast guests thinks that you should. “There are benefits to having ADHD”, declares founder of HARO and Paper Napkin Wisdom show favorite, Peter Shankman. “When you have ADHD, you have two speeds, off or all the way on. You tend to not overthink things. You come to the conclusion that you want to do things, just because you move faster than normal.”
Think of it as flying through and around and with things.
As it turns out, this ended up being how he got started with his latest project, Faster Than Normal, a podcast which focuses on turning ADHD into an advantage, instead of a disability. While many entrepreneurs are plagued by inaction due to overthinking, Peter doesn’t have that problem. “There’s a built in bias to action. More ideas have failed because they haven’t been done, not because they were bad ideas,” he muses.
While many successful entrepreneurs are innately curious, many also suffer from this bias. Perfectionism, while a noble quest, is often the serial killer to innovation and creativity. Peter’s approach pairs a relentless desire to execute and innovate with the relentless desire to have fun and let loose. This has proven to be successful for him: by using his ADHD as a rocket instead of a crutch, he has founded several entrepreneurial ventures.
The Faster Than Normal podcast is extremely personal to him. As a child, he often felt out of place. He subscribes to Kevin Spacey’s quote which states “If you're lucky enough to do well, it's your responsibility to send the elevator back down.” Peter often receives letters from parents that thank him for speaking up and providing his interesting perspectives on ADHD.
He believes that embracing differences is an important key to innovation. “I’ve lost several friends from suicide over the past decade or so. There need to me more conversations surrounding mental health for entrepreneurs,” he says, “We become our most honest selves when we become the help we once needed.”
So, how can entrepreneurs adopt the ‘do first and think later’ mindset? Think of your brain as an Internet browser. The more tabs that are open, the slower it will go. Peter suggests adhering to a strict routine and ruthlessly eliminating anything that does not fit within that routine. “Structure will set you free,” he says.
What are some of your ‘big, hairy audacious goals’? What’s stopping you from going after them? Tweet us with your answers @WiseNapkin!
To scale a business, we need to care about others more than we care about ourselves. The challenge is that we need to care about strangers (e.g. customers, suppliers, vendors, partners, bankers, even employees) - people you don’t really know.
As entrepreneurs and leaders, we often take on the burden pressure from everyone around us and put it on our shoulders. In order to be of value, we need to do that transparently and openly. On the other side, we need to be really committed to outcomes, results, and delivering a value to strangers.
If we build systems around that commitment to value, then we can hit the scale paradox.
When you think about your journey and your business, can you say that the person on the other side knows - not thinks – knows that you care? If you can’t, then they don’t.
You bring something unique to the game. Don’t forget that every time you’re on the way to new, it will be scary, but fear opens the door to learning and the opportunity to be transparent. Strangers who are most aligned with your mission and understand why you do what you do will support who you are, if you show up transparently and they know you care more about them than you do about yourself.
Let’s work together to make this year the best one yet.
I want to help you. Please go to www.PaperNapkinWisdom.com and sign up, we'll send you the e-book that contains the secret structure that will build more scalable, even exponential results than you had thought possible.
You have so much to give, you had better start now.
Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!
This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!
Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success ? get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.
When we first started Paper Napkin Wisdom, the idea was that by inspiring entrepreneurs to change themselves, we could promote change in the world. Lucas Siegel, co-founder of Capital Peak Investments and AlternaScript has a similar idea in today’s Paper Napkin Wisdom. “If there’s something in the world you don’t like, then build a business to change it,” he says. He began AlternaScript with this concept in mind. “It’s fascinating how few people realize that a business is really just about solving a problem better than other people can.”
Growing up in an entrepreneurial household, his family always instilled a sense of worldly purpose within Lucas. After graduating from the University of Colorado and extensive travelling, he began to explore the problem with health supplements. “I discovered that most of them sucked and did not have any scientific backing. The underlying problem – which is what I based my company off of— surrounds how we can optimize health for American citizens and the world. How can we unleash people to live up to their potential, from a healthy living perspective? In my opinion, business is the only way to sustainably solve some of the world’s most massive, daunting problems,” he mused.
Beginning a business with a question in mind is a great way to stay on purpose through the entrepreneurial journey. “It’s so easy to lose track of why you’re here. Keeping that question at the forefront of your efforts helps to align your vision and your team,” says Lucas. Speaking of teams, he credits a lot of his success to his “tribe”. There are three types of people he keeps around him, “I surround myself with scalers, inventors and operators. And I make sure they’re all smarter than me and purpose driven individuals.”
Running a purpose driven business can be tough without the help of a well-oiled machine. Lucas ensures that he stays on track by running daily and reading (or, as he tells it, having a conversation with the author). Additionally, he develops six month goals which he writes down and reads twice a day. “I have micro goals inside of my larger term goals. Six months is the longest I’d like to plan. I read somewhere that strategizing on a year to year basis is less of a strategy and more of a dream. Putting tight timelines on things pushes your brain more,” he says.
A large part of Lucas’ purpose is to provide consumers with top notch products. He’s not prone to analysis paralysis and is an advocate for another popular idea on our show: ‘Make it bad then make it better.’ “We use consumer feedback to evolve our products. We have developed over fifty versions of our cognitive enhancement brain supplement,” he says. “The hard part is scaling and gaining traction and going through the 5,000 no’s to get to that one yes.”
While he credits his success to the idea of solving a problem with his business, Lucas also cautions fellow entrepreneurs to do the same. “A lot of people come to me to try and figure out why their business isn’t growing. I always tell them to think to themselves: ‘Am I solving a problem that exists? Or did I create the problem in my head’,” he muses.
What’s the ultimate worldly purpose behind your business? Tweet us @Wisenapkin with your answers!
In today’s podcast, avid readers Govindh Jayaraman, entrepreneur and host of Paper Napkin Wisdom, and James Ashcroft, entrepreneur and mentor at EO Accelerator Meetings, discuss Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success by Phil Jackson, legendary winning coach of the Chicago Bulls and LA Lakers.
Though neither is particularly a basketball fan, both loved the book and highly recommend it. They recognize that “eleven rings” refer less about championship rings and more about a bond between players; it’s a circle of love that gets amazing results. Both feel that the book’s honest style and the lessons garnered can directly apply to personal and professional life, lessons in leadership for any team endeavor.
Key inspirational themes they found in Eleven Rings:
- Lead from the inside out. Phil Jackson took athletes with tremendous talent and egos and provided a structure so they could be creative, while creating a bond, a recipe for team success. Jackson helped his players grow individually and grow together into something bigger than themselves, which could be a story about any management culture.
- Find the joy in your work. Phil Jackson, they said, “clearly has a joy. It’s inspirational that someone finds the river of joy within themselves, to say, what I’m best at, what my calling is, to extract the best from these young men in a team environment. That congruence is extremely powerful.”
- Delegate authority as much as possible. Jackson felt that was the most effective approach to build everyone’s leadership skills, unity, and help others to grow. He created space for his teams to figure it out, and didn’t make a lot of calls from the bench. He trusted them and didn’t claim to always have the right answer. As Michael Jordan said, the “team’s collective think power” was their hallmark of success. Obsessing about winning is a losers’ game. Create the best possible conditions for success and let go of the outcome.
- Turn the mundane into the sacred. Jackson thought teaching spirituality to his men was the biggest part of the job. The lesson for Govindh and James? “When we commit higher sense of self, self-discipline, collective discipline, we can achieve way, way more.”
- Lead with compassion. Phil Jackson bent his style to the individual player (think of Dennis Rodman). Practices were sacred ground where players could just be themselves. Jackson’s goal as a coach was to foster an environment where the players could grow as individuals and express themselves creatively within a team structure. Govindh and James agree, “whether it’s a coach, leader, father, husband, friend, don’t we want to achieve that with and for each other?”
- Among other explorations, Jackson used music to help his teams and had them coordinate their actions in 4/4 time. The team synchronized, each attuned to the hidden language they had, playing together. Beat by beat they harmonized with each other. Jovindh and James see this as the learning for companies: “If they fall out of stride, out of rhythm it’s a big issue for a company’s leaders. There is rhythm, harmony we need to maintain within the organization. When we break it, nobody knows where to be.” If the tempo is dragging or the players out of key, the music becomes noise. “Music and rhythm and momentum, the energy that it takes for a sports team or business to continue and work together and bring as many people into that ecosystem as you can, that is success.”
To some, the concept of trusting the world may seem like a far-fetched philosophy. ‘How can I trust the world with everything that’s going on right now?’ you may ask. However, today’s Paper Napkin Wisdom guest, Leila Janah doesn’t feel like the concept is unrealistic. In fact, she uses it as the guiding principle in her personal and professional life. Leila is founder of Sama, a social enterprise that helps people lift themselves out of poverty, and Laxmi, a social impact luxury brand. Her interest in tackling these issues stemmed from her grandmother. An ‘adventurette’, Grandma Janah hiked around the world from 1949-1952 with only $5 to her name. She met Leila’s grandfather in Calcutta, where the two began to build a life. Years later, Leila’s parents were worried about their upcoming move to the United States. “My grandma took their hands and said: ‘The world is a beautiful place. Trust the world’. They imparted that philosophy on to me,” she says.
Birthed by impassioned adventurers, Leila expressed interest in world policy and events from an early age. “I’ve lived abroad in Japan and Switzerland because I wanted to be connected with people and see how they lived,” Leila recalls. After helming the inaugural chapter of Amnesty International at her local high school, she worked to provide equal access to AP courses within high schools in underprivileged communities. By taking the philosophy of connectedness and pairing it with action, she found a way to promote change in the world.
Trusting the world also applies to managerial styles. When one of her team members needed two days outside of his allotted PTO in order to go on his honeymoon, she found a way to ensure he wouldn’t have to take unpaid leave. “He didn’t ask me for this, but I wanted to give it to him. When you give people agency and you expect the best from them, that’s when they deliver,” she says. Instead of treating employees as mindless drones, she finds that this approach allows for them to take more pride in their work.
This is not to say you won’t be disappointed when humans you’ve trusted drop the ball. “It’s not always easy to view the world through this lens,” she admits, “But I believe that bad behavior is only the default when we expect it to be. When you have high expectations of other humans, they normally will rise to the challenge.” She also credits daily meditation with keeping her centered and focused. “Ben Franklin wrote down his virtues and reviewed them daily to make sure that he was abiding by his core principles. I did a similar exercise and I’ve found that it keeps me incredibly balanced. It’s a guide and a map for my decision making,” she says.
Do you apply this philosophy to your life? How has it impacted your life and your company? Tweet us with your answers @Wisenapkin
Everything worthwhile is hard to do. Being a better parent, a better leader, a better entrepreneur, or build a better business mode. Everything.
The reason? They’re enormously simple. The strategy and idea behind great things is simplicity, and they're worthwhile because you understand them and their value.
For example: admitting when you’re wrong – in real time. This is hard to do. It’s elusive, worthwhile and the right thing to do but it’s hard. Simplicity and how easy it is to do aren’t the same thing. Simple doesn’t mean easy. The path to simplicity goes through complexity, and it can be very challenging to find focus and deliver that elusive thing.
That’s what entrepreneurs do – we deliver that elusive value, that’s only doable by you.
Being yourself is simple. But rare, particularly in challenging circumstances. But it can reap great rewards. Recently, we were launching a new product and were asked by a customer – a big customer we needed – how many other clients are you working with that we can join in with? We admitted we had none: a simple thing to do, but rare. The client was so impressed that they immediately decided they wanted to work with us, because we were doing something new and exciting.
So, yes, everything worthwhile is hard to do, but can reap great rewards.
Let’s work together to make this year the best one yet.
I want to help you. Please go to www.PaperNapkinWisdom.com and sign up, we'll send you the e-book that contains the secret structure that will build more scalable, even exponential results than you had thought possible.
You have so much to give, you had better start now.
Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!
This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!
Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success ? get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.
The date was February 4, 2013. The Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers were going head to head in Super Bowl XLVII. Suddenly, in the third quarter, there was a power outage. For thirty-four minutes, spectators across the globe were held captive by this unprecedented technical difficulty. Then, cookie brand Oreo tweeted “Power out? No Problem, you can still dunk in the dark” with a starkly lit image of an Oreo. Even if you didn’t watch the Super Bowl, chances are you heard about this story, as it was covered by hundreds of major media outlets. Today’s Paper Napkin Wisdom guest and marketing maven, Dave Meerman Scott, has pioneered this concept, known as newsjacking. According to Dave, newsjacking is the art and science of injecting your messages into a breaking news story. “To grow your business, align your marketing to the news of the day. Timing is key,” he remarks, “Very few companies are agile enough to do real time marketing.”
For many marketing departments, their marketing is very proactive. While this is great from an operations standpoint, Dave recommends that priorities are shifted to include time and space for reaction to relevant news articles. “You’re planning on your timetable and not the time table that’s most important to your marketplace. People don’t care about your products and services, but they may care about the story you align yourself with,” he says. Dave shared a few examples of a few of the ways people have successfully executed on this strategy.
Example 1: Trent Silver is a 22-year-old entrepreneur who founded Cash For Purses, a company that purchases used, high end handbags, fixes them and resales them to consignment shops. When he saw the breaking news story that Lindsay Lohan was having money troubles, he wrote a blog post offering to purchase her handbags. He then sent this blog to a few editors. The response was astounding: he was featured in TMZ, Radar Online, Huffington Post and more. Additionally, this generated over 8000 inquiries and a quarter of a million dollars in revenue.
Example 2: Mitch Jackson is a senior partner at Jackson & Wilson Law Firm, a legal practice in California. He blogs about the legal ramifications of breaking news stories (Charlie Sheen’s HIV announcement, Bill Cosby’s case and more). This has led to journalists quoting him and using him as a source in for their stories. He’s generated multimillion dollar settlements from this alone.
Example 3: Eloqua CEO Joe Payne realized that his competitor, Market to Lead, had been acquired by Oracle. When he did a web search, the Oracle website had very limited details surrounding this story. He decided to write a blog post detailing the acquisition and what it meant for the industry. Within a day, he was approached and quoted by PC World, Information World and more. Coincidentally enough, Eloqua was purchased by Oracle a little while later. “It was the $16m blog post,” laughs Dave.
For businesses who are looking to share similar success, Dave suggests the following:
- Have a legitimate tie to the story: Make sure your brand has an authentic connection with the story. Otherwise, this method will look forced.
- Timing is key: Control the narrative by striking when the iron is hot. Waiting a few days or even a few hours can make your story lose its relevancy or edge.
- Success takes time: Keep in mind, this success may not be instant. Work to establish your blogging rhythm so that when an opportunity arises, you’re able to pounce.
What newsjacking stories have you noticed lately? Have you tried this concept yourself? Tweet us with your answers @Wisenapkin
Many of us are familiar with the concept that in order to get the life you want; you have you build it intentionally. However, how can entrepreneurs navigate the pivot from the life they’re living into the life they want? Bri Seeley, founder of the Inspirational Woman Project, explains how she began to live an intentional life when she began to live by this guiding principle: “Life does not get better by chance. Life gets better when you take action towards creating your inspirational life.”
She has spent the last year inspiring women to do the same. After stepping in to help her (current) business partner with an event, Bri found herself hosting what would end up being dubbed The Amplify Collective. Gathering over dinner and wine, about twenty women discussed their passions and vulnerabilities for about 2-3 hours. Realizing that they had stumbled upon something special, Bri and her partner began to throw several more events over the next few months, all of which sold out nearly immediately. But Bri wasn’t always living such a purpose filled life.
Prior to adopting this as her guiding principle, Bri admits she was stumbling throughout life. She was running a fashion company alongside her day job. While it was once her passion, she felt like she was running in a hamster wheel, “I was amassing massive amounts of debt. It was time to begin taking action in a purposeful way.” In 2015, she closed down her fashion brand and began going through the redefinition process.
Redefining her purpose proved to be tough. Because many people only knew her as a fashion designer, she had difficulty getting people in line with her new vision. “It was like walking up to a blank canvas and saying I get to choose what I create. And it was terrifying.” When crafting her new vision, she began to evaluate what she had accomplished in the previous years. Bri realized that in her previous entrepreneurial venture, she enjoyed inspiring women to look and feel feminine. She decided to take everything she had been doing for the last several years and translate those experiences into an organization that focuses on women empowerment.
Upon this newfound realization, Bri discovered that there was a certain persistence that had to be had in order to maintain her new direction. “I record an audio that details all of the good I want in my life for that month. It allows me to bask in the actions that I’m taking and the purpose I’m living in. I listen to it every day,” she says. Sometimes she doesn’t reach all of her goals, but she takes the time to appreciate what she has accomplished, “The more you hear it, the more you align it.” Bri also follows a morning routine that has allowed for her to stay aligned with her purpose. From 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., she takes “me time”- sometimes, this involves coloring for hours; other times, she’ll go to her rooftop for yoga. “I just listen to my body and do what it wants,” she says.
By maintaining a balance between living intentionally, practicing self-care and taking the time to recharge, Bri transformed her life and now empowers other women to do the same. What steps have you taken to live an intentional life as an entrepreneur? Tweet us with your answers at @WiseNapkin.
Data is the new black. Over 90% of the world’s data has been created in the past two years; and on average, people consume nearly 30 GB of data per day. From entrepreneurs to CMO’s of Fortune 500 companies, people simply can’t get enough of it. But often times, organizations hit a standstill because they don’t understand how to properly leverage the data to drive actionable results.
In some cases, it’s simply because they’re not looking at data through the right lens. John Johnson is a trained statistician, data consultant, expert witness and founder of Edgeworth Economics, based out of Washington, D.C. Author of the newly released book Every Data, he explains how some businesses neglect to properly harness this information and what they can do to begin collecting purpose driven data.
“Statistics and data can be powerful, but very misleading. As a statistician, I think about the world from a data driven perspective. But what I’ve noticed is that averages are just like a snapshot,” Johnson says, “It just explains one frame and sometimes neglects to tell the whole story. This can lead to terrible decision making.” A good example to illustrate this point is to compare the average salary of a mayor across America (around $60,000) with the salary of a deputy mayor (around $80,000).
At an initial glance, it may seem confusing that a deputy major earns less than an actual mayor. However, these data points fail to consider that only larger cities like New York and Philadelphia have deputy mayors, while every small town and metropolis have mayors. “What you’re averaging can dramatically skew the results. Thinking deeper about data will help [business owners] make more sense of it,” he says.
Speaking of “average”, John is the exact opposite. Back in 2010, he developed a company of “wiz kids”, which wasn’t necessarily the norm. “In a typical firm like ours, you see older people working with their much young apprentices,” he explains. By refusing to settle for the average, he has since expanded his firm to 80 employees in three offices.
For companies looking to improve their data collection or analyzation methods, John suggests the following:
1. Make sure the data you’re reviewing is correct: The first step in analyzing your data is to make sure it’s the correct data set. When the temperature control company NEST was bought by Google, the ticker jumped by 1900% in one day. Unfortunately, that ticker wasn’t for NEST – it was for a similarly named penny stock that had gone bankrupt. Slowing down and taking time to review which data you’re looking at is essential to the success of your data analyzation efforts.
2. Determine what question the data is trying to solve: While some people can be data hoarders, this leads to massive efforts for data mining that isn’t even useful or applicable. Take the time to sit down and decide which problem you’d like for your data to solve, prior to gathering several data points.
Have you ever fallen victim to bad data practices? What did you do to fix it? Let us know by sending us a tweet at @WiseNapkin.
Are you a victim of squirrel syndrome? Based on some fairly unscientific research, about 2 in 3 entrepreneurs are burdened by this affliction. The biggest symptoms include being attracted by every “shiny” thing that comes along, coupled with the inability to say no. But is this hurting your business? Joe Calloway, author, consultant and Executive in Residence at Belmont University’s Center for Entrepreneurship, argues that it is. Having worked extensively with organizations of all sizes and growth cycles, Joe credits the success of many entrepreneurs to one simple adage: “Say no to almost everything.”
Inspired by Warren Buffet, this idea is what separates normal successful people from very successful people, Joe believes. At the beginning of his career, Joe struggled with saying “no” and suffered the consequences. After adopting this concept as his mantra, he began to say “no” more often and started to really hone in on the things he was saying “yes” to.
Another side effect of squirrel syndrome is becoming frozen due to a lack of tunnel vision on the ultimate purpose. Having worked with entrepreneurs for years, Joe has witnessed organizations struggle with this repeatedly. “More often than not, it’s better to make bad decisions than to be frozen. Entrepreneurs will always learn from their mistakes, but they will learn nothing from standing still. As opposed to being frozen, mistakes help you learn your strengths,” he adds. He also suggests that entrepreneurs measures what happens after these decisions.
In addition to learning how to say “no”, it’s important for entrepreneurs to leave room for the “yes”. Joe advises that entrepreneurs should learn how to prioritize their “yes” based on their brand values. “Entrepreneurs and companies should learn to do three or four things extremely well, and with great consistency. It’s all about balance,” he advises.
As leaders, entrepreneurs need to become skilled at saying “yes” to the right things at the right time. “Company owners must remain consistent about the things they say ‘yes’ to,” he says, “Consistency coupled with innovation is how leaders become great.” He also advises that company owners align their entire team on their “yes” – that is, a single vision which encompasses the one thing every team member will always say “yes” to.
Refusing to say “no” to things makes it impossible to simplify your purpose, cut out the noise and move forward. What are some of the things you will begin to say “no” to? Can you identify three things you’ll always say yes to? Let us know in the comments below.
Nothing quite compares to the beauty of a Rembrandt. While many of us have only gazed at the priceless artwork behind the glass, imagine having one of his paintings in your attic. Think for a minute about the wasted value of having such a beautiful piece covered up and hidden in your attic.
Long time Paper Napkin Wisdom fans may remember speaker and author Andrew Sherman’s Paper Napkin Wisdom when he appeared on the show back in 2014. Today, he’s back with another gem that he hopes will help organizations of all sizes to reduce their intellectual waste. Using agricultural metaphor, he says, “Be an intellectual capital agrarian. Harvest your intangible assets before they rot on the vine.” That’s a heavy statement, so let’s dissect it a bit.
“I hate waste. I hate it so much, I gave a TED Talk about it,” Andrew explains. He began to think about waste even more when he read the Kevin G. Rivette classic Rembrandts in the Attic, nearly 15 years ago. After ten years of living by this philosophy, he realized one critical flaw in the book – “Rembrandts retain their value but most intangible assets do not,” he says. The notion was straightforward - inside companies of all sizes, intellectual capital assets or Rembrandts are being wasted. To find them, business owners may have to look in places they normally wouldn’t.
These lessons ripple out over several industries. Several companies have gained popularity by noticing the potential wasted assets in other verticals. Take Hotwire, for example. Instead of letting rooms “rot”, they learned to harvest those assets and have turned them into something useful for consumers.
Entitling his book Harvesting Intangible Assets, Andrew explains, “I decided to look at innovation as if it was similar to the agrarian process for farmers. The book is meant to help small businesses notice the intellectual property within their company.” Some smaller businesses may argue that they don’t have as many intangible assets, but Andrew’s idea encompasses the notion that small businesses should also look for licensing opportunities or “Rembrandts in other attics”.
Much thought was put into the agrarian metaphor. By definition, an agrarian relates to the cultivation of land or a person who advocates a redistribution of landed property, especially as part of a social movement. Business owners who look to apply this method to their organizations need to follow the agrarian process closely. For instance, farmers plan out their crops months in advance of the planting and harvest seasons.
This is comparable to business owners making sure that there will be a need for the asset in the coming months and years, while waiting on the planting and harvest seasons to commence. When looking at this concept on a global scale, Andrew thinks that other international companies are “eating our lunch”. He believes that in order for North America to compete on a global scale, there needs to be a mass adoption of this concept.
While developing new ideas is never frowned upon, entrepreneurs should look to cultivate the talent and ideas in their backyard. What Rembrandts may be hiding in your attic? How do you plan on discovering and cultivating those assets?
So many people who talk about living an abundant lifestyle. It’s a big subject, particularly when you’re not feeling abundant. When you are at the top of the cycle, having big wins, everything fills our buckets. But at the bottom of the cycle, where there are no wins and things don’t happen, we don’t feel abundant.
When we’re at bottom of the cycle, we must realize that abundance and the path to abundance starts with one. Just one small win, one small act of kindness. What we focus on, act on, align with, and measure will get done and come into our lives.
One thing can become many when we focus on it. What we focus on becomes true. What we spend our time on gets bigger. Where your attention goes, your focus goes. So abundance starts with one.
Think of one thing that went right today - why did it go right? What did you contribute? Think of one time you led someone to a higher and better result, one time you coached someone, one time you made a connection, and how it all came together.
The reverse is true too: when you focus on one bad thing, it becomes everything. So make that one right thing the center of your focus. Because abundance starts with one.
Let’s work together to make this year the best one yet.
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The business math equation S (sales) – E (expenses) = P (profit) has been widely accepted for years. However, entrepreneur and author Mike Michalowicz doesn’t quite see it that way. “83% of small businesses in the US are surviving check to check, some of whom follow this model. From a behavioral perspective, what happens last matters least,” Mike says, “Take your profit first and you will reverse engineer your profit forever.” While some may scoff at this notion, in today’s Paper Napkin Wisdom, he explains how a shift in thought process and subsequent actions can revolutionize small businesses forever.
This concept is best compared to Parkinson’s Law, which states that our behavior adjusts around the supply. Take toothpaste, for example. Upon purchasing a new tube of toothpaste, most people are less frugal with it than when they’re on their last squeeze of the same tube. To apply this theory to business, Mike argues that if companies follow a different equation – S- P = E – they will reduce spending and maximize their bottom line. It’s similar to a popular personal finance method – the 401k. By readjusting your spending based on what you’re bringing in, it will increase your bottom line over time.
Additionally, operating this way forces business owners to become radically innovative. One of the businesses Mike owns, a leather manufacturing company based out of St. Louis, was running into a problem. The equipment they needed to develop their product cost a whopping $40,000. Instead of making that investment, which would have greatly reduced their profit, they got crafty. After a few trips to Home Depot and some trial and error, they invented a molding mechanism that only costs around $200 to produce. “Our competitors were using the same [$40,000 machine], and our profit margins sky rocketed,” he says. He urges that using this model forces businesses to think outside of the box.
But in 2008, Mike would have probably initially scoffed at this advice. He had sold two companies and became an angel investor, which he recalls being a horrible experience. He hit rock bottom. “I was $50,000 in credit card debt, and I was driving a beat up Durango that only had two radio stations,” he admits. Deciding that it was time for a change, he began reading The Richest Man in Babylon and similar books. A light bulb went off – he realized that while people had applied the “Pay Yourself First” mentality to personal finances, no one had taken that approach to business. He began to test the concept with his own business and the businesses of friends, and noticed he was on to something.
So, how can a company go from their current approach to Mike’s method? He suggests starting small -open a separate savings account and allocate 1% of every check into this separate account. “If you can run your business on $10,000, you can probably run it on $9,900. Set that extra $900 aside. While you may not amass a life changing sum of money, your mind set will definitely shift,” he advises.
After making these changes, Mike urges businesses to not reinvest that money into the business, “When it’s not profitable, we will start to resent our business. Those distributions and profits help you celebrate your entrepreneurship and your innovation.” Every quarter, he has a quarterly pause where he and his business partner discuss their successes from the month, along with any failures. This occurs after they both receive their quarterly distribution. While Mike doesn’t reinvest his distributions into the company, he does ensure that he reinvests the profit into his employees. “It’s very important that everyone has a vested interest in the success of the business,” he says. While the profits may not be publicized, he does make sure to explain to each team member how they can benefit from being frugal with company funds.
By combining a shift in mindset with a pivot from traditional methods, Mike’s formula has led to profit increases for hundreds of businesses. What do you think of his method? Tweet us with your answers at @WiseNapkin.
In an age where everyone can pick up their smartphones and become an instant “expert” on any topic, how can entrepreneurs market their knowledge to their consumers? Millennial money expert and author of The Broke and the Beautiful Life, Stefanie O’Connell thinks it has a lot to do with packaging. No, she isn’t referring to big bows or pretty wrapping paper. She poses that while information isn’t propriety, experiences are. Instead of hoarding knowledge, entrepreneurs should find a way to package their experiences in a way that’s meaningful for other people.
In 2008, Stefanie was a recent college graduate, utilizing her degree in theater to travel the world and live her dream. However, due to the late 2008 recession, she was forced to return to New York. “I got a job that paid $225. While it was very fulfilling, it wasn’t exactly financially viable. I was the epitome of a starving artist,” she recalls. After taking up a friend’s offer to read Suze Orman’s The Young, Broke & Fabulous, she became enthralled with the idea of money management. She ended up becoming a resource for her friends and began sharing her money management advice on a blog. This turned into a book (The Broke & Beautiful Life).
“Financial advice is pretty straightforward and some view it as boring,” says Stefanie. However, she paired her own experiences with age old financial advice to develop a platform that was both relatable and helpful. Instead of telling readers to start an emergency fund, she details the time when she broke down in tears at a dentist’s office because she was unable to pay $2000 for a necessary procedure. “By tapping into the details, you evoke an immediate emotional response from a reader or consumer. I create the urgency by sharing my experiences,” Stefanie says.
Balancing information and experiences can often be tough, especially when entrepreneurs find themselves in situations where they’re not driving the conversation. Stefanie likes to have “talking points with a point of view” for these situations. She draws on her drama background to pair words together to drive home certain points for her audience. “The aspect of storytelling is very valuable, no matter what industry. No one is going to care what you know if you’re not coming across in a way that’s relatable,” she says. Stefanie also stresses the importance of knowing the audience and finding ways to add segmented value.
Being relatable and changing the conversation from a monologue to a dialogue means doing research to discover your audience’s needs. Stefanie spends a lot of time dialoguing with her audience in order to do just that. “I even look up Amazon book reviews to see which books in my sector have received two or three stars and check to see what was missing,” she says. Additionally, as a financial advisor who specifically focuses on women and millennials, she takes caution to only listen to feedback which will add value to her audience. “If someone begins to tell me that I need to focus on providing Baby Boomers with retirement advice, I typically shy away from that because it doesn’t speak to my niche,” she says.
For entrepreneurs that worry they will run out of experiences to share, Stefanie says that she hunts down other experiences by simply taking interesting people out for coffee. “I know that the first thing financial advisors typically say is to cut out coffee from your budget. But I have enjoyed an incredible ROI from that tactic,” she laughs. And, when talking about what experiences she plans to share in the future, she started doing a dream bio exercise, where she writes up her dream bio then compares it to her to-do list. “It’s very important that I’m intentional about that alignment,” she notes.
What are some ways you can package your experiences into something that’s helpful for your audience/customers? Tweet us with your answers at @WiseNapkin!
The African Proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”, speaks on the value of having support from your tribe. In this podcast, Bill Dost – entrepreneur and friend to the show – discusses why family is so important and how he began to incorporate them into his entrepreneurial journey.
His napkin wisdom which reads, “Give me my family and I can do anything”, stems from his belief that you can do anything if your family is backing you. “But without that strength, what good is it to win anything?” mused Mr. Dost. It is important to note that “family” could be substituted for friends, a tribe or any group that supports and motivates you.
He learned this the hard way when he and his wife of twelve years, Maggie, began drifting apart a few years ago. “When my business was in a good place, I focused on the growth of “me” and not the growth of “us”,” Bill says. This led the couple to drifting apart. Because she wasn’t being kept in the loop, Maggie didn’t feel any sense of connection to Bill’s entrepreneurial journey – and even worse, she was beginning to feel the same sentiment towards Bill.
“I was a jerk,” Bill admits. During the 2008 recession, Bill took a step back and realized that he had neglected to grow with his wife during the entrepreneurial process. “I was investing in myself but not my significant other. This led to my family becoming a “single person household”,” says Bill.
However, he knew things needed to change. He apologized to his wife and began to include her in more – they began reading the same books, attending conferences together and more. And, slowly but surely, the relationship improved. He had learned a very important lesson that had almost cost him his marriage: “We need to provide the room for our spouses to have the same journey.
For so long it was all about me, and my growth. I would rather personally growth slower as a partner, than to grow faster and alone,” says Bill. Check out the podcast by clicking the link below and tweet us with ways you keep your tribe in the loop on your journey.
Over the past decade or so, the phrase “company culture” has become embedded in our vocabularies and used as an HR tool to attract the best and the brightest. It’s indisputable that today’s employees want to love the companies they work for. But let’s go beyond the buzzwords and get to the heart of what company culture really means and why it’s important. Tristan White, described by Smart Company as “one of Australia's next generation of business leaders” and founder of The Physio Co., breaks down four key building blocks.
“Company culture is not just about the good times and the parties. A strong culture helps you and your team get through tough times in business,” says Tristan. And he would know: The Physio Co, a patient care facility that focuses on elderly care, has been listed as one of “Australia’s Best Places to Work” for the past seven of the twelve years they’ve been in business.
His emphasis on company culture dates back to the start of his business. After five years of successfully running his company, he realized that he didn’t particularly enjoy going into the office anymore. “I had twenty team members, business had grown but there was no culture or vision for the company.”
In 2009, he and his wife took a trip to North America. There, they researched similar businesses and decided to take a values based approach to running their company back home. “Culture is built with vision, purpose, repetition and love. It’s a really big word that has so many layers, but at the end of the day, culture boils down to alignment,” he says.
Keeping employees aware and engaged with the BHAG (big, hairy, audacious goal) and shorter term goals is a great way to maintain this alignment. Tristan has found success in connecting employee’s day to day responsibilities with the overarching company goals. “When we achieve our goals, we celebrate! However, when these goals aren’t achieved – which is sometimes the case – authenticity and honesty is important. Ask your team for help. Tell them what worked and what hasn’t worked,” remarks Tristan.
While some may think they’re similar, Tristan breaks down the dichotomy between vision and purpose: “Vision is where you’re headed; purpose is why you exist. When you seek to define your purpose, I like to refer people to Simon Sinek’s TED Talk, Start with Why.” When your purpose is made clear, hiring people who share the same values becomes a breeze. The third tenet of a solid culture, repetition, can sound a bit boring, which is why Tristan refers to it as “relentless execution”. While it can bring back memories of a boring summer job as a teenager, age old concepts like having a daily huddle or tracking certain metrics periodically can have a profound impact on culture.
“Use repetition to tie actions back to the purpose,” says Tristan. In addition to the mundane tasks, he also subscribes to a “rhythm of celebrations.” Employees are celebrated once they come onboard as well as when they leave. Consistently implementing these initiatives allows for the company culture to infiltrate every aspect of the business.
The final building block of a solid company culture is love. Showing employees that you care about them for more than their output can make a difference. “Lead with care, lead with love and you’ll get long term loyalty in return,” says Tristan. Using these four metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of your company culture will pay dividends in the short and long term. What are some tactics you use to keep your employees engaged? Tweet them to us after listening to the podcast.
We see it all of the time – entrepreneurs posting photos from their latest vacation or a conference they’re headlining or another notable event. However, people rarely talk about the guts behind the glory and what it took them to get there. Misty Lown has a different approach. Written on one of the nicest napkins we’ve seen on the show, Misty Lown explains her philosophy behind why rock bottom is a pretty good place for building.
“Everyone has a “ground zero” moment. I like to hear about those moments because they aren’t broadcast often. We do a great disservice to people by only showing the shiny parts of our story,” Misty explains. Currently, Misty owns nine businesses, including “Misty’s Dance Unlimited”, a dance academy Wisconsin where she and her staff inspire over 750 kids to be their best selves through dance and community involvement. Additionally, she operates “More Than Just Great Dancing”, a training school which teaches 145 dance schools worldwide on how to run with the same core values as her main business. “My dance school is eighteen years old and the other [More Than Just Great Dancing] is four. And let me tell you, their ages and how they operate line up so much with parenthood,” says the mother of five children.
But things weren’t always so rosy. Misty’s beginnings in dance came from an unlikely start. She was born with a club foot (which was later fixed). “I thought that starting a dance school was [one of the last] things I’d be doing with my life,” she remembers. She admits to having been a troubled youth. She refers to those years as her “rock bottom”.
She recalls her days of partying and a devastating eating disorder, “My body was my tool and I was abusing it in every way possible. There’s no elegant way to put it, but it was just a hot mess. I had to do some hard heart work to figure out what I wanted to do with the gift God had given me.” At 18, she was accepted into the prestigious Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City. During the summer before sessions began, she realized her love for instructing – and, instead of taking her talents to the stage, she decided to take them to the dance studio. While she now sees the purpose behind her swift change, at the time, she referred to herself as an “accidental entrepreneur.”
In time, she began to realize that her rocky past wasn’t something to be ashamed of or hidden and made the intentional effort to begin to pay those lessons forward. She often ran into students who were facing similar difficulties and was able to provide them with her story as a source of guidance and inspiration. “Initially, I wanted to keep the shiny parts and remove the bad history. But, the benefits of owning your journey is to be able to tell people that you’re old enough to know better, but young enough to remember. During that rough patch, I wasn’t being buried, I was being built for something greater,” she muses.
Misty never regrets her decision to choose the classroom over the stage lights and applause. “Being in the classroom provides an ROI for a lifetime, especially when being compared to being on a stage for a few hours. I still talk to students from years ago; I wouldn’t be able to do that with an audience member,” she says.
As someone once said, “Successful entrepreneurs owe it to the next generation to pay forward their failures and just not their successes.” As Misty began to own her story, she began to find value in the creation and the process, not just the outcome. She shares this mindset with her teams and her family. “There’s great value in doing small things well. I didn’t understand this straight out of the gate and I still don’t have it perfect. Entrepreneurship is a muscle that needs to be built and exercised.”
Twenty years ago, Steve Sims was bored. “I was automatically depressed before I left the house. I realized that there was no fun, no passion, no excitement. There was nothing beyond getting a paycheck. Eventually I said, f*** no,” he remembers. The East London construction worker and motorcycle enthusiast talked his way into getting a bank job, which transferred him to Hong Kong in 1994. “I came on a Saturday and was fired by Tuesday,” he laughs. Stranded in Hong Kong and straddled with debt, he began working at a night club. After gaining clout within the nightlife community and high rollers, he developed a password in order for people to gain admission into his exclusive parties. The password was Bluefish, which would go on to become the name of his company, a group that creates customized concierge experiences. Around this time, he found his governing principle, “If there’s no passion, there’s no point. I actually have it painted on a wall in my office,” he says.
Fast forward two decades and this principle still guides his life. A large component of this philosophy deals with presenting one’s authentic self at all times. He recalls that he toned himself down for a bit, opted for a Bentley instead of a motorcycle and a suit instead of his normal garb. This ended up negatively impacting his business and no one could understand why. “When I changed back into my normal self, the clients returned. They couldn’t even put their finger on why they had stopped doing business with me,” he remarks, “Being me is so bloody easy, it takes no effort for it to be me.”
An additional component of his philosophy involves keeping the entrepreneurial fire burning by only doing the things he likes. “I do what I like and outsource everything else. I focus on doing just what I’m good at. When I do this, I go from maybe 10% productive to 60 or 80% productive,” he claims. Steve is also very aware of the people he lets into his space, citing that he will only interface with people who are incredibly passionate. He often opts to perform The Chug Test. In short, if a client was across the street, he assesses whether or not he would run across the road to catch up with the client and possibly chug down a coffee or beer, “I have turned away clients if they fail this test. I also ask my team members to put our potential clients up to this test.”
While entrepreneurs may view this as unreasonable or hard to maintain, Steve argues that it’s just like building a habit, like jogging or some other form of exercise. Just like the password became a filter to ensure that only the people who he liked could get into the parties, this test ensures that he only works with people who share his sense of passion and purpose. “This may come off as rude but that’s not my intention. This is my life; I’m going to die one day and I want to enjoy every single minute I’m alive.”
How do you live with passion? Tweet us with your answers @PaperNapkin and click below to listen to this podcast.
We’ve all seen it before: the big houses, the flashy cars and the stories of how entrepreneurs made their millions, spread across the glossy pages of magazines. While this may look like success, Dave Mammano thinks there's a little more to it than that. Founder of NextStepU, an organization that helps teenagers plan their future, he explains how to live a more fulfilled life and reclaim hours in your day.
The road to this discovery began in college, where Dave initially majored in pre-dentistry. “My mother’s cousin was a dentist. He had a red Porsche and a big house, so I decided that I wanted to be one too,” he explains. After an unfulfilling internship, Dave really began to evaluate what he wanted to do and readjusted accordingly. His reasoning was not an anomaly; he finds that many teens base their career planning around what will make them the most money versus what will make them happy. Unfortunately, sometimes the same holds true for many entrepreneurs.
Back in 2010, Dave realized he was focusing all of his energy into his business and not enough energy into some of other the important areas of life. Once this began to take a toll on his health, he made it a point to intentionally design the life he wanted. “Because entrepreneurs are wildly creative and somewhat ‘ADD’, this was a challenge,” Dave confesses. After joining the Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), he decided to take a step back and made his internal well-being a number one priority.
Dave encourages entrepreneurs to do regular internal audits to evaluate what success looks like to them. “To me, success is not what I amass in material goods. Rather, I measure it based on what I have internally. I think this is the number one recipe for success and happiness,” Dave explains. But with the hustle and bustle of today’s plugged-in world, how is this possible? “I encourage the teens I talk to, to do something that will scare the living bejeezus out of them. I tell them to put away their phones and any kind of technology. I tell them to go for a walk in the woods and think about what they like to do, what their values are and how they can map out a plan to make that happen.”
Introspective reviews can be tough. So, Dave has developed a system to assist with measuring his internal happiness and personal progress on a week by week basis. Journaling and meditation is fundamental to this process. Additionally, he holds himself accountable and works with an accountability partner to make sure he stays on track. He asks himself: What makes me happy and healthy in the areas that are important? “A healthy, happy entrepreneur is one who balances the work, the family, friends, faith and what not.” While this will vary from person to person, it’s essential for entrepreneurs to plan this out like it is a business to avoid neglecting some of the things that should take precedent.
In addition to improving his mental well being and interpersonal relationships, this structure allows him to “suck the juice” out of every minute. Within these journaling sessions, he plans out his goals for the each day of the week, month and year. He believes that this allows him to be more focused and organized.
Learn more about Dave’s system and experiences by listening to the podcast below!
Welcome to Episode 1 of The Entrepreneur Family, a new channel focused on how entire families share in the entrepreneurial journey and how it impacts not just the entrepreneur but their loved ones as well.
Entrepreneurship requires that a risk-taking individual embark upon a journey: to launch their own business, using their own innovative ideas, in order to eventually earn a viable profit. Entrepreneur Amrit Mansahia discusses in detail with us her business journey, and the challenges she faced along the way. Specifically, she notes that most challenges are unforeseen, and only appear once the entrepreneur is already deep into the process.
Amrit Mansahia explains how one’s family is equally affected by the launch of a new business. Throughout an entrepreneur’s journey, there is more than one individual along for the ride. She says, “It is not me who is failing or succeeding; it is we.” As a spouse, both partners are on the journey together; it is a family affair.
The journey began for Amrit Mansahia when she was a graduate with an entrepreneurship bachelor’s degree, and a supportive husband by her side. They both embarked upon terrific jobs, working for others, until her husband had the idea of the spouses starting their own business. Amrit agreed, even though they had the responsibility of a new baby to also consider. Both spouses quit their jobs and began the business. Immediately, the struggles ensued: long work hours, no income, no money for basic necessities, including baby diapers. Amrit notes, “In one’s own business, there are so many tasks to complete simultaneously.” Focus and balance are very important, because every action and decision depends on and directly effects another action and decision.
Amrit Mansahia describes the entire entrepreneur journey as a rollercoaster ride, with many ups, downs, and unknowns along the way. However, in the end, she observes that having a viable company to call her own is worth the difficult journey it required, of not only her and her husband, but their entire family as well.
What would you do if there were no rules or set path to achieving success? In this podcast, Matt Ward explains his philosophy behind his theory that there are no rules. “In life and business, there are set patterns,” he explains,”but at the end of the day, you can do what you want to do.” And he would know -- Matt started out as an engineer but now runs an ecommerce company.”I was always the straight A student, really rules focused, a bit of a nerd. Great at math and science, not so great at English,” he admits.
After becoming dissatisfied with the corporate world and discovering his love for crowdfunding and ecommerce, he began exploring the idea that rules should be abandoned. He happened upon the idea after reading Eckhart Tolle’s bestseller (and Oprah approved) “The Power of Now”. The book asserts that there is no past because it's over, and there is no future. Additionally, Tolle believes that most problems technically don’t exist because they’re in the future. This was a life changing revelation for Matt, who ended up on a completely different course than the one he started on.
As the head of a Fulfilled By Amazon company, he breaks down how Amazon has broken the rules and subsequently changed history. While competing giant Ebay encouraged people to bid on items, Amazon allowed people to get the best product for the lowest cause. “Raw efficiency... makes things really easy for consumers and is one way Amazon is breaking the rules,” he says.
Matt also believes that many entrepreneurs are victims of analysis paralysis, “You don’t have to be perfect to launch. Perfectionist syndrome keeps people on the beaten path. You [end up] holding yourself back. That’s the main difference between “wantrepreneurs” and “entrepreneurs.”
He encourages entrepreneurs to change course if something isn’t working, a lesson he learned after stopping his crowdfunding story.
He leaves budding entrepreneurs with this advice, “Go do something stupid so that you’ll learn incredible things from it. Set outlandishly large goals. Plan goals over the next 12 months while having this mind set. If you shoot for the moon and get 10% of the way there, you’re going to have a hell of a success story… assuming you have a rocket.”
Check out the whole conversation.
The concept of working a 9-5 position isn’t ancient. You may not realize it, but it’s actually only a few generations old. While people in the 1500s certainly had trades and appointed positions, the work force looked very different prior to the Industrial Revolution.”The concept of going to a big dark building was so foreign [500] years ago. [But] in the last five to ten years, there has been a shift. Entrepreneurship is the future,” explains Clay Hebert, marketing and growth hack expert.
Prior to the turn of the century, the folks who approved or denied access to certain opportunities - otherwise known as gatekeepers - were the game changers. And although they still exist, Hebert believes they are a lot less relevant than they were in those days, stating, “All of the gatekeepers are gone. Except one. You are the last gatekeeper.” In this podcast, he explains his philosophy behind the quote, along with ways entrepreneurs and creatives can begin to rethink how they view gatekeepers.
Gatekeepers follow the standard rules and procedures that have been around for ages, which means that sometimes “[they] don’t have good taste”, he notes. In fact, J.K. Rowling’s first book in the Harry Potter series was cast aside by publishers and picked up by his daughter, who begged him for a sequel. Hebert came to this revelation after leaving his decade long position with consulting firm Accenture. “I worked with awesome, brilliant people, but they didn’t value entrepreneurship like I did,” he recounts.
In 2009, he studied under Seth Godin’s alternative MBA program and went on to help brands and individuals with digital marketing. After helping a friend hold a successful Kickstarter campaign for a film she was directing, he began to realize how gatekeepers were slowly going out of vogue. “In order to make her film, she needed to raise $30,000 for post production costs. But there were gatekeepers telling her no. With my help, she got past them and found another way.” The film went on to be shown at festivals and win awards, further cementing his idea that gatekeepers were a thing of the past.
Of course, some gatekeepers are useful. “I want to be sure that my pilot is trained and certified, and isn’t some hipster guy from Brooklyn that just randomly decided he wanted to fly a plane,” Hebert jokes. However, when it comes to more creative and entrepreneurial pursuits, he believes that people simply need to get out of their own way.
A big part of this is monitoring what you consume and becoming a gatekeeper for yourself. Whether it’s the latest vacation photos from an old high school friend on Facebook or the salacious headline in the paper, it’s important for entrepreneurs to keep a pulse on what they are “ingesting”. “99% of people don’t care about you or what you do. And that’s great news,” Hebert says, “Ignore them. so you can give value to the 1% that do care. That’s hard to do when you’re ingesting all of that noise.” He encourages entrepreneurs to subscribe to author Kevin Kelly’s concept of finding and nurturing 1000 true fans, while building from the ground up.
Click here for a special bonus gift from Clay Hebert and make sure to listen to the podcast.
What happens when you create a venn diagram that combines discovering your passion with providing unique value and figuring out where your audience is listening? In this podcast, Rand Fishkin, founder and CEO of Moz, believes that is how you find your sweet spot.
As with most entrepreneurs, Fishkin knows a little bit about how failure can eventually inspire success. After dropping out of college in 2001, he began working with his mom at an agency where they offered clients web design and marketing solutions. However, they began drowning in debt, amassing over $500,000 from overhead expenses. In 2004, he started a blog called SEO Moz. “I spent four hours a day writing blogs. For the first year, it wasn’t really attracting anyone or resonating with a particular audience,” Fishkin recalls.
But after a year of publishing blogs five days per week, eventually the audience came: SEO Moz (renamed Moz) became a credible source of information about the newest marketing phase - search engine . In fact, the blog became so successful that in 2007, he was able to pay off his debt. While discovering his sweet spot took some time, Fishkin notes, “I have not seen someone in the content marketing world where someone was automatically a massive success.
The founder of Buzzfeed had over 11 years of publishing experience before it became what it is today. It’s all about shifting your passions to an area where you can provide unique value.” Additionally, he notes that entrepreneurs should keep their ear to the ground to find where their audience is to avoid choosing the right platform to promote their service or product.
As a public figure and thought leader, Fishkin has a few nuggets for entrepreneurs. First, they must be willing to learn, adapt and change for their audience. Additionally, it’s key to experiment with new platforms without over investing in them, in order to continue to grow and learn. Find out more words of wisdom by clicking the link !
Is there a formula for success? This week’s Paper Napkin Wisdom guest, Geoff Smart - CEO of lead consulting firm ghSMART - proposes just that . Dr. Smart, the best selling author of Who: The A Method for Hiring and the newly released Power Score: Your Formula for Leadership Success, holds a PhD in Psychology and has spent the last twenty years collecting and synthesizing data from over 3000 leaders and their teams.
While most books on leadership suggest that most prominent trait of successful leaders is honesty, Dr. Smart discovered that this wasn’t necessarily a special trait, and that most people (successful or unsuccessful) rated themselves highly in this category.
The Power Score (P x W x R) takes a look at the empirical data surrounding common traits of leaders and proposes that if teams are good at prioritizing, hiring the right people and building the right relationships, they are twenty times more likely to be successful than if they don’t have these traits. The concept was birthed by his publisher, who suggested that Dr. Smart take a more holistic approach to his new book as opposed to just providing tips on hiring as he had for his previous work “Who”. “The formula is multiplicative,” Dr. Smart explains, and akin to an athlete performing in a triathlon -- he or she must be good at all three in order to be successful.
The “P” stands for prioritizing and refers to the need for leaders and their teams to be equally plugged into the top goals and objectives of the organization. According to Dr. Smart, only 24 percent of leaders in the sample were good at prioritizing, while 90 percent said they had too many priorities. Working collaboratively to establish goals and a step-by-step process to achieve them is crucial to the success of any team.
The next letter in the equation, “W”, stands for Who. This value represents the team members themselves and evaluates whether they are all-stars or average from the beginning of the hiring process. To dig a bit deeper, Dr. Smart suggests asking the following questions prior to hiring a new team member:
- What does performance mean? What will it take for this person to be an all-star in this role?
- How was this candidate sourced? Was it a referral from an internal party?
- Am I asking the right interview questions and avoiding any hypothetical statements or situations in the interview?
- Am I selling this person on how great of a fit it is, how much time they’ll have with family, how much freedom they’ll have, the amount of money they’ll make and how fun it is to work here?
Because the majority of managers worldwide only have around a 50% retention rate for the staff they hire, these questions are pertinent in order to ensure the new hire will bring value to their new team.
Finally, “R” stands for relationships. “Simply stated,” Dr. Smart explains, the right people need to be talking at the right time.
Check out the latest podcast and Dr. Smart’s new book to learn more about the formula for success!
Two years ago Rob Simons challenged me to by flipping around the Paper Napkin Wisdom podcast and turning me into the subject and he’d play the interviewer. To launch season 4, he came back to turn the tables once more by interviewing me in today’s podcast. I’ve been thinking a lot since the release of my book, “Your Five Step Plan For Life and Business Success”. As business owners and entrepreneurs, many times we worry about reaching our highest potential, often because we don’t think we are good enough. Thus, my paper napkin for today reads “Make it bad, then make it better. But make it.”
This initially came to me when I created the first draft of my most recent book. I produced it before a keynote I did, and it was just my thoughts on paper. My friend and organizer of the event gave me one requirement in order to speak: they wanted me to give away 100 copies of my book. Having that first draft provided me with the opportunity to improve upon the product.
Let’s go back even further.
In 2009, my personal and professional life was eroding and I was looking for a magic wand to wave over everything. While I didn’t find the wand, I did find something better. And in 2013, I launched Paper Napkin Wisdom. At the beginning, I had no clue what I was doing. It took me almost a year to get the first paper napkin and I recorded everything with $19 equipment. However, while it wasn’t perfect, the conversations we had were still riveting. After doing a few hundred podcasts, of course it improved. Once the process got going, I did 70 podcasts in three months and collected nearly 100 paper napkins. Throughout this process of creating the podcast, I discovered ways to make it better. For starters, being genuine curiosity ended up being the key to great podcasts interviews. Over-preparing took away a part of the authenticity of the podcast. But I had to do it first in order to improve upon it.
“So, Govindh,” you may ask, “how do you go from having a goal to doing it and making it better?” The answer for that lies within the first napkin I ever had on the show, which read, “If you want to learn and grow, you have to do what scares you and do it in public.”
I’ve interviewed hundreds of people over the years and came upon a revelation: many people who achieve great success only do it once or twice in their lives. Because of this, they often unintentionally overlook the process that enabled them to achieve these successes. In Your Five Step Plan, I highlight the commonalities I’ve discovered after talking to the most brilliant minds over the last few years.
- Multitasking is for computers, not for leaders. In fact, you get an 8x better ROI when you focus on one task at a time.
- There’s no such thing as priorities. There’s typically only one thing that you can focus on at a time. Deal with that and the rest will fall into place.
- Your worldview affects your business decisions. To the aforementioned point, when deciding what those priorities are, keep in mind that how you view the world affects how you prioritize.
- Distilled wisdom is key. If you can’t explain something simply, you don’t understand it well enough.
- Be accountable. A study showed that people who wrote down their goals are 36.7% more likely to achieve them. However, those who wrote down their goals and provided progress reports to peers were 76.7% more likely to achieve their goals.
I often see time and deadlines becoming barricades to entrepreneurs starting on a specific goal. While timelines are important, they shouldn’t be used to be hard on yourself. As a career coach, Rob encourages entrepreneurs to learn from their process, even if deadlines need to be adjusted.
One of the big challenges I had in the past was not having a subsequent goal after achieving a big milestone. However, in 2016, my biggest goal is to get this book into your hands in an effort to “save an entrepreneur, and save the world”. I want to inspire each and every one of you to take your ideas and your business further, faster.
Are you ready to embark on this journey?
Listen to the whole conversation:
Shep Hyken is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, a grass roots entrepreneur, and a speaker. He’s a busy guy but he’s focused in a way that makes him effective and efficient.
He’s already been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Speakers Association, an incredible feat considering he’s still amazing crowds around the world on the subject of consistently delivering Amazing Customer Service.
In his Paper Napkin Wisdom, Shep shares with us a simple yet profound message. He says: “On successful people (and those that aren’t). Those that do, do. Those that don’t won’t!”
Don’t Hold Back The first time Shep heard the above phrase, the last word was “don’t” rather than “won’t” but there’s a big difference between the two words and Shep believes his spin on it to be more accurate. “Won’t” conveys that we’re stopping ourselves, which is precisely what Shep thinks happens. He believes that some people hold back because they don’t see the bigger picture or don’t look for the positive strategic byproducts that happen as a result of doing new, different things and trying all kinds of different angels. In some cases, he says, there’s something subconscious that keeps people from doing things or it’s simply that they don’t like to try a little bit harder or work a little bit harder. It’s unfortunate, because a little bit of extra effort can make all the difference.
“Someone once told me it doesn’t take much more to go first class,” says Shep. Putting in that little bit of extra effort or that little bit of extra work can make all the difference in an experience and he says it’s what makes an experience memorable. It’s an element that Shep applies to every business relationship he has, but he’s careful not to over commit. He’s learned that in order to be successful and grow you have to say ‘no’ and delegate tasks. Delegating tasks allows Shep to do what he calls staying in his lane: he knows what he’s really good at and he stays focused on doing that. This doesn’t mean he doesn’t expand his efforts or that he doesn’t keep an eye out for new opportunities, but it does means that he evaluates potential ventures in terms of how congruent they are with what he does in addition to assessing how much time and money it will cost him.
Identify What Works Shep says that part of success is identifying the things that you’ve done in the past that worked for you and trying to repeat them. He advises taking a look at what you’ve done from the beginning of your business to what you’ve done now and find the milestone moments, the moments that really made a positive impact in your business. Are there things that have worked for you in the past that you don’t do anymore? Shep says that our attention too often gets siphoned off into the some activity that gets in the way of us doing what’s always worked best. If we take the time to repeat things that have worked for us in the past instead of constantly innovating, we not only save ourselves time, we give ourselves the opportunity to see what strategic byproducts might be right in front of us.
“Things are going to happen that you’re going go ‘ooh, that’s a great idea.”
A strategic byproduct is an opportunity that arises as a result of some sort of current situation.”Along the way things are going to happen that you’re going to go ‘ooh, that’s a great idea.'” says Shep. He shares the example of how, when his speaking business was lagging due to the fear surrounding air travel in the wake of 9/11, a client mentioned how he wished Shep had content he could bring to the company. Considering what his client had said, Shep reworked his content into a training format and did just that. Recently, he’s even noticed that his income from training has begun to surpass that of his speaking engagements.
Shep has a really simple approach to getting stuff done, he just does it. By delegating the things that would otherwise distract him from staying in his lane, and putting in that little bit of extra effort, Shep is able to keep a sharp eye out for opportunity and move his business in the right direction. It’s a method that’s lead him to great success, where might it lead you?
Sean Costello is an entrepreneurial leader who values the right balance of culture and execution. He has founded multiple companies on the principles of patience and curiosity, and works hard to maintain a supportive atmosphere for his clines and employees. This has lead Sean to his contribution to Paper Napkin Wisdom: People all around you want to help, they just don’t yet know how.
In Sean’s experience, real connections become possible when you share with people how they can help you. We are all here to help unlock each other’s people and help each other succeed. In so doing, we ourselves will succeed by realizing our strength. Thinking of this another way, how effective would a sports team be if each player was wearing blinders and was unable to locate their teammates? The metaphor of the team can thus relate to family, an organization, a corporation, or any community of people that is reliant on one another.
The requirement or exercise within this philosophy, as Sean explains, is quite simple. It is about actively asking for feedback while simultaneously making it safe for sharing. Sharing, in this case, can mean everything from concerns to feedback to dreams. This creates an environment of possibilities.
Sean exploration as a microcosm for business - it cannot succeed without the appropriate amount of process, planning, preparation, and simulation. This has driven his fascination with the space program, while also helping him meet and develop a co-mentorship with someone he calls “Young Astronaut Abby”. Abby shared with him, in their first meeting, her dream of being the first astronaut to Mars. Sean challenged Abby to continue with and develop that dream, rather than dismissing it as childish whimsy. She has since spoken on a Ted X stage about acting and dreaming big, and leveraged her dream into other examples of success. This was able to occur because she shared her dream with Sean and gave him the awareness on how she could be helped.
Another example is quite personal for Sean. When his grandfather was about to turn 100, his family was flying into a remote town to celebrate. Sean wanted to offer him something unique to help him with that celebration, so on the flight there, he shared with the pilot the location of his grandfather’s farm. The farm happened to be near the airport, so Sean simply asked for a fly by. The pilot, of course, was more than happy to oblige and Sean was able to take photos of the farmhouse as they flew over to share with his grandfather and elevate his birthday celebration.
This is all to say that Sean enters every transaction, regardless of the situation, by sharing how he defines success with the other participants. For example, he was able to convince a customer to pay up front for a full year by offering a reduced price, all the while that up front cash was also helping Sean to succeed by providing him with financing.
In Sean’s experience, the best approach to relationships is to start by thinking “what do I need to do for them” rather than thinking “what do I need to demand”. The result will be more fulfilling for both parties.
For more than two decades, Alex Charfen has been creating and testing business philosophies specifically geared towards entrepreneurs. Alex has been an entrepreneur himself during this period, and has developed the Entrepreneurial Personality Type to help business owners grow their business and themselves. He has contributed to numerous major media outlets and brings his core philosophy to Paper Napkin Wisdom: “There is nothing wrong with you.”
Alex’s contribution stems from an observation that whoever has stood out in history has always had a restlessness - something that people constantly told them was a weakness. Ranging from the original great thinkers of Athens to Einstein to Buffett, opposition to this type of innovative thinking has always originated from a resistance to change. In the business world, entrepreneurs represent this archetype because we are highly susceptible to negative criticism.
At every level of business - and especially when starting out - the message is “fix yourself.” In Alex’s experience, however, entrepreneurs must discover how to identify strengths and abilities, develop protection and support, and lower pressure and noise. You may be surprised at how rapidly these efforts help in accomplishing your goals. Alex even goes so far as to recommend leaning into your personality (as opposed to tempering it) and make it a more prominent part of your business.
From the work Alex has done with entrepreneurs, he has identified three awakenings that each of us experiences: 1) a realization that we are fundamentally different, 2) an innate motivation to keep going, 3) the call of contribution. The first stage begins at an early age by learning “what is wrong with me” through systemic suppression and fear. This eventually grows, however, into learning how to get ahead, and learning that self improvement often requires breaking systemic rules. The next evolution becomes “how to get my partners and team ahead”, which finally results in “how to contribute and help everyone.” Think of Bill Gates as the perfect example: someone who began is career as selfish, driven, and cutthroat, but developed a philanthropic, generous spirit of contribution.
Entrepreneurial personalities tend to prefer momentum to feeling - forward vs backwards as opposed to happy vs sad. As such, chasing momentum is more rewarding than chasing happiness. Entrepreneurs tend to be momentum-based or highly attuned to whether they’re moving forward. As Alex describes it, pressure and noise = stress, frustration, obstacles, regardless of size. Protection and support comes from surrounding yourself with people who help you move forward.
Complete the following exercise: think of a time when you experienced a high level of momentum. What were you chasing and how are you tracking your momentum? Who contributed to you and who have you contributed to? A perfect example of this formula is Rick Hoyt: a person who, with the help of his father, family, neighbors and friends, overcame a physical disability to develop strengths and abilities, and eventually make a contribution through inspiration.
John Spence went from being kicked out of college with a D average to becoming CEO of an international Rockefeller foundation and reporting directly to Winthrop P. Rockefeller III just a few years later. This turn around wasn’t an accident, it was something John did by maintaining a focus on innovation, personal growth, and a thirst for learning. As an entrepreneur, he has worn many hats, but has always maintained that focus on innovation. This is the inspiration for his contribution to Paper Napkin Wisdom: “II > EI”. Simply put, the equation means that to be successful in the future, the rate of internal innovation must exceed the rate of external innovation.
In the entrepreneurial world, when everything around you becomes unstable, internal innovation is required in order to maintain (or grow), especially considering the speed of change around us. Entrepreneurs know in their core that in order to be successful, we must out-innovate, out-create, out-experiment, and out-deliver our competitors.
The pace of innovation is faster and the scope is broader (global) in every industry, sector, and marketplace. Consider the modern smart phone: in 1982, to purchase something that had every capability that a smart phone currently has would’ve cost $3.2 billion dollars (with a B!) and been the size of two tractor-trailers. An iPhone now retails for $700 and fits in your pocket. In 10 years, you may be able to purchase the same capabilities for $5 at the size of a human blood cell.
The next question that most entrepreneurs will ask, according to John, is regarding intellectual property and the protection of ideas. While the open source economy is rapidly developing, the protection of intellectual property will require a heightened attention on process. This means a powerful commitment to continuous, daily, incremental improvement. In John’s experience, this also requires convening with like-minded individuals to bring new ideas and provide support (the oxymoron of personal connection in the face of technological disconnect).
In that vein, John’s work has provided him with relevant analysis on the younger generation of today’s workforce and produced surprising results. The so-called millennial generation values the opportunity to do important work, work with cool people, and make a difference. This comes from the realization that you can Google an answer, but not a question - it cannot ask you a question and cause you to think critically. The correlation for entrepreneurs is that the success of your business, regardless of size, is directly determined by the quality of the people that you can get, grow, and and retain. Even for “solo-preneurs”, this means your personal network - people who can challenge you and help generate ideas (the process is likely to be 90% give, 10% take).
From similar analytical findings, John’s research shows that the qualities people value most in leadership are asking great questions and the ability to listen. When listening to your key players, ask yourself the following: What does that mean to me? How can I use that? What can I do right away? Similarly, according to John, you must be bold enough and curious enough to explore different industries as a new source of learning and growth.
When thinking of this kind of exponential growth, consider this analogy: which choice you would make if someone offered you either $1 million immediately, or 1 cent that doubles every day for 30 days? The long-term satisfaction of the latter is a perfect microcosm for John’s philosophy on internal innovation.
Jason Womack is an educator, author, entrepreneur, and CEO, among other things. He is an avid practitioner of his own philosophies on work/life balance, productivity, and forward progress, and with Master’s degrees in Education and Psychology, is well-educated in the way we think. These facets of Jason’s life and work have inspired his contribution to Paper Napkin Wisdom, which is a simple straight line from point A to point B. The philosophy behind Jason’s napkin focuses on how to get to point B without getting knocked off course, how to persevere when the path gets rough, and how to focus when it gets easy.
As Jason explains, from a certain age, we are programmed to look towards “what is next” (e.g. in high school, we look towards college as the next step). This is the difference between destination-based goals and direction-based goals. “Getting through the day”, for example, is a destination-based goal - it is not necessarily a bad thing, but it may be limiting your perspective. After a few instances of concentrating on destination, however, you begin to understand your direction - the experience(s) you want to have, both in your work and your life.
Direction, according to Jason, is all about momentum. It allows you to experience - and learn from - everything along the path to point B. An exercise that Jason employs is to consistently acknowledge when something is complete, rather than rerunning it internally to find mistakes or weaknesses. This exercise not only helps to push forward, but also helps to commit to systems and processes. This creates a flow of psychology, sociology, and technology, which Jason says will help clarify your direction-based goals.
In terms of psychology (the thinking side), create an “at my best” list - an explicit inventory of conditions when you are most successful (e.g. eating a full breakfast, meeting first-thing with key players, etc). Think of this list as another version of strength-finder, where you create an opportunity to move forward. Another way to think of this is resilience. Most would consider resilience when faced with major, life-changing, negative events, but Jason encourages us to also consider everyday stressors and obstacles that you get past, which indicate that you’re making progress.
The second phase - sociology - is all about support. Ask yourself who are you going to hang out with next, and decide whether that person is someone who will help you get to the next level. You will eventually find yourself in an atmosphere of mentorship, friendship, family, and support. The “who” in this instance will always have a profound impact on the “why” the “how” and the “why”, and will further influence your movement, momentum, and destination.
Finally, Jason talks about technology. Rather than just the screen size, battery life, and cord length, Jason refers to any tool that will help with tracking and accountability. In other words, how do you utilize the tools - high- and low-tech - available to you in order to keep moving forward? How do you track yourself and what systems do you employ?
From these three areas, Jason has developed three questions to ask yourself on a daily basis to help focus your direction: 1) what did I complete today? 2) who can I acknowledge today? 3) what am I grateful for today? This exercise will help show that everything is relative - both the successes and the failures (e.g. the guy without shoes complains until he sees the guy without feet). It also creates a powerful historical record to show that something that seems significant now might not seem that way a few months or years later.
As entrepreneurs, we are experts in cognitive dissonance, according to Jason - the ability to notice a gap or when something is off. We must challenge ourselves also to notice what is there and what is “on”.
My very Uncommon Opinion: buying a house is a good investment
These days, it seems to be all the rage to tell people to “never buy a house.” Folks like Grant Cardone and James Altucher argue that buying a home eats up too much capital and never allows for a good return on investment. Well, to put this bluntly: They’re wrong, and I have the facts to prove it.
How much money are you really putting down?
If you’re an average millennial with decent credit, you’ll usually only be putting down 10% when you purchase your first home – far from some online arguments that assume a 20% to 40% down payment when arguing against home buying. That’s a big difference – $30,000 vs. up to $120,000 for a $300,000 home. Don’t rely on inaccurate assumptions; estimate what your down payment would be before deciding that buying isn’t for you.
People are overbuying on their first (or second, or third) house
When most people look at a mortgage offer from a bank, they purchase the most expensive house the bank will allow them to afford, which is a terrible idea. If a bank extends someone the credit to buy a $500,000 house, but a $300,000 home fits most of their needs, the less expensive home is a better financial and lifestyle choice. Remember, overextending yourself means you are actually buying a mortgage, not a house.
Many of the arguments against buying overlook making a sensible purchase, and use examples in which individuals are buying the most expensive home they can get their hands on. That seriously sways the numbers in favor of renting. Just because others are doing this doesn’t mean you have to – get a less expensive home so you can save and place more money into investment vehicles with a higher rate of return, or spend the difference on things you are passionate about.
Money spent on upgrading your lifestyle or yourself, such as traveling the world or finally firing up that great business idea, are a far better investment than a fancy address. Plus, you can always upgrade later, if you want.
Keep in mind, you have to live somewhere
One of the traditional arguments for buying a home is that you’re spending money on rent anyway, so you might as well invest it in something. This is still correct. As long as you make smart choices when you purchase a home, it’s better to invest in your own property rather than pay a landlord.
Think about it this way – you’re going to lose a lot of money renting over the years. If you lose less money over time by owning a house, you’ve made a great financial choice.
Homes nearly always appreciate in value, especially with maintenance and ‘smart’ improvements
If you let your home deteriorate and don’t maintain it, it’s a no-brainer that its value will decrease over time. However, if you maintain your home by investing in improvements that can increase its resale value, it’s likely to significantly increase in value over time.
Examples of improvements with a high rate of return include installing high-quality floors, maintaining bathrooms, and upgrading your home’s kitchen. Unfortunately, improvements to the backyard such as landscaping have low ROI, so you should avoid spending too much on them if you’re trying to maximize your home’s value.
Will I be stuck in my house forever?
Unlike what some folks say, buying a home doesn't chain you to one address for life. Unless you get really unlucky and purchase a place for well over its market value, you’re not going to get stuck for long – just sell the house and move into another. If you can’t, simply rent out your property and rent another somewhere else while you sort things out and wait for the original home’s value to increase.
Is this a good time to buy?
The housing crash of 2008 is still in recent memory and it has many first-time home buyers scared that they could overpay, only to see their residence quickly crash in value. So, to determine whether the housing market is overvalued (and thus headed for a bust) or if it still has a lot of room for stable growth, check out an analysis done by The Economist for a quick snapshot.
The magazine’s data team looked at two numbers: the ratio of price to income and price to rent, and found that houses in most American cities appear to be at fair value when compared to long-term averages. Some cities, however, like San Francisco, have homes that are extremely expensive compared to average incomes (meaning they could be destined for a fast fall), so it’s a good idea to dig into a city’s price-to-income and price-to-rent ratios before buying property there.
Profiting off of your home equity using “The Smith Manoeuvre” (for Canadian homeowners)
In the U.S., home mortgage payments are tax deductible (as long as it’s a primary residence), but in Canada, homeowners aren’t quite so lucky. However, Canadians can take out a home equity loan in order to invest money in income-producing entities (like dividend-paying stocks or rental property), and use the tax return to further pay down their mortgages.
It’s called the Smith Manoeuvre, and while it sounds complex, it’s a fantastic way for many homeowners to develop a sizeable investment portfolio and pay their mortgage at the same time. If you’re considering doing this, you should be confident in your investing skills – and be prepared with a Plan B if you need to move and the market goes down.
The bottom line: You should probably own a house
Should everyone go out right now and buy a house? Well, maybe not everyone. But if you're like most young people who earn a steady income and want to invest in their future, it’s absolutely the right move. If you still don’t believe me, run the numbers yourself with this calculator. It takes into account rent prices, mortgage rates, inflation levels, taxes, and variety of other factors to compare the long-term costs of renting vs. buying a residence.
Jeff Hoffman’s career has provided him with many hats to wear: successful entrepreneur, proven CEO, worldwide motivational speaker, Hollywood film producer, and a producer of a Grammy winning jazz album. Jeff has had various roles in companies large and small, along with being the founder of multiple startups. Along the path of this career, Jeff one day noticed a sign that said “You may be successful, but will you matter?” Along with the concept of using your career to make a difference, that is the essence of Jeff’s contribution to Paper Napkin Wisdom.
Conventional wisdom in the entrepreneur world states that you can either be someone who cares about doing good - i.e. a social entrepreneur - or you can concentrate on making money. In Jeff’s experience, however, this is not a binary decision - the two elements are not mutually exclusive. Your product may not change the world, but your life should: the results of your effort - what you do with your success, your life, your time - can make the world better around you. In Jeff’s mind, the definition of “mattering”: how many other people’s lives have you made better?
To think of this concept another way, money is often required to make a difference, so you shouldn’t feel guilty about being successful, as long as your success leads to positive change around you. The benefit you find from using your time to help someone else cannot truly be quantified. The story Jeff shares is of spending time with the elderly who did not seem to have anyone else to keep them company. More specifically, he regularly took one woman to a local diner because all she wanted was a piece of pie. It became such a joy for her that her caretakers at the nursing home described her as “counting the days until pie day.”
Jeff’s experience sharing his time with the elderly clarified something for him: entrepreneurs who are only chasing money are usually the ones who quit first. People that are driven by purpose, however, far outperform those who are driven by paycheck. When you know that your efforts and your work matter, it becomes a driver for your success. This kind of confidence also becomes contagious - for potential investors, customers, and employees.
Another vivid example from Jeff centers around the successful sale of his first startup to a Fortune 500 company. He began to notice that friends and peers were treating him differently - almost negatively. Instead of celebrating the success of the sale of his first startup, Jeff became depressed and somewhat resentful of his own achievements. Almost simultaneously with that feeling came a news story about a local shelter for battered women being closed due to lack of funding, so Jeff put two and two together and was able to assist the shelter financially. The logical lesson learned is the direct correlation between how hard he worked and his ability to make other people’s lives better, so he never felt guilty about making money again.
This accidental discovery became a financial and career philosophy, and also began to permeate his own company culture. They developed a system to take a percentage of their sales and put it into a pool, then allow the employees to decide as a team where to direct those funds (or the time that they can support). They call it the community project account. The philosophy Jeff created for himself became contagious for his team - a bonding exercise that a standard work environment could never provide.
Culturally, the end result was a stronger team of respectful, collaborative individuals. Jeff’s experience is the ultimate instance of leading by example - creating a personal philosophy powerful enough that it became influential for his team and helped strengthen/grow his business.
Dave Rendall is an entrepreneur who has worn many hats during his professional career, which started when he was very young. All told, he has delivered newspapers, been a stock boy, lawn boy, caddie, painter, janitor, tutor, resident assistant, job coach, supervisor, nonprofit manager, and senior executive. Just to spice things up, he also has experience as a leadership professor, stand-up comedian, and endurance athlete. Drawing from this vast array of experience, Dave’s contribution to Paper Napkin Wisdom is rooted in reality: “What makes us weird, makes us wonderful. What makes us weak, also makes us strong.”
The common social reaction to uniqueness is one that nearly every teenage kid experiences at least once: rejection. Weirdness has a negative connotation; the word “unusual” is usually meant as a criticism. The resistance once receives for being weird is a push to be more conventional; to fit in. Robert Quinn once observed: “Deviants will always generate external pressures to conform when you perform beyond the norms, the systems will adjust and try to make you normal.”
It has been Dave’s experience, however, that the things that make you weird will also make you successful and remarkable. Those who are perceived to be weak may actually be quite strong. This perspective comes from Dave’s time working with people with disabilities (and specifically, helping them find employment). While it was common for others to focus on someone’s perceived disability, Dave explains that it takes a true genius to identify what’s working and what’s effective.
Dyslexia is a condition that provides a perfect example in the world of entrepreneurship. One study revealed that more than 50% of British millionaires were dyslexic, while another showed that at least 33% of entrepreneurs in the U.S. also have the condition. One person who fits into both categories is Richard Branson, who claims that his dyslexia has helped him to succeed. The logical conclusion: people with the condition don’t have weak or broken brains, they just have different brains. Paul Orfalea, founder of Kinkos, would likely agree; his dyslexia drove him to stay out of the office, improve his management style, and grow his business. Upon selling to FedEx for $2.4B, he claimed that not only would he not want to remove his condition, he wishes everyone could have it.
As with most entrepreneurial endeavors, there is a powerful analogy that comes from the sports world. Matt Stutzman is a competitive archer who won the silver medal at the Paralympic Games, all without arms. Matt says that he developed this incredible skill as a result of his disability by fine-tuning his core muscles and legs to the point of athletic superiority. He is even now facing legal action from those who claim that his condition gives him an “unfair advantage.” So perhaps the question you can ask yourself is: if someone without arms can be seen as having an “unfair advantage”, then is the weakness you face as an entrepreneur or as a leader really as strong as you think?
In Dave’s experience, there is always someone that is “weird” the same way you are, who would not see you as weird, but as wonderful. It’s about finding the right fit and the best situations where your perceived weirdness works for you. Dave is a 6’6” man, so he already stands out - yet he regularly wears pink shoes and pink pants as an homage to his three daughters. A side effect to this is that it helps him stand out even more (i.e. be more memorable) - for a professional speaker in a crowded marketplace, this becomes a clear advantage.
In a business sense, to be different requires doing things that are weird and unusual, but most businesses measure themselves against competition standards or parameters. Everyone measures success in the same way. True success, however, lives in having the courage to be weird and think differently in order to separate yourself and define success in a unique way. If you’re able to differentiate yourself into true uniqueness, then there is no competition.
Kris Kaplan is a firm believer that if you’re not having fun at what you do, you shouldn’t be doing it. After a long career on the road as a rep, Kris decided it was time to create an organization of people who shared the same values as him and were wholly focused on a singular vision. He is now a coach to entrepreneurs, business leaders, and other high-performing individuals, providing them with tools needed to simply execute. It is that focus on execution that inspired his contribution to Paper Napkin Wisdom: “Giddy Up and Make It Happen.”
Kris’ personal mantra of making it happen originated from taking his own thirst for learning and turning it into action - step on the gas and go for it. Within his own business, he found himself in a learning mode, protecting what was his during the post-recession free fall. Dealing with that kind of negativity in his business - a focus on saving what was left - made the business gun-shy about being as forward/active as possible. It also drove Kris toward developing a philosophy of less learning; more doing.
Personally, this mantra inspired Kris to become more active and lose weight, mostly to keep up with his young children. Professionally, however, it helps to maintain a “north star” when traveling along your path, or what Cameron Herold would describe as a vivid vision. Kris’ experience has taught him to take the strategy that he crafted and make the decision to accomplish it. Entrepreneurs can become enthralled with strategy as a sexy topic, but tactics are going to move you forward. Focusing on execution will also help simplify your strategy and create/maintain alignment among the team. In other words, a return to a singular goal.
The motivation for this focus on tactics derives from Kris’ observation of the current state of success: we now accept the “stumbling forward” way of business can be acceptable, rather than striving for true greatness. Companies are merely surviving rather than growing - 10% growth is stratospheric rather than the norm. Ask yourself this: what if you do a little less business, but become true experts at what you do? Wouldn’t that ultimately push your business towards a more rapid period of growth? Especially considering that revenue is not necessarily the only way to measure growth and success.
The foundation on which Kris has built this philosophy is one of empowered entrepreneurialism, passion for the products he represents, and simple solutions. Simplify your vision - be the #1 provider of X - and that vision will eventually filter down to tactics and execution (e.g. achieving that goal means I need to make 3 phone calls instead of 2).
It is certainly a more difficult proposition for an established company to rethink their perspective, as opposed to a new company that is just starting out, but the reward is that much more valuable when it happens. The time might never be right, but the result will always make it worthwhile. As Kris says, think about “when is now a good time”.
Hybrid thinking has defined Matt Curry's career as an entrepreneur. His professional career started out changing tires and eventually working his way into a management role, but his entrepreneurial career flourished after he launched his first auto shop in 1997 and ultimately grew it into one of the largest auto repair chains in the Washington, DC metro area.
Having embraced the evolution of the auto industry by educating his line of business in the art of hybrid and electric car repair, Matt has also embraced the evolution of employee engagement through his contribution to Paper Napkin Wisdom: "You can't rule your world by email."
Whether your business is a brick and mortar operation or entirely virtual, Matt's experience has taught him that you still need boots on the ground and, as a leader, you still need to be involved in all aspects of your operation. This is a lesson learned from observing his four original locations, meeting with his key people, and maintaining a “two-minute meeting” strategy for alignment. It is a lesson that has allowed Matt to ensure that everyone shares the same vision for the organization.
Matt explains that once his business grew to ten locations, he noticed that his key people were over-relying on email to communicate, especially when issues arose that needed to be fixed. He quickly learned that, as the organizational leader, if you are present and keep your team on the same page, you’re able to create processes and procedures (and better guarantee team commitment).
A motto of “enforced reinforce” developed, which means threading the vision of the business throughout the entire organization, including every individual employee. As a tactical example, if policies and procedures aren’t followed, keys could get lost, business would be damaged, sales would suffer, employee morale suffers, and everything devolves into a downward spiral. The "enforced reinforce" mantra helped create a structure where Matt was able to identify gaps or errors early on, address them in those two-minute meetings, and quickly find a resolution.
It may seem counterintuitive, as Matt indicates, but you can embrace creativity while simultaneously adhering to a solid operational structure. The practical tool for achieving this is Matt's "two-minute meeting." While the name can be deceiving (it can sometimes last 30 seconds or 10 minutes), the point is to communicate with key managers, ensure P&P adherence, and guarantee quality service delivery. Emails can become an easy crutch for fast results, but if you focus your regular meetings on a single subject and relevant metrics, you can accomplish quality and quantity in lieu of electronic communication.
The direct result of implementing the “boots on the ground” philosophy for Matt: increase in sales, improved manager performance, higher employee morale (one location went from $30k at acquisition to more than $300k in a short time). In his experience, it is the difference between staying in business and going out of business: structure provides for a more efficient business, which helps employees create a better work-life balance. Ultimately, the vision becomes ubiquitous, as does person and professional success.
Michael Walsh has built his company, Kaizen Consulting, into something that allows him to explore his own personal freedom. By embracing the methods that he uses when working with other entrepreneurs to help them grow their businesses, he has surpassed his own expectations for what the entrepreneurial life can bring. His Paper Napkin Wisdom was inspired from his work with a particular client who experience a five-fold increase in sales: "Thinking big is not enough."
This concept arose when Michael asked himself the following two questions: "What stops businesses from growing?" and "What moves businesses past those things that have stopped them?" The conclusion at which he arrived was simple: vision is exciting and aspirational, in the way that limbic energy is contagious. Vision without structure, however, either creates chaos or will fall flat. Vision is fast and compelling, while structure is slow and stable. (Conversely, structure without vision is like slogging through the mud).
Michael observed that while entrepreneurial businesses are on the rise - 45% last more than five years today, versus 15% two decades ago - the growth of these businesses is missing. Of those businesses that succeed, 85% fail to reach $1 million in revenue; of those that reach $1 million, 95% fail to reach $5 million; of those that reach $5 million, 98% fail to reach $10 million.
In Michael's experience, the difference between being an expert and being an entrepreneur running an expert business is three factors. Along with excelling at what you do, you must hone your skills in sales/marketing, finance, and people management (picture trying to balance four spinning plates instead of just one). Now consider that you’re also balancing these four spinning plates while balancing yourself on a ball, otherwise known as a constantly changing marketplace. When you attempt to grow from this point, your balance point ultimately falters.
The one single thing driving most entrepreneurs is freedom, and, as Michael puts it, growth equates to access to freedom. This level of satisfaction, however, doesn’t come from reducing the risk - satisfaction comes from winning in the face of the risk. In response to the businesses that approach him with questions on how to grow, Michael proposes three simple rules:
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- Treat yourself as your company's most valuable asset
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- Free yourself up to do what you do best (i.e. trust others to execute tasks that are essential, but not your area of expertise, such as bookkeeping)
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- Focus on your own strengths and then concentrate your attempts to grow on those areas.
Following this process will start to fuse all of those different spinning plates into one, cohesive organization. Eventually, you will find yourself experiencing better balance and the increased level of freedom that inspired your drive toward growth in the first place.
Fran Biderman-Gross calls herself the “Strategista” of Advantages, a New York City-based company that helps companies to get noticed through branding, marketing, and print production management. Her professional background includes more than twenty years’ professional experience in the niche print industry, but when it comes to her Paper Napkin Wisdom, she's all about turning things upside down (or in this case, on their side).
If you envision the traditional sales funnel, you see a Y-shaped graphic with all the effort of your business focused on eventually converting hundreds (if not thousands) of leads from the top to one or a handful of customers at the bottom. Tradition says that this is a numbers game - increase the number of leads, you increase the number of prospects, and eventually, you increase your number of customers.
Fran's take: tip the funnel on its side (so it looks like a megaphone) and concentrate on what you're projecting out into the world. What you project should be singular and simple; focus on this “one thing” that you put into the megaphone because it has the ability to spread - and what you wait to hear is the echo. The echo means articulating the purpose of your company so well that only like-minded people respond.
There certainly may be difficulty in accepting the idea that you should stop selling to people (and accepting customers) who don’t echo your message. By focusing on those that echo your message, however, you create ambassadors of your brand. You create an indirect sales force that gives you the flexibility to abandon those middling clients that you accepted just to help keep the lights on.
Think about Apple. If Apple communicated in a "traditional" way, they would talk about what they do and why they’re different. “We make great computers. They’re beautifully designed and simple to use. Want to buy one?” Instead, they draw from the inside out - why they exist - through inspiration. “We challenge the status quo by thinking differently. We just happen to make computers.” Which one of those two messages resonates better with their customers?
As a result of this commitment to the projection of purpose, Fran’s business has grown in the neighborhood of 700% since she discovered this philosophy. In her experience, if you shrink what you do, you actually grow. Focusing on the “one thing” you’re really good at allows you to become the master of your field. The process to find the “one thing” was painful for Fran and her business - a trial by fire - until they started focusing on the client and service what they need (as opposed to trying to shoehorn their services in). Eventually, the trust that is developed creates a relationship where clients are describing a problem that requires a solution, rather than asking for a specific product or service.
Tip your own sales funnel on its side and project your true purpose to the world. Begin the journey by discovering what is important to you (and why). Then answer those questions for your business. The process is trial and error, but will eventually yield the ability to build the necessary trust with your customers.
Rich Mulholland has had one of the more an entrepreneurial careers of all the Paper Napkin Wisdom contributors. He started out as a roadie for bands like Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, and Bon Jovi and eventually realized that there was a lack of energy in the industry during the winter months in South Africa.
Driven by his entrepreneurial spirit, he took the initiative to adapt the “rock show” model to corporate clients. He started out by dressing up corporate speeches and presentations with pyrotechnics and grand theatrics, but quickly realized that he was solving the wrong problem: he needed to work on the presentations themselves, rather than the theatrics surrounding them. This was a result of the intense hatred that Rich (and really, all of us) had for boring presentations - it is also the motivation for his contribution to Paper Napkin Wisdom: "“We all need to fall in hate with something.”
An oft-cited quote from Ghandi says that if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life. According to Rich, however, this is antithetical to the entrepreneurial motivation: entrepreneurs tend to look at things we hate in the world and say “we can fix it." The entrepreneurial spirit, in Rich's mind, arises from a passion about something so frustrating that the desire to change it becomes overwhelming. This desire ultimately spawns two ways to approach a solution as an entrepreneur: fix a problem or fill a gap.
Contrary to Ghandi's perspective, if you end up doing what you love, your passion will become your job, and cease to be something you love. Rich's approach, on the other hand, has allowed him to separate life effectively - hobbies, loves, passions don’t get in the way of work and vice versa. He has become empowered to explore both avenues of himself - work and life - independently and learn dual channels of lessons. The resulting philosophy: “love how you do what you do." It is much easier to be passionate about something that frustrates you; call it an itch to be scratched.
Looking back to Rich's origins in the music industry, we see the true motivations for an entrepreneur: for any market that lacks an expert, whomever puts their hand up first and says “pick me” is the expert by default. Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs are so busy running their businesses that they aren't open to spotting a problem when it arises. "Being busy" has become a status symbol; a hallmark for success.
Having the capacity to solve the dilemmas of entrepreneurial businesses requires a freedom from "being busy"; a commitment to balance. If we think of our business as a support structure for our personal lives - having a better life means taking the time to do the things you enjoy and spend time with people you love. Once you reframe what success means, it is much easier - and you are more empowered - to prioritize.
Alan Miltz’s 20+ years of executive background ranges from founding director of Inmatrix Pty Ltd through to most recently, director of Pearl Finance Australia. Alan has extensive experience across all major finance fields, including financial analysis and debt finance boosting, and spends a large amount of time helping entrepreneurs handle their banking relationships, cash flow analysis, and other financial matters. His Paper Napkin Wisdom reflects this level of expertise: “Revenue is vanity. Profit is sanity. Cash is king.”
In Alan's experience, most entrepreneurs and CEOs only want to talk about revenue, margins, profit, etc. Profit, as Alan puts it, is an opinion - you can manipulate it to any degree necessary to fit your message. Here's another way of thinking about the relationship between profitability and cash flow: businesses speak Spanish, but banks speak Portuguese. A competent business owner must be fluent in both because banks talk about cash flow as an ability to service your debt.
There are four facets or chapters of almost every business, especially those of an entrepreneurial nature. The first chapter is that which every entrepreneur is already well-versed: profitability. Business owners understand chapter one well because it is reflected in revenue growth, margins, EBIT, and other familiar metrics. Chapter two - your working capital cycle - is also reasonably well understood by most entrepreneurs. This includes receivables and debtors, collections, inventory management, speed of bill for services, supplier payment.
Chapter three is defined by what you do with your business after the considerations of chapters one and two: infrastructure or other capital investments. How are you handling your cash flow and what are you doing with it? This, in combination with the first two chapters, is also how chapter four is defined: your cash flow. In Alan's experience, about 60% of companies are profitable but have very tight cash flow - this ultimately harms growth. After considering these four facets or chapters of your business, you must ask yourself: "do I have enough cash flow to finance my growth?"
Regardless of the answer to that question, you can rest assured that your cash flow will be defined by what Alan calls "the power of one", or a 1% positive change in one of seven levers that any CEO can pull at any time. Price, volume, cost of goods, overhead, payables, receivables, and inventory are your seven levers; the most successful entrepreneurs understand these seven levers - and when to pull them - in order to drive growth.
Alan's background means that business owners come to him when they have trouble working with their bank(s). His expertise tells him that when a bank puts pressure on you, it doesn’t mean they don’t understand your business. It means you have a cash flow problem that must be fixed through the power of one. Put another way, the power of one is a summary of strategic plan - price/volume = marketing, cost of goods = operations, overhead = everyone, collections = finance/sales, inventory = operations. Everyone in your business must understand how they impact cash and ultimately, behavior will change in a positive way when company culture embraces this philosophy.
I so often hear about entrepreneurs, leaders, and difference-makers wanting to get more results – scalable results – exponential results. They talk about their hearts being into it, but they are not driving the results they want.
The answer is simple, you have to couple passion and process to get crazy results – exponential results.
You have to be wildly committed to the goals that you set, and make progress on them every day. You cannot do this without a process that permits you to focus on them, to relentlessly execute on them.
If you want a structure to help you do this, I want to give it to you. Please go to www.PaperNapkinWisdom.com and sign up, we’ll send you the e-book that contains the secret structure that will build more scalable, even exponential results than you had thought possible.
You have so much to give, you had better start now.
Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!
This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!
Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success … get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.
Dr. Heidi Hanna is CEO and founder of SYNERGY, an integrative neuroscience partnership that provides brain-based training for individuals and organizations. Heidi’s publications include the NY Times best seller The SHARP Solution: A Brain-Based Approach for Optimal Performance (Wiley, Feb 2013), and the follow-up release Stressaholic: 5 Steps to Transform Your Relationship With Stress (Wiley, Jan 2014).
In addition to those accomplishments, Heidi also attended college on a full scholarship to play softball. As a pitcher, she quickly realized that athletes share a common awareness of the window they possess to perform an optimal level. She also discovered that most high-performing athletics perfected ways to recharge their energy in order to continue performing that those levels. Finally, as with any pitcher, she become intimately familiar with the pitch counts imposed upon her.
Throughout these experiences, it became clear that energy is our most important resource. In softball (and baseball), a pitch count is a regimented tool design to allow pitchers to recharge their energy appropriately. Similarly, in tennis, players only spend an average of 35% actually playing the game; the remainder is spent restoring their energy levels. As you can imagine, this tactic translates seamlessly into the non-sports world and especially to entrepreneurs.
Stress can initially provide stimulation for achievement, but prolonged periods or intense levels of stress will ultimately diminish our ability to be resilient. For entrepreneurs, installing a schedule that allows for energy restoration can be difficult and feel uncomfortable.
Physiologically, however, we are designed for it. Before the technological advance of the previous century, most humans scheduled themselves around natural daylight. With the advent of artificial light, it became easier to work beyond the limitations of nature. The advances of the last decade have exacerbated those habits further, as it is now possible to be constantly connected and consistently running at full capacity.
This eventually leads to "tolerating" life, as opposed to finding a true rhythm. As such, we must determine our own pitch count in order to recognize when we need time to recharge. Think of the process as coupling periods of strategic engagement with periods of strategic disengagement. Down time doesn't mean surfing the web, watching TV, or checking email; rather, it means allowing your mind to fully recharge. A simple start is to schedule time blocks for 50 minutes instead of one hour to automatically build in a 10-minute window for energy restoration.
Make a proactive effort to be at your peak when it matters most, rather than trying to maintain that peak at all times. Identify what's most important in order to capitalize on those moments. This can be accomplished through an "energy audit". Monitor your sleep habits (amount of time, sleep preparation and technology cut-off, positive morning rituals). Embrace nutrition - your body's fuel. Maintain a balance of movement and rest to keep from overcommitting to one or the other.
Entrepreneurs can easily fall into the trap of thinking "it's all about how much I can get done, and how quickly". The more intense the situation you prepare for, however, the more recovery time that will be required. If you enter each day with intention and remind yourself that in order to speed up, you must slow down, you will avoid that dreaded entrepreneurial pitfall: burn out.
Long-term commitment to recharging energy creates the longevity necessary to leave a legacy. Perfecting this process will even allow you to then coach your team in managing their own pitch count. Health, happiness, relationships, business all will improve.
Create a recharge revolution!
Warren Rustand has created, led and grown many successful private, public and not-for-profit entities. He is currently the CEO of Providence Service Corp and has a long and distinguished career serving a Chief Executive or in senior-level leadership positions with numerous other organizations. Warren is a frequent speaker on leadership, business, families, and personal development, and contributes to Paper Napkin Wisdom with the following: "One's success in life is relevant only to one's own capacity."
In Warren's experience, it is human nature - and certainly the nature of the entrepreneur - to measure one's self against others. On the contrary, true success can only really be defined through our own capability, potential, and skills (those that have been given to us and those we have developed over time). The only success that is relevant, therefore, is that which can be measured against this personal capacity or potential.
Supplemental to this idea of personal capacity is the notion that rather than comparing ourselves to others who might have more of something or be better at something, we should look to those who may be less fortunate. Not only does this allow us to recognize how fortunate we actually are, but it also enables us to mentor, support, and assist others on their own path of personal development.
Warren's experience has taught him that the greatest journey in life is self-mastery: the idea that we can control our appetites, passions, desires, and abilities and channel them in constructive ways. Rather than getting caught up in ancillary activities, we can concentrate on true progress through the following five steps:
· 1. Commit to a higher level of personal discipline
· 2. Have a purpose every day
· 3. Make intentional decisions
· 4. Make conscious choices
· 5. Answer the call to serve
Warren teaches that if we make progress with these steps each day, we become closer and closer to self mastery, which can ultimately lead to greater individual freedom. These steps are integrated and should be worked on together (rather than one at a time); they also require a significant level of proactivity, rather than simply reacting to everything around us.
This means recognizing the three areas in which we have control every single day: our mind, our energy, and our time. By Warren's estimation, if we can manage those three consistently well, we will come close to finding success measured against our personal capacity. Warren's own personal habit is to ask himself "Why am I alive today?" Such a simple question allows him not only to discover his purpose(s) for the day, but also to schedule around that purpose in a proactive, highly defined way.
Another exercise that Warren employs is a daily, 30-minute reflection to focus the mind, split into three ten minute segments: 1) think great, positive thoughts, 2) read great, positive thoughts (i.e. not the newspaper!), and 3) write in a personal journal about the positive aspects of your life. As with great athletes and other competitors, never allow a negative thought to enter your mind as you prepare to master your personal energy. This will ultimately allow you to be the best entrepreneur, parent, sibling, etc, you can be, measured against your own personal capacity.
Mark Moses is one of the world's foremost coaches of entrepreneurs. After starting his first business at age 19, he went on to build and sell two firms during his entrepreneurial career and now focuses on helping entrepreneurs increase profitability and accelerate growth. In his Paper Napkin, Mark shares: "If you can't define it, you can't measure it. If you can't measure it, you can't manage it."
Whether your goal is business, personal, or other, it must be explicitly defined before you're able to truly achieve it. Ask yourself the following questions: Where do you want to be three years from now? What will it take to guarantee that happens (and how will you measure it)? What stands in the way of making that happen?
Now ask those same questions for the next year; for the next quarter. Are the goals related and are they equally measureable? This state of constant definition and perpetual measuring is the most concrete method to managing your objectives. Leave the mentality of "concept" behind and instead embrace detailed, specific objectives.
Most entrepreneurs understand where they want to be, but struggle to identify the processes, tactics, and activities that will guarantee the end goal. Common examples of concepts without specifics are: hire better sales people, improve culture, improve efficiency, deliver better service. How can you focus on something important if it is not specific enough to create tasks?
Conversely, if the goal is to grow revenue, define that growth: "from X to Y in Z timeframe". Define the initial steps it will require to achieve that goal: hire X amount of salespeople". Clearly outline the measurements along the way: X number of calls/visits per salesperson, etc". Creating such a specific and measureable plan will bring your daily, weekly, and quarterly activities into sharper relief.
A common overlooked factor of this process is that the measurements must be leading, rather than lagging. Because entrepreneurs tend to focus wholly on the "what" and frequently ignore the "how", it is more important than ever to have a system of leading indicators to hold your team - and yourself - accountable. Businesses that have embraced this philosophy average a CAGR of 50% growth in revenue per year. At the very least, you will be empowered to dramatically enhance your ability to achieve much higher or more meaningful growth rates.
Accountability is another critical element of this process. Your ability to install these improvements in process, systems, management and leadership increases, as does the engagement of your key players. Hold an annual planning session and obtain that consensus/buy-in from your team on not only your objectives, but the measurements you will use to track progress. Follow through with accountability assignments and continue with quarterly planning and weekly check-ins, thus removing the possibility of becoming distracted by micro-level issues or "emergencies".
Weekly progress reports are also important to allow for mid-course corrections. The corrections are "bite-size" when identified weekly, as opposed to massive when delayed until a quarterly or annual session. You have thus empowered your key players (and the organization) to truly focus on achieving long-term goals.
Patrick Gentempo is a name familiar to those who regularly check out the blog and podcast. I recently spoke with Patrick and he shared the Paper Napkin Wisdom, “Philosophy is the most practical tool for achievement!” Afterwards, Patrick told me … Continue reading →
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Patrick Gentempo [link] is the proverbial “man of many hats.” The biography on his website [link] details many of those hats – from National Karate Champion to soap opera actor to chiropractor to devoted husband and father – but, from … Continue reading →
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Mikki Williams is a motivational speaker of twenty-seven years and a nine-time entrepreneur, in addition to being a trainer, consultant, coach, author, multimedia personality, and self-described mensch (Yiddish for “very real human being”). But listing Mikki’s many labels and accomplishments hardly … Continue reading →
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Deron Quon is Chairman of California Teleservices Inc. and co-founder of menus.com and Datassential, a research company focused on the food industry. In addition, he is my classmate at MIT’s Entrepreneurial Masters Program. Deron shared with me an interesting three-part Paper … Continue reading →
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Brad Howard keeps busy. In addition to being a husband, a father, and one of my classmates in MIT’s Entrepreneurial Masters Program, he is a serial entrepreneur, having been involved in over a dozen successful start-ups. In his capacity as … Continue reading →
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Patrick Ellis is the President of Blue Note Wines & Spirits. While he is passionate about wine, he is also passionate about family and, as I learned when I spoke with him, there are similarities in his approaches to business … Continue reading →
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Adam Robinson is the co-founder and CEO of Hireology, which produces a web-based software platform that assists companies in the hiring process from end-to-end. Initially a self-described “accidental entrepreneur,” Adam has since developed an immense passion for entrepreneurship and he … Continue reading →
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Dave Sanderson is a name some may recognize. On 15 January 2009, international headlines were made when US Airways Flight 1549 ditched in the Hudson River off Midtown Manhattan. As the last passenger off the back of the plane, Dave … Continue reading →
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Sonny Vu is the founder of the award-winning Misfit Wearables, who design highly wearable computing products. In addition, he is the founder and former CEO of AgaMatrix, makers of the world’s first iPhone-connected hardware medical device. Sonny’s Paper Napkin Wisdom … Continue reading →
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Jill Lublin is a public relations specialist, international speaker, best-selling author, and self-described “messenger of messengers” passionate about helping others to create a footprint in the marketplace. Unsurprisingly, she has created a considerable footprint for herself through seminars, books, and … Continue reading →
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Kathy Colace is the founder and managing partner of JBN & Associates, LLC, an executive search firm with the motto “Strengthening Companies. Building Careers.” She is also the mother of three adult children (after whom her company is named) and … Continue reading →
The post A Gift to Yourself – Kathy Colace (Founder JBN & Associates) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Each week I’ll post a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, just talking about how to apply the Paper Napkin Wisdom 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success in an everyday kind of way.
As I was speaking to a group of entrepreneurs about execution this week, we discussed the value of changing our Perspective as leaders to not think that we were out front, but rather out back of our teams supporting them as they charged forward.
The discussion evolved toward understanding the value of how elephants lead. While elephants have obvious size and strength, that's not how they lead. The alpha female is the leader of the herd and she leads from the back of the group using skills like Problem Solving, Social Intelligence, Openness, Decisiveness, Patience, Confidence, and Compassion to guide the group.
Make it a great week!!
Erin Weed is the founder and CEO of evoso, a consultancy firm that helps people to develop speeches. She has been an entrepreneur since college, when the murder of one of her sorority sisters motivated her to scrap plans to … Continue reading →
The post Digging Your Freedom – Erin Weed (Founder Evoso Inc, Author, Speaker) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Syed Sultan Ahmed is a first generation entrepreneur and a real change maker. His organization, EDUMEDIA, is one that enriches the lives of children and works to educate and provide life skills to children all over India. He is a … Continue reading →
The post What do You Stand For? – Syed Sultan Ahmed (Founder, Edumedia India) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Chris Eldridge is a man with almost twenty years of experience in a wide range of industries. He is the kind of person who constantly does his best to go above and beyond. As he joins us on Paper Napkin … Continue reading →
The post Three Pillars to Lead By – Chris Eldridge (Director – 4Impact Group) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Each week I’ll post a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, just talking about how to apply the Paper Napkin Wisdom 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success in an everyday kind of way.
This week I visited a group of entrepreneurs for a workshop on Execution. On the way back, I had huge challenges getting back home for the weekend. Apparently there was some sort of computer error, which took a ton of time to fix and, predictably, let to me missing the flight home.
The challenge was that 1000s of other passengers had the same challenge as I did that day.
I never quit, nor did I think of quitting ... in fact, I've never quit on anything.
This week I share why.
Make it a great week!
Jack McDonald is a partner at Leeza Distribution Inc., a leading supplier of premium surfaces for counter-tops, sinks, vanity tops, and wall cladding in showers. In addition to his professional work, he also volunteers as a Scouts Leader and serves … Continue reading →
The post Structure and Balance – Jack McDonald (Partner, Leeza Distribution Inc.) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Patrick Thean is a truly inspiring guy. He is a successful serial entrepreneur who has started and exited multiple companies but he is best known for helping companies accelerate their growth. Patrick is exceptional at getting executive teams and their … Continue reading →
The post Better Listen – Patrick Thean (Entrepreneur, Author, Coach) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Paige Zinn is the Principal/Owner of Jennings, a healthcare marketing firm in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. For the past year, Paige has been reading a book called Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach. The book is meant to be a … Continue reading →
The post Are you Alpha or Beta? – Paige Zinn (Principal – Jennings & Company) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Each week I’ll post a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, just talking about how to apply the Paper Napkin Wisdom 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success in an everyday kind of way.
Had a fun, wine-filled conversation this week with someone about unlikely sources of cinematic inspiration. I've almost always gone back to this handful of movies when I feel like my belief in myself is shaken and I need a source of inspiration.
What movies do you watch for inspiration? My top few are in the podcast ... but there are so many more (including my holiday favorite) It's a Wonderful Life, and Scrooged, that could have made the cut.
Make it a great week!
Paul Kennedy is CEO at Biarri Networks; a company that provides optimization software for the design of fiber optic networks. As CEO, Paul leads the development and delivery of his company’s design solutions. He’s a leader in optimization and in … Continue reading →
The post Shifting Perspective – Paul Kennedy (CEO Biarri Networks) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Aaron Kennard is a real estate investor, entrepreneur, and a man whose mission is to help millions of people change their life. He is the founder of Truly Amazing Life Inc. and the author of The Positive Thinking Secret. In … Continue reading →
The post Conspiracy Theory – Aaron Kennard (Investor, Entrepreneur, Author) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Each week I’ll post a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, just talking about how to apply the Paper Napkin Wisdom 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success in an everyday kind of way.
I was visiting a group of 20-30 entrepreneurs in Washington, DC this week and we were discussing Execution (getting stuff done). There are so many of us that seem to get stuck in urgent tasks, instead of focusing on the important work that will move us forward. Sometimes we do this because it is more comfortable to play the role of the superhero and the save the day, the way we have always done, rather than do the uncomfortable task of doing something new.
Remember, the new task - the harder one to pick, is supposed to be uncomfortable. We have never done it before. Go for it ... do the thing that you have never done to get the results you have never had.
Gerard Murtagh is a serial entrepreneur and self-proclaimed love of life. He started his first business at 19. Having made his exporting businesses GRM Exports, IBT International, and Sunshine Trading Company as success, Gerard has started a new venture in … Continue reading →
The post Persist, Persist, Persist – Gerard Murtagh (Serial Entrepreneur) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Michael Caito is an entrepreneur with a system of structure. In 1993, Mike co-founded a multi-restaurant delivery and catering company called Restaurants on the Run. Today the company partners with over 1100 restaurants, over 300 delivery drivers, and delivers of … Continue reading →
The post Vital Factors Physical – Michael Caito (Entrepreneur, CEO Restaurants on the Run) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Each week I’ll post a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, just talking about how to apply the Paper Napkin Wisdom 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success in an everyday kind of way.
This week we continued to roll out a new product in one of my companies and the feedback has been great! In fact most of the time people are surprised we haven't been around for years. But there's no secret to how we did this - we practiced and practiced and practiced our pitch, story, and value proposition before taking it to the world.
Listen in and I share how you can do the same in your business.
David Meerman Scott is an internationally acclaimed strategist, speaker, and bestselling author. David’s ideas on social media are popular around the world and in his Paper Napkin wisdom, he shares a few of the ways business can and should use … Continue reading →
The post The Real-Time Revloution – David Meerman Scott (Bestselling Author, Strategist) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Joao Mucciolo is a truly inspiring entrepreneur. Joao is the founder of Sushi Itto and Italianissimo, two restaurant chains in Nicaragua. He’s grown his businesses in a huge way over the last several years, expanding in a way that is … Continue reading →
The post No Drama, Just Drive – Joao Mucciolo (Entrepreneur, Restaurateur) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Each week I’ll post a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, just talking about how to apply the Paper Napkin Wisdom 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success in an everyday kind of way.
I had the opportunity to sit beside someone who was a Member of the Million Miles Club on a plane this week and we had an great conversation about the use of knowledge, technology, and leadership around the world. He spends a lot of time traveling to Asia, Europe, and elsewhere marketing innovative technologies around the world.
His key point - knowledge was becoming near valueless. Instead, execution, collaboration, communication, and connection are becoming increasingly valuable.
Listen in and find out why.
Each week I’ll post a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, just talking about how to apply the Paper Napkin Wisdom 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success in an everyday kind of way.
I was lucky enough to be able to participate in one of the largest entrepreneur events in the world recently. While there, I met with and heard hundreds of entrepreneurs pitching their world-changing ideas. Some truly could change the world.
The problem with many of them though seemed to be that they were pitching to the wrong group. What they needed to do is get out there and get some customers! Incubators, however, seem more interested in grooming entrepreneurs to pitch to VCs, Private Equity, Angel Investors, and other Incubators.
Julia Langkraehr is a dynamic entrepreneur, an executive coach, speaker, and facilitator. She’s a veteran of the entrepreneurial roller coaster; after founding her first business in 2001, she built, lost, restarted, and sold it before expanding to Russia and Germany … Continue reading →
The post Partner Up! – Julia Langkraehr (Entrepreneur, Coach, Speaker) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Paper Napkin Wisdom – Corey Tisdale Corey Tisdale is, in his own words, a “crazy egotist with experience earned on the ecommerce battlefield.” He is the Owner of Eye Want Media and CEO of ShoppersChoice.com. In his very candid Paper … Continue reading →
The post Get Over Yourself to Learn – Corey Tisdale, Entrepreneur, CEO appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Each week I’ll post a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, just talking about how to apply the Paper Napkin Wisdom 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success in an everyday kind of way.
Following up on the bad news of a few weeks ago, things didn't get better. I got some very tough breaks that blindsided me in business and life. It's been a challenge to see the silver lining on the clouds of the last couple weeks.
What made it easier has been my Forum, my Mastermind group - my group of peers. There's strength in finding people to help you unpack the challenges of life. I share how it's helped me find my way in the last couple weeks.
Each week I’ll post a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, just talking about how to apply the Paper Napkin Wisdom 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success in an everyday kind of way.
This week I share an experience from this week. I was dealt a huge blow late this week. It was a public failure - and to some degree very embarrassing on the surface. I share how taking responsibility for it has helped me evolve, learn, and grow remarkably quickly. I'm ready for the next time, and no worries, there is always a next time!
How do you respond to challenges and adversity?
How do you get ready for the next opportunity?
John Bly is a mergers and acquisitions czar. The last time he was on the show, he reminded us that Accountability is not a four letter word and we ought to stop treating it like one. This time, he switches … Continue reading →
The post Make a Choice to be Great – John Bly, Entrepreneur, M&A Czar appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Ben Baldwin is a man who wears a lot of hats. He’s Founder and Co-CEO of ClearFit, he’s a patent holder, writer, speaker, and has founded two successful software companies. With such a busy schedule, Ben is careful to make … Continue reading →
The post Engineer Your Sundays – Ben Baldwin, Founder and Co-CEO ClearFit appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Damon Gersh is a successful entrepreneur, a proven business leader, and CEO of Maxons Restorations Inc. but he doesn’t let that totally define him. In his Paper Napkin Wisdom, Damon advises us all to “Get a life”. As entrepreneurs, we … Continue reading →
The post Get Over It – Damon Gersh (Entrepreneur, leader, and CEO of Maxons Restorations Inc.) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Each week I'll post a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, just talking about how to apply the Paper Napkin Wisdom 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success in an everyday kind of way.
This week I talk about how important it is to stay in your lane and remain focused on your main priority. Don't get distracted with things that will pull you off course.
Are you staying on course? How do you do it?
Cameron Herold is a truly creative and out-of-the-box thinker. The last time he was on the show Cameron reassured us that we’re not crazy, we’re just entrepreneurs on the entrepreneurial roller coaster. This time Cameron shares a vital tool for … Continue reading →
The post ABC … Easy as 123 – Cameron Herold (Business Mentor, Business Coach, & CEO Coach) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Rick Martinez is an entrepreneur with a focus on sharing and helping others share the big life changing moments. He started out as a nurse in the Army before starting a medical staffing company out of his apartment. That company … Continue reading →
The post It Came Crashing Down – Rick Martinez (Entrepreneur, Nurse, & Helper) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Derek Coburn is a Partner at Washington Financial Group, founder of CADRE, and author of Networking is Not Working. Networking is at the heart of every aspect of Derek’s business life but he wants to re-define the word. In his … Continue reading →
The post The Ultimate Tie-Breaker – Derek Coburn (Author, Founder of CADRE, & Entrepreneur) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Each week I'll post a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, just talking about how to apply the Paper Napkin Wisdom 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success in an everyday kind of way.
This week I talk about how my 9 year old son and I use our morning routines to help build a plan for the day.
Are you building a plan for your day? How do you do it?
Jim Small is an Entrepreneur and a leading expert in international real estate investments, property management, business process optimization, and entrepreneurial growth strategies. The Paper Napkin Wisdom Jim shares with us is a unique and important idea regarding finances. He … Continue reading →
The post Stop Breaking Stuff – Jim Small (Entrepreneur, Author, Life Empowerment Speaker) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Michael Walsh is an insightful and articulate entrepreneur. The last time he was on the show, Michael talked about Value Exchange and the importance of relationships to a strong business. This time Michael shifts his focus to hiring the right … Continue reading →
The post Five Steps to Better Hires – Michael Walsh (Founder and President of Kaizen Consulting) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Gina Mollicone-Long is a serial entrepreneur, a bestselling author, and CEO of The Greatness Group. She was also the very first guest on Paper Napkin Wisdom and I’m very excited to have her back again. The last time she was … Continue reading →
The post Out Of the Shadows: Gina Mollicone-Long (Entrepreneur, Bestselling Author, CEO of The Greatness Group) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Heidi Hanna is a dynamic and insightful speaker, a New York Times Bestselling author, and CEO and Founder of SYNGERGY. As a global speaker and consultant she has trained thousands on practical ways to manage energy. In her Paper Napkin … Continue reading →
The post Fill it Up – Heidi Hanna (Author & CEO and Founder of SYNGERGY) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Jason Barger – Paper Napkin Wisdom The last time Jason Barger was on the show, he talked about how important it is that we ReMember and make the active choice to evaluate and reconnect to the memberships in our lives. … Continue reading →
The post They Can Own It – Jason Barger (Author, Speaker, & Entrepreneur) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Kirk Dando helped to grow a business to more than a billion in sales, and is a leadership and growth expert who has been working to unlock growth in business for more than 20 years. He believes that when it … Continue reading →
The post 7 Steps to Leadership Success – Kirk Dando (Author & Leadership and Growth Expert) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Randy Cohen is an entrepreneur who brings an incredible amount of energy, enthusiasm, and fun to a conversation because he is a person of passion. Randy’s passion is reflected in the Paper Napkin Wisdom he shares with us. He says: … Continue reading →
The post WOO WOO Philosophy – Randy Cohen (Entrepreneur, Author, & Founder of Ticket City) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Yanik Silver is a serial entrepreneur, a best-selling author, and an adventure junkie. His story and his businesses have been featured in multiple publications and with good reason; he’s a fascinating guy with a great message. In his Paper Napkin … Continue reading →
The post Just do it on Purpose – Yanik Silver (Author, Entrepreneur, & Adventurer) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Jim Sheils is a busy man: he’s a real estate entrepreneur, speaker, and social entrepreneur. Despite having such a busy life, Jim regularly makes time for his two boys through The Board Meeting Strategy and it’s that strategy he shares … Continue reading →
The post Gimmie Three Steps – Jim Sheils (Entrepreneur, & Co-Founder of Board Meetings International) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Brian Price is a leader and a champion. At the age of seven he was diagnosed with Leukemia and battled for five years before beating the disease into remission. As a result of the chemicals from his treatments, Brian was … Continue reading →
The post Practice Focus – Brian Price (Olympic Gold & Silver Medalist, Speaker, Cancer Survivor) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Rugger Burke is a member of the Investment Committee and General Counsel at Satori Capital who pays close attention to not only his own purpose, but that of the companies he considers. In his Paper Napkin Wisdom, Rugger presents us … Continue reading →
The post Pull the Future In – Rugger Burke (Principal and General Counsel at Satori Capital) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Jack Daly is an inspiring, enthusiastic, and dynamic entrepreneur and speaker. The last time he was on the show, Jack shared the way he cultivated the skills he has now and followed a painstakingly detailed plan for his success. This … Continue reading →
The post Live the Picture – Jack Daly (Speaker, Trainer, Coach, & Author) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Chris Scott is an entrepreneur who has created strategies to help guide the careers and business development efforts of CEOs, business leaders, and entrepreneurs. Knowing that, Chris’s own strategy for decision making might surprise you. In his Paper Napkin Wisdom, … Continue reading →
The post Call it in the Air – Chris Scott (Entrepreneur and President of The Paperless Agent) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Jamie Douraghy is an entrepreneur and competitive foil fencer. He’s been fencing for 35 years and over time he’s come to the realization that there is a lot of overlap between fencing and business. In his Paper Napkin Wisdom, Jamie … Continue reading →
The post En Guard, Prêt, Allez – Jamie Douraghy (Entrepreneur & Competitive Foil Fencer) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Hank Green is an entrepreneur, musician, YouTube Content Creator, and co-founder of the Nerdfighteria Community. In 2007 he and his brother John began a YouTube channel called Vlogbrothers, today the channel has more than 1,800,000 subscribers and has created a … Continue reading →
The post Don’t Forget to Be Awesome – Hank Green (Entrepreneur, YouTube Maverick, and Musician) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Ashton Gustafson is more than an entrepreneur, writer, and speaker; he is a life musician. In his Paper Napkin Wisdom, Ashton says to us: “Gather your instruments and let the music play.” Ashton’s kind of music doesn’t require musical training; … Continue reading →
The post Let the Music Play – Ashton Gustafson (Entrepreneur, Author, and Speaker) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
James Clear is an entrepreneur, a weightlifter, and travel photographer. Recently, he’s been implementing a new model to live by and it’s that model that he shares with us in his Paper Napkin: Systems are greater than goals. We … Continue reading →
The post The Law of Compound Effort – James Clear (Entrepreneur, Weightlifter, Travel Photographer) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Jason Schechterle is a man who has faced incredible tragedy and overcome it, but doesn’t allow himself to be defined by it. In his out coming book Burning Shield, Jason shares the story of the accident that changed his … Continue reading →
The post Forged in the Fire – Jason Schechterle (Entrepreneur, Author, Inspiration) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
The last time Rick Sapio was on the show, he shared with us his personal philosophy and The Doorman Principle that accompanies it. This time, Rick shifts focus from the people around us to they way we approach our business. … Continue reading →
The post The REAL 4Ps – Rick Sapio (CEO of Mutual Capital Alliance, Inc.) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Ridgely Goldsborough is an entrepreneur, author, columnist, and international speaker. Ridgely is also a “Make Sense” person, making sense of things is the driving force behind everything he does and how he approaches the world; it’s his “Why?” and … Continue reading →
The post Find Your Key – Ridgely Goldsborough (Entrepreneur, Author, and Speaker) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Christine Comaford is a renegade entrepreneur, a neuroscience-based leadership and culture coach, a bestselling author, and former presidential advisor to both the Clinton and Bush administrations. She’s an energetic, determined, engaging woman and in her Paper Napkin Wisdom she shares … Continue reading →
The post Get Smart – Christine Comaford (Leadership & Culture Coach, Former Presidential Adivsor) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
This was way more impactful than I ever expected! Along the way in the Paper Napkin Wisdom journey I have met 100s of highly successful entrepreneurs, leaders, and difference makers. They have taught me so much … Adding to that … Continue reading →
The post Sneak Peek into the Model the Masters: Take Action Workshop (with Jack Daly) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
John Ruhlin is an entrepreneur with a big focus on appreciation. In his Paper Napkin Wisdom, John tells us that the people and relationships you appreciate go up in value over time. It’s a lesson John learned early in his … Continue reading →
The post Equal and Opposite – John Ruhlin (Founder of The Ruhlin Group & CSP of Cutco) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
I was thrilled when Dave was last on the show. He’s an energetic, brilliant, and enthusiastic conversationalist. In fact, the last time he was here I never thought he’d get through everything on his Napkin plus having him share his … Continue reading →
The post Profit Favors Action – Dave Lakhani (President Bold Approach Inc.) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Roger Wright is a career coach, management training consultant and author but in 2008, Roger was unemployed. Six years ago he found himself, and the entire department he’d been heading, out of a job and back on the job market. … Continue reading →
The post Hiring Irrationally- Roger Wright (Career Coach, Consultant, and Author) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Edie Varley is an instructor, successfully sold her former business – a multi-million dollar chemical manufacturing business, and is owner of The Varley Group Inc. Through The Varley Group, Edie works to transform human potential into constructive contribution. Human potential … Continue reading →
The post Mean What You Do – Edie Varley (Entrepreneur, Instructor, and Inspiration) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Jay Papasan is an executive (and entrepreneur) with the third largest, fast-growing real estate franchise in North America, he is a leader in publishing, and an accomplished author. With such a list of accomplishments, it’s a bit surprising to hear … Continue reading →
The post Defend Your Yes – Jay Papasan (Author, Publisher and Entrepreneur) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Jeffrey Feldberg is a serial entrepreneur with a simple yet inspirational goal: he wants to be someone’s miracle. This goal is more than just personal, it’s one Jeff employs in his business ventures. He believes that balancing your business and … Continue reading →
The post Make it Epic! – Jeffrey Feldberg (Chairman and Success Builder of The Magnum Opus Group) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Jayson Gaignard, Founder of Mastermind Talks, is a man who keeps his eye on the things that have value beyond the material. In his open and authentic Paper Napkin Wisdom, Jayson shares his story of near financial ruin and how … Continue reading →
The post What’s Your Perfect Day? – Jayson Gaignard (Founder & Talent Scout of Mastermind Talks) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Jenn Lim is CEO & Chief Happiness Officer of Delivering Happiness. She led the launch and management of Tony Hsieh’s Delivering Happiness and has spoken at companies, universities, and organizations such as Twitter, Pixar, Stanford, UCLA, and the American Marketing … Continue reading →
The post Spread Some Dopamine – Jenn Lim (CEO & Chief Happiness Officer of Delivering Happiness) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Rick Sapio is a lifelong entrepreneur, speaker, and a CEO. He’s also the seventh of a family of nine children. Watching his six older siblings go through the challenges of life before him, Rick realized that the people his … Continue reading →
The post Who’s in Your Room? – Rick Sapio (CEO of Mutual Capital Alliance, Inc.) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Brian Scudamore, founder and CEO of 1-800-GOTJUNK, WOW 1DAY Painting, & You Move Me, is a serial entrepreneur super-star who’s received a lot of recognition in the media. He’s shared his story with Fortune Magazine, the New York Times, Huffington Post, … Continue reading →
The post People, People, and People – Brian Scudamore (Founder and CEO of 1-800-GOTJUNK, and more) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Rory Vaden is a man with a lot of accomplishments behind his name. He’s a Self-Discipline Strategist, an award-winning entrepreneur, and a world leader in defining the psychology around modern procrastination. He is the Co-Founder of Southwestern Consulting, Founder … Continue reading →
The post Pay the Rent – Rory Vaden (Self-Discipline Strategist, Author & Entrepreneur) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
John O’Leary is an entrepreneur and speaker. Since his parents released the incredible book Overwhelming Odds, the story of how John suffered burns on 100% of his body as a 9-year-old, John has worked to come to terms with his … Continue reading →
The post “Kid – Wake Up!” – John O’Leary (Entrepreneur, Speaker, Inspiration) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Christina Harbridge has an eclectic history. She’s been a NASA test subject, a swing dancer, artistic collaborator and positively impactful and disruptive entrepreneur. With such a varied set of experiences, it’s unsurprising that she has an interesting perspective. In addition … Continue reading →
The post Pursue the Moment- Christina Harbridge (MisChief Executive Officer of Allegory Inc.) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Mo Fathelbab, Founder and President of Forum Resources Network, is an incredible and impactful leader. He served as Executive Director of Young Entrepreneurs’ Organization (before it became called Entrepreneurs’ Organization) for seven years, he has personally conducted over 1500 Forum … Continue reading →
The post Belong, Learn, and Grow – Mo Fathelbab (Founder and President of Forum Resources Network) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Andrew Sherman is an entrepreneur with a truly inspiring perspective. He is a Partner with Jones Day, feature speaker, author, and internationally recognized expert on legal aspects of business growth. Andrew has helped thousands of entrepreneurs through his work and … Continue reading →
The post Be the Truck – Andrew Sherman (Partner at Jones Day, Entrepreneur, Author & more) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Dennis Welch, President of Articulate Communications, is a well-respected communicator and author. He says that he has built his business by being kind and ensuring he connects personally with the human beings he’s trying to engage. In fact, he’s grown … Continue reading →
The post Put Down The Megaphone – Dennis Welch (President Articulate Communications) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Peter Shankman, CEO of Geek Factory Inc, Principle of Shankman|Honig, Founder of HARO has been described as “crazy, but effective.” He’s an author with three books to his name currently and more on the way. Without a doubt, Peter is … Continue reading →
The post Dopamine’s A Terrible Thing To Waste – Peter Shankman (CEO Geek Factory Inc & Founder of HARO) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
John DiJulius is the successful entrepreneur behind John Robert’s Spa and The DiJulius Group. He’s the author of a couple successful books on customer service, and tours the world speaking about making price irrelevant to your customers. He says all of this success comes down … Continue reading →
The post Be Fanatically Obsessed – John DiJulius (Founder of John Robert’s Spa & The DiJulius Group) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Brad Feld is a true serial-entrepreneur. He’s co-founded the Foundry Group, Mobius Venture Capital, Intensity Ventures, and TechStars. He’s also a marathoner, and active writer with three very popular blogs:: Feld Thoughts, Startup Revolution, and Ask the VC. In his very … Continue reading →
The post Control This – Brad Feld (Co-Founder Foundry Group, TechStars & more) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Dave Lakhani, President of Bold Approach Inc., is the kind of entrepreneur that gets other entrepreneurs fired-up. He’s got a unique blend of energy, enthusiasm, and focus that makes him a sought-after consultant, speaker, and author, so there was no surprise … Continue reading →
The post Four Step Focus Man – Dave Lakhani (President Bold Approach Inc.) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
To call Warren Macdonald just a motivational speaker would be like saying that Kilimanjaro, all 19,222 feet of it, is just a mountain. He has defied death, lost limbs, climbed mountains, and he helps us change the way we look at … Continue reading →
The post Beware Of Who Is Around You – Warren Macdonald (Catalyst for Change) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Kevin Dee, CEO of Eagle Professional Resources, is a remarkable entrepreneur and leader. He’s got the kind of laid-back personality and sense of humor that is disarming and endearing. He’s also quick to help in the community, at home, and … Continue reading →
The post Life Balance Is The Key to Growth – Kevin Dee (CEO of Eagle Professional Services) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Recently I was reminded that we entrepreneurs, leader and difference-maker types often under-estimate what we can accomplish in a year. I think that Alex Charfen, CEO and Founder of the Charfen Institute, reminds of just how far we can … Continue reading →
The post He’s A Man On A Mission – Alex Charfen (CEO and Founder Charfen Institute) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
My mentor, Warren Rustand, once signed off an email to me with the phrase: “Govindh, you have so much to give, you had better start now.” I have been afraid of what he meant by that for so long that … Continue reading →
The post 2014 Seasons Premiere – With Rob Simons (CEO of Toolbox Studios) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Dr Norris Krueger loves to talk all things entrepreneur and entrepreneurship. He’s made it his business to understand what entrepreneurship takes and so comes at us with a more academic approach. What’s fascinating here, as the Holidays and New … Continue reading →
The post Learn How To Learn And Change By Doing This – Dr Norris Krueger appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
David Galbenski, Founder of Lumen Legal, calls himself a “Thought Leader” and I think that’s as accurate description of him as possible for someone so engaged and involved in his business, community and family. There are many Dave-isms that have … Continue reading →
The post Make It Great – David Galbenski appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Winnie Brignac Hart, Founder, President and Creative Director of TwinEngine, is a truly unique entrepreneur and highly effective leader. Interesting, it’s the fact that she grew up identically to her sister (they’re twins) that has helped to set her apart. … Continue reading →
The post Everything Is “Easy” When We Do This – Winnie Brignac Hart appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Michael Walsh is back and he’s challenging us to debunk the myth of Time Management. He says, there’s no such thing. He instead says that we need to be more mindful of our energy buckets. There are some things that … Continue reading →
The post Time Management Is A Myth – Michael Walsh appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Todd Smart has successfully built more than three businesses and then successfully sold them to exit and he’s done it all in different industries. So, it can be said, that he knows what it takes to grow businesses. Good thing … Continue reading →
The post Ready, Set, Grow! – Todd Smart appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Keith Strauss, President of Sales Concepts Inc., has been helping other companies grow for nearly 20 years. He’s made it a point to work with their sales teams to grow and maximize opportunities for their future. All the while, he’s … Continue reading →
The post Help You, Help Yourself – Keith Strauss appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Rob Simons is the Founder and CEO of Toolbox Studios, an award winning digital and communications company based in San Antonio. No surprise that he’s made it his life to help entrepreneurs and leaders do more – and he shares … Continue reading →
The post It’s Really An Incredible Story – Rob Simons appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
David Nilssen has led his company, Guidant Financial, to impressive growth over the last 10 years, but he says that he only just recently figured out a recipe for accelerated growth and better than ever alignment. In his Paper Napkin … Continue reading →
The post Stop Building Consensus In Silos, Start Preaching Permisson, Perspective, and Patience – David Nilssen appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Jane Roos is a social entrepreneur, fundraiser extraordinaire and general dynamo. She has helped countless Canadian athletes make their way to the Olympics by helping them focus on their athletics and not on a part-time job. There is no question … Continue reading →
The post Carving Out A Different Path To Success – Jane Roos appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Scott Fritz is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and Angel Investor. In 1997, Scott founded a business called Human Capital and grew the company into a nationwide player in ten years. The successive 1000% growth made his company a fixture of the … Continue reading →
The post Three Step Plan For Strategic Decisions to Propel Growth – Scott Fritz appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Matt Stewart is a dynamic leader and speaker. He’s grown a small Southern California business into a national leader in two industries and has received several awards for his work. That said, Matt is no stranger to nay-sayers. He’s … Continue reading →
The post Harvesting The Good Out Of Criticism Is Essential For Entrepreneurs – Matt Stewart appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
John Bly is a CPA, a successful entrepreneur, and a mergers and acquisitions czar. He’s grown his practice over the past 8 or 9 years and in that time he’s completed 8 acquisitions and 2 mergers. At the heart of his … Continue reading →
The post Entrepreneurs May Use Lots of Dirty Words, But Here’s One We Should Use More – John Bly appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Lesley Hayes has built and subsequently exited three successful businesses. She now works as a mentor and has started to look academically at how entrepreneurs define leadership. Coming from an entrepreneurial background, Lesley is able to approach the study … Continue reading →
The post Core Strength Is Vital For Entrepreneurial Leaders – Lesley Hayes appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Barrett Ersek is a serial entrepreneur; he’s been founding and growing his own businesses since he was 17 years old. Through his entrepreneurial journey, Barrett has come to embrace and rely on a philosophy of gratitude. In his Paper Napkin Wisdom … Continue reading →
The post Is Gratitude The Gatekeeper To Greatness – Barrett Ersek appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Jack Daly is an energetic and inspiring speaker, a proven CEO, and a successful entrepreneur. Jack’s been an entrepreneur from a very young age. He started his first business at the age of 12 and at the age of 13 he … Continue reading →
The post Making A Difference Is What He’s All About – Jack Daly appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Allie Mooney is an award winning and energetic speaker, an author, and an expert at helping organizations and leaders better understand their people. Allie works to help her clients identify the personalities of their employees and teaches them how to … Continue reading →
The post Influencing People And Becoming “Happily” Incompatible With Others – Allie Mooney appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Steve Satterwhite is a thought leader, an entrepreneur, an author, and CEO. He’s built a business that has grown despite significant environmental and internal challenges. He set out to build the company he always wanted to work for and he … Continue reading →
The post Living And Leading Above The Line – Steve Satterwhite appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Jamie Gerdsen is the dynamic, free thinking, and energetic CEO of Apollo Home Comfort. He’s innovated in a traditional industry where people often say, “You can’t do THAT!” and found incredible success in sticking to his vision, making adjustments consistently, and … Continue reading →
The post He Tried To Push His Business – But Let It Pull Him To The Top Instead – Jamie Gerdsen appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Peter Bredlau Jr. is a second generation owner of Quality Service Associates Inc. He’s a straight shooter and has made the company his own with his unique leadership style. Peter’s Paper Napkin Wisdom is a piece of advice he would give to any entrepreneur: … Continue reading →
The post Building His Company With Common Sense – Peter Bredlau Jr appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
John Spence’s catch-phrase is “Awesomely Simple”, and while John is a whole lot of awesome, he’s hardly simple. He’s a Ted-x sensation and shares a story that literally every college kid should hear John’s entrepreneurial journey is story of hard … Continue reading →
The post This “Overnight Success” Only Took 17 Years of Hard Work And Shares How We Can Do It Too – John Spence appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Greg Crabtree is a very compelling and interesting guy with an amazing story. He has made a life of helping clients, most of whom are entrepreneurs, align their financial goals and grow. He’s a speaker, an author, and a financial … Continue reading →
The post Growth By Subtraction? What? It’s True – And It Works – Greg Crabtree appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Eric Keiles is an entrepreneur, speaker, and writer. He has spoken and participated in panel throughout America’s entrepreneurial community and acts as a guest lecturer at several Philadelphia-area business schools; he’s a highly intelligent guy with a lot of … Continue reading →
The post When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Strategic – Eric Keiles appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Andy Bailey has been an entrepreneur for over 18 years and in that time he’s had the lesson of focus beaten into him. In his Paper Napkin Wisdom, Andy explains how the Rockefeller Habits changed his entrepreneurial life and … Continue reading →
The post Distracted by Things You Think Are Urgent? Decide To Focus On What’s Important Instead – Andy Bailey appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Robert Wagnon is the founder, CEO, and Chairmen of Republic State Mortgage. Recently he’s become the scout master of a troupe of over seventy scouts and he’s found that watching the scouts go through their first leadership experiences has … Continue reading →
The post Developing Human Capital Starts With Shift In Perspective – Robert Wagnon appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Dandapani is a former Hindu monk, a speaker, and entrepreneur. He works with companies and organizations around the world conducting training through workshops, retreats, and coaching. Dandapani brings a really unique and fascinating perspective into Paper Napkin Wisdom, his … Continue reading →
The post Energy – How Do You Manage Yours? Beware the Energy Vampires – Dandapani appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Michael Walsh is an entrepreneur with a talent for making big business ideas very simple and easily understood. He is the founder and president of Kaizen Consulting and he tells us that ‘sales’ is dead. Michael believes that a strong business … Continue reading →
The post Sales Are Dead, So It’s Time To Build Relationships – Michael Walsh appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Jason Barger is an author, speaker, and consultant who wants us to ReMember. We live in a distracting society, says Jason, we’re bombarded with as many as 3000 messages a day and it’s so easy to be distracted … Continue reading →
The post Step Back to Move Forward AND Reconnect, Recollect, Renew Your Commitment DAILY – Jason Barger appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Cameron Herold is an inspirational guy. He is a totally out-of-the-box thinker and a business coach to successful entrepreneurs all over the world. Cameron’s reason for getting out of bed in the morning is to help entrepreneurs and in his … Continue reading →
The post When Riding the Entrepreneur Roller Coaster, Wave Your Arms in the Air – Cameron Herold appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Rev. K. Bill Dost is a man who’s passionate about family and life. He’s an entrepreneur, an EO member, and someone with whom it’s easy to have a dynamic conversation. Bill is a really positive person, but don’t let the positive demeanor … Continue reading →
The post When the going gets tough, the tough grab a double helping of faith … – Bill Dost appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Sam Horn is an Intrigue Expert, a world-renowned author, keynote speaker, and communications strategist. She’s a woman who deeply cares about helping entrepreneurs and leaders communicate more effectively and in her Paper Napkin Wisdom she warns us: “If you’re … Continue reading →
The post Why We NEED to be Intriguing – Sam Horn (Intrigue Expert, Author, Strategist, & Coach) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Fabiana Bacchini is an incredibly strong woman. She’s an entrepreneur, a life coach, and a part of the lifestyle and business blog for immigrant women, BrilliantWoman.net. In her Paper Napkin Wisdom, Fabiana tells us: The biggest fear is not … Continue reading →
The post Conquering Fears by Being the Change She Needed – Fabiana Bacchini appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Erick Slabaugh is a super-sharp entrepreneur and leader who has worked his way up the corporate ladder the hard way. He’s a talented speaker, one with the ability to speak to a room of a hundred people and have each … Continue reading →
The post Got Baggage? I do and Erick Slabaugh says I need your help. appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Brian Brault is a man with an impressive resume as an entrepreneur: he’s built two fast-growing companies and has a corporate culture that is the envy of Northern New-York. In addition to being an impressive entrepreneur, Brian is a smart, … Continue reading →
The post Vulnerable Leaders are Impactful – Brian Brault appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
The napkins for the second half of Gina’s Paper Napkin Wisdom are a bit difficult to read…but seeing as they came all the way from Costa Rica, it’s easy to forgive any difficulty in reading them. As the conversation … Continue reading →
The post Part 2 of the Series Debut with Gina Mollicone-Long appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.
Gina Mollicone-Long is a serial entrepreneur, a bestselling author, and CEO of The Greatness Group. I met Gina in October of 2012 for dinner after an Entrepreneurs Organization event and shared with her my idea of one day writing … Continue reading →
The post The First Ever Paper Napkin Wisdom Podcast – Gina Mollicone-Long appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.