Podcasts about paper napkin wisdom

What is on your paper napkin? The DiJulius Group Chief Revolution Officer John DiJulius talks with Govindh Jayaraman, a serial entrepreneur for 30+ years, strategic thought leader, bestselling author, and coach for CEOs and entrepreneurs. Govindh has been called “A Modern Day Napoleon Hill” through his Paper Napkin Wisdom platform as he shares the wisdom of the world's top business leaders and innovators. The central premise of “wisdom small enough for a napkin, but big enough to change your world” is the focus of the podcast and his conversations with his guests. Learn: What are the similarities of people who achieved greatness How to be a better leader through curiosity and being a great listener How to identify the greatness in others What techniques do you use to create that safe, introspective space for people to share their insights   Links The Customer Service Revolution Podcast The DiJulius Group Customer Experience Executive Academy Employee Experience Executive Academy Our new best-selling book, The Employee Experience Revolution Papernapkinwisdom.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/govindhj/ Schedule a call to learn more about The DiJulius Group Consulting and Training   Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Today's episode of the Second in Command podcast is a recast of a conversation between Cameron and Govindh Jayaraman, host of the Paper Napkin Wisdom podcast. Govindh empowers entrepreneurs and leaders by sharing profound insights from top business minds, all distilled onto a simple paper napkin.During the conversation, Cameron and Govindh dive into leadership essentials for teams of all sizes, discussing how to foster confidence, trust, and growth in any organization. By focusing on appreciation and positive reinforcement, leaders can create environments where employees feel valued and empowered.You'll gain insight into the transformative effects of genuine, consistent praise and the importance of celebrating core values across all levels of an organization. Instead of focusing on correcting errors or assigning blame, discover the benefits of recognizing employees' strengths, promoting a safe space for growth, and building resilient professional relationships.This episode offers valuable tactics, such as shifting the focus from individual shortcomings to identifying system failures, to help leaders improve workplace culture.If you've enjoyed this episode of the Second in Command podcast, be sure to leave a review and subscribe today!In This Episode You'll Learn:The origin of the two ladders metaphor, inspired by Cameron's experience with College Pro Painters. (1:03)Why leaders should focus on growing skills and confidence rather than managing day-to-day tasks. (7:25)The difficulty of overreaching with random training programs that are not aligned with an organization's purpose. (20:10)Why appreciation is a simple yet powerful tool for leaders to use in their interactions with their teams. (25:21)And much more...Resources:Connect with Cameron: Website | LinkedInGet Cameron's latest book "Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO"Get Cameron's online course – Invest In Your Leaders

We're delighted to speak with an icon of sales today! Jack Daly is a fascinating individual with an amazing track record! He is all about numbers. Jack has spoken all over the world and trained thousands of people. He has built six companies to become national firms, two of which were sold to Wall Street companies. Jack has fifteen “Iron Man” titles. He has played golf at over ninety-five of the top one hundred golf courses in the USA, he has completed ninety-five marathons in all fifty states in the USA, and he has bungee jumped the world's first and largest bungee jumps.  Jack is joining us today to speak about systems and processes, entrepreneurship, and business owners in the meetings and events industry. You will learn a lot from what he has to share!  Jack Daly's bio: Jack Daly is an experienced and inspirational sales trainer and sales coaching expert who inspires audiences to take action in the areas of sales management, corporate culture, and sales training. He brings over 30 years of field-proven experience from a starting base with CPA firm Arthur Andersen to the CEO level of several national companies. Jack is a proven CEO/Entrepreneur, having built six companies into national firms, two of which he has subsequently sold to the Wall Street firms of Solomon Brothers and First Boston. Jack's role as a sales trainer extraordinaire has helped craft “street-tested” sales methodologies that help create truly successful sales professionals and profitable companies. His professional sales trainer know-how has turned him into an accomplished sales coaching authority and author of books including Hyper Sales Growth, The Sales Playbook for Hyper Sales Growth, and Paper Napkin Wisdom, all Amazon #1 Bestsellers. Jack is an Ironman on five continents and has completed 95 marathons in over 50 states. He was married to his high school sweetheart Bonnie for 48 years before her passing in 2017, and is the proud grandfather to two grandsons and a new granddaughter. Jack received his B.S. from LaSalle University, an MBA from Wilmington College, and held the rank of Captain in the U.S. Army. His own business Jack knew at a very early age that he wanted to have his own business. When he was thirteen, he spent the summer interviewing two hundred accomplished businesspeople to find out how they became successful. They taught him that understanding numbers was vital when running a business. An accountant Jack became educated as an accountant and then went to work at Arthur Anderson directly after school. After that, he bounced around a bit in the corporate world to get his bearings on how the big companies ran because he wanted to own a big company one day. His own business He started with his own business when he was twenty-six and remained at it for the next twenty years. Since then, he has continued to run a business. He views his current business differently, however, because it is a quality-of-life speaking business. It all started with sales Although he trained as an accountant, Jack has always had a focus on sales. At thirteen, he had five employees delivering the newspapers he sold, and he grew his customer base from 32 to 275 in one year. That was where it all started for him. Southern California In 1985, Jack moved to Southern California to start a company. He started with four people, and in eighteen months, he grew it organically to 750 people. In the first three years, they made $42,000,000 in earnings, not revenue. Inspiration In the early nineties, while Jack was building that company, one of his employees hired Jim Pratte to help them grow. Jack was so impressed with Jim that he decided to take him along to his twenty-two other locations. Over the next three months, Jack learned about Jim's life and how he was helping people and companies grow. That inspired Jack to want to do the same thing.  Jack Daly's philosophy on systems and processes Jack is all about systems and processes. He believes that you should build the practices that work best in your business. You should then build your processes based on those best practices, hire people, and get them to practice those best practices. The rest will take care of itself. A formula for better sales results Figure out what your top people are doing. Get those things into your system and sales process. Then have the rest of your salespeople practice that. Everybody's game will improve as a result. Military courses The courses that Jack took while in the military had a long-lasting impact on his life. They taught him about leadership in an ownership-type way. They also taught him about communication, public speaking, and the value of systems and processes. The three sins of sales management The three sins of sales management are: When a great salesperson becomes the new Sales Director, and things start to fail. When the owner or entrepreneur also wears the hat of the salesperson or Sales Manager. When the best salesperson gets made the Sales Manager, and they are also expected to sell in their territory. There are cases where Jack has identified success after taking a salesperson and making them the Sales Manager. There are very few of those cases, however. What typically happens is that you lose your best salesperson and get a mediocre Sales Manager. Often, the good salesperson misses the act of selling and leaves the company to go and sell for someone else. Jack Daly's advice for business owners regarding sales If you have sufficient capital when you start your business, grow your sales force in quantity and quality. If you hire the right person to ensure that happens and you pay them correctly, they should pay for themselves with the increased business that their team generates in under a year. CEO coaching Jack has been doing CEO coaching telephonically for the last four years. He allows about twenty-five percent of his clients to commit the first sin of being in charge of the sales team and being the CEO. He only does that because those CEOs do not have enough capital.  Part of the answer Jack's ideal view of compensation for salespeople is 100% commission only. Also, at least 50% of the overall compensation of the Sales Manager should be predicated on the results of their team's sales.  Paying salespeople a significant amount of money Jack has no problem with paying salespeople a significant amount of money. He had salespeople working for him who made seven figures when he, as the owner, was not earning that much. He does not believe in capping commissions. A sales playbook Jack is creating and packaging a sales playbook. It will be Thin to Win, and contain the processes and words that have helped the owners of small businesses become successful. After the book is complete, Jack will have regular practice sessions with salespeople, following that playbook. Inc. 500 Jack built six companies from scratch to become national firms. All six were very fast-growing, and one of them got to number ten on the Inc. 500 list. Jack had 120 salespeople in that company, and all of them spent a minimum of one hour every day practicing.  Practice is the key Incessant practice is the key to success. Jack feels that sports teams are better run than most businesses. He points out that a coach would not consider putting a player on the field without a playbook and the practice that adjoins the playbook.  Double your sales More than 50% of a salesperson's time gets spent on doing things that have nothing to do with bringing new customers in or growing the ones they have. The definition of sales is: Get new wins. Grow the ones you have. That means that if you get everything else out of the way and let the salespeople sell, you can double your sales without hiring an additional salesperson.   For the biggest impact You need to make a list of all the tasks and delegate those you can to the right people. Then figure out the things that will make the biggest impact and move the needle the most. Focus on those.  The secret potion Opening a business is a risk. Keeping everything under control is a bigger risk. Build systems and processes that work, and then delegate and empower your people to do the work. Let go, and let your people do what you hired them to do. Culture A culture, like systems and processes, needs to reflect the changing times. Some aspects of culture will never change, though. Human beings will always want to be recognized and rewarded. So taking the time to build the processes for regular and ongoing recognition is a significant foundation in any company culture. People also want to know how the company is doing, where it is heading, and how they are doing. So having processes in place for consistent communication is vital. Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Jack Daly On LinkedIn On Website On YouTube Book mentioned: The E-Myth: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It  by Michael Gerber

If you had one message to share on a paper napkin with the world, what would you share? What do different generations want today? This engaging interview with author and serial entrepreneur, Govindh Jayaraman, and generational expert, Stefanie Jackson, challenges us all to think about the power of connection, focus, and feedback.  Show Notes: https://jasonvbarger.com/podcast/season-2-episode-4/ Visit https://jasonvbarger.com/podcast https://www.facebook.com/jasonvbarger/ https://twitter.com/JasonvBarger https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbarger/ https://www.youtube.com/user/OneLovePublishers https://www.instagram.com/jasonvbarger/

Govindh Jayaraman is an entrepreneur, successful businessman, and the author of the Paper Napkin Wisdom, leading to many individuals calling him the Napoleon Hill of our time. Favorite Success Quote “You can’t connect the dots looking forward. you can only connect them looking back, so you just have to trust that somehow the dot will connect in the future”~Steve Jobs Key Points 1. The Five Guidelines  1. To Do Amazing Things You Have to Have Laser Focus and Discipline What Govindh discovered after interviewing hundreds of successful entrepreneurs, is that one of their greatest assets is that they were highly focused and disciplined. They weren’t off multitasking and trying to accomplish a million things at once or trying to watch TV while they wrote their product’s copy, they were focused solely on the task at hand and disciplined in working until it was accomplished. 2. There is no Such Thing as Priorities just a Priority  The second of the five guidelines that Govindh discovered is that highly successful individuals, always had one priority. They didn’t use pareto’s 80/20 principle, they used the 99/1 principle. They found the one thing that was the most vital to their business and worked tirelessly until it was accomplished it, and then they moved on. 3. When you Change the Way you Look at the World the World you Look at Changes  The third discovery Govindh made is that all successful people invested heavily in changing their mindset and the way they looked at the world until they saw a world that was full of abundance and opportunity instead of a world full of challenge or a world that was too difficult to succeed within. 4. Simplify The fourth principle Govindh discovered is that all great businesses understand the importance of simplicity. They do not needlessly complicate their operations or their mission. While there may be aspects of the business that are complicated, the overall mission was simple and straightforward, normally to solve a certain problem in the most efficient way possible. 5. The Pen is Mightier than the Sword but Accountability is Mightier than All  The final principle that Govindh discovered is that all great achievers had a high level of accountability with other high achievers. They volunteered themselves to stay accountable to people whom they respected and didn’t want to disappoint. By doing this they almost guaranteed that their levels of success would be multiplied instantaneously. 2. You Have to Design Your Path  After you have mastered the 5 principles, it is time to design your path, to gain absolute clarity on who you are and where you want your life to end up. You have to create a road map that you can come back to when you think you are getting lost or when you feel your momentum slipping. Having absolute clarity on where you are headed will allow you to take control of your life in a way few other things will. 3. Create a Playbook Once you have your vision designed, it is time to create your playbook, or your how for accomplishment. What do you need to do, who do you need to connect with, what steps must be taken to achieve your goals? Develop a very intentional action plan that will allow you to understand exactly how to get from where you are to where you want to be. 4. Get Your Key Players Once you have your principles mastered, clarity on your vision, and an action plan, it is time to surround yourself with other high achievers who can help you to achieve your goals with ease. Find people that you respect who are on a higher level than you that will benefit you as a man and your business. While it may be difficult to find and attract these people, by being on purpose and on fire for your passion these individuals will start coming into your life naturally. 5. Be the Heart of the Team The final step to ultimate success is to become the heart of the team, be on fire, be passionate about what you are doing and understand that once you make a definite decision to do anything, your one “yes” will be accompanied by a thousand “nos” If you decide to get healthy, you will have to say no to junk food, laziness, lack luster sleep, cigarettes, and excessive alcohol. If you decide to get rich you will have to say no to procrastination, lack of productivity, and bad work habits. You have to lead others and be the heart of the team, and this starts by learning to say no.

Sales are crucial to business success—we all know that. But what’s the secret to sales success? You need to create a sales playbook with clearly defined steps that get your sales team all following a winning formula. So where do you get started? Follow the sales master trainer, Jack Daly using the system below. Guest’s Background: Jack Daly brings 30 plus years of field-proven experience from a starting base with CPA firm Arthur Andersen to the CEO level of several national companies. Jack is a proven CEO/Entrepreneur, having built 6 companies into national firms, two of which he has subsequently sold to the Wall Street firms of Solomon Brothers and First Boston. Amongst a career of highlights, here are a couple of noteworthy examples: In 1985, Jack relocated to California from the east coast and started a mortgage company with 3 colleagues. As CEO, Jack lead the company through robust growth in its initial 18 months to 750 employees, 22 offices nationwide, producing $350 million per month in mortgages, and it’s first 3 years the company reported profits of $42 million. In 1998, working as a senior partner in a 5-year-old privately held Enterprise, Jack helped the company to be recognised as Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young and ranked #10 on the Inc. 500 list of the fastest growing firms nationwide. Two-time Amazon bestselling author of Hyper Sales Growth and Paper Napkin Wisdom. ForbesBooks Author with Hyper Sales Growth and The Sales Playbook for Hyper Sales Growth. Why Jack Daly? Vistage UK Overseas Speaker of the Year TEC Australia Speaker of the Year BS Accounting, MBA, Captain in the U.S. Army, an accomplished author of books, audio and DVD programs Led sales forces numbering in the thousands History of proven growth of client’s businesses from individual success stories to international firms Personal Highlights include: Jack has been married 47 years to his high school sweetheart. Jack has now completed fifteen Ironmans in eight countries, on five continents, and made TEAM USA in 2012. Jack has played golf at over 92 of the Top 100 golf courses in the USA. To date, Jack, as completed 88 marathons over 49 states in the USA Jack has bungee jumped the world’s first and largest bungee jumps, and shark dived in South Africa. How to Create an Effective Sales Playbook Step 1: Define your personal goals and sales goals. Lead by example and have your salespeople do the same. Step 2: Ensure you have proactive pipeline management. Step 3: Build a systematic touch system to maintain regular contact with prospects, customers, clients, and contacts. Step 4: Focus on building a perception of value. Step 5: Ensure you adjust your style to match your prospects' personality styles.  Step 6: Create your sales success guide - script sales calls, objections, and questions. Support the show.

I’ve seen our guest Jack Daly speak on four different occasions. And, I can tell you that no one is prepared for a Jack Daly presentation. In addition to his off-the-charts energy and highly animated speaking style, he has this uncanny ability to hold up a mirror that lets us business owners see some of the ridiculous mistakes we’re making. There’s lots of laughing and lots of epiphanies going on while Jack has the stage. I know he’s transformed the way the many of us entrepreneurs look at growing our companies. The first time I saw him was about 4 years ago in Philadelphia at a regional Entrepreneurs Organization conference. It was on that warm June day back in 2014 that my path as a sales leader and company builder changed forever. Jack Daly is a master at installing and cultivating a hyper sales growth culture. Jack is an experienced and inspirational sales trainer and sales coaching expert, who inspires audiences to take action in the areas of sales management, corporate culture, and sales training. Jack is a proven CEO/Entrepreneur, having built 6 companies into national firms, two of which he has subsequently sold to the Wall Street firms of Solomon Brothers and First Boston. His professional sales trainer know-how has turned him into an accomplished sales coaching authority and author of books including Hyper Sales Growth, The Sales Playbook for Hyper Sales Growth and Paper Napkin Wisdom, all Amazon #1 Bestsellers. Jack is an Ironman on seven continents and has completed 95 marathons in over 50 states. He was married to his high school sweetheart Bonnie for 48 years before her passing in 2017 and is the proud grandfather to two grandsons. You’re going to love our conversation, and I’m going to be back with Jack, right after this quick message. Learn more about Jack and his programs at JackDaly.net. Produced by Flint Stone Media, LLC © 2018 Copyright Juicy Results, All Rights Reserved

Jack Daly is an experienced and inspirational sales trainer and sales coaching expert who inspires audiences to take action in the areas of sales management, corporate culture, and sales training. He brings 30 plus years of field-proven experience from a starting base with CPA firm Arthur Andersen to the CEO level of several national companies. Jack is a proven CEO/Entrepreneur, having built 6 companies into national firms, two of which he has subsequently sold to the Wall Street firms of Solomon Brothers and First Boston. Jack’s role as a sales trainer extraordinaire has helped craft “street tested” sales methodologies that help create truly successful sales professionals and profitable companies. His professional sales trainer know-how has turned him into an accomplished sales coaching authority and author of books including "Hyper Sales Growth," "The Sales Playbook for Hyper Sales Growth," and "Paper Napkin Wisdom," all Amazon #1 Bestsellers. Jack is an Ironman on seven continents and has completed 92 marathons in over 49 states. He was married to his high school sweetheart Bonnie for 48 years before her passing in 2017 and is the proud grandfather to two grandsons. Jack received his B.S. from LaSalle University, an MBA from Wilmington College, and held the rank of Captain in the U.S. Army. What you’ll learn about in this episode: Why you need to have specific goals in order to get any aspect of your life in shape (and why you need to put your goals in writing) They key aspect needed in your life in order to have success How to make the most of the 168 hours you’re given each week, and how Jack managed to do that with his wife, Bonnie, and in his professional life Benefits of delegating tasks that you don’t like or aren’t skilled at High payoff activities (HPAs): what they are and how you can leverage them to help manage your time Secrets and habits Jack follows that allow him to run marathons and Ironmans at age 69 Why so many people fail to meet their goals and some of Jack’s tips to make sure you meet yours The one thing that is the largest determinant in a person’s sales The number one thing to look for when finding an accountability coach Jack’s experiences running marathons on all 7 continents A tip on how to change your mindset to live a more positive life Jack’s story about how he quit his job to pursue his passion, and how it worked out for him in the long run Ways to contact Jack: Email: jack@jackdaly.net

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!!

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

In today's episode of The Art of Passive Income, Mark and Scott talk to Govindh Jayaraman—Host/Author of the Paper Napkin Wisdom podcast and blog which teaches leadership in the way that he learned, from other great leaders who walk beside us. Govindh, who has been an entrepreneur his entire life, has founded and partnered more than a dozen companies. At a very young age, he was inspired by a mentor to make an impact by and with people around him. He became fascinated with his idea that leadership meant taking responsibility for the people around you. Listen in as Govindh answers: What about other leaders, drives you crazy? How do you focus? 3 Favorite leaders? Govindh delves deep into the internal journey of FOCUS and how he deliberately sets his intentions to complete his goals for the day. If you have the internal focus then you could actually make things happen that you believe in as opposed to you just think about them. He also shares his daily routine for intentional focus, which can be a great practice for us all! Set intentions of the day Declare gratitude Reaffirm goals—Make a list of the top five, most important things you need to move forward and that will move you closer to your goals. What goals are you going to intentionally focus on today? TIP OF THE WEEK Mark: Learn more about Govindh and become wiser at PaperNapkinWisdom.com. Scott: Check out the chrome extension, Wildfire. It records your screen clicks and it automates them whatever way you want. Craft your own custom automation workflows. Govindh: Read the book, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. Read the book several times a year and do what is in the book. Isn't it time to create passive income so you can work where you want, when you want and with whomever you want?

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: 1. via iTunes at - https://goo.gl/J9lpnk 2. via Google at - https://goo.gl/7yo17X 3. 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?

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?

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!

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

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.”  

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

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. 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 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.

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?  

Hello and welcome to Episode 105! Govindh Jayaraman has two podcasts Paper Napkin Wisdom & Take Action which is a 5 min podcast also by paper napkin wisdom. He has founded or partnered in more than a dozen companies. From contracting to software, and health care to renewable fuels.   Maxum Corporation - Inspiring Greatness: http://maxumcorp.com.au/podcasts/      Govindh's Book - Paper Napkin Wisdom  

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”.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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 → The post No Contradictions Here – Patrick Gentempo (Entrepreneur, Innovator) 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!!  

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!  

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!

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.

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.

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. 

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? 

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?  

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Jeremy interviews Govindh, the co-author of Paper Napkin Wisdom, about his decision to tightly focus the marketing at each of his four companies on niche markets. Govindh Jayaraman is a successful portfolio entrepreneur now running four companies; he started his first as an 18 year-old. Govindh has been called "A Modern Day Napoleon Hill" for his work in creating Paper Napkin Wisdom. Not surprisingly, his goals are lofty: Show people everywhere how they can be successful, and change the world in the process. Get your own copy of Paper Napkin Wisdom here: http://www.amazon.com/Paper-Napkin-Wisdom-Business-Success/dp/1599327090 Here is the eBook Jeremy mentions at the end of the podcast: juicyresults.com/crm

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.

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.

  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.

  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.

  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.