Paper Napkin Wisdom - Podcast And Blog For Entrepreneurs, Leaders And Difference-makers

Some ideas don't need to be polished. They don't need to be optimized. They don't need a strategy deck or a five-year plan. They just need to be true. When Liza Roeser wrote her napkin for this conversation, she didn't overthink it. She didn't hedge it. She didn't soften it. She wrote: If it's not a Hell Yes, it's an easy No. At first glance, it sounds obvious. Almost too simple. But as you'll hear in this conversation, simple doesn't mean easy. This napkin came from lived experience — from building, growing, sustaining, and at times questioning a business in the real world. From moments where saying "yes" felt exciting… and others where it quietly drained energy, focus, and alignment. Liza shared openly about the tension leaders face when opportunity is everywhere — when good ideas, good offers, and good paths forward keep showing up. And how, paradoxically, those "good" options can become the very thing that pulls us away from what's right. This episode isn't about being reckless. It's about being honest. H

This time of year, something familiar happens. We turn the page on the calendar and feel the pull to do something different. We reach for a word like resolution and instinctively pair it with action. More discipline. More consistency. More output. More effort. Most resolutions are framed as additions — new habits, new systems, new rules we promise ourselves we'll finally follow. But what if the most powerful move forward isn't about what you start doing? What if real momentum comes from what you're willing to stop? Growth Isn't Always About More We've been taught that progress is cumulative. That success comes from stacking behaviors, strategies, and systems. But clarity doesn't work that way. Focus doesn't work that way. Energy doesn't work that way. The leaders and entrepreneurs who move with conviction instead of exhaustion aren't doing more. They're carrying less. They've learned that growth is often subtraction — and that the fastest way forward is removing what no longer belongs. Why Most Resolutions Do

Wintress Odom is the Founder and CEO of The Writers For Hire, a company built on clarity, discipline, and consistently high-quality work. From the outside, it's easy to assume the success came from systems, execution, and technical excellence alone. But on her paper napkin, Wintress wrote something deceptively simple: "People come for the work. They stay for the team." That sentence didn't come from a leadership book. It came from lived experience — from building a business, leading people, and learning (sometimes the hard way) what actually keeps a team engaged over time. This conversation is about a shift many leaders make too late… and how everything changes when they finally make it. The Napkin That Changed the Way She Led Early in her journey, Wintress did what many high-performing founders do: She optimized for output. She valued efficiency. She valued competence. She valued getting the work done — and getting it done well. What she didn't value (at least at first) were the things that felt inefficient:

The holidays come wrapped in familiar language. Slow down. Rest. Be present. Unplug. It sounds right. It even sounds desirable. And yet, for many leaders and entrepreneurs, it doesn't always land. If anything, the holidays can quietly amplify a tension that's been humming all year. Because while the world appears to be pausing, something inside you may still be moving. Measuring. Reviewing. Assessing. For years, that's where I lived. When the Holidays Became a Scorecard While others talked about rest, I found myself doing a very quiet audit. Not intentionally at first — just instinctively. I'd look back at the year and notice the ideas I didn't follow. The projects that stalled. The results that didn't show up the way I expected. Revenue targets. KPIs. Momentum. And without ever saying it out loud, my body would reach a conclusion: There's a gap. So naturally, I wanted to fix it. Fill the gap. Drive the solution. Push forward. The problem wasn't ambition. The problem was timing. Because that push showed up at

There's a particular kind of wisdom that doesn't shout. It doesn't posture. It doesn't try to win the room. It shows up quietly, often after experience has taken its toll, and says: this way works better. That's the kind of wisdom David Miller brought to this conversation. On his paper napkin, David wrote a deceptively simple line: "Turn the other cheek, smile :) and mean it!" At first glance, it sounds like something we've all heard before — maybe even dismissed. Too soft. Too passive. Too idealistic for the real world of business, leadership, and pressure. But as David's story unfolded, it became clear: this isn't about avoidance or weakness. It's about mastery. Emotional mastery. Leadership mastery. The discipline to respond instead of react. And that distinction matters more than ever. Where This Wisdom Comes From David's perspective isn't theoretical. It's shaped by a life of movement, risk, intensity, and responsibility — from aviation and air sports to entrepreneurship and leadership. He's spent years

There are seasons where doing the work feels strangely unrewarding. You're showing up. You're staying consistent. You're doing what you said you would do. And yet — nothing obvious is happening. No external validation. No visible breakthrough. No clear sign that you're "on track." That's usually when doubt starts whispering questions we don't want to answer: Is this actually working? Am I wasting time? Shouldn't I be further along by now? This Edge of the Napkin episode is about that exact season — the one where growth is real, but hidden. The phase where progress exists, just not where you're looking for it. Because one of the hardest leadership lessons — in life and in business — is this: Seeds grow in the soil, not in the spotlight. The Cost of Misreading Silence We live in a world that celebrates what's visible. If something can be measured, shared, or announced, we trust it. If it can't, we question it. But growth doesn't care about appearances. Growth cares about conditions. And when you don't understan

There's a moment in every entrepreneur's journey when the hustle stops feeling heroic and starts feeling heavy. For Sailynn Doyle — business systems strategist, former home-care franchise owner, and founder of Passion • Purpose • Posture — that moment came sitting alone in her car at 9 AM on a Tuesday, exhausted and crying before another 12-hour day. From the outside, she was a success story: a million-dollar business by year three. On the inside, she was drowning in the weight of the work. Endless demands. Constant interruptions. Team members who depended on her for every answer. Growth that created more chaos instead of more freedom. But all of that began to change the day she uncovered a truth hiding in plain sight — a truth she captured on her Paper Napkin: "Your revenue is hiding in plain sight. Stop chasing everyone — go all-in on the 80% that actually matter." — Sailynn Doyle It wasn't just a clever saying. It was the key that transformed her business, her team, her time, and ultimately, her life. The

There's a moment in every leader's life when they look around the "room" they're in — not the physical room, but the emotional one, the psychological one, the internal one — and ask: "How much of who I am today was shaped by the right voices… and how much by the wrong ones?" For years, Govindh Jayaraman — founder of Paper Napkin Wisdom — sat in rooms filled with people who called themselves friends, collaborators, supporters. And many of them were exactly that. They challenged ideas. They sharpened thinking. They asked questions that helped build the early architecture of Govindh's life work. But others? They shared something else entirely. Not truth. Not clarity. Not genuine care. But doubt. Subtle doubt. Delivered with a smile. "You're not as strong as you think." "You're not that good of a leader." "You're not who you think you are." The words didn't critique the work — they critiqued the identity behind the work. And the most painful part? Govindh believed them. This blog explores the powerful insight beh

Some stories begin with a business plan. Others begin with a feeling — a deep, lived truth that travel isn't just about going somewhere, but about finally being somewhere without fear. That's the story behind Toto Tours. When founder Dan Ware launched the company in 1990, LGBTQ+ travelers faced a world far less welcoming than it is today. Travel was often an act of courage. Safety wasn't guaranteed. Connection wasn't a given. And yet Dan believed something radical: that the world belonged to everyone, and that queer people deserved to explore it without shrinking, hiding, or apologizing. That early mission — to create safe, joyful, life-changing journeys — set the foundation for one of the longest-running LGBTQ+ tour companies in the world. Today, that legacy is being carried forward by Dan Perry and Michael Serapiglia, two leaders who bring heart, artistry, and intentional strategy to the next era of Toto Tours. Michael's background alone is a reminder that great careers rarely follow straight lines. A Broad

There are times in life when wisdom doesn't show up quietly. It doesn't whisper. It doesn't tap you gently on the shoulder. Sometimes it arrives like a jolt — like your heart recognizing something before your brain can process it. That's how this episode began. If you've been following along, you know it's been a hard season in our home. Stacey's father — my father-in-law — has been moving through the final stages of his cancer journey. And while there is an entire conversation to be had about the health, the living, and the complexity of that experience… this message isn't about that part. This one is about emotion. The kind that sits heavy and deep. The kind that reshapes you quietly. It started with a simple clip of Steve Harvey telling a story about his dad. In it, he said something that froze me in place: "Your father is the only man who truly wants you to be better than him. The only one who can say 'I'm proud of you' without competition." And as he said it, he broke — emotionally — because when his fat

There's a moment in every entrepreneur's life when the universe stops whispering and starts shouting. A moment where the next level isn't waiting behind brilliance or luck or timing — it's sitting directly behind the one thing we don't want to do. For Noah Ellis, founder of Ofland and a hospitality leader who's spent his life building concepts, teams, and experiences, that moment became a clarity-inducing mantra so important that he didn't just write it down… he tattooed on his body: Do the thing. Noah's wisdom is the kind that doesn't land with theory — it lands with truth. It's lived. It's earned. It's carved out one uncomfortable step at a time. Over the past decade, he's discovered a pattern that every leader secretly recognizes: everything you want is on the other side of something you'd rather avoid. That avoidance isn't the same for all of us. For some, "the thing" is the grind — doing operations, building processes, cleaning up details no one applauds. For others, it's stepping into conversations, mak

Every so often, a line in a movie sneaks past your defenses and lands directly in the center of your chest. Not because it's poetic. Not because it's profound. But because it is absolutely, undeniably true. That's exactly what happened the first time I heard John Candy say three simple words in Planes, Trains and Automobiles: "I like me." If you know the scene, you can probably feel it already. Steve Martin's character lashes out, attacks Candy's character—Del Griffith—on every level: his personality, his quirks, his energy, the way he moves through the world. It's the kind of attack you can only deliver when you're stressed, frustrated, disconnected, and trying to control everything except your own emotional state. Candy doesn't fight back. He doesn't crumble. He doesn't apologize for existing. He just breathes, feels the sting, and answers: "I like me. My wife likes me. My customers like me. Because I'm the real deal." And in that moment… the entire movie shifts. But something inside us shifts too. Because

Entrepreneurs often try to win alone. We push, grind, and carry the weight of the business on our shoulders. But every once in a while, someone shows up with a piece of wisdom that reframes the entire game. In Episode 315 of Paper Napkin Wisdom, Brandon Bagley brings that shift in the simplest and most powerful way possible: a blue-ink message on a napkin that reads "WE > ME — Stronger Together." Brandon is a leader who has built people-centered cultures for years, especially through his work with AlphaGraphics Chandler, where collaboration is not a slogan — it's a system. His background in athletics, leadership, and now the world of print, design, and communication has given him a front-row seat to how teams transform when the focus shifts from individual achievement to collective strength. The napkin he brought is not a clever motto. It's a lived belief. And in this conversation, Brandon walks us through what it looks like when leaders commit to building a culture where we really does matter more than me —

There's a phrase we've all inherited without ever asking whether it serves us: "I'll believe it when I see it." It sounds reasonable. It sounds mature. It sounds like the responsible stance of someone who has been around long enough to be cautious. But anyone who has ever built something meaningful — a business, a team, a movement, or even a new version of themselves — knows the truth beneath that old saying: "Seeing" has never created belief. Belief is what creates the ability to see. That's the heart of today's napkin thought: Believing Is Seeing. And if you let it in, this shift can alter the way you make decisions, lead others, spot opportunities, and move toward the version of your life you're meant to live. Most of us were trained to trust what is visible. Data. Proof. Safety. Certainty. Security. We internalized the idea that confidence comes after evidence. That clarity arrives before commitment. That movement follows permission. But growth — real growth — never begins outside of us. It begins in what

In this episode of Paper Napkin Wisdom, Govindh Jayaraman sits down with Shivani Dhamija, founder of Shivani's Kitchen — a culinary brand rooted in authentic Indian flavors and fueled by a passion for empowering others through food. From her humble beginnings selling spice blends and sauces at local markets in Nova Scotia to building a thriving food-manufacturing business, Shivani's journey is as flavorful as her recipes. At the heart of her success lies a simple napkin message: "Listening & learning." Two small words that capture a massive truth about leadership, growth, and entrepreneurship. The Power of "Listening & Learning" When Shivani first began sharing her spice blends, she wasn't just selling a product — she was listening to people's stories. Every market conversation, every customer review, every "you should try this" became a lesson. She explains that listening isn't passive; it's an act of connection. And learning isn't about knowing everything — it's about staying humble enough to realiz

Edge of the Napkin #11 There's a feeling that sweeps through every era of innovation — that electrifying sense of this is it. The next big wave. The one that's going to change everything. In this episode of Edge of the Napkin, Govindh Jayaraman dives into what happens when high-expectation innovation collides with reality — when the future we bet on becomes today's proving ground. The AI boom, once the unstoppable tide lifting every boat in sight, is now pulling back. Markets are correcting. The water is getting choppy. And what's being revealed isn't failure — it's truth. Because in every correction, there's clarity. And clarity always comes back to one simple principle: Build for value — not for the hype. When the Rising Tide Turns A rising tide, they say, lifts all boats. But when the tide goes out, you see who built on sand. For years, AI was the tide. Money poured in. Startups ballooned overnight. Everyone rebranded themselves with a shiny "AI-powered" tagline, believing that being in the space was enoug

Today on Paper Napkin Wisdom, we welcome Dr. Jenny Hoffmann, a leader in health-tech innovation who currently serves as Executive Director at the New England Medical Innovation Center (NEMIC). With a rich background in healthcare strategy and technology deployment, Jenny has spent her career bridging clinical insight with entrepreneurial energy, helping organizations turn innovative ideas into meaningful patient-outcomes. In this episode, we dive deep into how leaders can lean into vulnerability, curiosity, empathy and connection — the key themes captured on her paper napkin: "Open Up! Be vulnerable enough to lead with curiosity, empathy, and connection." Story & Insight: The Napkin Unpacked Jenny's succinct message on the napkin resonates like a simplified leadership creed: "Open Up!" At first glance it's an invitation — but as Jenny unpacks in the conversation, it becomes a framework for how you show up in leading others. Vulnerability Jenny opens by reflecting on the myth of the infallible leader. She

Make Believe: The Stories Entrepreneurs Tell Themselves (Edge of the Napkin #10) Every entrepreneur lives inside a story — the question is, who's writing yours? If you've ever had a morning where nothing goes right — you stub your toe, drop your keys, spill coffee on your white shirt before 8 a.m. — you know the script that starts to play in your mind: "It's gonna be one of those days." And somehow, it is. Everything that follows seems to prove the story true. But the opposite happens too. You walk out the door feeling light, confident, certain something good is about to happen. Suddenly, you find a forgotten twenty in your pocket, get the short line at security, and the world seems to smile back. The truth is: the world didn't change. Your story did. The Invisible Script of Entrepreneurship As entrepreneurs, we tell ourselves stories all day long. About clients. About employees. About the market. About ourselves. "That customer doesn't like me." "My team's not ready yet." "This quarter's going to be brutal."

When you meet Jon Rosemberg, you immediately sense two things — depth and discipline. He’s a behavioral scientist, author, and executive coach who has spent years exploring how we, as humans, can move beyond mere survival into a state of thriving. His work combines neuroscience, psychology, and lived experience, and it’s reflected powerfully in his new book, A Guide to Thriving: The Science Behind Breaking Old Patterns, Reclaiming Your Agency, and Finding Meaning.  On his paper napkin, Jon wrote just seven words: “Survival is instinct, thriving is a choice.”  At first glance, it seems like a motivational quote — something you’d find on a coffee mug or a gym wall. But when you listen to Jon unpack it, it becomes clear that this idea cuts much deeper. It’s not about positive thinking or grinding harder; it’s about reclaiming agency. It’s about recognizing that while your biology may be wired to survive, your mindset and daily choices are what allow you to thrive.    From the Instinct to the Intention 

In a world where volatility has become the norm — prices swing, markets shake, politics polarize, and technology rewrites the rules daily — one question stands out for leaders, entrepreneurs, and anyone simply trying to navigate life:  How do we hedge against uncertainty?  Not with gold.  Not with cash. Not with control.  But with flexibility.  That’s the essence of this week’s Edge of the Napkin. On my napkin, a single word runs across the center: RISK. Below it — Rigidity → Fragility. Above it — Flexibility → Resilience.   And an arrow curves between them, reminding us that the difference between collapse and adaptation isn’t conditions — it’s behavior.    The Human Side of Risk  Everyone understands risk now. You can feel it at the grocery store, at the gas pump, in the way your phone updates its own intelligence while you sleep.  When life gets uncertain, our instinct is to tighten our grip — to control. But control is an illusion. The tighter we hold on, the more fragile we become. The