Paper Napkin Wisdom · Leadership & Entrepreneurship Insights for Founders and Executives

Abby Robinson is Atlas Corps' Chief Development and Engagement Officer. Atlas Corps' mission is to "address critical social issues by developing leaders, strengthening organizations, and promoting innovation through an overseas fellowship of skilled nonprofit professionals."

She leads behind the scenes and works one step behind the entrepreneur, but is always in step. Although "make it big" might be a phrase we normally think of as applying to the entrepreneur or top executives, when Abby says it she means, "Wherever, whenever, whoever you are, you can do your best and have an impact. I think that's a good saying to drive one through life." Making it big includes helping others grow as well, to be inspirational and help young people achieve.

The key to being successful for Abby is by listening to the entrepreneur's idea and creating her own system to get his visions and thoughts on paper efficiently. Seeing the bullet points and a timeline, she can create something achievable. Consistently, and that has built the CEO's trust. For successful communications, once three emails have gone back and forth, she believes it is time for an in-person conversation. And if she sends emails to employees on weekends, she's mindful that it will be treated as priority unless she says otherwise, so she's clear in setting expectations.

When you act like everything's a crisis and there's no prioritization, it's easy to lose staff engagement and the focus on making it big. "Everything always seems like it's on fire," Abby says, "But let's be honest. We are an organization that provides fellowship opportunities, we're not providing direct services, we're not emergency services, so when things are on fire, that all needs to be in perspective…" Figuring out what matters most will keep up the energy and momentum to "make it big."

Read the full show notes and blog post: https://www.papernapkinwisdom.com/post/leading-behind-the-scenes-ep-3-make-it-big-abby-robinson

Listen to Paper Napkin Wisdom:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/paper-napkin-wisdom-leadership-entrepreneurship-insights/id735345903

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ejOegCltch4RZsqCRKUm3

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@papernapkinwisdom

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Who among us doesn't want better results?

So often we look at the bottom line and continuously set better goals and watch for the outcomes that we want to see. Whether it's improving the bottom line, better customer service, client retention or other outcome based metric – we want to improve them.

Rarely, however, do we look to the process that created the outcomes and structure time and energy toward reviewing the process and making improvements. If you build a system around improving the processes of your organization, you're guaranteed to get better results over time.

Try it out for yourself. The faster you apply the process improvements, the faster you can go up the hockey stick of growth.

Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!

This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!

Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success … get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.

It's a tale as old as time - a regular human discovers their calling and springs to action. Our hero/heroin usually meets up with a mentor or a group of allies and they face a villain as a collaborative force. Joey Womack, CEO of Atlanta based Amplify 4 Good, thinks that entrepreneurs often follow a similar path. His organization uses a combination of out-of-the-box thinking, rapid problem-solving, and obsessive data tracking to help companies create impact. In today's podcast, he talks about why "being a force for good" has become his guiding principle in his journey.

Joey initially adopted this mantra when he decided to go against the grain and opt out of accounting, the family trade. While searching for motivation to follow his entrepreneurial journey despite the naysayers, this quotes got him through dark times. He explains, "As change-makers and entrepreneurs, we are heroes. We have a responsibility to look out and have a bias to action." A fellow Star Wars fan, he compared entrepreneurs to Jedis. "We bring balance to the force. It's up to us to figure out deficits and make a contribution to the solutions," he says. As with heroes, many entrepreneurs spring into action after meeting their Mr. Miyagis or Gandalfs - mentors that ultimately drive them to their destiny. "We hear this call on the inside which tells us we have to default to action," Joey remarks.

During this action phase, he has also found that accepting failure during this process is a key to success. "I tell people in our innovation labs that they need to accept that failure is likely. Just like in some of our favorite movies, the main character loses the first battle with the villain. But they take time to regroup and learn," he says. Joey believes that removing the fear of failure takes the pressure off and allows entrepreneurs to be creative and innovative. He also is intentional about surrounding himself with people who share the same bias for action. "Surround yourself with momentum. We need to rebel against our own limits," he says.

Due to the pressures and inertia of life, most big hairy audacious goals can seem elusive due to their enormous simplicity. "I want to help one billion people by January 2039," Joey says. "It's a big goal, but I believe the universe will bend to your needs once you manifest it."

How are you using your talents to be a force for good? Tweet us @WiseNapkin or comment on our Facebook Page with your answers.

Read the full show notes and blog post: https://www.papernapkinwisdom.com/post/ep-161-be-a-force-for-good-joey-womack-social-entrepreneur-ceo

Listen to Paper Napkin Wisdom:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/paper-napkin-wisdom-leadership-entrepreneurship-insights/id735345903

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ejOegCltch4RZsqCRKUm3

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@papernapkinwisdom

Follow Paper Napkin Wisdom:

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaperNapkinWisdom

TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@papernapkinwisdom

Website: https://www.papernapkinwisdom.com

Everyone is talking about the greatest PREDICTOR of success is how much "grit" or resilience someone has. How willing are they to slog through the rough stuff before reaching for the prize. Some call this delayed gratification, though I don't think they are the same thing.

The secret source of resilience is within you … it lies with passion, love, and faith. Feeling passionately for what you're doing, caring deeply about the work and the people you serve with and for, and faith in the vision are all lessons of the heart. Some call this the "soft stuff" … I call this the tough stuff.

Connect to that inner passion and you'll find limitless resources not just for you but for everyone around you.

Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!

This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!

Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success … get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.

Is there a formulaic way to build a great startup? Today's guest, Maxim Wheatley thinks so. Maxim comes from a very diverse background - he is an award-winning product leader and innovator, with proven success operating at the intersection of business development, innovation, and product strategy. Additionally, he is the co-founder of LifeFuels, a company that aims to leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning in order to to diagnose, manage, and cure health ailments. Maxim's thoughts on entrepreneurship boil down to three basic tenets: "Dream big and start small, constantly seek new questions to answer, and remember that it's the people who turn ideas into companies," he says.

'Dream Big & Start Small'

While it's important to have vision, it's also important to get comfortable to with taking small steps. "Like [Reddit Founder] Alexis Ohanian says, 'Entrepreneur is a fancy word for someone who has ideas and does them'," Maxim says. While having a big vision important, he urges entrepreneurs to figure out the small and intricate steps involved in helping them achieve their goals. He believes the lean startup culture has a certain bias to action that restricts founders from making moves as often as they should. "Early wins build momentum," he remarks, "There is magic in relentlessly pushing as opposed to elegantly leaping."

'Constantly Seek New Questions to Answer'

Having a background in consumer electronic products, Maxim understands the hiccups that can come about when launching a business. "Great products are oriented around prototype questions. "If we're doing something that doesn't answer a question, it's time to readjust," he says. He urges entrepreneurs to constantly ask new questions and evaluate whether those questions link up to the 'dream big' portion of his theory. "Entrepreneurship can be a difficult and lonely road," he mentions, "Asking new questions and getting them answered can provide you with a sense of victory." While an inquisitive nature is important, Maxim warns against falling into an "incubator mentality". Although testing can ensure success for future endeavors, he believes that there is "no validation or testing that will take away from the fact that you need to start taking action."

'It's the People Who Turn Ideas into Companies'

Developing a team is a crucial part of turning ideas into a bonafide operation. If you had $5M and no one wanted to work for you, or $100K and seven people that were excited about your business opportunity, which scenario would you pick? "I'd pick the latter every time," Maxim says. While many entrepreneurs find themselves working solo due to fear of criticism, egocentrism or lack of cash flow, he urges them to explore additional measures. "Find out how to pay people in different ways," he says. Maxim recommends that entrepreneurs use their vision, as opposed to misguided promises of wealth, to attract their team. "Identify other currencies you have at your disposal. Find ways to help [your team] meet their short term and long term goals," he says. By giving people the opportunity to be apart of something meaningful, he believes entrepreneurs will curate loyal teams.

Staying on Track

In order to stay focused, Maxim is intentional about these principles. While many startups often attract unsolicited opinions, he believes that successful founders understand how to weed through the noise, filter the quality feedback and turn it into meaningful action. Additionally, he stresses that goals should be simple. "The startup lifestyle is dog years multiplied by ten," he laughs, "You have to try and not get too caught up in long term planning." Rather, Maxim suggests that founders take time to ensure that their everyday activities are aligned with their bigger vision. He suggests that founders should ask themselves, "Is there meaningful progress? Are you creating something that you can show and evaluate? If not, change course."

What "small steps" have you taken to achieve your "big dreams"? Comment below (www.facebook.com/PaperNapkinWisdom) or send us a Tweet (www.twitter.com/WiseNapkin)!

Read the full show notes and blog post: https://www.papernapkinwisdom.com/post/ep-160-the-entrepreneur-formula-maxim-wheatley-entrepreneur

Listen to Paper Napkin Wisdom:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/paper-napkin-wisdom-leadership-entrepreneurship-insights/id735345903

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ejOegCltch4RZsqCRKUm3

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@papernapkinwisdom

Follow Paper Napkin Wisdom:

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Website: https://www.papernapkinwisdom.com

So many times our teams look to us to articulate clearly the future vision of the company or the project. It's up to us to detail it for them. We have to show them where we're going, what it looks like, what it feels like, what it smells like, even what it tastes like and sounds like.

How do we do that if we've never been there – it's a future state after all. It's a future vision that requires us to CHANGE what we're doing to make happen.

The answer is simpler (but not easy).

Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!

This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!

Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success … get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.

We're just a few days away from 2017! If you're like most business owners, you're looking for ways to evolve your marketing strategy next year. If so, this podcast is my New Year's gift to you. Former Paper Napkin Wisdom guest Joe Calloway recommended today's guest, and I'm so glad he did. Jane Atkinson has over 25 years of experience securing top-tier speaking gigs for Fortune 500 C-Level executives.

In today's podcast, we discuss her method that ensures success for her campaigns. Her three step process, "Ready, Aim, Fire",which she outlines in her new book The Wealthy Speaker, provides the framework for her clients to succeed. "In the 'Ready' phase, we get crystal clear as to what we're selling," she says. Aim refers to gaining clarity around what the focus of the campaign will be, while 'Fire' is the execution of the campaign.

All great marketing plans have a formula and Jane's "rule of threes" framework is no different. Prior to developing this outlook, she realized the need to develop a unique process. "I knew what I was talking about, but it wasn't very organized," she says. During the ready phase, she recommends entrepreneurs to gain clarity into what it is they're selling. While this may be easy for some, she urges business owners to ensure that this clarity permeates all levels of the organization.

The aim phase is a bit more intense. "You have to pick a lane and narrow down where you'd like to be viewed as an expert," she says. Developing a clear and concise promise statement is a large part of the aim phase. This statement "should explain what you do and who you do it for," Jane recommends. She also puts a large emphasis on curating a target audience and understanding how the product or service will benefit them.

Following the aim phase, it's time to "fire". "Attempt to answer your buyers questions, then provide solutions," she recommends.

This should be a cyclical process in any business, Jane says. "If your message isn't resonating, ask yourself - are reaching out to the right market? Circle back to ready and evaluate," she advises. While many entrepreneurs may be itching for change, she also warns against making major overhauls. Instead, she recommends strategic tweaks and evaluating strategies prior to moving forward. "I had a client who was looking to get in front of the healthcare community. He didn't think our strategies were working. But it turned out that it was just taking more time that he was accustomed to," Jane recalls. And, if a major overhaul is needed, Jane recommends that brands "put out feelers to see who the message resonates with the most in order to create momentum."

It's normal for people to occasionally get stuck in the chaotic "ready" phase, but Jane says that it's often fear that's driving the bus. "If you're afraid, gain clarity around what's making you uncomfortable and refer to points in your past to combat that fear," she says. While perfection is ideal, it's also not very realistic. "[Business owners] need to be okay with not being perfect," she says.

What phase are you currently in with your brand? What are some ways you can explore to become "unstuck"? Comment below (www.Facebook.com/PaperNapkinWisdom) or send us a Tweet at www.twitter.com/wisenapkin with your response.

Read the full show notes and blog post: https://www.papernapkinwisdom.com/post/ep-159-the-rule-of-threes-jane-atkinson-entrepreneur-coach

Listen to Paper Napkin Wisdom:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/paper-napkin-wisdom-leadership-entrepreneurship-insights/id735345903

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ejOegCltch4RZsqCRKUm3

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@papernapkinwisdom

Follow Paper Napkin Wisdom:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/govindhj/

X (Twitter): https://x.com/WiseNapkin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/govindhj/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaperNapkinWisdom

TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@papernapkinwisdom

Website: https://www.papernapkinwisdom.com

Bottom line … when we are under pressure and stress (or distress) our pulse quickens. We need to distribute vital energy to various parts of our bodies quicker in these situations.

Our companies are no different. We need to speed up our communication rhythm in these situations and there is no doubt that there is value to having a regular heartbeat – a regular structure to daily, weekly, monthly communications.

Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!

This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!

Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success … get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.

Business success, especially entrepreneurial success, is about finding the right fit for your work, while also finding a harmony with everything else that affects your work. Business success is like relationship success. Sure, it would be wonderful to find the perfect match, but sometimes it's even better to learn how to make an imperfect match fit. Communication and understanding allow unlike people to form mutually beneficial alliances. When alliances are formed, trust is born. It's the same with business.

Moving at the speed of trust propels businesses to flourish in a timely manner, while reinforcing and strengthening the foundations of that success.

People often ask Tendrel's Devon Davey how to build a solid business team. Her go-to reply is: start small with the power of two. Entrepreneurs can move so quickly that they are unable to initially communicate and receive feedback from a large team. Again, to use the relationship analogy, once the trust is established between two people, others can be brought in slowly, and then more rapidly, into the mix.

Listening becomes key in business relationships. Because it's not about who is right or wrong, but rather it's about different neutral perspectives having a voice. Neutrality fosters workplace winning, without ego. For instance, partners have strengths you many not possess. Instead of viewing that from a competitive perspective, if their strengths can be accepted as a plus that compliments your weakness, while your strengths also shine, progress can be made without getting personal or emotional. It's a stretch to leave ego at the door and head into that mutually beneficial magnanimous territory.

Partners, business or personal, come together for each other's strengths, but stay together because of each other's stretches. Stretches require solidarity, convergence, and trust. Strengths are where we are comfortable. Stretches require us to take on the unfamiliar, without self-doubt. Together, these two forces are the cornerstones of all success.

Resilience is not an accident. It doesn't arrive at the moment of need by default.

The reality is that resilience is there when we need it when we plan for it. Part of this is, of course, planning for it by having a great Playbook, aligned with your Path, and articulated with predictable communication structures to your Key Players. Without planning there's no chance that you'll have resilience when you need it.

The thing is, however, practice is important too. How do you practice resilience? Listen in … but it starts with building predictable structures of communication and collaboration. It continues with practicing these habits in good times – maintaining them during great times.

Holding space for your team (and yourself) daily helps.

Take Action is a short podcast, usually between 3 to 5 minutes long, and the focus is on the small, 1% improvements we can make in our businesses and lives. Small changes make a big difference!

This podcast will help you make small changes that will change your world, so we can together save the world one entrepreneur and small business at a time!

Based on The Book Paper Napkin Wisdom: Your 5 Step Plan to Life and Business Success … get yours now on Amazon or at Paper Napkin Wisdom.