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In Episode 286 of Paper Napkin Wisdom, host Govindh Jayaraman reflects on the journey so far and introduces “The Edge of the Napkin” — the space where wisdom meets action. The napkin has always captured powerful, simple ideas; now it’s about living them out, testing, and expanding them. This evolution takes Paper Napkin Wisdom from spark to execution, building clarity, community, and courage for leaders and entrepreneurs.

Episode 285 of Paper Napkin Wisdom features Kendra MacDonald, CEO of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, who shares a powerful lesson: *“Make sure your career is 25 years, not 1 year 25 times. What will you learn this year?”* Her insight reframes success—not as time served, but as intentional growth, learning, and change. Each year should bring new skills and perspectives, ensuring careers evolve instead of repeat. #PaperNapkinWisdom

Here’s a version under 500 characters: Michael Walsh closes the Freedom Series with a powerful reminder: “You’ve got to rethink the core.” Profit alone isn’t enough—the true core is people, systems, and the freedom to thrive. His final insights stress hiring smart, relentlessly developing teams, focusing on people before customers, and building leaders who can adapt to change. Freedom in business means creating organizations that endure and outlast the entrepreneur.

Saahil Mehta—entrepreneur, mountaineer, and author of Break Free—helps leaders “stress less, grow faster, and live a zero-regret life.” Drawing lessons from summiting Kilimanjaro to Elbrus, he teaches clarity, focus, and traveling light—mentally, materially, and emotionally. His framework: define your summits, declutter, and execute with momentum. As he says: “Ambitious leaders don’t wait for clarity. They create it.”

EP 280 of *Freedom by Design* with Michael Walsh drives home one truth: scale comes from developing leaders, not just individuals. Leaders rally people toward a brighter future, while managers turn talent into performance—both are vital, but different. When you grow leaders who grow managers who grow people, capacity multiplies. If your results feel capped, stop sprinting solo—build an ecosystem of leaders who create leaders.

“We are designed for rest.” In Episode 279, Steven Langer—keynote speaker and wellness strategist—challenges hustle culture and the myth that rest must be earned. He shares why rest isn’t sleep, but intentional recovery that restores clarity and performance. With practical tools like micro-breaks, done-lists, and baseline checks, Steven shows how leaders can model and design cultures that value well-being—because rest fuels real results.

“Growth doesn’t come from what we know, but from how we apply what we learn,” says Rhett Power. In Episode 278 of Paper Napkin Wisdom, the entrepreneur and coach shares why implementation—not information—fuels results. From scaling startups to coaching execs, Rhett reveals how accountability, small experiments, and useful constraints turn knowledge into traction.

Michael Walsh reveals a powerful truth: managers who grow people multiply results, while those who try to do it all themselves hit a ceiling. True leadership isn’t about doing more—it’s about building capable teams. Walsh challenges outdated management models and reframes accountability as partnership. When managers focus on developing others, impact and results scale.

Courtney Ramsey, CSP, helps leaders stop hitting “snooze” on tough conversations and bold decisions. In this energizing episode, she shares how tiny delays erode team momentum—and how intentional action, courageous curiosity, and embracing discomfort can spark powerful leadership shifts. “Every time we press snooze, we trade momentum for momentary comfort.” It’s time to wake up and lead.

Jeff Wetzler, co-CEO of Transcend and author of ASK, shares his napkin wisdom: “The answers you need are hiding in plain sight—in the hearts and minds of those around you.” In Episode 275 of Paper Napkin Wisdom, he reveals how leaders can unlock breakthrough insight by asking better questions, building psychological safety, and treating curiosity as a disciplined skill.

In Part 12 of our Freedom by Design series, business strategist Michael Walsh cracks open a core growth challenge: the gap between technical skill and people leadership. His “Best Boss / Worst Boss” napkin exercise reveals that great management isn’t luck—it’s learned. Walsh shares how self-awareness, coaching, and feedback turn average managers into growth engines. Want better results? Start by growing better bosses.

From surviving vocal-cord surgery to speaking on global stages, Jessica Fabus Cheng turned a near-silent future into a powerhouse mission for inclusion. Now Mrs. DC International 2025 and founder of Turnkey Accessibility, she helps brands embrace access as strategy—not charity.

Rainier Mallol’s journey began with one word: Decision. That choice led to AIME, an AI platform predicting mosquito-borne disease outbreaks with 85% accuracy. From classroom prototype to Olympic tool, his story shows that bold choices—not perfect timing—drive transformation. Now tackling customer experience with cxgenies, Rainier proves the same data-driven thinking can solve human problems across industries.

Michael Walsh, founder of Walsh Business Growth Institute, believes great teams drive everything good in a company. In Paper Napkin Wisdom, he shares why most “people problems” are really design issues—and how deliberate team design, mentorship, and training can unlock freedom, growth, and culture that scales.

In this episode of Paper Napkin Wisdom, David Umansky, CEO and co-founder of Civic Builders, shares a deceptively simple but powerful message: "Be bold!" For David, boldness isn’t recklessness — it’s designing for transformation, removing barriers to equity, and listening deeply. Real change, he says, comes from building systems that scale good, staying calm in chaos, and turning feedback into fuel. Boldness isn’t a slogan — it’s purpose in action.

In Episode 269 of Paper Napkin Wisdom, Derek Coburn, bestselling author and financial advisor, challenges the old idea of retirement. Instead of deferring joy for someday, he urges us to design lives rich with purpose, presence, and micro-retirements now. Why wait to live fully?

In Episode 268 of Paper Napkin Wisdom, leadership expert Michael Walsh urges leaders to flip the script: create a career development growth plan that’s not about the business, but about your people. Focus on their 10-year vision, strengths and weaknesses, and map learning that supports who they want to become. When leaders invest in human flourishing—not just performance—they build teams ready to run through walls. True leadership isn’t extraction—it’s empowerment. #PaperNapk

Former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann shares his simple yet powerful mantra: “Get up. Get dressed. Go to work. People are counting on you.” In Episode 267 of Paper Napkin Wisdom, Marc reveals how this mindset helped him rebuild after public failure. His story is a reminder that leadership isn’t about perfection—it’s about showing up, even on the hardest days, because someone out there still needs you to.

Train & Grow Your People (Part 2) dives into making people development the engine of profit and customer value. Michael Walsh shows how to build training into daily work so growth isn’t extra—it’s essential. Align your team’s development with business goals, create clarity, and design growth plans that drive real results. Freedom isn’t stepping back from your team—it’s investing in them so results become integrated and lasting.

Todd Palmer returns to Paper Napkin Wisdom with a transformative mantra: “Everything happens 4 me, NOT 2 me.” As a coach and former CEO who rebuilt from near-bankruptcy, Todd shows how this shift from victim to creator empowers leaders to face adversity with intention. By asking “What’s the gift here?” and owning our thoughts, we move from reactive to proactive. His message: rewrite your story, live in the present, and find growth in every challenge. Life isn’t against us—it’