Ep 239 - Don’t Just Build a Business—Build a Foundation: Wisdom from Darcel Dillard-Suite
Release Date: 05/01/2025
EP 261 - Build, Don’t Burnout: How Ross Albers Learned to Lead by Working ON, Not IN, His Business
Paper Napkin Wisdom
When Ross Albers found himself fired just two weeks before his wedding, most people would have panicked. Instead, Ross did something remarkable: he founded his own law firm. What started as a necessity quickly became a proving ground for building a business with intention—and more importantly, with vision. In this episode of Paper Napkin Wisdom, Ross shares a powerful lesson written on a napkin: “You have to work ON your business instead of IN it. From there, you can HIRE, ACQUIRE, and INSPIRE.” This isn’t just a play on words. It’s a strategic mindset...
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EP 260 - Toni Harrison on Building R.E.A.L. Resilience: How to Stay Grounded and Grow Through the Grind
Paper Napkin Wisdom
In Episode 260 of Paper Napkin Wisdom, we sit down with Toni Harrison, the powerhouse CEO of , a nationally recognized communications firm. Toni brings not only decades of experience in high-stakes PR and crisis management, but also a deeply personal and refreshingly honest take on what it means to be resilient in business and life. Her napkin reads: “Toni’s 4 Pillars of RESILIENCE (being R.E.A.L.): Taking on the (R)igor (E)mbrace experience Discovering how to be (A)daptable Employing (L)evel-setting goals throughout your professional...
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EP 259 - Michael Walsh - Part 7 of the Freedom by Design Series - Hire Smart for Your Expertise-Based Business
Paper Napkin Wisdom
Michael Walsh is no stranger to the Paper Napkin Wisdom podcast. As a seasoned leadership strategist, business growth expert, and founder of , Michael returns with another powerful idea that challenges how we think about hiring in today’s knowledge-driven economy. In part 7 of our Freedom by Design series, we dive into the human side of performance—and Michael’s handwritten napkin drives home one essential truth: Hiring right is half the game. But what does hiring right actually mean in a business world increasingly driven by expertise, not just execution? ...
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EP 258 - If It Doesn’t Set Your Soul on Fire, It’s Not Worth It — Dinah Chapman on the Courage to Live Unapologetically
Paper Napkin Wisdom
Dinah Chapman is not your average entrepreneur. A fierce advocate for bold living, Dinah’s energy is magnetic, and her insights are ignited by a lifetime of choosing purpose over pretense. She’s a keynote speaker, creative strategist, and self-described “disruptor with intention.” Her Paper Napkin packs a punch — literally: "If it doesn’t set your f*cking soul on fire, it’s not worth it." This is more than a quote — it’s a manifesto. In episode 258 of Paper Napkin Wisdom, Dinah invites us to challenge the safe path, to unlearn the behaviors that...
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EP 257 - Move Fast (But Don’t Break It All): Adam Olalde’s Refined Formula for Bold Leadership
Paper Napkin Wisdom
In Episode 257 of Paper Napkin Wisdom, Adam Olalde, entrepreneur and founder of the Xtreme Xperience, shares a piece of guidance that captures the heart of adaptive leadership in a fast-paced world: “Move fast and (try not to) break things.” It’s a nuanced remix of the famous Silicon Valley adage, but with a leadership lens honed by experience. Adam’s journey is marked by transformation—both personal and professional. As someone who has led teams through disruptive growth, built multi-million-dollar ventures, and weathered industry shifts, Adam brings more than...
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EP 256 - Freedom by Design Series (Part 6) | The Social Contract: Rethinking the Balance Between Owners and Employees Michael Walsh
Paper Napkin Wisdom
In the sixth installment of the Freedom by Design series, Michael Walsh distills a transformative idea on a literal paper napkin: The Social Contract. It’s a powerful reframing of the unspoken expectations that define the relationship between companies and their employees. More than a list of responsibilities, it’s a shared agreement—designed not just for performance, but for mutual growth. Michael, founder of Walsh Business Growth, has long championed the notion that businesses should be engines of human flourishing—not just economic engines. In this...
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EP 255 – Awareness Is the Gateway: Rethinking Inner and Outer States with Seema Dhanoa
Paper Napkin Wisdom
In episode 255 of Paper Napkin Wisdom, we’re joined by the brilliant Seema Dhanoa — a transformational coach, conscious leadership facilitator, and author of the powerful book The Path to Conscious Leadership. Seema’s work is rooted in helping people return to themselves and lead from a place of inner truth. Her napkin might be simple in form, but it holds an entire operating system for alignment, balance, and meaningful presence. At the center of her napkin is a bright burst of awareness — a foundational concept that Seema explains is the key to unlocking our full...
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EP 254 - Give Before Asking: A Simple Shift That Transforms Leadership - Featuring Rick Williams
Paper Napkin Wisdom
In Episode 254 of Paper Napkin Wisdom, Govindh Jayaraman sits down with Rick Williams — board director, leadership coach, and author of Create the Future: For Your Company and Yourself. A man of strategic clarity and quiet conviction, Rick shares a deceptively simple yet profoundly powerful message: "Give Before Asking." This phrase, written on a paper napkin, becomes the cornerstone of a conversation rich with wisdom about leadership, generosity, trust, and how real influence is built — not demanded. Rick’s career spans decades of advising leaders through business...
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EP 253 - Freedom by Design Series (Part 5) | Rethink the Core: Why Real Growth Starts Within - Michael Walsh | Freedom by Design, Part 4
Paper Napkin Wisdom
In the next installment of the Freedom by Design series, Michael Walsh brings us back to the heart of sustainable business growth: the core of your organization. His napkin, boldly titled “Rethink the Core,” offers a deceptively simple yet profoundly important shift in how entrepreneurs and leaders define what really drives performance. On one side of the napkin: a traditional model where teams create results, leading to customer value and company profit. It's efficient. It's direct. But it's incomplete. On the other side: a redesigned model....
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EP 252 - The Customer Isn’t Always Right – Your Team Comes First: Wisdom from Christine McDannell
Paper Napkin Wisdom
Christine McDannell is a serial entrepreneur, author of The Resilient Founder, and a passionate advocate for building businesses that align with long-term legacy and personal purpose. She’s launched and sold multiple companies, including a 7-figure exit, and now focuses her energy on guiding purpose-driven founders through her work at Kindred Quarters and . In Episode 252 of Paper Napkin Wisdom, Christine shared a bold but essential truth that many leaders need to hear: “The customer is not always #1… your team is #1!” It's a deceptively simple statement...
info_outlineIn Episode 240 of Paper Napkin Wisdom, we’re joined by Darcel Dillard-Suite, a powerhouse entrepreneur, mental health advocate, and co-founder of Full Circle Health. With nearly three decades of entrepreneurial experience, Darcel has built a thriving business alongside her husband, a psychiatrist, focused on holistic mental wellness and support for underrepresented communities. Her impact has been far-reaching, not just as a business leader, but as a mentor and motivator helping others rise through the challenges of entrepreneurship.
Her napkin is a blueprint for success that every entrepreneur should take to heart:
“Diversify, Stay Determined, Develop Strong Financial Advisors.”
These aren’t just words—they’re lessons hard-won through years of navigating the entrepreneurial grind. And each of them holds a story that could change the way you build your business.
Diversify or Die Trying
"I learned the hard way that if I didn’t diversify this business and get income coming from other directions...we’re not going to make it," Darcel says. She and her husband took the leap to stop working for others and go all-in on their dream—but that dream needed legs to stand on.
Early on, they realized that relying on just one stream of income wasn’t sustainable. So they built multiple revenue pathways, creatively expanding their offerings to weather industry changes and market shifts. In today’s economy, this wisdom is more relevant than ever.
Stay Determined (Even When It’s Not Easy)
“It gets frustrating. It really does,” Darcel admits. Entrepreneurship can be brutal. But Darcel reminds us that perseverance is what separates those who build legacy businesses from those who burn out.
Her message is clear: grit matters. Building something that lasts means pushing through the tough moments, even when your dream feels distant.
Don’t DIY Your Finances
If there’s one thing Darcel wishes she knew earlier, it’s this: “Develop strong financial advisors.”
She reflects on how she and her husband funded their early business ventures—by loaning themselves money from their mortgage. “We did all sorts of creative things,” she says. But what they lacked was financial strategy and structure.
She’s transparent about how much smoother their growth could have been if they’d partnered with the right advisors from the start. The lesson? Don’t wait until you’re in a bind to bring in financial guidance. Build your bench early.
5 Key Takeaways from Darcel Dillard-Suite
1. Diversification Is Non-Negotiable
“Just doing it this way isn't going to cut it.”
Take Action: Audit your revenue streams—can your business survive if one dries up? If not, it's time to expand.
2. Determination Is a Skill, Not a Trait
“It gets frustrating...you can easily get discouraged.”
Take Action: Schedule a weekly check-in with yourself or your team to reconnect with your “why.”
3. Your Financial Advisors Should Be as Strong as Your Vision
“I wish I had a financial advisor earlier on to teach me some things I learned later.”
Take Action: Seek out a financial advisor who specializes in small businesses or startups and schedule a strategy session this quarter.
4. Learn from the Hustle, But Don’t Get Stuck There
Darcel and her husband bootstrapped creatively, but it came at a cost.
Take Action: Reassess your funding strategies. Are they sustainable, or are you just surviving?
5. Turn Experience Into Impact
Now that Darcel has learned these lessons, she’s paying it forward.
Take Action: Share your biggest business mistake with a mentee. Help someone else avoid your pitfalls.
Darcel Dillard-Suite’s episode is a masterclass in real-talk entrepreneurship. It’s not about the highlight reel—it’s about the long-haul journey of building something meaningful, sustainable, and transformative.
📝 What part of Darcel’s wisdom resonated with you the most?
Post your takeaway on a napkin and share it with us using #PaperNapkinWisdom.
Connect with Darcel Dillard-Suite: