EP 241 - Stand Out. Speak Up. Be Radically Authentic – Marina Byezhanova on Owning Your Identity
Release Date: 05/08/2025
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 241 of Paper Napkin Wisdom, I reconnect with someone whose growth journey I’ve witnessed firsthand—Marina Byezhanova. She’s not just a remarkable entrepreneur and thought leader; she’s also someone I’ve had the privilege to coach during her early years in the Entrepreneurs’ Organization Accelerator program. Today, she’s the co-founder of Brand of a Leader, a global personal branding agency that helps CEOs and founders show up powerfully and authentically in a noisy world.
Marina's journey is one of identity, courage, and clarity. Born in Ukraine, she immigrated to Canada as a teenager, carrying the weight of reinvention on her shoulders. Her story isn't just about entrepreneurship—it's about the transformation that happens when we stop hiding and start standing in our truth.
Her Paper Napkin Wisdom is handwritten and bold: "Stand out. Speak up. Be radically authentic." At the top, she’s penned “BOAL”—the acronym for her company, Brand of a Leader—a testament to how deeply this message is woven into her life and work.
Marina’s message came from years of personal experience and introspection. “It took me many years to realize that this is my north star,” she shared. “And over time, as I started a personal branding agency for founders and CEOs, it became their north star too.”
She talked openly about her early years trying to fit in—years of hoping no one would ask where she was from, years of trying to blend in rather than stand out. “All I wanted was for people not to hear my accent when I said hello,” she told me. But over time, Marina discovered the power in not just showing up—but showing up loudly, proudly, and with purpose.
Her transformation wasn’t overnight. It was iterative, painful at times, and vulnerable. But in that vulnerability, she found strength. “There is something really compelling when we are radically authentic,” she said, emphasizing that radical authenticity isn’t just a marketing strategy—it’s a way of being.
What stood out in our conversation is Marina’s clarity of purpose: her belief that personal branding isn’t about ego or vanity—it’s about alignment. It’s about letting the outside world see the leader you truly are on the inside. In a digital age where we’re all building brands—intentionally or not—her insight is both a wake-up call and a guiding light.
She reminded us that standing out doesn’t require volume—it requires resonance. That speaking up isn’t about dominating—it’s about contributing. And that authenticity isn’t a buzzword—it’s a daily practice of integrity.
5 Key Takeaways from Marina Byezhanova on Paper Napkin Wisdom
1. Authenticity Is Your Brand
“Radical authenticity is not a buzzword—it’s your superpower.”
Take Action: Audit your public presence (LinkedIn, bios, website) and ask: Is this really me? If not, refine it until it is.
2. You Can’t Lead If You’re Hiding
“I spent years blending in, afraid to stand out. But leaders aren’t made in the shadows.”
Take Action: Identify one way you’re holding back—and commit to showing up more boldly this week.
3. Your Voice Matters, Even If It Shakes
“Speaking up doesn’t mean shouting. It means sharing with purpose.”
Take Action: Publish one post or comment today that reflects your real thoughts—especially if it scares you a little.
4. Your Brand Is Built by Design or by Default
“If you’re not intentional about your brand, you still have one—just not the one you want.”
Take Action: Set three adjectives you want people to associate with your name. Now check if your online footprint reflects them.
5. Full Circle Moments Are Fuel
“Growth is beautiful when you can look back and say, ‘I’ve become who I was meant to be.’”
Take Action: Write a note or message to someone who helped you in your journey. Share your gratitude—it reinforces growth.
Marina’s message is one every entrepreneur, founder, and difference-maker needs to hear: Don’t wait to be invited to the stage. Build your own. Then own it.
Want to connect with Marina or learn more about how she helps founders become visible and impactful leaders? Visit Brand of a Leader or connect with her on LinkedIn.
And as always, I challenge you: What’s your Paper Napkin Wisdom? Share it with us using the hashtag #PaperNapkinWisdom. Post it. Share it. Live it.