EP 245 - Summit Your Current Mountain: Dustin Wells on Focus, Fulfillment, and the Climb of Leadership
Release Date: 05/20/2025
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_outlinePaper Napkin Wisdom
In Part 4 of the Freedom by Design series, Michael Walsh — growth strategist and founder of Walsh Business Growth — returns to the Paper Napkin Wisdom podcast with another deceptively simple, powerfully transformational idea. This time, Michael outlines what he believes to be the four core driving influences of all human behavior: Survive, Thrive, Connect, and Adapt. Michael's frameworks aren't about academic theory — they’re forged in the heat of real entrepreneurial fires. Having coached hundreds of founders and growth-minded leaders, Michael brings his deep understanding of...
info_outlinePaper Napkin Wisdom
Heads up: this is a live recording, and the audio has some echo due to a tech glitch. Still, John’s wisdom shines through—and we think it’s worth it. Hope you agree. In this special final chapter of a three-part series, we return to Paper Napkin Wisdom with legendary entrepreneur John Sleeman, founder of Sleeman Breweries and Spring Mill Distillery. But this time, he’s not alone — John is joined by the next generation: his sons, Quinn, a cooper who crafts whiskey barrels, and Cooper, who leads sales and marketing at the distillery. Yes, the naming symmetry is as poetic as...
info_outlinePaper Napkin Wisdom
Heads up: this is a live recording, and the audio has some echo due to a tech glitch. Still, John’s wisdom shines through—and we think it’s worth it. Hope you agree. This episode marks the second chapter in a three-part journey through the life and legacy of John Sleeman, the iconic Canadian entrepreneur behind Sleeman Breweries. And in this moment, we move from the grind of building a business to something deeper—something almost mythic: a legacy rediscovered. John’s story picks up with a surprise visit from his Aunt Florian. After a decade of no contact, she shows up with a...
info_outlinePaper Napkin Wisdom
This episode is personal. Just after college, I started a small business with my friend Matt Fox. We launched a student-focused magazine called Fingertips — hunting down wing nights and drink deals before smartphones made that easy. Money was tight. Hustle was everything. And our first cold call was to Sleeman Brewing in Guelph. John Sleeman said yes. That early “yes” stuck with me — and now, decades later, I’m sitting with him in this beautiful building, recording a full-circle episode for Paper Napkin Wisdom. But this story isn’t about the...
info_outlinePaper Napkin Wisdom
Michael Walsh returns for part three of our special Freedom by Design series on Paper Napkin Wisdom, and this one might be the most visually striking yet. If you’re a fan of simple visuals that unlock big thinking, you’re going to love this napkin. It’s a 10x10 grid—just 100 dots—but what it represents could be the unlock for transformational leadership and next-level scale. Michael is the founder of Walsh Business Growth and the author of Freedom by Design: The Established Business Owner’s Guide to Grow, Make an Impact and Find Joy Again. In this...
info_outlinePaper Napkin Wisdom
In Episode 246 of Paper Napkin Wisdom, Govindh Jayaraman sits down with Ari Galper, the world’s leading authority on trust-based selling and the creator of the revolutionary “One Call Sale” method. With over 25 years of experience, Ari has completely flipped the traditional sales script. His approach isn’t about pressure, persuasion, or playing games—it’s about trust, truth, and transformation. Ari’s method is especially relevant for high-trust, low-volume, high-margin businesses where chasing leads and long sales cycles create drag. His model is designed to...
info_outlinePaper Napkin Wisdom
Dustin Wells isn’t just an experienced tech entrepreneur — he’s a guide for leaders looking to rediscover purpose in the peaks and valleys of business and life. With over two decades in tech and a successful exit under his belt, Dustin has learned to measure success not only in valuations but in clarity, impact, and joy. In Episode 245 of Paper Napkin Wisdom, Dustin shared a message written in bold blue ink: “Summit your current mountain.” This deceptively simple statement holds transformative weight. It’s not just about climbing higher — it’s about finishing...
info_outlinePaper Napkin Wisdom
Michael Walsh is no stranger to growth. As the founder of , he’s spent years helping established business owners scale with intention, clarity, and impact. In this second installment of our Freedom Framework special on Paper Napkin Wisdom, Michael returns to reveal one of his most powerful visual tools for growth: The 4 Danger Zones. Drawn on a simple napkin (as all great ideas are), Michael lays out the major inflection points — and hidden pitfalls — that business owners face as they scale from $1M to $20M and beyond. Each stage brings a new level of complexity, risk,...
info_outlinePaper Napkin Wisdom
Freedom. It’s a word thrown around a lot in entrepreneurial circles. For some, it’s about time. For others, money. But in Episode 243 of Paper Napkin Wisdom, Michael Walsh challenges all of us to look deeper. With his napkin reading, “Freedom is not a selfish act,” he invites established business owners to consider a profound shift in how they view growth and fulfillment. Michael Walsh isn’t just another business coach. He’s a skilled strategist with decades of experience guiding entrepreneurs who have already built something successful—but feel stuck,...
info_outlineDustin Wells isn’t just an experienced tech entrepreneur — he’s a guide for leaders looking to rediscover purpose in the peaks and valleys of business and life. With over two decades in tech and a successful exit under his belt, Dustin has learned to measure success not only in valuations but in clarity, impact, and joy. In Episode 245 of Paper Napkin Wisdom, Dustin shared a message written in bold blue ink: “Summit your current mountain.”
This deceptively simple statement holds transformative weight. It’s not just about climbing higher — it’s about finishing the climb you’re on. In a culture obsessed with constant reinvention and the next big thing, Dustin’s wisdom is a powerful reminder that what’s in front of you right now deserves your full attention, effort, and heart.
“I almost didn’t sell. I had no plans to sell,” Dustin says, recalling the unexpected opportunity to exit the company he founded. “But when I did, it was the first time in years I could hear myself think.”
That moment of clarity didn’t come easily. Like many founders, Dustin had tied his identity to his company. Stepping away forced him to confront the truth: even success can become a trap if you’re not fully present in the journey.
Throughout the episode, Dustin opens up about the transition from founder to free agent — a phase marked not by absence, but by deeper exploration. “What was fascinating,” he shares, “was how much of my day was about responding to others. After I exited, I had to rediscover what I wanted to do.”
That rediscovery is at the heart of his message. "Summit your current mountain" isn’t about escapism. It’s about going all the way with what you’ve started. “Don’t quit halfway. Don’t build a bridge and walk away before it connects. Get to the top, see the view, learn the lesson — then decide what’s next.”
His story isn’t just about tech or exits. It’s about agency. About being deliberate. About noticing when you're climbing someone else’s mountain — or worse, running in circles at the base of your own.
“What I learned is that there's joy in the hard things — if you're doing the right hard thing.”
In a world that glorifies hustle and pivots, Dustin invites us into a different rhythm: one that values completion, reflection, and intentional transition.
5 Key Takeaways from Dustin Wells
1. Finish What You Start — Fully
“If you’re halfway up a mountain and decide to stop, you don’t get the view. You don’t get the lesson.”
🧭 Take Action: Identify one major initiative or relationship in your life that you’ve left incomplete. Recommit to seeing it through — or consciously close the loop.
2. Let Silence Speak
“I didn’t realize how noisy my life was until I had a moment to just… listen.”
🧘 Take Action: Block 30 minutes this week for uninterrupted reflection — no agenda, no distractions. Listen to what your inner voice is telling you.
3. Don’t Outsource Your Identity to Your Work
“Who are you when you're not the founder, the CEO, the operator?”
🪞 Take Action: Journal about your identity beyond your job title. What values, joys, or passions define you outside of work?
4. Embrace the Power of Choice
“You can choose to stay, to go, to rest, to climb — but make it a choice, not a reaction.”
🎯 Take Action: Review your current obligations. Are you choosing them or just reacting to momentum? Make at least one intentional change.
5. The Next Mountain Can Wait
“Climb this one first. Feel the summit. Then you’ll know what’s next.”
⛰️ Take Action: Pause the chase for “what’s next” until you’ve fully processed where you are. Celebrate completion before setting new goals.
Dustin Wells is an executive advisor, founder, and former CEO with two successful exits. He now supports leaders in finding clarity, calm, and capacity in their businesses and lives. You can connect with him on LinkedIn.
If Dustin’s message struck a chord with you, here’s your challenge: write your own mountain on a napkin — then commit to summiting it. Post it with #PaperNapkinWisdom and inspire someone else to climb with intention.
🗻 What’s your current mountain? Let us know.