EP 247 - Freedom by Design Series (Part 3) | The Exponential Power of Connection: A Napkin That Changes Everything - Michael Walsh
Release Date: 05/26/2025
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_outlineMichael 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 final part of our three-episode series, Michael draws our attention to a deceptively simple truth: relationships are the real force multipliers in any organization. And when you understand how one-to-one connections scale, you start designing differently.
“This napkin isn’t about how many people you can reach,” Michael says. “It’s about how many relationships you can build—and the ripple effects of each connection.”
On the napkin, Michael illustrates the growth of potential 1:1 relationships within a team using the classic network formula: # of 1:1 relationships = n(n–1)/2
Starting with just four people, the napkin shows how you quickly get to six relationships. Add five more people, and it jumps to thirty-six. By the time you hit 100 people, you’re looking at 4,950 unique one-to-one relationships.
This is more than math. It’s strategy.
“The biggest limiting factor to scale isn’t the size of your team,” Michael explains, “it’s the number of intentional relationships that exist inside it.”
When you don’t design for connection, you design for chaos. Silos. Miscommunication. Duplication. Frustration.
But if you lead intentionally—with structure, rituals, and systems that foster communication—those same relationships become a lattice of trust, clarity, and momentum. It’s the kind of shift that turns organizations from friction-heavy to friction-free.
Michael also reminds us of something subtle but powerful: you are one of those dots. The way you show up as a leader sets the tone for how relationships are built within the culture you design.
And here’s where Freedom by Design ties it all together: clarity, rhythm, and intentional design are what allow freedom to flourish. Not structure for the sake of bureaucracy, but structure for the sake of people.
“The freedom you crave isn’t the absence of responsibility,” Michael notes. “It’s the presence of intentional design.”
This napkin—100 circles, one smiley face, and some exponential math—is a simple but profound reminder that freedom and scale aren’t found by stepping away from the business… they’re found by stepping in more intentionally.
5 Key Takeaways from Michael Walsh – Episode 244
1. Relationships Scale Faster Than People
“It’s not about adding headcount—it’s about increasing intentional connections.”
Take Action: Map out the number of direct relationships in your leadership team. Ask: are these strong or just functional? Strengthen one this week.
2. Design Systems That Support Human Connection
“Structure doesn’t stifle—it liberates.”
Take Action: Introduce a consistent 1:1 rhythm (weekly, biweekly, or monthly) between team members to build trust and resolve friction before it festers.
3. Visual Thinking Sparks Strategic Insight
“Sometimes a napkin is better than a spreadsheet.”
Take Action: Sketch a challenge you’re facing instead of typing it out. What patterns emerge when you look at it visually?
4. Freedom Comes From Design, Not Absence
“Freedom isn’t doing less—it’s doing what matters most.”
Take Action: Identify one system that could reduce friction and increase joy. Start designing it this week.
5. Your Leadership Is the First Dot
“You’re part of the grid—how you show up defines how others connect.”
Take Action: Show up with intention in one key conversation today. Be present. Be clear. Be human.
This final installment in the Freedom by Design series leaves us with a simple truth: freedom, impact, and joy aren’t byproducts of luck—they’re the results of clarity and intentional design.
🟠 What’s your biggest takeaway? Draw it on a napkin and post it with the hashtag #PaperNapkinWisdom to join the conversation. Let’s turn simple ideas into big impact—together.