EP 252 - The Customer Isn’t Always Right – Your Team Comes First: Wisdom from Christine McDannell

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 Kndrd.io. 

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 scrawled on a paper napkin—but its implications for leadership, culture, and long-term success are massive. 

“If you take care of your team, they will take care of your customers,” Christine said during our conversation. “But if you prioritize the customer at the expense of your team, eventually you’ll lose both.” 

Christine’s leadership philosophy is deeply rooted in legacy thinking. She believes that what you build should matter long after you're gone, and to do that, you must create environments where your team feels empowered, protected, and prioritized. 

Culture Is the Compound Interest of Leadership 

Christine reminded us that a thriving team culture doesn’t emerge by accident—it’s built, brick by brick, with intentionality. 

“In one of my early companies, we tried to please everyone—clients, customers, even when they were toxic. That created burnout. When we flipped it and prioritized our people, everything changed.” 

This is legacy-based leadership in action. Instead of seeing team support as a cost, Christine views it as an investment—with returns in loyalty, performance, innovation, and yes, customer satisfaction. 

The Hidden Cost of Prioritizing the Wrong #1 

Too many entrepreneurs fall into the trap of trying to be everything to every customer. Christine’s experience shows how dangerous that mindset can be. 

“We had a client who was verbally abusive to our team. I let it slide once, twice… by the third time, I realized I was failing as a leader. So I fired the client. That move saved my team, our morale, and ultimately the business.” 

It takes courage to make decisions like that, especially when revenue is on the line. But as Christine emphasized, long-term success comes from alignment with your values, not short-term compromises. 

Your Team Is Watching—Always 

Leadership isn’t just about what you say; it’s about what you tolerate. 

Christine believes that the fastest way to lose a great team is to stay silent when they’re being mistreated. 

“Every time you choose the customer over your team in a moment of conflict, you’re making a withdrawal from your culture. Eventually, you’ll be bankrupt.” 

Instead, she encourages founders and leaders to create psychological safety: “Let your team know you have their back. Even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.” 

Building with Exit in Mind… and Heart 

Christine is a rare kind of entrepreneur—someone who has exited companies and still cares deeply about what happens next. That means building businesses with a heart, not just a valuation. 

“When I sold one of my companies, the thing I was most proud of wasn’t the money—it was that my team was taken care of, and the culture lived on.” 

Legacy, to her, is about making sure people thrive even after you’re gone. And that starts with valuing your people from day one. 

 

5 Key Takeaways from Christine McDannell – Episode 252 

1. Your Team Comes First, Always 

“The customer is not always #1. Your team is #1.” Take Action: Audit your values. Do your current practices reflect this belief? If not, what needs to change? 

2. Culture Is Built Through Boundaries 

“We draw a line in the sand about what behavior is acceptable. That protects our people.” Take Action: Identify one customer, policy, or situation where you're compromising your culture—and correct it. 

3. Fire Clients Who Harm Your Team 

“Firing that one client saved my entire business.” Take Action: Empower your team to report client issues without fear. Set a zero-tolerance policy for abuse. 

4. Psychological Safety Drives Performance 

“People perform their best when they know you’ve got their back.” Take Action: Ask your team: “What can I do to better support you?”—and act on the answers. 

5. Build Your Business Like You’ll Leave Tomorrow 

“Legacy isn’t just about exits. It’s about what stays after you’re gone.” Take Action: Start documenting processes, transferring leadership, and preparing your team for independence. 

 

Christine’s message is a wake-up call for entrepreneurs: You can’t build a legacy on a foundation that disrespects the people holding it up. Want loyal customers? Start with loyal team members. Want a sustainable business? Start with a sustainable culture. 

So here’s your challenge: write YOUR version of Christine’s napkin wisdom. What would it say? Then share it with your team—and share it with us using the hashtag #PaperNapkinWisdom. 

Let’s prioritize what really matters. 

Connect with Christine: 

https://www.themagnoliafirm.com/