EP 264 – Todd Palmer: Everything Happens For Me, Not To Me
Release Date: 07/03/2025
EP 293 – Steven Rothberg: If a Customer Wants to Pay More, Let Them
Paper Napkin Wisdom
When you sit down with someone like Steven Rothberg, Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of , you expect to hear insights about hiring, technology, and the future of work. What you might not expect is a napkin that sums up decades of wisdom in a sentence so straightforward it almost sounds too simple: “If a customer wants to give you more money, find a way of making that happen. $$$” At first glance, it feels like sales advice. But during our conversation, it became clear that Steven’s napkin is less about sales tactics and more about mindset. It’s about curiosity,...
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EP 292 - Edge of the Napkin #3: “Who’s the best partner you ever had? (Secret) … It’s you.”
Paper Napkin Wisdom
Partnership is one of the most powerful words in leadership and in life. We spend years searching for the right business partner, co-founder, or even life partner. But here’s the twist on this week’s Paper Napkin Wisdom: the greatest, most important partnership you’ll ever have is not with someone else—it’s with yourself. The napkin for Episode 292 asks the provocative question: “Who’s the best partner you ever had?” And then delivers the unexpected truth: (Secret)… it’s you. In this episode, Govindh dives deep into the nature of the...
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EP 291 – Jennifer McKenna - The Prosperity Formula: Familiar → Faith → Fulfillment
Paper Napkin Wisdom
Jennifer McKenna, founder of JMac Consulting, is an accomplished business strategist, executive coach, and creator of The JMac Method. With decades of experience guiding leaders and organizations through transformation, Jennifer has built her reputation on blending practical business strategy with a deep commitment to values, authenticity, and growth. She has coached Fortune 500 executives, entrepreneurs, and visionaries to align who they are with what they do. On Paper Napkin Wisdom, Jennifer shares her Prosperity Formula — a deceptively simple but powerful framework to help...
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EP 290 – Andrew Safnauer: Find Your Way Over the Wall
Paper Napkin Wisdom
In Episode 290 of Paper Napkin Wisdom, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Andrew Safnauer, a seasoned leader and executive with a wealth of experience in management, strategy, and innovation. Andrew has held leadership roles across diverse industries and today brings his insights into resilience, adaptability, and persistence. His wisdom is captured on a single napkin: “Find your way over the wall.” At first glance, it’s a simple metaphor. But as Andrew shares, this idea has been a recurring theme throughout his life and career, one that continues to guide him...
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EP 289 - The Edge of the Napkin: Friction vs. Flow
Paper Napkin Wisdom
In Episode 289 of Paper Napkin Wisdom, host Govindh Jayaraman takes us deeper into the next evolution of his work: The Edge of the Napkin. This isn’t just about wisdom captured in simple strokes anymore — it’s about stepping into the tension between friction and flow, and understanding the rhythms of creativity and growth. The napkin for this episode sets the stage: a stick figure caught between jagged lines of friction and the upward curve of flow, alongside two key modes — Seminal (Spark) and Gestational (Build). At its heart, the question posed is simple but powerful: Are...
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EP 288 – Katy Spada: Build the World You Wish Existed
Paper Napkin Wisdom
When Katy Spada sat down with me on Paper Napkin Wisdom, she brought a napkin that was more than just words — it was a challenge: “Build the world you wish existed for your younger self, and for those who come next.” Katy isn’t just an entrepreneur. She’s a mother of two (ages 7 and 4), a storyteller, and the founder of , a lifestyle and apparel company that’s grounded in values of creativity, heritage, and intentional living. What makes her story remarkable is how deeply personal it is. As she says, she never set out to be an entrepreneur — she calls...
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EP 287 – Permission, Structure, and Social Media Success with Sam Toles
Paper Napkin Wisdom
In this episode of Paper Napkin Wisdom, Govindh Jayaraman welcomes Sam Toles, a digital media pioneer and storyteller with decades of experience building audiences, brands, and communities. Sam is the CEO and co-founder of , a platform designed to transform civic engagement by helping communities and governments create stronger, more transparent conversations online. Sam’s career has spanned leadership roles at MGM, Vimeo, Bleacher Report, and Warner Bros., and throughout it all he has stayed focused on how creativity, structure, and permission come together to unlock growth. His...
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EP 286 - Introducing the Edge of the Napkin
Paper Napkin Wisdom
In this special episode of Paper Napkin Wisdom, I (Govindh Jayaraman) take a step back to reflect on the journey we’ve been on together — over 280 episodes filled with wisdom, stories, and lessons from incredible leaders, entrepreneurs, and difference makers. The napkin for this episode reads: “Introducing the Edge of the Napkin.” It’s a phrase that captures both a transition and an expansion. The napkin has always been a place for distilled wisdom — one sentence, one thought, one principle that could change everything if applied. But now, we’re venturing into...
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EP 285 – Kendra MacDonald: Building a Career That Grows With You
Paper Napkin Wisdom
Careers aren’t meant to be lived on repeat. In this episode of Paper Napkin Wisdom, we sit down with Kendra MacDonald, CEO of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, a leader who has spent her career helping organizations innovate, adapt, and push boundaries. Kendra has been recognized for her work in transformation and leadership across industries, and she brings her wisdom to the napkin with a deceptively simple but powerful message. On her napkin, Kendra wrote: “Make sure your career is 25 years, not 1 year 25 times. What will you learn this year?” This phrase, first...
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EP 284 - Michael Walsh – Conclusion of The Freedom Series Part 16
Paper Napkin Wisdom
Introduction: A Journey Comes Full Circle Over the course of sixteen episodes, Michael Walsh has taken us on an extraordinary journey through what he calls the Freedom Framework. This framework has become a cornerstone for entrepreneurs who want to build businesses that don’t just survive but thrive – organizations that create value, empower people, and endure through change. Michael, founder of , has spent decades helping leaders shift from working in their businesses to working on them. His approach blends deep financial discipline, people-first development, and a...
info_outlineIn his return to Paper Napkin Wisdom, Todd Palmer—renowned executive coach, keynote speaker, and founder of Extraordinary Advisors—brings with him a powerful reframe that resonates deeply with anyone navigating tough leadership terrain: "Everything happens 4 me, NOT 2 me."
Todd isn’t new to turning adversity into opportunity. As a CEO who once faced near-bankruptcy before rebuilding a multi-million-dollar business, he understands what it means to transform challenges into lessons. Now, as a coach to executives across North America, he teaches others to lead with intention, presence, and a bold sense of ownership.
In this episode, Todd shares how this subtle but significant shift in language—"for me" vs. "to me"—completely reframes how we experience setbacks, overwhelm, and uncertainty. “Today was gonna be a good day,” he says, recalling a long 14-hour stretch he’d scheduled. “I had started my day wearing black, which isn’t exactly a positive color. So I thought, why not wear something that feels like Spring?”
That small action, wearing bright colors, symbolized a larger internal decision to live in alignment with possibility instead of victimhood.
Radical Responsibility in Action
The napkin Todd shared this time wasn’t just inspirational—it was transformational. It spoke to a kind of radical responsibility that leaders must embody if they want to thrive in complexity. “When we choose to believe that life is happening for us, we move from reactive to proactive, from defensive to creative,” Todd explained.
In leadership, this mindset shift isn’t fluffy—it’s functional. It leads to better decision-making, stronger culture, and more consistent results. “The difference between leading from pain and leading from growth is how we interpret our story,” Todd reminds us. “The moment you rewrite that story with intention, everything changes.”
Emotional Agility and Self-Coaching
Todd also discussed how leaders often get stuck when they operate from a reactive mindset. “You’re not your thoughts,” he said. “You’re the thinker of your thoughts.” It’s a powerful distinction—one that supports emotional agility, self-awareness, and the ability to pivot when things don’t go according to plan.
He offered listeners a challenge: When something frustrating happens, ask, “What’s the gift here?” or “What’s this teaching me?”
By turning every circumstance into a classroom, we empower ourselves to keep moving forward, even when the path is unclear.
5 Key Takeaways from Todd Palmer’s Episode:
1. Shift from Victim to Creator
“Everything happens for me, not to me.” 🧭 Take Action: Each time you feel stuck, reframe the situation using this mantra. Write down one thing that’s happening for you—even if it’s uncomfortable.
2. The Power of Micro-Decisions
“I had a 14-hour day. Instead of defaulting to dread, I changed my clothes to change my mindset.” 🧭 Take Action: Start your day with one small choice that sets a positive tone—clothing, music, environment.
3. Reclaim Emotional Ownership
“You are not your thoughts. You’re the thinker of your thoughts.” 🧭 Take Action: Practice daily check-ins: “What am I thinking right now? Is it helping or hurting me?”
4. Self-Coaching in the Moment
“I ask myself, what is the gift in this?” 🧭 Take Action: Turn every setback into a self-coaching moment. Journal the question: “What’s the lesson here?”
5. Cultivate Present-Minded Leadership
“The past already happened. The future isn’t here. So how can I lead right now?” 🧭 Take Action: Use breathwork, mindfulness, or a morning mantra to stay rooted in the present moment.
Todd Palmer continues to be a beacon for grounded, authentic leadership. His work is a reminder that when we choose to believe life is happening for us—not to us—we access our deepest clarity and creativity.
👉 What’s one challenge in your life or leadership that you could reframe today?
Write your takeaway on a napkin and share it with #PaperNapkinWisdom.
Connect with Todd: