EP 275 - Jeff Wetzler — “The answers you need are hiding in plain sight”
Release Date: 07/29/2025
EP 294 - Rest. In. Peace.
Paper Napkin Wisdom
Some episodes of Paper Napkin Wisdom are easy to listen to, packed with energizing insights and clear strategies for growth. Others are heavier — not because they lack value, but because the wisdom forces us to pause, reflect, and wrestle with the uncomfortable. Episode 294 is one of those conversations. This week, Govindh sits down with three little letters we all know: RIP. We’ve all said them. We’ve read them on tombstones, typed them in comments, whispered them at funerals. But how often do we really consider what they mean? And what happens when they appear in the midst of...
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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...
info_outlineWhen Jeff Wetzler scribbled his napkin wisdom — “The answers you most need are hidden in plain sight… They reside in the hearts and minds of the people right around you. You just need to know how to ask in the right ways.” — he distilled 25 years of leadership, education-innovation, and curiosity-driven research into one deceptively simple thought.
Jeff is co-CEO and co-founder of Transcend, the nonprofit helping schools design breakthrough learning models, and former Chief Learning Officer at Teach For America. With a doctorate in Adult Learning & Leadership from Columbia and a psychology degree from Brown, he’s advised Fortune-100 executives, written two books (most recently ASK: Tap Into the Hidden Wisdom of People Around You), and built “The Ask Approach,” a five-step method to turn everyday conversations into engines of insight and trust.
“People don’t tell us what we really need to hear because they’re afraid of the impact… That fear keeps leaders in the dark.” — Jeff Wetzler, PNW 275
In this wide-ranging conversation, Jeff unpacks how leaders can transform curiosity from a polite gesture into a power tool for breakthrough learning. He recounts a youth-sports story where a coach’s frustration melted once he learned why players skipped practice, and he challenges all of us to stop “mind-reading” and start mind-finding:
“Right under their nose was the answer, but they had no idea. This breakdown is tragic — and totally avoidable.” — Jeff Wetzler
Throughout the episode, Jeff and I explore why most cultures default to silence, how leaders can signal genuine interest, and what it takes to turn hidden wisdom into bold action. Whether you’re building a startup, running a school, or guiding a global team, Jeff’s message is the same: asking well is the soil in which every other leadership skill can flourish.
Key Takeaways
1. Curiosity is a discipline, not a mood. Treat great questioning like a workout routine: it needs structure and repetition.
Take Action: Before every one-on-one or strategy session, build a Curiosity Checklist by writing three genuinely open prompts—questions you can’t answer with the data already in front of you. When you enter the room armed with those prompts, you signal respect, ignite fresh thinking, and model the investigative mindset your team will emulate.
2. Silence isn’t safety. If people predict punishment or pointlessness, they keep game-changing ideas to themselves.
Take Action: Run a quick Psychological Safety Pulse: ask each teammate—anonymously—when they last held back an insight and why. Debrief the patterns together, then adjust norms so everyone sees that candor is rewarded, not risky.
3. Assumptions blind insight. Leaders often “mind-read” instead of mind-find, making decisions on guesses rather than reality.
Take Action: Start an Assumption Swap ritual: state one working assumption aloud, then invite at least two alternative explanations before you decide. That simple pause surfaces hidden variables and prevents costly missteps.
4. Small asks unlock big breakthroughs. Trust compounds through micro-moments of inquiry.
Take Action: Aim for one authentic, curiosity-driven question every day—your Daily One Ask. Capture the answers in a journal and, over time, you’ll see how tiny nudges of curiosity generate outsized leaps in innovation and connection.
5. Insights unused erode trust. When people share and nothing happens, they stop sharing.
Take Action: Close the feedback loop within 48 hours of receiving honest input: tell contributors what you’ll do with their wisdom—or why you won’t. Visible action signals respect, cements credibility, and keeps the insight flywheel spinning.
Links to Dive Deeper
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Jeff Wetzler’s site & The Ask Approach: https://www.askapproach.com/
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Jeff on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-wetzler-9ba3824
Your Turn — #PaperNapkinWisdom
Ready to surface the answers hiding in your own organization? Grab a napkin, jot down the one question you haven’t dared to ask, snap a photo, and tag #PaperNapkinWisdom. Let’s turn hidden wisdom into decisive action — together.
(Episode 275 blog by Paper Napkin Wisdom — share your takeaway on a napkin and join the conversation!)