EP #162: Take Time to Smell the Roses - Allen Gannett (CEO, Entrepreneur)
Release Date: 03/28/2018
EP 172: Live an Extraordinary Life, So That Others Will – John DiJulius (founder, entrepreneur, author)
Paper Napkin Wisdom
Best-selling author, world renowned customer service expert, founder of the DiJulius Group, business success – John DiJulius III has tapped into something special. On this podcast, John discusses applying his methodology beyond business, and why his life purpose is to “live an extraordinary life, so that others will.” Stating your purpose isn’t enough. You have to deliver what you say and what you declare happen. “We all have seeds of potential,” John asserts, “and the seeds of potential that we don’t grow to their fullest potential...cheats all the people that are dependent on...
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LBS 6: Great Leaders Set High Expectations - Mandy Burage
Paper Napkin Wisdom
“Great leaders set high expectations for their teams, but even higher expectations for themselves,” says Mandy Burage, Director of Operations at Petra Coach. She explains that through the course of her childhood and early career, she encountered many personal and professional disappointments stemming from the fact that she set very high expectations for herself, while others did not set the same expectations for themselves, and as a result, team successes were adversely impacted. Later, Mandy realized that when leaders, especially entrepreneurs, set high expectations for the team, and even...
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TA 30: Catch Yourself
Paper Napkin Wisdom
How are you doing on your goals for the year? Your New Year’s Resolutions? Do you even remember what they were? So many times we’re hard on ourselves for the early misses. We say we’re going to eat low or no carbs, three weeks in we’ve eaten some delicious pastry, fries, or even cake and abandon ship. We say we’re going to work out every morning, wake up earlier, go to sleep earlier, read more, watch less TV, connect more … whatever. Whatever it is, it’s important enough to declare and make a goal around, but behavior change is harder than that. It can take HUNDREDS of days to...
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EP 171: The Future Is Female – Carey Anne Nadeau (entrepreneur, founder)
Paper Napkin Wisdom
The goal of Carey Anne Nadeau, founder of Open Data Nation, is to “bring expertise in open data and data science to bear on the most pressing urban issues.” What compelled her to start the company was that she “wanted something to exist that just didn’t exist.” She was frustrated, dissatisfied, and complaining. The industry tended to be a “boys’ club,” and she experienced this firsthand when she was getting paid significantly less than a male peer. “The structures that already existed were not supportive to my growth,” she says. When told by a friend she should just “do...
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TA 29: Kindness is a Rare Leadership Skill
Paper Napkin Wisdom
A client is calling and they want a discount because something went wrong. An employee is missing on targets and results are slipping, they need to be realigned. The bank just called and a supplier took payment of a delivery early via automated transfer and there’s a cash crunch. As a leader things come at us from all directions all the time – but how do we cope? Well, usually we need a little help to resolve all of these … sometimes from the other party. We can’t get their help with a closed fist – with a fight. Sure, sometimes we can beat them into submission. We can convince the...
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EP 170: Mistakes: The Learning Process - Damion Lupo (entrepreneur, founder, author)
Paper Napkin Wisdom
On this episode of Paper Napkin Wisdom, entrepreneur and author Damion Lupo makes his case for the gift of errors, “Mistakes are the universe gifting us wisdom, wrapped up inside the struggles in life.” Damion further explains that throughout our lives, we make mistakes, and as we do, we are taught that mistakes are bad. As a result, we revere people, who we believe, do not err or who are perfect at what they do. In truth, perfection is a farce, a fabrication of society. To understand the depth of knowledge, and succeed in any endeavor, mistakes must be made and overcome. “If you...
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TA 28: Bring the Right Protection
Paper Napkin Wisdom
Life and leadership is a contact sport. You need to make contact with people every day as a leader and in life. There’s no avoiding it. So how do you build protection for the energy vampires that surround us? They are every where now. More and more. In the sea of all of that – remember that you need to bring protection with you. But where do you get it? How does that start? It’s starts when you wake up in the morning. Remember your bedroom is a no-cellphone zone. No electronics and blinky shiny lights to move you to the danger zone. Start by thinking great thoughts – better yet, write...
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EP 169: Generative Relationship-Building for Entrepreneurs - Peter Mellen (entrepreneur)
Paper Napkin Wisdom
The Johari window was created by two psychologists in the mid-1950s as a tool for personal, group, and relationship development. Peter Mellen uses the Johari window as the framework for discussing how individuals and groups act, and how communication and relationships can grow. There are four sections to the Johari window: Arena or Open: This is information we know about ourselves that’s also known to others. Façade or Hidden: This is information known to us that we do not share with others. Blind: This is information we don’t know about ourselves but others do. Unknown, or what Peter...
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TA 27: Build a Well
Paper Napkin Wisdom
This has nothing to do with an ACTUAL well. It has to do with the structure and support systems we need as leaders, as entrepreneurs. It’s such a roller-coaster of ups and downs out there that we need support to help keep us a little more level and a little more in the zone to be in flow … to capture the momentum around us. The challenge is that we tend not to do that when things are good – we’re so focused on the ride up that we forget about creating layers of support and structure for the way down. What does that look like? It looks like truly transparent relationships that are...
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EP 168: Stop Waiting for It to Get Easier - Jim Palmer (author, entrepreneur)
Paper Napkin Wisdom
Small business marketing expert and entrepreneur Jim Palmer’s fifth book is entitled, “Stop waiting for it to get easier, create your dream business now!” The sentence explains itself. “There is no perfect time,” Jim says as he recounts his own experience: broke and heavily in debt, on unemployment for 15 months, suffering from a serious health issue. Jim started in a very low place, and he knows you should not wait for the time to be perfect to start your dream business. “It’s bigger than yourself,” Jim says about the importance of creating your business. If you have an idea...
info_outlineAs entrepreneurs, it’s often tough to take time to smell the flowers. Learning how to juggle endless to-do lists, a budding business and loved ones can be difficult for even the most seasoned entrepreneur. However, in this week’s podcast, Trackmaven’s CEO Allen Gannett explains why he is making it a point to take time to be appreciative.
The 25 year old helms the fifty person B2B software company and managed to raise $26M. “I met investors who immediately fell in love with the business. There was a lot of momentum,” he recalls. Early on, he gravitated towards one of his investors and they began a mentor-mentee relationship. “As a young homosexual CEO, it was a confidence builder to find someone I connected with in a world where I wasn’t really fitting in,” Allen says. However, things took a turn when his mentor died unexpectedly. Stunned by the loss, he realized that he hadn’t been as appreciative of his mentor’s support. “It made me reflect on ways to appreciate those who have invested in me emotionally and financially.”
Allen began to find simple ways to acknowledge those around him. While entrepreneurs typically care more about getting the work done as opposed to getting a pat on the back, employees and team members often need that validation in order to feel appreciated. “There is a difference between entrepreneurship and leadership,” Allen explains. Now, if he sees an employee doing a stellar job, he’ll invite them out to lunch. “That validation can really make all the difference. As a CEO, people are constantly watching you - even in ways you don’t realize. It can be taxing, but its more positive and empowering. It can be a confidence builder for them,” he says.
While appreciation is important, he also thinks it’s necessary to have some sort of balance. In cases where the team is underperforming, he urges entrepreneurs to take a look at themselves first. “We have to be willing to ask ourselves if our goals are actually attainable,” he says. He also advises entrepreneurs to marry appreciation and accountability. “Put appreciation on a pedestal and develop a meritocracy culture.”
How do you show your team members that they’re appreciated? Sound off on our Twitter @WiseNapkin or on our Facebook Page!