This week on Paper Napkin Wisdom, we launched the first two parts of an incredible three-part series with iconic Canadian entrepreneur John Sleeman—a true master of the pivot. From opening a pub, to building a national beer importing empire, to uncovering and reigniting his family's lost brewing legacy, John's story is filled with bold moves, clear vision, and relentless reinvention. He didn’t stop there. He went on to build one of Canada’s largest breweries, and now, decades later, he’s innovating again—this time in the world of spirits, on the very land where legend says his great-great-grandfather once distilled moonshine for smuggling into the U.S.
What makes John's journey so powerful isn’t just the pivots—it’s that through all the changes, he never lost sight of his North Star. He always knew why he was doing what he was doing. He just kept evolving how he did it. That’s the inspiration for this week’s Wisdom Weekly: in a world where the pace of change keeps accelerating, how do great leaders stay anchored to purpose while adapting with agility? John’s story holds the blueprint—and we’re unpacking it now.
In this week's Paper Napkin Wisdom Weekly:
- TL:DR
- Paper Napkin Wisdom Preview
- Mastering the Pivot: How Leaders Can Thrive in a Rapidly Changing Market
- FOCUS–ALIGN–ACT: Mastering the Pivot in a Rapidly Changing Market
- Two Blueprints, Need One?
- Week in Review
- Stay Tuned for the Paper Napkin Wisdom Journals Series
🧠 TL;DR – Wisdom Weekly: Mastering the Pivot
What’s the big idea?
In today’s fast-moving market, what worked last week might already be outdated. The best leaders don’t cling to old tactics—they adapt with clarity. Mastering the pivot means knowing the difference between your unchanging purpose (your why) and your evolving strategy (your how). When leaders embrace this mindset, they don’t just survive change—they lead it.
✳️ Focus – What matters most right now?
- Reconnect with your purpose: your “why” does not change, even if everything else does.
- Recognize the signals: rising costs, decreased engagement, team confusion = time to rethink.
- Get clear on what’s still working and what needs to evolve.
Paper Napkin Challenge: Write your “why” in one sentence—would it still be true if your whole business changed tomorrow?
🔄 Align – How do we bring others with us?
- Share the reason behind the pivot with your team—transparency builds trust.
- Involve them in shaping the new how—co-create direction, don’t dictate it.
- Update scorecards, priorities, and rhythms to reflect the new strategy.
30-60-90 Tip: In the first 30 days, test. In 60, refine. In 90, scale what’s working.
🚀 Act – What’s the next bold step?
- Run one high-learning, low-risk experiment this week.
- Hold weekly “Start / Stop / Accelerate” reviews to stay agile.
- Build the habit of fast adaptation through short feedback loops.
Action Step: Talk to 3 customers this week about what they value now vs last quarter—pivot starts with perspective.
Paper Napkin Wisdom Podcast Preview
This is the only place where we give you a sneak peek into what's coming up on Paper Napkin Wisdom. Remember to share this with anyone who needs to hear these messages.
Episode 248, 249, 250: John Sleeman is a legendary figure in Canadian business — a true pioneer who revived his family’s brewing legacy to build Sleeman Breweries into one of Canada’s most iconic beer brands and the third largest brewer in the country. In Part 3 (Episode 250), we’re joined by his sons, Cooper and Quinn Sleeman, for a powerful conversation about legacy from a different perspective — what it means to evolve and carry forward a name that carries weight, history, and expectation.
Episode 251: Michael Walsh, we continue the Freedom Series with part 4. All based on his new book Freedom by Design.
Episode 252: Christine McDannell, serial entrepreneur, author, and M&A expert — shares the one principle that’s fueled every successful exit she’s made: your team is everything. Building the right team unlocks freedom, growth, and long-term success.
Episode 253: Michael Walsh, we continue the Freedom Series with part 5. All based on his new book Freedom by Design.
Episode 254: Rick Williams, author of Create the Future and seasoned board director, will share a simple but game-changing napkin insight generosity and growth. Stay tuned to learn the secret that transforms relationships and fuels real impact.
Episode 255: Seema Dhanoa, a pioneer in conscious leadership, guiding individuals to lead with purpose and awareness. She offers insights into fostering presence and embracing heart-centered decision-making in leadership.
Stay connected with Paper Napkin Wisdom on Apple, YouTube, and Spotify to be the first to hear these incredible episodes!
Mastering the Pivot: How Leaders Can Thrive in a Rapidly Changing Market
It’s wild out there right now.
Whether you’re leading a team, scaling a company, or simply trying to stay relevant, you’ve probably noticed: what worked last week doesn’t work quite the same today. The rules are shifting, sometimes overnight. Algorithms change. Customer behavior evolves. Competitors pop up with new angles. Your marketing or strategic plan that felt rock-solid just 90 days ago might now feel outdated.
And that’s not a failure. That’s a signal.
The question is: how do you know when it’s time to pivot—and more importantly, how do you master that pivot?
First: Recognize the Need for the Pivot
Great leaders aren’t always the ones who stay the course the longest—they’re the ones who listen for when the course has changed.
There’s no siren that goes off when your current strategy stops working. But there are signs:
- Lead generation costs spike and ROI drops
- Engagement is down, even though you’re still doing “all the right things”
- Customer feedback changes—or stops altogether
- Your sales team starts asking, “Has something shifted?”
It’s easy to attribute these to a slump or seasonality. But when patterns persist, leaders must stop and ask: Are we solving the same problem in a market that has changed? Because often, the audience has moved on… and you’re still marketing to the version of them from three months ago.
Know the Difference Between How and Why
Here’s where things get tricky: when a strategy no longer works, many leaders confuse what they do with why they do it.
Your "why"—your purpose, your vision, your core belief about the change you’re trying to make in the world—does not change. That’s your North Star.
But your "how"—the way you reach people, the way you tell your story, the way you deliver your value—has to evolve.
That distinction is critical. If you're anchored to a tactic or platform because it once worked, but it no longer aligns with market behavior, you're not being loyal to your purpose—you're being loyal to a method. And that’s not strategy, that’s stagnation.
So step one in the pivot is this:
Ask yourself, “Is my ‘how’ still serving my ‘why’?”
Thinking Through the Pivot
You don’t need to blow everything up overnight. Start with a clear-headed assessment:
- What’s still working? (Even small things. Protect those.)
- What’s clearly not? (Stop doing these faster.)
- Where is attention shifting in my market?
- What conversations are my ideal clients having right now?
- If I had to start from scratch today, how would I reach them?
Then gather input. Talk to your team, your customers, your peers. They may see the path forward more clearly than you can from the driver’s seat.
And don’t be afraid to test small. A pivot doesn’t always mean a massive leap—it can mean running a micro-campaign with a new message, offering a simplified version of your service, or testing a new channel for 30 days.
Accelerating Adaptation
Pivoting is one thing. Doing it well and fast—that’s where mastery lies. Here’s how to speed up the process:
- Get Uncomfortably Clear
Create a single sentence that captures your updated positioning or offer. If it’s fuzzy, no one will follow you there.
- Shorten the Feedback Loop
Launch fast. Listen harder. Adapt in real-time. Don’t wait 90 days to review. Weekly insights = survival.
- Document Everything
Track what you try, what you learn, what you change. This builds a playbook for the future—and trains your team to think this way too.
- Coach Your Team Through It
Most resistance comes not from the pivot itself, but from the uncertainty around it. Overcommunicate the vision. Anchor everyone in the unchanging why while empowering them to own their part of the how.
- Double Down on Core Relationships
When markets shift, the fastest way to clarity is through conversation. Call your best clients. Ask your fans. Talk to your former customers. Their insights are worth more than a thousand hours spent analyzing data.
Final Thought: The Pivot Is the New Normal
Let’s face it—this isn’t a one-time event. Mastery in today’s market isn’t about setting a five-year strategy and sticking to it. It’s about building the muscle to pivot with purpose, without panic.
Your "why" gives you the spine. Your "how" gives you the swing.
So if you feel like the ground beneath you is moving, good news—you’re paying attention. Now pick your spot, anchor your message, and pivot with confidence.
The leaders who do this won’t just survive the change. They’ll drive it.
Take Action Now:
- Write your current “why” on a napkin. Get clear.
- Choose one part of your “how” to question this week.
- Talk to three customers or peers about what’s changing for them.
- Run a 7-day experiment to test something new.
- Share your insight—what did you pivot or learn? Tag it with #PaperNapkinWisdom and let’s learn together.
Focus–Align–Act: Mastering the Pivot in a Rapidly Changing Market
🔍 FOCUS
Clarify the Unchanging and Identify What Must Shift
Key Question:
“What’s the purpose behind our strategy—and is the way we’re executing still serving it?”
Actions to Build Focus:
-
Define (or Reaffirm) Your WHY
- What problem are you solving?
- Who are you serving?
- What transformation do you promise?
-
Spot the Disconnect
- List the areas where performance is slipping.
- Ask: Are these symptoms of execution problems—or signs that the market has changed?
-
Set a Clear Pivot Intention
- What outcome are you trying to create through this pivot?
- What does success look and feel like?
Tool:
Create a simple two-column chart:
- Left column: “What’s Still Working”
- Right column: “What Needs to Change”
🔄 ALIGN
Engage Your Team Around a Shared Narrative and Direction
Key Question:
“How do we bring people with us through the pivot—without losing momentum or morale?”
Actions to Build Alignment:
-
Overcommunicate the Why Behind the Pivot
- Use stories, data, and customer quotes to explain the need for change.
- Emphasize continuity of purpose—not chaos of direction.
-
Involve the Team in the New “How”
- Host a brainstorming session: “If we had to start over today, how would we reach our audience?”
- Allow ownership over experiments, messaging shifts, and channel strategies.
-
Adjust Scorecards and Metrics
- What are the new KPIs for success during this phase?
- Make sure these are visible, frequent, and connected to each team member’s work.
Tool:
Use a 30-60-90 Day Alignment Grid:
- 30 Days: Test and learn
- 60 Days: Refine and reinforce
- 90 Days: Scale what’s working
🚀 ACT
Move with Urgency and Intention
Key Question:
“What’s the very next step—and how will we learn from it quickly?”
Actions to Accelerate Action:
-
Start with a Controlled Test
- Pilot a new landing page, offer, message, or marketing channel.
- Set a time limit and metric for evaluation.
-
Create a Weekly Learning Rhythm
- Schedule a 30-minute “What We’re Learning” debrief each week.
- Document key insights and course corrections.
-
Invest in Speed of Implementation
- Remove bottlenecks.
- Empower small teams to take fast, low-risk actions without waiting for top-down approval.
-
Celebrate Wins—Even the Small Ones
- Momentum builds from recognizing progress.
- Let the team feel the impact of adapting well.
Tool:
Adopt a Weekly “Start / Stop / Accelerate” check-in:
- What do we start doing this week?
- What do we stop doing that’s no longer working?
- What do we accelerate that shows signs of success?
FINAL CHALLENGE FOR LEADERS:
Grab a napkin.
Write down ONE thing you’ll change in your marketing or strategy this week.
Snap a photo and tag it with #PaperNapkinWisdom to share your leadership pivot in action.
Two Blueprints, Need One?
The Demand Blueprint gives you a simple, battle-tested system to attract more leads, convert them into loyal customers, and scale with confidence.
With small, actionable steps and a four-week plan, this guide will help you fix the root cause of weak demand, build trust-based sales relationships, and create real-time engagement that drives sustainable growth.
The Demand Blueprint is usually $9.99, but as a Paper Napkin Wisdom subscriber, you save 50%. For just $5, you’ll get a clear, step-by-step roadmap to help you move from inconsistent sales to predictable, scalable growth.
The Profit Blueprint (an e-book) gives you a simple, battle-tested system to take control of your finances—whether in your business or your household. With small, actionable steps and a four week plan, this guide will help you stop running out of money and start building financial freedom. The Profit Blueprint is usually $9.99 but as a Paper Napkin Wisdom subscriber you save 50%. For just $5, you’ll get a clear, step-by-step roadmap to turn profit into a habit, not an accident.
Week in Review
This week on the Paper Napkin Wisdom podcast, we explored two transformative episodes that tackled impactful themes of leadership, resilience, and harnessing potential.
In Episode 248, is Part 1 of this special three-part series, John Sleeman shares the surprising and deal-driven origins of his entrepreneurial journey—not with a brewery, but with a pub. What started as a calculated business decision evolved into the rediscovery of his family’s brewing legacy. Through storytelling rich with humility and grit, John reveals how a series of smart, scrappy deals laid the foundation for what would become a national brand. His journey reminds us that sometimes the best opportunities come from simply taking the first step—and doing the deal in front of you.
In Episode 249, in Part 2 of his three-part series, John Sleeman reflects on the moment he uncovered his family's lost brewing history—and the responsibility that came with it. Realizing he'd been handed a rare gift, John felt called to do something meaningful with it. This episode dives into how legacy, gratitude, and purposeful action shaped the rebirth of the Sleeman brand. John's story challenges us all to recognize the opportunities we’ve inherited and turn them into something lasting. Part 3 is Episode 250 and airs on Tuesday June 3.
Want every episode and exclusive bonus content? The only place to get the full Freedom by Design series is by subscribing to Paper Napkin Wisdom—unlock the roadmap to reclaiming your time, impact, and joy, one napkin at a time.
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