This week at Paper Napkin Wisdom, we’re celebrating the powerful conclusion of the John Sleeman Series with Episode 250: “I Need a New Challenge.” This final part brings John together with his sons, Quinn and Cooper, to explore what it really means to pass the torch—and why legacy isn’t about holding on, but letting go with purpose. If you’ve followed his journey from pub owner to beverage industry legend, this episode is a masterclass in reinvention, mentorship, and the next generation of leadership. It’s personal. It’s powerful. It’s everything legacy leadership should be.
We’re also turning the spotlight on Christine McDannell in Episode 252, where she flips the old saying on its head: “The customer isn’t always right—your team comes first.” Christine’s unapologetic leadership philosophy is a bold reminder that protecting your team’s culture, values, and psychological safety isn’t optional—it’s foundational. Her insights offer a fresh take on long-term customer success by starting where it matters most: within. Together, these episodes remind us that whether you’re passing the baton or protecting your people, the wisest leadership always begins at the core.
In this week's Paper Napkin Wisdom Weekly:
- TL:DR
- Paper Napkin Wisdom Preview
- How You Can Make Meetings Work: From Time Drain to Strategic Driver
- FOCUS–ALIGN–ACT: Turn Meetings into a Strategic Engine
- Two Blueprints, Need One?
- Week in Review
- Stay Tuned for the Paper Napkin Wisdom Journals Series
🧠 TL;DR – How to Make Leadership Meetings Actually Work (and Not Suck)
Most meetings waste time because they lack purpose, preparation, and accountability. The cost? Dozens of collective hours lost every week.
Here’s how to fix it:
🚨 THE CORE PROBLEM:
- Leaders show up unprepared.
- The purpose isn’t clear.
- Ground rules aren’t set.
- Issues aren’t solved—just discussed.
- No action gets taken.
✅ THE SOLUTION: Use Focus – Align – Act
FOCUS
🔹 Prioritize the most important issue
🔹 Come with Rocks and Scorecard reviewed
🔹 Ask: What’s the cost of not solving this now?
ALIGN
🔹 Use ground rules (No screens, no ABCD)
🔹 Agree on the real root cause
🔹 Get everyone on the same page fast
ACT
🔹 One clear action per issue
🔹 WHO will do WHAT by WHEN
🔹 Follow up next week—close the loop
🎯 Bottom Line:
The goal of a leadership meeting isn’t to talk. It’s to solve problems and implement action that drives growth.
Take 5 minutes before your next meeting to prep using FAA—and turn your meeting into your most productive hour of the week.
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 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.
Episode 256: Michael Walsh, we continue the Freedom Series with part 6. All based on his new book Freedom by Design.
Episode 257: Adam Olalde, CEO and Founder of Xtreme Xperience, the largest provider of supercar driving.With a focus on growth, team leadership, and delivering first-class customer experiences, Adam has built a company that enables customers to live their dreams.
Episode 258: Dinah Chapman, Founder of Little Trouble, a children's clothing brand that blends nostalgic design with modern flair.As a brand builder and creative director, she has leveraged social media to cultivate a dedicated community and drive significant growth for her business.
Episode 259: Michael Walsh, we continue the Freedom Series with part 7. All based on his new book Freedom by Design.
Episode 260: Toni Harrison, Founder and CEO of Etched Communication, a Houston-based public relations firm specializing in crisis management and strategic communications. Toni is recognized a change-maker and tranformational expertise.
Episode 261: Ross Albers, Founder and CEO of Albers & Associates. Ross established his firm with a vision to create a personal and professional development company that happens to practice law.
Stay connected with Paper Napkin Wisdom on Apple, YouTube, and Spotify to be the first to hear these incredible episodes!
How You Can Make Meetings Work: From Time Drain to Strategic Driver
Let’s be honest—most meetings are a waste of time.
We’ve all been there: staring at an agenda (or worse, none at all), watching the clock tick while wondering why we’re even in the room. And yet, for many organizations, meetings remain the primary tool for collaboration, communication, and strategic execution.
So why don’t they work?
The truth is, most meetings fail to achieve meaningful outcomes because they’re not designed with purpose in mind. They lack intention, structure, accountability—and as a result, they waste time, energy, and money.
Let’s dig deeper into why that happens—and more importantly, how to fix it.
The Hidden Cost of a Bad Meeting
Here’s a wake-up call: a one-hour meeting with your leadership team isn’t just 60 minutes on the calendar—it’s 60 minutes multiplied by the number of people in the room. That means a 6-person leadership team spending an hour together actually consumes 6 hours of organizational energy.
Now ask yourself: Did we get 6 hours of value from that meeting?
If you didn’t walk away with aligned decisions, meaningful problem-solving, and clear implementation steps… the answer is no.
Purpose: The Missing Ingredient in Most Meetings
One of the biggest reasons meetings underperform is a lack of clarity around purpose. People walk in unsure why they’re there. They assume it's a status update. Or worse, they show up because it's on their calendar, not because they expect to create value.
When we talk about a Weekly Leadership Meeting, especially within frameworks like the EOS Level 10 (L10), purpose becomes everything.
So, what’s the purpose of the weekly L10?
It’s simple, but powerful: to identify and solve the most important issues blocking progress—together.
That’s it. Not to inform. Not to report. Not to pontificate. But to solve problems so we can grow.
Preparation: How to Show Up Like a Leader
To achieve that kind of clarity and momentum, meeting participants need to prepare with intention. That means:
- Reviewing KPIs and Scorecards in advance
- Checking on Rocks (quarterly goals) and being honest about progress
- Listing and prioritizing issues for IDS (Identify, Discuss, Solve)
- Coming ready to contribute, not just consume
Preparation sets the tone for momentum—and without it, the meeting will sputter before it starts.
Ground Rules That Matter
Without structure, leadership meetings can descend into chaos—or worse, complacency. Here are 3 critical rules to create the right space:
- No Screens Between People – Be present. Full stop.
- No ABCD – No Assuming, Blaming, Complaining, or Defending. These kill collaboration and clarity.
- Default to Curiosity – Replace judgment with questions. Lead with “Help me understand…”
- Honor the Time – Start and end on time. Don’t let a latecomer steal the energy.
- Own the Room – Every participant is a co-creator of outcomes, not a passenger.
These ground rules aren’t just about etiquette—they’re about results. They create psychological safety, elevate dialogue, and shift the energy from passive to proactive.
The Real Goal: Identify → Solve → Implement
The weekly meeting is not a show-and-tell. It’s a diagnostic and repair session. The whole point is to uncover what’s blocking growth and fix it—together.
That’s where FAA comes in.
FOCUS – ALIGN – ACT: A Framework for Better Meetings
We explored this in depth with a client recently, and it applies beautifully here.
FOCUS
What’s the ONE most important issue to solve this week as a team?
- What’s the symptom (metric off-track, deadline missed, etc)?
- What’s the root cause?
- Does everyone understand why this matters right now?
Leaders should walk into the meeting knowing what’s on their radar—and be ready to triage and prioritize with the group.
ALIGN
Once we’ve chosen what matters most, we align:
- Who owns the outcome?
- What resources or people are affected?
- Are we all seeing the same picture, or do we need more data?
Alignment removes friction. Without it, action turns into confusion.
ACT
This is where most meetings fall apart: they end with talk, not action.
To ACT well, we ask:
- What’s the ONE thing we’re committing to do this week?
- Who’s owning the follow-up?
- How will we know it’s complete?
A great meeting ends with fewer problems, more clarity, and real next steps that get implemented.
Meetings Can Be the Engine of Progress—If You Let Them
If you're a leader, your job is not just to attend meetings—it’s to make them matter. It starts with setting the intention, enforcing the ground rules, and using a framework like Focus–Align–Act to drive real outcomes.
Done well, your weekly leadership meeting becomes the place where:
- Decisions are made
- Accountability is reinforced
- Momentum is built
Otherwise? It’s just another hour lost.
Ready to Transform Your Meetings?
Take out a napkin. Write down one thing you’ll do differently to lead better meetings this week.
Snap a pic. Share it on social with the hashtag #PaperNapkinWisdom and let’s build a movement around making leadership work.
FOCUS–ALIGN–ACT: Turn Meetings into a Strategic Engine
This is a practical framework designed to transform leadership meetings from time-wasters into high-impact strategy sessions. Built for busy executives and team leaders, FAA ensures that each meeting starts with clarity around what matters most (Focus), builds alignment among all participants to eliminate friction (Align), and ends with clear, actionable steps that drive real results (Act). Whether you're running a weekly L10 or any other leadership cadence, this tool helps create consistency, accountability, and momentum—so meetings become your organization’s engine for progress, not its speed bump.
🔍 FOCUS – What Matters Most?
Purpose: Direct attention to the most critical issues so energy and time are well spent.
How to Apply in a Weekly Leadership Meeting:
- Review the Scorecard + Rocks before the meeting
→ What’s off track? What metrics are blinking red?
- Come prepared with Issues
→ Add to the Issues List BEFORE the meeting. Prioritize real obstacles, not surface-level noise.
- Clarify the Meeting Purpose Upfront
→ State: “Our goal is to solve the most important issues so we can move forward this week.”
Trigger Questions:
- What is the ONE thing we need to solve this week to unblock progress?
- What metric or project needs a decision or fix now?
- What’s the cost of inaction if this isn’t addressed?
Output: A prioritized list of issues that actually matter.
🤝 ALIGN – Get Everyone on the Same Page
Purpose: Create shared understanding, reduce friction, and set the table for fast decisions.
How to Apply in a Weekly Leadership Meeting:
- Ground rules = Shared expectations
→ No screens. No ABCD (Assuming, Blaming, Complaining, Defending).
- Define the issue clearly
→ Ask: “What’s the root cause, not just the symptom?”
- Assign ownership for every issue
→ One person drives the discussion forward or provides the missing data.
Trigger Questions:
- Does everyone agree this is the real problem?
- What assumptions are we making?
- Who else is impacted by this issue?
Output: Clarity on the issue, context, and who owns it.
🚀 ACT – Drive Action and Accountability
Purpose: Ensure that decisions are turned into action, and that momentum carries beyond the meeting.
How to Apply in a Weekly Leadership Meeting:
- Define ONE action per issue solved
→ No fuzzy “let’s look into it.” Be specific.
- Use To-Do’s with clear accountability
→ WHO will do WHAT by WHEN.
- Circle back next week to check completion
→ The loop only closes if we follow up.
Trigger Questions:
- What’s the next most productive step we can take right now?
- What’s the deadline? Who owns it?
- What will progress look like when we check back next week?
Output: Actionable to-do list, assigned owners, and deadlines.
Final Word
FAA isn’t just a meeting model—it’s a leadership habit.
If your team builds the muscle to Focus on the right issues, Align quickly around truth, and Act decisively, your meetings become not just useful—but transformative.
This week, bring this model into your leadership meeting. Review it at the start. Hold the team to it. Reflect on what shifted.
Then share your napkin moment with the tag #PaperNapkinWisdom. Let’s redesign meetings—and results—together.
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(s) in Review
Unlike ususal, I'm going back further to the last couple weeks because we concluded our three part John Sleeman Series this week.
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.
In Episode 250, titled “I Need a New Challenge,” John Sleeman—founder of Sleeman Breweries and Spring Mill Distillery—concludes a three-part series by reflecting on legacy, reinvention, and intergenerational leadership.Joined by his sons, Quinn and Cooper, Sleeman discusses transitioning from active leadership to mentorship, emphasizing that legacy should serve as a launchpad for innovation rather than a constraint.He underscores the importance of curiosity, continuous learning, and empowering the next generation to build upon and evolve the family business.This episode offers valuable insights into embracing change, fostering trust, and viewing legacy as an opportunity for ongoing growth.
In Episode 252, serial entrepreneur Christine McDannell challenges the conventional adage by asserting, “The customer is not always #1… your team is #1.”Drawing from her extensive experience in founding and exiting multiple companies, Christine emphasizes that prioritizing team well-being and cultivating a strong internal culture are essential for long-term success.She shares candid stories, including the difficult decision to fire a verbally abusive client, highlighting the importance of setting boundaries to protect team morale.Christine advocates for creating psychological safety within organizations, ensuring that team members feel supported and valued.Her insights underscore that a loyal and empowered team is the foundation for delivering exceptional customer experiences and building a lasting legacy.
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.
Check them out here:
