Paper Napkin Wisdom - Podcast And Blog For Entrepreneurs, Leaders And Difference-makers

Heads up: this is a live recording, and the audio has some echo due to a tech glitch. Still, John’s wisdom shines through—and we think it’s worth it. Hope you agree. In this special final chapter of a three-part series, we return to Paper Napkin Wisdom with legendary entrepreneur John Sleeman, founder of Sleeman Breweries and Spring Mill Distillery. But this time, he’s not alone — John is joined by the next generation: his sons, Quinn, a cooper who crafts whiskey barrels, and Cooper, who leads sales and marketing at the distillery. Yes, the naming symmetry is as poetic as it is confusing — and quintessentially Sleeman.  What emerges in this conversation is a full-circle moment. Not just a hand-off from one generation to the next, but a creative expansion of a legacy that refuses to sit still. The napkin this time reads, “I need a new challenge.” And it couldn’t be more fitting.  From Gift to Growth to Grit  In episode one, John walked us through his early entrepreneurial roots. In part two, he unpacked what i