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

Darren Hickman has spent decades navigating the complex terrain of branding, marketing, and emotional engagement. A former Disney executive and seasoned marketing strategist, Darren brings an uncanny ability to see how the unseen emotional levers drive business outcomes. In this episode of Paper Napkin Wisdom, Darren shares a deceptively simple truth scrawled on his napkin: “Nearly all decisions are driven by emotions… How you can leverage that in business.”  What follows in our conversation is an emotional masterclass in leadership, branding, and influence.  “Logic justifies decisions — but emotions make them,” Darren says early in the episode. “If you’re not speaking to the heart, you’re not speaking to the decision-maker.”  This episode cuts deep into the myth that B2B means “cold and rational.” Darren asserts, and supports, that emotional storytelling is just as critical in a boardroom as it is in a living room. And he doesn’t leave the concept floating in theory — he brings tools and stories that lead