EP 315 - Brandon Bagley: WE ME — Stronger Together

Entrepreneurs often try to win alone. We push, grind, and carry the weight of the business on our shoulders. But every once in a while, someone shows up with a piece of wisdom that reframes the entire game. In Episode 315 of Paper Napkin Wisdom, Brandon Bagley brings that shift in the simplest and most powerful way possible: a blue-ink message on a napkin that reads "WE > ME — Stronger Together." Brandon is a leader who has built people-centered cultures for years, especially through his work with AlphaGraphics Chandler, where collaboration is not a slogan — it's a system. His background in athletics, leadership, and now the world of print, design, and communication has given him a front-row seat to how teams transform when the focus shifts from individual achievement to collective strength. The napkin he brought is not a clever motto. It's a lived belief. And in this conversation, Brandon walks us through what it looks like when leaders commit to building a culture where we really does matter more than me — and how everything changes when that becomes the foundation. The Power of "We" in Action From the very first moments of the conversation, Brandon returns to one theme: people want to belong to something meaningful. Entrepreneurship is hard enough without trying to do it alone — and yet so many leaders instinctively isolate themselves. Brandon has seen the opposite work better every time. He shares stories from the shop floor to client relationships, illustrating how collaboration isn't just a feel-good principle — it's a performance multiplier. In one segment of the transcript, he talks about how the team rallies when challenges arise: "When people know you're in it with them, they show up differently — not because they have to, but because they want to." That's the heart of WE > ME. It's not about distributing tasks. It's about shared ownership. And shared ownership, as Brandon says, "changes the energy of every room." He describes moments where team members stepped into leadership without being asked, clients leaned in more deeply because the rapport felt like partnership, and the business grew not because of a single hero but because everyone contributed to the win. Creating Environments Where "We" Thrives Throughout the episode, Brandon keeps returning to a pattern: People contribute more when they feel seen. People trust more when they feel supported. People stretch more when they know they won't be punished for trying. His napkin isn't a motivational poster — it's a blueprint. He shares a piece in the transcript where he reflects on team communication: "If your people don't feel safe telling you what they see, you'll never actually know what's going on inside your business." And later: "The best ideas in any organization almost never come from the top." Brandon's leadership emphasis is simple and powerful: Build a team where ideas flow freely, feedback is welcomed, and success is genuinely shared — and you'll always outperform the organizations built around a single dominant personality. Entrepreneurship Without Isolation One of the standout themes from the transcript is Brandon's honesty about how lonely entrepreneurship can be. Even leaders with teams often cut themselves off emotionally, believing they have to carry the burden alone. He challenges that directly: "Why would we choose to be alone when being together is both easier and better?" This isn't theoretical. He describes periods where collaboration literally changed the trajectory of the business — where the strength of the team covered gaps, generated momentum, and turned challenges into opportunities. "Stronger Together" isn't a tagline. It's a survival strategy. And it's a growth strategy. When he talks about the environments he tries to build inside AlphaGraphics Chandler, everything revolves around this idea: empowered teams are unstoppable teams. 5 Key Takeaways from Brandon Bagley (Each with a Take Action item for entrepreneurs and leaders) 1. WE > ME is a strategic advantage, not just a belief. Teams outperform individuals — consistently and predictably. Take Action: Identify one area in your business where you've been operating alone. Invite your team into that process this week. 2. Psychological safety fuels innovation. People won't share ideas if they fear being judged or dismissed. Take Action: Ask your team: "What's one thing you see that I don't?" Then listen without interruption. 3. Shared ownership creates shared momentum. When the wins belong to everyone, the effort comes from everyone. Take Action: Celebrate one team-driven win publicly — emphasize the collective effort. 4. Leadership is a relationship, not a role. Influence grows through connection, not authority. Take Action: Have one non-transactional conversation with a team member this week — no agenda, just connection. 5. Collaboration must be intentional. "Stronger Together" happens by design, not by accident. Take Action: Choose one system, meeting, or workflow