Gamify Business Tavern Tales

Paul Pape
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Entrepreneurship

Welcome to Gamify Business Tavern Tales, where Paul Pape, accomplished artist, 'Santa for Nerds" and your friendly neighborhood barkeep and author of “The Creative Player’s Handbook to Business,” creates a cozy space for authentic conversations about the entrepreneurial journey. In this intimate tavern setting, Paul sits down with creative entrepreneurs to explore the roads less traveled - the unconventional paths, bold decisions, and unique approaches that led them to business success. Rather than following traditional playbooks, these guests share stories of how they forged their own way, overcame unexpected challenges, and built thriving enterprises while staying true to their creative vision. Each interview reveals the personal systems, creative problem-solving techniques, and innovative strategies these entrepreneurs developed along their journeys. You’ll hear about the pivotal moments, the calculated risks, and the creative solutions that made all the difference in their adventures. Solo episodes feature Paul sharing insights, exploring business concepts through his gamified lens, and offering practical wisdom for creative minds navigating the entrepreneurial landscape. These monologues dive deep into specific challenges and opportunities, always with the goal of making business feel more accessible and less intimidating. Whether you’re just starting your creative business quest or looking to level up an existing venture, these conversations offer inspiration and actionable insights from entrepreneurs who dared to play by their own rules. Pull up a chair, order your favorite drink, and discover the stories behind the success.

  1. May 22

    Gamify Business Tavern Tales Episode 24- Chris Dattoli- The Voice Mage

    Gamify Business Tavern Tales Episode 24- Chris Dattoli- The Voice Mage and the Misinformation Hydra Tonight we have a mage at the Tavern — but not the kind who slings fireballs or summons lightning. This one wields something far more subtle and powerful: the voice. If you've watched anime, played video games, listened to audiobooks, or seen a commercial in the last few years, you may have heard him without ever knowing it. But Chris Dattoli isn't here tonight just to talk about his credits. He's here because of a monster that's claimed too many aspiring voice actors: The Misinformation Hydra. The path to becoming a working voice actor is buried under more bad advice than almost any other creative pursuit. Every head of this hydra whispers different lies: "You need a professional studio to start." "Just put up a profile and wait." "Talent is all that matters." "You'll never book without an agent." Aspiring voice actors spend years chasing the wrong quests, burning gold on the wrong gear, and wondering why nothing works — all because no one gave them the real map. Chris has spent years navigating past the Hydra. He's voiced characters in fighting games and psychological thrillers. He's been the voice behind brands like NFL Network, Disney, Microsoft, and Lowes. In 2024, he won a Voice Arts Award from the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences. And here's the part that matters for this Tavern: he's been rolling dice for over twenty years — so he speaks our language. Tonight, he shares the BUSINESS of voice acting — not just the craft — so creative entrepreneurs can see what it really takes to build a career with your voice. 🎲 Business is an adventure. Don't be an NPC. Connect with Chris Dattoli: 🌐 http://dattolivoiceovers.com/ 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-dattoli-78940495/ 📺 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiiGP8ajZpWyLZFmZA_XMBQ 📘 https://www.facebook.com/dattolivoiceovers 📸 https://www.instagram.com/chrisdattolivo/ 🐦 https://www.twitter.com/chrisdattolivo 🎵 https://www.tiktok.com/@chrisdattolivo Connect with Paul Pape: 🌐 https://gamifybusiness.com 🔗 https://linkedin.com/in/paulpape

    46 min

  2. May 8

    Gamify Business Tavern Tales Episode 23- Nancy Norbeck- The Muse Whisperer

    GB Tavern Tales Episode 23- Nancy Norbeck- The Muse Whisperer and the Performance Parasite Tonight we have a healer at the Tavern — but not the kind who mends broken bones or restores hit points. This one works with something far more delicate: the creative spark that so many adventurers have lost along the way. The Performance Parasite. This creature doesn't attack suddenly. It attaches itself slowly, usually when we're young. It whispers that play is pointless. That curiosity is inefficient. That the only creativity that counts is the kind that produces something, performs for someone, pleases the right people. Over time, the host forgets they ever had a muse at all. They say things like "I'm just not creative" or "I used to make things, but..." They look fine on the outside, but inside? Flattened. Disconnected. Quietly exhausted. Nancy Norbeck is a Muse Whisperer. As a creativity coach and "Messy Muse Mentor," Nancy helps burned-out perfectionists and people-pleasers reconnect with their creativity — not to produce more, not to optimize, but to feel more alive and more like themselves. She's also the host of Follow Your Curiosity, a podcast she's been running for over seven years, exploring creativity as a human birthright through deep conversations about play, resistance, and reclaiming inner authority in a world obsessed with productivity. Her message challenges everything the Performance Parasite taught us: creativity isn't a skill to master. It's a reconnection to something that was never actually lost — just buried under years of performing, pleasing, and being "good." Tonight, she's here to help us remember what we forgot. 🎲 Business is an adventure. Don't be an NPC. Connect with Nancy Norbeck:  🌐 https://fycuriosity.com/  💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancynorbeck/  📺 https://www.youtube.com/@fycuriosity  📸 https://www.instagram.com/fycuriosity/  🐦 https://www.twitter.com/fycuriositypod  🎵 https://www.tiktok.com/@fycuriosity  📝 https://fycuriosity.substack.com/ Connect with Paul Pape:  🌐 https://gamifybusiness.com  🔗 https://linkedin.com/in/paulpape

    51 min

  3. Apr 24

    Gamify Business Tavern Tales Episode 22-Drewbie Wilson- The Inner Saboteur

    GB Tavern Tales Episode 22- Drewbie Wilson- Slaying the Inner Saboteur: Discipline, Systems, and Self-Worth Tonight's guest battled a monster that most adventurers never even realize is hunting them — because it doesn't live in a dungeon. It lives inside. The Inner Saboteur. This creature doesn't breathe fire or swing a blade. It whispers. "You're not worth that much." "Who are you to charge premium prices?" "Just grind harder — eventually it'll work out." It convinces you that burning yourself to ash is the same as making progress. It keeps you stuck in patterns that feel like effort but produce nothing but exhaustion. Drewbie Wilson knows this monster intimately. A few years ago, he was over 300 pounds, burned out, grinding without a system, and completely disconnected from his own worth. He wasn't living. He was surviving. And barely. But here's where his quest gets interesting: Drewbie didn't just lose the weight. He rebuilt everything — health, mindset, business — from the ground up. No gimmicks. No shortcuts. He learned that discipline beats motivation, systems beat struggle, and that valuing your time is the first step to valuing yourself. Today, Drewbie is the author of Crushing The Day and Poop Soup, and the founder of Call The Damn Leads. He went from tech support at a startup to the executive team of a multi-million-dollar company by focusing on fundamentals most people avoid. Tonight, he pulls up a chair to talk about the battle every creative entrepreneur fights in the mirror — the one where you're your own worst enemy, and the only way forward is to finally get out of your own way. 🎲 Business is an adventure. Don't be an NPC. Connect with Drewbie Wilson: 🌐 https://callthedamnleads.com/ 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewbiewilson/ 📘 https://www.facebook.com/DrewbieRides/ 📺 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8D6DQ9xzSM67bKGTGldWmA 📸 https://www.instagram.com/callthedamnleads/ 🎵 https://www.tiktok.com/@drewbierides Connect with Paul Pape: 🌐 https://gamifybusiness.com 🔗 https://linkedin.com/in/paulpape

    45 min

  4. Apr 17

    Gamify Business Tavern Tales- Billy Sammons- The Village Bard

    Some adventurers hunt. They chase leads through frozen territory, sending cold emails into the void, hoping something sticks. Billy Sammons builds fires instead — and lets the warmth draw people in. Billy discovered something powerful by accident. He made a video for a local brewery — not as a marketing strategy, just to help them succeed. That single act of generosity became his main referral source. He'd stumbled onto a truth most creative entrepreneurs miss: warmth beats cold every time. In this episode of Gamify Business Tavern Tales, Billy shares why The Lone Wolf approach leaves creative entrepreneurs starving, what it actually looks like to build a village instead of hunting alone, and how his "Live Local Warm Marketing" framework helps creatives grow through giving rather than grinding cold outreach. If you've ever felt exhausted by the hustle-harder playbook — more emails, more ads, more DMs to strangers who don't respond — this conversation offers a different path. One where opportunities find you because you've become valuable to your community, not because you've out-hustled everyone else. 🎲 CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Welcome to the Tavern [Add timestamps after recording] 🍺 CONNECT WITH BILLY: [Insert Billy's links] 🎮 CONNECT WITH GAMIFY BUSINESS: Website: https://gamifybusiness.com Take the Quiz: https://gamifybusiness.com/quiz Book a Call: https://oncehub.com/GamifyBusiness60MinCall 📚 PAUL'S BOOKS: The Creative Player's Handbook to Business The Creative Player's Workbook The Game Master's Guide to Business Quit Selling Your Shit! The Bard's Guide to Storycraft Business is an adventure. Don't be an NPC.

    45 min

  5. Apr 10

    Gamify Business Tavern Tales Episode 21- Mark Stern- The Artifact Crafter

    GB Tavern Tales Episode 21- Mark Stern- The Artifact Crafter: The Magic Pixels Can't Replicate When was the last time you remembered a Dropbox link? A WeTransfer notification? A PDF invoice? These digital moments vanish into the ether the moment they arrive. But a beautifully crafted package? A thoughtfully designed unboxing experience? That becomes an artifact — something a client holds in their hands, shows to their friends, maybe even displays on a shelf years later. Tonight at the Tavern, Mark Stern pulls up a chair to share the forgotten magic of physical touchpoints in a world drowning in digital noise. Mark is the founder of Custom Box Agency, where he helps brands transform forgettable digital transactions into physical experiences that clients actually remember. He's a former Deloitte strategy consultant with a Duke MBA who traded corporate clarity for entrepreneurial creation. He's been featured in Joey Coleman's book Never Lose an Employee Again, recognized as a Forbes Next 1,000 Entrepreneur, and serves as a mentor at SXSW. But here's why Mark's wisdom matters for creative entrepreneurs: you don't need a massive budget to create memorable moments. Whether you're a photographer delivering prints, a designer presenting a brand identity, or a maker shipping your creations — there are touchpoints in your client journey where a little intentionality transforms a transaction into a treasure. Something they keep. Something they show others. Something that turns a one-time client into a lifelong champion. In a world where everyone else is shouting into the digital void, sometimes the most powerful move is to put something real into someone's hands. 🎲 Business is an adventure. Don't be an NPC. Connect with Mark Stern: 🌐 https://customboxagency.com/ Connect with Paul Pape: 🌐 https://gamifybusiness.com 🔗 https://linkedin.com/in/paulpape

    42 min

  6. Mar 27

    Gamify Business Tavern Tales Episode 20- Jerry Brazie- Survivor of the Blighted Lands

    GB Tavern Tales- Jerry Brazie- Survivor of the Blighted Lands Some adventurers come from kingdoms with resources, mentors, and maps. Tonight's guest came from the Blighted Lands — a place where survival itself was the first boss fight. Jerry Brazie grew up dirt poor, one of nine kids, in circumstances most people can't imagine. He's been shot at. Stabbed. Beaten. Left for dead by a world that didn't care whether he made it or not. There was no safety net. No backup plan. No one coming to save him. And yet — over thirty years, Jerry has built twelve companies generating over $450 million in revenue. He currently runs both an 8-figure and a 7-figure company, plus The Kronos Group. He didn't just survive the Blighted Lands. He mapped them. But here's why Jerry's story matters for creative entrepreneurs: he's discovered something most business advice ignores. The difference between a $200K business and a $2 million business isn't a different set of problems. It's usually just a zero. The challenges don't change — they just get bigger. And the emotional nature that makes creative people brilliant at their craft? It's often the same thing that blinds them to the business realities that could set them free. Tonight, Jerry pulls up a chair to share what the Blighted Lands taught him about scars, survival, and the uncomfortable truths creative entrepreneurs need to hear. 🎲 Business is an adventure. Don't be an NPC. Connect with Jerry Brazie: 🌐 https://jerrybrazie.com/ 🔗https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerrybrazie/ 🔗https://www.youtube.com/@UCozoCB-ugZR-Fkq1AYnF1Uw  Connect with Paul Pape: 🌐 https://gamifybusiness.com 🔗 https://linkedin.com/in/paulericpape

    59 min

  7. Mar 13

    Gamify Business Tavern Tales Episode 19- Marnie Wills- The Cursed Weapon

    GB Tavern Tales- Marnie Wills- The Cursed Weapon and the Tool That Wasn't Most adventurers have walked past a weapon they were certain was cursed. "That's not for people like me," they tell themselves. "I'm not a tech person." "I'm not a numbers person." "I'm not a business person." And so the tool stays on the ground, untouched, while they struggle forward without it. Tonight at the Tavern, Marnie Wills shares the tale of a weapon she avoided for years — convinced it would drain the magic from her work rather than amplify it. Marnie spent years as an entrepreneur who put all her skill points into building — two fitness businesses, a nationwide programme called SportyMinis — while actively avoiding the Technology skill tree. She was certain that particular branch of the map simply wasn't meant for adventurers like her. Then came a fateful side quest in February 2023. A reluctant encounter with an AI tool revealed something unexpected: the "cursed weapon" was actually a legendary item she'd been walking past for years. But here's where her quest takes an unexpected turn. After eight years building SportyMinis, Marnie chose to leave that dungeon behind — walking away from a campaign that looked successful on the character sheet but no longer aligned with the adventurer she was becoming. Tonight, she shares what she learned about unlearning limiting beliefs, discovering that the scariest tools often become our greatest allies, and finding the courage to abandon a long campaign for a quest that actually fits. 🎲 Business is an adventure. Don't be an NPC. Connect with Marnie Wills: 🔗  https://linkedin.com/in/marniewills Connect with Paul Pape: 🌐 https://gamifybusiness.com 🔗 https://linkedin.com/in/paulpape

    42 min

  8. Feb 27

    Gamify Business Tavern Tales Episode 18- Russell Van Brocklen- The Niche Slayer

    GB Tavern Tales- Russell Van Brocklen- The Niche Slayer's Path to Premium Pricing What if the secret to building a premium creative business isn't serving everyone — but solving one impossible problem for one specific person? Tonight at the Tavern, Russell Van Brocklen pulls up a chair to share how he built a thriving business by rejecting the "help everyone" trap. When a dyslexic student came to him — someone the system had written off — Russell didn't try to fix everything at once. He focused on one impossible outcome: could he take a college-bound student reading at a middle-school level and get them to graduate school writing proficiency in a single school year? The answer shocked everyone. A 7-8 grade-level leap for less than $900 per student. Every participant entered college and graduated without accommodations, with GPAs between 2.5 and 3.6. His approach earned New York State Senate funding — external validation from people who hold the purse strings. Russell's framework — One impossible kid. One quest. One case study. One premium offer. — applies to any creative entrepreneur tired of undercharging, overworking, and trying to be everything to everyone. If you've been told to "niche down" but don't know what that actually looks like, this quest is for you. To learn more about Russel head over to: https://www.dyslexiaclasses.com 🎲 Business is an adventure. Don't be an NPC. Don’t forget to click the bell to turn on post notifications! Website: https://www.gamifybusiness.com Paul's Website: http://www.paulpapedesigns.com  IG: https://www.instagram.com/paulpapedesigns/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulpapedesigns/

    54 min
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Trailer

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to Gamify Business Tavern Tales, where Paul Pape, accomplished artist, 'Santa for Nerds" and your friendly neighborhood barkeep and author of “The Creative Player’s Handbook to Business,” creates a cozy space for authentic conversations about the entrepreneurial journey. In this intimate tavern setting, Paul sits down with creative entrepreneurs to explore the roads less traveled - the unconventional paths, bold decisions, and unique approaches that led them to business success. Rather than following traditional playbooks, these guests share stories of how they forged their own way, overcame unexpected challenges, and built thriving enterprises while staying true to their creative vision. Each interview reveals the personal systems, creative problem-solving techniques, and innovative strategies these entrepreneurs developed along their journeys. You’ll hear about the pivotal moments, the calculated risks, and the creative solutions that made all the difference in their adventures. Solo episodes feature Paul sharing insights, exploring business concepts through his gamified lens, and offering practical wisdom for creative minds navigating the entrepreneurial landscape. These monologues dive deep into specific challenges and opportunities, always with the goal of making business feel more accessible and less intimidating. Whether you’re just starting your creative business quest or looking to level up an existing venture, these conversations offer inspiration and actionable insights from entrepreneurs who dared to play by their own rules. Pull up a chair, order your favorite drink, and discover the stories behind the success.

Information

  • Creator
    Paul Pape
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    26
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Gamify Business Tavern Tales
  • Show Website
    Gamify Business Tavern Tales