Building Culture and Trust in Business with Dave Coull - In this episode, we explore the essential elements of cultivating a strong organisational culture and leading with authenticity. Dave Coull, CEO of Stage Electrics Group, shares his insights on how culture drives success, the importance of humility, and strategies for building trust at scale—especially during challenging times like a pandemic. This episode offers strong CEO Leadership advice, business advice and some real business advice to any leader.

Main topics covered:

• The role of culture in business success and how to define it
• Strategies for earning and maintaining trust with teams who know more than leaders
• Practical ways to embed core values and reinforce company culture daily
• The impact of leadership transparency and vulnerability
• How to successfully integrate acquired businesses into existing culture
• Challenges and solutions for scaling culture in remote and growing organisations
• Mistakes leaders often make around culture and how to avoid them
• Fostering a safe environment for honest feedback and challenging authority
• The importance of consistent communication and actions over words
• Practical leadership lessons from decades of experience

Timestamps:

00:00 - Welcome and episode overview

02:16 - The core role of culture in organisational success

06:28 - Transitioning into the events and technology sector

09:22 - Building trust through humility and authenticity

12:44 - Leading technical teams without needing to be a technical expert

15:45 - Communicating effectively during COVID-19 and remote onboarding

19:43 - Protecting and evolving existing company culture during acquisitions

23:45 - Defining core values with employee input and ongoing reinforcement

28:58 - Handling cultural integration of new business units

32:04 - The impact of culture on employee engagement and productiveness

36:33 - The importance of continuous communication and transparency

39:39 - Maintaining culture across growing and distributed teams

44:11 - Managing high performers with misaligned values

48:41 - Major mistakes leaders make in shaping company culture

51:11 - Practical steps for honest and transparent leadership

55:20 - Creating an environment where challenging leadership is safe and encouraged

58:43 - Balancing honesty and confidentiality in leadership communication

62:24 - Building a legacy based on developing people and strong culture

65:49 - Final thoughts: leadership as a team enabler and culture creator

66:05 - Rapid-fire: Apple or Android?

66:17 - Preferred social media platform?

66:23 - City or beach getaway?

67:01 - Essential item for travel?

67:08 - Morning or night person?

67:30 - Build new or fix what's broken?

67:50 - Growth or profitability?

68:19 - Best advice ignored?

68:45 - The drink Dave would choose at a pub?

Resources & Links:

• Stage Electrics Group
• Dave Coull personal website

If you enjoyed this episode check out Matt Turners episode on our show

This episode offers actionable leadership principles rooted in decades of experience—timeless lessons for anyone committed to building thriving, resilient organisations.

In this episode, Ryan Metcalfe, founder and CEO of Preevue, shares candid insights on the evolution of digital twins, the significance of failure, and how technology is reshaping theatre and entertainment industries. His journey demonstrates how strategic engineering, embracing errors, and an eye for innovation can disrupt even the most traditional sectors. This is a true lesson in business disruption!

Key Takeaways:

• The importance of viewing failure as a learning tool; Ryan emphasises that having one spectacular failure is a sign of pushing boundaries enough.
• How the company’s early mistakes, like product failures, provided critical lessons that drove growth and innovation.
• The challenge and reward of managing multiple roles—bridging the arts and technology with dynamic sector shifts.
• The evolution of theatre visualisation from rudimentary models to highly accurate digital twins, transforming staging and set design.
• How technology like laser scanning and 3D modeling offers unprecedented accuracy, making visualisation integral rather than supplementary.
• The long, patient process of integrating visualisation tech with large venues, exemplified by collaborations with ATG and Moulin Rouge.
• Ryan’s insight into the cultural gap between theatre’s artistic drives and the tech industry’s efficiency focus.
• Practical advice: move quickly with minimal viable products—test, learn, and adapt before overplanning.
• Future visions for production visualisation becoming a formalized, industry-standard role, supported by comprehensive data and workflow integration.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Ryan reacts to a major product failure and values lessons learned

02:20 - Challenges of managing diverse roles across theatre and media

04:10 - Creativity meets sales: blending art with commercial goals in entertainment

06:00 - Evolution of visualisation in theatre and how digital twins are transforming productions

08:50 - Breaking the misconception of visualization as a gimmick in arts projects

12:00 - How detailed laser scanning creates accurate digital models for ticketing and design

15:30 - The rise of AI and emerging technologies, and their impact on the industry

18:00 - The importance of rapid testing and iterative development in tech adoption

20:30 - Ryan’s early entrepreneurial start at 18 and the importance of perseverance

22:00 - Building credibility: from small gigs to working on Harry Potter’s Broadway production

25:00 - The long timeline to prove new tech to industry giants like ATG

29:00 - The future of production visualizers and the formalization of this industry role

33:00 - Handling technological resistance and pushing the art forward with digital tools

36:40 - Innovation in venue data collection through COVID scans and the growth of ticketing tech

40:00 - The strategic approach to AI, balancing risks and opportunities in visualisation

43:00 - Lessons learned from running a business without prior experience or formal training

45:00 - The importance of being a jack-of-all-trades and building resilient teams

46:30 - Ryan’s reflections on leadership and the ongoing responsibility of founding and running a business

Resources & Links:

• Preevue

Connect with Ryan Metcalfe

• LinkedIn

This episode is a masterclass in how a creative industry embraces technology, overcomes tradition, and pushes boundaries—both artistic and entrepreneurial. Ryan’s story underscores that innovation often starts with a simple idea, fueled by a willingness to fail, learn, and adapt.

In this episode, Mats Karlsson shares his journey from starting in stage lighting to developing innovative power distribution systems, navigating supply chain challenges, and the importance of brand and relationships in the entertainment tech industry. His experience highlights how resilience and strategic pivots can propel growth even during turbulent times and how any business in a small market can grow

Key Topics

• Mats’s transition from music to stage lighting and product development
• The evolution of stage lighting technology and industry pioneers
• Lessons learned from past ventures, including successes and failures
• How COVID-19 reshaped business strategies and supply chain management
• The role of branding, quality, and personal reputation in a niche industry
• Future opportunities in LED, theatrical, and virtual production markets
• The impact of global markets, regulatory environments, and technological innovation
• Practical advice for startups: market fit, patience, and building strong distributor relationships
• Leaders’ personal growth: shifting from operational to strategic focus

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to Mats and his diverse industry background

02:14 - The development of innovative discharge lamps and product successes

04:33 - Experiences negotiating with giants like PRG and lessons learned

06:28 - How industry pioneers like Rusty Bruchet shaped the lighting industry

07:44 - The transition from traditional to LED and the rise of new markets

11:09 - Launching Station Marts: From basement projects to international sales

14:17 - Navigating post-COVID challenges and decision-making in turbulent times

16:29 - The importance of understanding electrical systems globally

19:24 - How power distribution is vital for LED and video in modern productions

21:35 - Opportunities and challenges in North American and global markets

23:28 - The resilience built during COVID and strategic pivots in product offerings

30:38 - The significance of branding, appearance, and professionalism in industry reputation

32:39 - Future trends: virtual studios, AI, and technological advancements in the industry

37:30 - The importance of face-to-face relationships and industry networking

40:50 - Personal growth and leadership evolution over a decade

44:01 - The importance of communication, respect, and reputation in leadership

48:45 - Core lessons: quality, patience, and the value of strong distributor networks

54:49 - Industry professionalism and the importance of branding and presentation

58:10 - Reflection: What Mats would do differently if starting today

59:34 - Final insights: market understanding, persistence, and the power of relationships

Resources & Links:

• Stage Smarts Power Distribution

Connect with Mats Karlsson:

• LinkedIn

Want to listen to a similar episode - check out Sam Tamplins Episode here!

The journey of Stage Smarts exemplifies how innovative thinking, strategic branding, and relationship-building can build a resilient global enterprise in the entertainment industry.