From Soccer Fields to Cinema Screens: Rich Daughtridge on Building Warehouse Cinemas During COVID

Rich Daughtridge didn't set out to build a cinema empire during a pandemic. He started with a rundown 10-screen theater in the middle of a cornfield that no one else wanted. Today, Warehouse Cinemas is one of the top-performing independent cinema circuits in the country, and Rich is helping reshape an entire industry. But this conversation isn't really about movies. It's about a former professional soccer player who learned that practice is harder than the game, a visionary who had to learn to partner well, and a leader who chose to build something that serves people over profit while still driving serious results. In this episode: • From professional soccer to entrepreneurship: what five years with the Baltimore Blast taught Rich about leadership • The rookie mistakes of starting HighRock Marketing, and why ego nearly got in the way • The art of partnership: operating agreements, same page meetings, and why trust takes constant work • How a dilapidated cinema became the genesis of the Warehouse brand • The $7 million bet on a cinema during COVID when everyone said the big screen was dead • Fast casual food, beer walls, and Skyview: the innovations that unlocked the Warehouse model • Why impact is a core business function alongside finance and marketing • How EOS gave structure to the chaos and why visionaries need integrators • Being a pastor's kid in the beer and Hollywood business: what business as ministry actually looks like • The Golden Rule as the foundation of trust, and why intent matters more than outcomes • Leadership According to Hollywood: the book Rich is writing with new CEO Brett King • Relative profitability: why freedom and family matter more than the next deal • Building destinations, from the barn gym to Berry Hill Lake • What's next: scaling Warehouse, taking Trailer Fest national, and giving back to the industry Leaders On Tap is brought to you by C12 Maryland, where Christian CEOs and business owners come together to build great businesses for a greater purpose. ABOUT THE GUEST Rich Daughtridge is the founder and visionary behind Warehouse Cinemas, a fast-growing independent cinema brand redefining the moviegoing experience with elevated food and beverage, leather recliners, and a community-first approach. He's also the founder of HighRock Marketing and a board leader with the Independent Cinema Alliance. A former professional soccer player with the Baltimore Blast, Rich lives in Maryland with his wife of 27 years and is a proud dad to three Liberty University grads. CONNECT Rich on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richdaughtridge/ Warehouse Cinemas: https://warehousecinemas.com High Rock Marketing: https://highrock.com C12 Maryland: https://c12md.com Take The More Audit: https://themoreaudit.com SUBSCRIBE for more conversations with Christian leaders building for a greater purpose. #LeadersOnTap #FaithAndWork #ChristianLeadership #WarehouseCinemas #EOS #Entrepreneurship #Visionary #BusinessAsMinistry ⏱️ CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:55 From the field to the boardroom: lessons from professional soccer 00:05:08 Youth sports, balance & raising kids in a travel-team world 00:09:00 High Rock Marketing: rookie moves & learning to lead people 00:10:34 Partnerships: the best and worst part of business 00:13:51 Handing the CEO baton: bringing in Brett King 00:17:15 Leitersburg Cinemas: the scrappy startup in a cornfield 00:27:55 Launching Warehouse Cinemas in the middle of COVID 00:29:15 Fast casual, beer walls & the Skyview patent 00:31:52 Impact as a core function: community, team & industry 00:41:08 27 beer taps & business as ministry 00:47:51 EOS: the operating system that unlocked scale 01:00:38 Visionary-integrator: rocket fuel with Greg 01:04:55 Leadership According to Hollywood: writing the book 01:05:24 A pastor's son: humility, confidence & taking care of people 01:09:46 Relative profitability: freedom, family & 27 years of marriage 01:18:50 Building destinations: the barn, the cabin & Berry Hill Lake 01:22:31 What's next: 10X thinking, scaling Warehouse & going national 01:29:05 Final takeaways: intent, trust & doing unto others