How to Build a Strong Company Culture and Grow Through Crisis

Building Culture, Innovating Through Crisis, and Growing with Purpose | Ticket SpiceWhat does it take to turn a family business into a thriving tech company—while building a culture people actually love being part of?In this episode, Eric Knopf and Shadi Hayek from TicketSpice share how they transformed their business through resilience, innovation, and a deep commitment to culture.From navigating the uncertainty of COVID-19 to developing new products and strengthening their team, they reveal how intentional leadership and bold experimentation helped them not only survive—but grow stronger.You’ll also learn how focusing on people, customer experience, and continuous improvement can unlock new opportunities in the evolving experiential event industry.• The origin story of TicketSpice and the meaning behind the brand• How COVID-19 forced innovation and accelerated product development• Building and scaling a positive, resilient company culture• Why hiring for character and consistency matters most• Practical ways to retain talent and create a strong team environment• Trends shaping the experiential event and tech industries• Leveraging personalization and real-time engagement to increase revenue• The top ways to capture more revenue and reduce missed opportunities• Creating a family-like culture in a growing tech company• Why bold experimentation (even imperfect) drives long-term success00:00 – Welcome & introduction02:06 – Eric’s background and early insights into web-based software04:26 – The genesis of TicketSpice06:15 – Evolution into specialized event platforms09:11 – Branding and the origin of “TicketSpice”12:17 – COVID-19 impact and crisis response13:12 – Lessons learned from the pandemic16:00 – Pivoting to virtual and hybrid event solutions17:29 – Building a resilient team culture24:23 – Maintaining culture during growth25:00 – Creating a team that genuinely cares28:28 – Hiring for character and community32:32 – Talent acquisition strategies35:17 – Encouraging recognition and positivity37:11 – Leadership, trust, and transparency42:26 – Trends in experiential events50:31 – Data, automation, and personalization54:53 – Maximizing revenue opportunities56:48 – Upselling and enhancing experiences58:29 – Post-event engagement strategies59:49 – Rapid-fire questions61:27 – Embracing experimentation63:00 – Closing thoughtsFind more information about the services TicketSpice provides here:https://bit.ly/TicketSpiceFind all episodes, resources, and platforms here:Positive Business Action Linktree: https://linktr.ee/positive.business.actionGreat businesses aren’t built by accident—they’re built through intentional culture, adaptability, and innovation.#BusinessGrowth #CompanyCulture #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #CustomerExperience #TechStartup #SmallBusiness #EventIndustry #Innovation #TeamBuilding