Think of your Company Culture as a Journey

“Culture… is a critical part of driving growth for your company.” — Marti NymanIn this episode of Evolving Your Workplace, Carol Schultz sits down with Marti Nyman, President and CEO of New Wave Design, to unpack a practical question most leaders face while scaling: how do you keep culture strong, consistent, and real—without turning it into a slogan?Marti explains why culture is more than “values on a wall.” It’s a growth engine that affects how teams collaborate, solve problems, and attract top talent. He shares how culture can quietly weaken during expansion if leaders don’t intentionally reinforce it—especially when priorities shift to hiring, delivery, and day-to-day execution.The conversation gets tactical. Marti breaks down a simple operating rhythm his leadership team uses to keep culture front-and-center, plus an “S-curve” way of thinking about culture initiatives: early momentum, inevitable plateau, then a deliberate reset to keep the culture alive. They also discuss how leadership handles uncertainty, how slow procurement cycles can become a real growth constraint, and what “speed of execution” looks like inside a complex industry.They close with the CEO-level levers Marti focused on early: building predictability, creating scalable systems, and strengthening data-driven decision-making (including a risk-adjusted scorecard). Marti also shares what employees really want from work—being of value, being valued, and being part of something bigger—and why a real culture of feedback starts at the top.Connect With Host Carol SchultzFind more information about our host Carol Schultz and her company at Vertical Elevation, LinkedIn, and Instagram.Want to be our next guest expert? Email [email protected] with your information.And of course, click "follow" to stay up-to-date on new episodes and leave an honest review/rating letting us know what you thought!