Why do talented people leave companies that pay well and offer great benefits? The answer almost always comes down to culture.

I sat down with Adam Kolozetti, a former aerospace engineer turned workplace culture consultant, to explore what it really takes to build an environment where people want to stay, contribute, and grow.

Adam co-authored The Culture Revolution and hosts the Culture Hacker podcast. His background in engineering gives him a unique, systems-driven perspective on something most people treat as abstract: the culture inside a company.

From Aerospace Engineer to Culture Consultant

Adam spent years in aerospace and defense, working with highly technical, results-driven teams.

But he noticed something that changed his career path entirely: the most talented engineers were leaving not because of the work itself but because of how they were managed and treated.

“A pandemic comes along and everyone has to go work remote and guess what happens? Everyone has major issues with remote work and communication. And then when we get back into the swing of things, the world has kind of changed. Our mindset has shifted. Now all of a sudden this word culture becomes important.”

That realization led Adam to leave engineering and dedicate himself to helping organizations build cultures that actually retain top talent.

Small Experiments That Create Big Cultural Shifts

One of my favorite stories from our conversation was about something Adam did early in his consulting career: he changed the nameplates in an office.

“Small experiments create big cultural shifts. You don’t need a massive overhaul to transform your workplace. Start with one team, one meeting, one conversation, and build from there.”

Adam Kolozetti

Instead of the standard name and title, he designed nameplates that included personal details, hobbies, and interests.

The result was immediate. People started conversations they had never had before. Colleagues who had worked side by side for years suddenly discovered shared interests and formed real connections.

It sounds simple, but it illustrates a core principle of culture building: sometimes the smallest changes create the most meaningful impact.

Culture Is Infrastructure, Not Perks

Adam made an important distinction that every business leader needs to hear: real culture is not about surface-level perks like free snacks and ping-pong tables.

“I’m a former aerospace engineer turned culture consultant who discovered that I liked people more than drawings. Culture is infrastructure, not perks. You can’t fix culture with pizza parties.”

Adam Kolozetti

Sustainable culture is built through intentional systems for internal communication, authentic leadership, and team alignment.

It is the infrastructure of how people interact, make decisions, and support each other day to day.

“When you start a business, you’re a little bit naive. And I think you have to be, otherwise you’d be way too scared. Those first few years was all about creating new offerings and new ideas.”

But once the novelty wears off, what keeps a team together is how well the underlying systems support genuine human connection and growth.

Who Needs Culture Work the Most

Adam shared that his sweet spot is working with results-focused industries: engineering firms, consultants, construction, and energy companies.

“Very smart, very driven people that are very results-driven. Their problem is not that they can’t do it. Their problem is they don’t have time.”

These high-performing leaders insist on doing everything themselves until frustration or pressure from above forces them to rethink their approach.

That is when culture work becomes not just nice to have but a competitive necessity.

If you are a business owner struggling to retain talent or wondering why your team is not performing at its best, the answer might not be in your processes. It might be in your culture.

I explored a related perspective with Sara Orellana about building routines and resilience that strengthen both personal and professional performance.

Navigating Remote and Hybrid Work Culture

The shift to remote and hybrid work has forced every business to rethink how culture works when people are not physically together every day.

“A pandemic comes along and everyone has to go work remote, and guess what happens? Everyone has major issues with remote work and communication. Now everyone’s kind of confused and all of a sudden this word culture becomes important.”

Adam Kolozetti

Adam emphasized that the principles of good culture do not change in a remote environment. What changes is the intentionality required to maintain them.

You have to design systems for communication, recognition, and connection that do not depend on people bumping into each other in a hallway.

Regular check-ins, transparent communication channels, and deliberate team-building activities become essential rather than optional.

Key Takeaways

• Culture is not perks. It is the intentional design of how people communicate, lead, and support each other inside your organization.
• Small experiments like personalized nameplates can spark real cultural shifts by creating opportunities for genuine human connection.
• Results-driven industries need culture work the most because their top performers are often the first to burn out or leave when the environment does not support them.
• Remote and hybrid teams require more intentional culture building, not less. Design systems that create connection without relying on physical proximity.
• Great culture is a competitive advantage for recruiting, retention, and performance. It is no longer a luxury.

If you want to build a business where people thrive and stay, it starts with the culture you create every day. Visit coachcanfield.com to start a conversation about building something meaningful.

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