the best culture advice i ever got came from a rugby coach (my dad)

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The news cycle has been a bit slow these days, eh? You know, unless you count the possibility of nuclear fallout and robots replacing our jobs.

As Marcus Aurelius shrugged 1,900 years ago:

Translation: when the world is on fire, bring marshmallows.

Another way to combat stress? Humour. Today I am going to write about how my rugby coach (and dad) created a fun culture without sacrificing performance.

Coach Tate’s Secret Sauce

My dad, Doug Tate—the former head coach of the UVic rugby team—built the best rugby program in the country for decades. His teams routinely beat national powerhouses, and yet the culture was never grim or overly serious. Somehow, he made it fun.

He’d open practices with jokes, games, or random comedy bits. But once training began, it was time to work. The last 15-20 minutes of practice would end with a brutal workout that would make even Machiavelli blush.

Year after year, somehow, over 100 players would try out for the team and everyone kept showing up. The secret? My dad built a culture of genuine respect between player and coach.

Though I didn't follow his path into coaching, I now lead several businesses where I apply his principles. While I haven't (yet) implemented fitness tests at the end of meetings, I've incorporated three critical insights about culture-building that I learned from watching him in action.

Here are those three techniques that consistently made his teams successful—and that you can steal for your own business:

1. Master the On/Off Switch

Doug is the king of flipping between play and performance. He’d open a serious training session with a bit or a joke—something dumb enough to make even the most sleep-deprived player smirk. But when it was time to train, everyone knew the switch had flipped. The standard was excellence.

Most business leaders never develop this rhythm. They're either too serious all the time—or their version of “fun” is just awkward forced ice-breaker games in the conference room. Build a cadence: lightness at the start, seriousness when it counts. People can push hard when they know it won’t feel like that forever.

2. Do the Tough Stuff Too

Those infamous workouts at the end of practice? My dad would occasionally do them with the team—even into his 60s. Imagine how hard it is to complain about burpees when your geriatric coach is beside you, grinding through them.

When leaders are willing to get in the trenches, it builds deep respect. It also collapses hierarchy in a healthy way. Not everyone needs to be peers, but when the boss is willing to sweat too, the “us vs. them” dynamic disappears.

3. Silent Participants Still Feel the Culture

Not everyone on the team was cracking jokes. Plenty of guys were quiet, reserved, or introverted—but they still loved the environment. In fact, some of the most reserved players have told me they were the biggest fans of my dad’s coaching style.

You don’t need a team full of stand-up comics. You just need to create an atmosphere where people feel safe enough to show up as themselves. Humor, warmth, and play don’t just help the extroverts—they calm the nervous systems of everyone else too.

But Don’t Force the Funny

This isn’t a green light to become the Michael Scott of your office. Humor only works when it feels authentic. Try this instead:

• Start a Slack channel for dumb memes and inside jokes.

• Exchange some banter with the funniest member of your team at the start of a meeting

• Got money to burn? Hire a comedian for a vague and ambiguous role on your team (they don't actually do any work)—they're simply there for good vibes and making jokes. This is a joke.

Bottomline: just like the bumper sticker, high-performance and humour can co-exist. Remember these 3 lessons and try applying them in your business this week.

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idea of the week 💡

Today's idea comes from Idea Browser:

• problem: Most fitness trainers lack specialized credentials to safely serve the rapidly growing 65+ demographic, leaving senior living facilities and insurance programs without qualified professionals.

• idea: Senior Coach Academy – a comprehensive certification platform that transforms regular fitness professionals into specialists for older adults. Programs cover fall prevention, chronic condition management, and mobility enhancement. The platform includes digital assessment tools, exercise libraries, and progress tracking software.

• how it makes money: $249-$999 per certification with 80%+ margins, plus recurring revenue through annual recertification requirements. Growth comes through partnerships with gym chains, senior living communities, insurance providers, and professional associations.

• why it might fail: Competition from established fitness certification bodies entering the senior market, potential resistance from trainers unwilling to invest in specialized education, and regulatory challenges that vary by region.

workout of the week

Three different workouts to challenge yourself this weekend:

at-home workout:

Complete 5 rounds:

• 25 jumping jacks

• 15 tricep dips (using chair/couch)

• 20 bicycle crunches

• 45-second plank to push-up hold

Rest 90 seconds between rounds

gym workout:

• 5x5 bench press

• 4x10 goblet squats

• 3x12 lat pulldowns

• Finisher: EMOM for 10 minutes (10 kettlebell swings + 5 push-ups)

outdoor workout:

Complete 4 rounds:

• Run 300m at 85% effort

• 15 step-ups (park bench)

• 10 explosive push-ups

• 30-second high plank hold

Rest 2 minutes between rounds

tweet of the week

Val has incredible stories from hacking around in the early 2000s - highly recommend giving him a follow:

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