Create a Thriving Agency Culture: Adam Carabetta’s Playbook
We’ve followed Adam Carabetta’s journey from a 14-square-foot startup to a treehouse office with a soul. We’ve seen how he builds teams that don’t just bill, they belong. We’ve explored how empathy isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s his operating system.
Now, in Part 4 of this Talent Talk Asia Episode 59 deep-dive, we go full immersion into Formative Search’s culture engine.
This isn’t ping-pong tables and free beer.
This is culture as strategy.
Rituals. Boundaries. Failure parties. Mental health days. Rooftop yoga at 7 a.m.
This is how Adam turned culture from a buzzword into a retention superpower, a client loyalty magnet, and a profit multiplier.
Let’s go inside.
🎧 Listen to the full episode: A chat with New Energy Expert Adam Carabetta
The Culture Promise (And Why It’s Non-Negotiable)
Every new hire at Formative Search signs The Culture Promise.
Not a contract.
A commitment.
“I will bring my whole self to work. I will protect our space. I will grow, and help others grow. I will fail forward. I will rest without guilt. I will speak the truth with kindness. This is my home.”
It’s framed in the office.
It’s laminated on every desk.
It’s alive.
“Culture isn’t what we say,” Adam told me. “It’s what we do when no one’s watching.”
A 2025 Gallup study found that employees in high-trust cultures are 72% less likely to burn out and 260% more likely to stay long-term. Adam doesn’t just know the stats, he engineers the conditions.
Ritual #1: The Monday Sunrise Reset
Every Monday at 7:00 a.m., rain or shine, the entire team meets on the rooftop.
No agenda.
Just 15 minutes of silence, stretch, and sunrise.
Then Adam asks one question:
“What are you grateful for this week?”
One by one, they share.
A closed deal
A child’s first steps
A candidate who said “thank you”
A good night’s sleep
No judgment. No hierarchy.
Just presence.
“We start the week human,” Adam said. “Not as billers. Not as KPIs. As people.”
A 2025 Harvard study found that teams with weekly gratitude rituals report 31% higher resilience and 25% lower stress. This isn’t wellness theatre, it’s performance engineering.
Ritual #2: The Failure Party
Once a quarter, Formative Search throws a Failure Party.
Yes, you read that right.
The rules:
Everyone brings one failure from the quarter
They present it in 3 minutes: What happened → What I learned → What I’ll do differently
The team celebrates with cake, champagne, and applause
Last quarter’s hits:
“I lost a £300k mandate because I overpromised.”
“I ghosted a candidate after a bad day.”
“I said yes to a client who drained me.”
“Failure isn’t shame,” Adam said. “It’s data. And we celebrate the courage to share it.”
A 2025 MIT study found that teams that normalise failure innovate 40% faster and retain 28% more talent. Adam’s parties aren’t quirky, they’re strategic.
Ritual #3: The 3-Day Mental Health Reset
Every team member gets 3 paid mental health days per year.
No questions.
No doctor’s note.
Just a Slack message:
“@channel Taking a mental health day. Back Wednesday.”
That’s it.
“Burnout isn’t a badge,” Adam said. “It’s a failure of leadership.”
One consultant, Raj, took his in August.
“I was spiralling. Three days off the grid, beach, books, no phone. Came back sharper than ever. Closed two deals in a week.”
A 2025 WHO report estimates burnout costs global employers $1.9 trillion annually. Adam’s 3-day policy? Preventive medicine.
The “No Meetings Wednesday” Experiment
Once a month, Formative Search runs “No Meetings Wednesday”
No client calls
No internal huddles
No Slack
Just deep work
The results?
Average billable hours per head: +18%
Candidate response time: -40%
Team energy score (0–10): 9.2
“We realised meetings weren’t ‘productivity’, they were distraction.” Adam said.
A 2025 Microsoft study found that uninterrupted focus blocks increase output by 34%. Adam’s experiment isn’t radical, it’s rational.
The Rooftop University
Formative Search doesn’t outsource L&D.
They built their own academy on the rooftop.
Every Friday at 4 pm:
Guest speakers (CHROs, founders, coaches)
Skill shares (negotiation, LinkedIn, mental resilience)
Book club (this quarter: Atomic Habits)
Attendance? Voluntary.
Average turnout? 98%.
“Learning isn’t a chore,” Adam said. “It’s a privilege. And we make it fun.”
A 2025 LinkedIn Learning report found that 94% of employees would stay longer if their company invested in their growth. Adam’s rooftop isn’t a perk; it’s retention glue.
The “Client Sun-Downer” Tradition
Every month, Formative Search hosts a client sun-downer on the rooftop.
No pitch. No agenda.
Just wine, views, and real talk.
What’s keeping you up at night?
Where are we failing you?
How can we serve you better?
One client said:
“I’ve worked with 12 agencies. This is the first time I’ve felt seen.”
That client signed a £1.8m multi-year framework the next week.
The Culture Dashboard
Adam tracks culture like he tracks revenue.
Metric Target Current
Gratitude Shares (weekly) 12+ 18
Failure Party Attendance 100%+ 100%
Mental Health Days Used 70%+ 82%
Deep Work Hours (weekly) 20+ 24
Client NPS 85+ 91
“Culture isn’t fluffy. It’s measurable.”
The Dark Side of Culture Building
Adam is candid:
“Cultural work is exhausting. You have to show up every day. One bad hire can poison it. One skipped ritual can erode trust.”
His safeguards:
Culture champions (rotating, 3-month terms)
Anonymous pulse surveys (bi-weekly)
“Culture SOS” channel in Slack, anyone can flag a breach
Your Culture Playbook
Ready to build a culture that works? Start today:
Write your Culture Promise with your team (1 hour, this week)
Launch one weekly gratitude ritual (Monday morning, 10 mins)
Host your first Failure Party (next month, cake mandatory)
Give every team member 3 mental health days (announce tomorrow)
Block one “No Meetings Wednesday” (this month)
What’s Next?
In Part 5, we’ll sit down with Adam Carabetta and Andrea Ross to future-proof your agency for 2030, AI, hybrid work, Gen Z, and the rise of purpose-driven talent.
Because culture isn’t a destination.
It’s a daily practice.
Series Navigation
Part 1: Achieve Recruitment Agency Success with Andrea Ross and Adam Carabetta
Part 2: How Adam builds high-performing teams using strengths and psychological safety
Part 3: The empathy-led leadership model that retains 90% of staff
Part 5: Future-proofing your agency for 2030, with Adam Carabetta and Andrea Ross