Lionel Lodge serves as the CEO of SyncLodge, an innovative tech company that focuses on empowering creatives in the music sync licensing industry. While Lionel leads the company, he strongly emphasizes teamwork and collaboration within the SyncLodge team. They work closely together, openly communicate, discuss growth strategies, and share ideas.
Lionel values open communication, transparency, and collaboration, believing that every team member’s opinion is valuable. He sees the potential for their collective efforts to create a significant impact on the global creative industry.
Below are highlights of the interview conducted between World’s Leaders and Lionel Lodge:
Describe who you are as a person, inside and outside of the workplace.
I am the same person inside and outside of the workplace, as the mission of SyncLodge is my passion. I am a highly driven person, and I am very detailed. If I see even a small thing out of place or, in my view, incorrect, I strive to correct it. I am a team player. I love working with a team of people all pulling together, as I am always interested in other people’s perspectives.
Describe your background and what did you do before you started/joined the company.
I have lived in the entertainment industry all my life. My father was an inspiring and key person in the music industry. I grew up with it as my world. I started on the creative side, playing (saxophone, piano, guitar), writing, performing, recording, releasing, and touring. But I was also always very interested in the business element. I was a funny kid. I loved taking music and theater classes but also really enjoyed math, business management, and accounting classes. So, as I worked along the creative paths, I would see business opportunities and needs in the industry, and I would start a company to answer those needs. Some were more successful than others, but I always enjoyed the challenges and the learning processes.
Tell us about the inception of the company. How did it all start?
In the mid-2000s, I was living off my music, enjoying my life and the world I lived in, but CD sales were dying, so I needed to find a new revenue stream to replace or at least supplement the decline in my income. Someone suggested sync licensing (the legal usage of music in visual productions in which a license is paid) for my music for TV shows and films. I checked into it, attended many industry conferences, networked, and started licensing my recordings. Some independent artists and a couple of small record labels asked if I would represent them for sync placements. The next thing I knew, I had a sync licensing agency. Through building the agency and meeting and talking with, at length, many industry professionals, I saw an obvious need for a digital transformation. Many were drowning in paperwork, email ping-pongs, and phone calls and needed some “digital salvation”. I could see so many points in the work process that would benefit from innovative technology. At first, I looked for a system—a set of tools—that would solve the problems I saw. I didn’t find one that answered the full set of workflow needs. So, together with my co-founders, we set out to build it. And now SyncLodge is empowering creatives, winning innovation awards, and growing into a globally recognized service for the industry.
What has made you successful? What do you value?
I value truth, reality, focused work, and honest people. I enjoy listening to conflicting perspectives. I ask questions and push myself to see the bigger picture. I enjoy taking on a challenge and digging deep to succeed. I have a lot of patience, especially for some things, for people who are honestly trying to make the world a better place. I also have no patience for other things; dishonest, self-serving, egocentric, and manipulative people tend to bring out the lion in me. Lazy, spoilt people disappoint and disinterest me.
What are the most important aspects of a company’s culture? What principles do you believe in and how do you build this culture?
I believe in a collaborative and inclusive leadership style that empowers individuals, fosters a sense of ownership, and promotes a shared vision. The SyncLodge environment is one where everyone’s ideas are valued and encouraged. We are a team; we are friends. It is very important to recognize and respect each individual’s strengths and allow their view to be heard. At SyncLodge, we prioritize open communication and transparency to establish a culture of trust, which leads to better ideas, stronger commitment, and generally a basic feeling of enjoying one’s work. It is with this that we produce award-winning innovations for the entertainment industry.
What is the significance of innovative ideas in the company?
We are an innovative company. Our focus from the onset was and continues to be looking at the industry and developing systems to make the workflow easier and more enjoyable. We investigate what it is and look for innovations to elevate and empower our members.
What is the happiest part of your daily routine?
My day is divided up between meetings with industry stakeholders, potential investors, and young people we mentor, working with the development team, and discussing and planning the next steps for building the company with the management team and our wide network of advisors. All of these are enjoyable and energizing for me. I wake up early each day, looking forward to what the day will bring.
What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?
I think it is all quite basic. It is your life; live it. Learn as you go, seek advice, and accept criticism. You will make mistakes; own them. Recognize them as yours. Everything that happens to you, in one way or another, you have let happen to you; you are responsible. Your path might change, but keep your end goal in focus. Adapt to what comes. Walls are made to climb. The main thing is to enjoy it, even the frustrations; this is what makes the journey interesting. And, remember, one violin does not make an orchestra. Your team is what makes the company. Listen to them.
