We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Noah Kline. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Noah below.

Noah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Looking back, what’s an important lesson you learned at a prior job?

My first job was working at a local family fun center called Loveland Laser Tag which is where I had the opportunity years later to go in business with the owner (Jeff Willy) to start our many business ventures. But before all that happened a valuable lesson I learned from this job is that sometimes you have to put in more work than what the immediate reward, like pay, is. Early in my start, I realized that consistently going above and beyond what’s expected not only shows dedication but also opens doors to growth and opportunity. Showing my commitment to delivering my best I was able to build trust, show my potential, and earn responsibilities that ultimately helped me grow professionally. This mindset has been foundational in my journey as a business owner, where success often comes from doing more than the bare minimum and investing in long-term outcomes rather than just short-term gains.

Noah, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Noah Kline and I started working at Loveland Laser Tag where the owner (Jeff Willy) saw my potential through the 5 years of working for him. Back at the time escape rooms were just starting to gain attention and popularity in the US market and I kept bugging Jeff to put them in his facility. After many many times annoying him he finally agreed to do it, but instead he said that we’d go in business together as equal partners and open our own location separate to his facility. So in March 2019 we open Time Emporium Escape Rooms in Loveland which today has now grown into 3 locations in Northern Colorado offering above and beyond immersive escape room experiences that has been fully designed by us and our team. Along the process we launch Escape Theory which we sold and distributed our escape rooms at a global scale. Then later we opened a cocktail lounge in Fort Collins called Looking Glass Escape Lounge where we blend a whimsical lounge atmosphere with elevated cocktails bringing what we do best, theming and immersion, with extraordinary drinks created by our mixologist who has been recognized by bar industry magazines for his creations. And as we’ve established ourselves we have now entered into other ventures that are relating to the entertainment industry.

I am most proud of the experience we offer from our stellar staff which has provided over 4,000+ reviews with two of the locations being a perfect 5 star rating and the others being 4.9 to the award winning escape rooms being in nomination for top 100 best escape rooms int he world and many other awards for the innovation and theming of the rooms. I’m very proud of the team I’ve built and the operations I’ve put in place to create a consistent and exceptional customer experience. Creating a strong, motivated staff who shares our vision and values has been rewarding. I’ve worked hard to implement processes that show off the high standards of quality while also empowering the team to take ownership of their roles. Seeing the positive impact this has on our customers, whether it’s through the service or memorable experiences keeps me so passionate about what I do. Along side that not only creating rooms for locals in Colorado to experience but offering over 20 other escape rooms in the world for others to experience challenges that Jeff, I and the team created!

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Managing a team and maintaining high morale is one of the most important and challenging aspects of running a business. It starts with building a core team that aligns with your vision and values, people you trust and can rely on to help you navigate challenges. As a business owner, you’ll often face the toughest problems because they’re the ones no one else could solve. In those moments, having a team you trust makes all the difference. It’s important to create an environment where your team feels valued, respected, and truly part of the bigger picture. Share your goals and challenges with them openly, so they feel invested in the company’s success. When people feel like they’re part of something meaningful, they’ll go above and beyond to help the business grow. Ultimately, high morale comes from empowering your team, recognizing their contributions, and building a culture of collaboration and shared responsibility. When your team is motivated and aligned with the company’s purpose, it becomes easier to endure challenges together and turn them into opportunities for growth.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Absolutely! I can contribute many of my customer experience techniques and people relations through many incredible know leaders. Simon Sinek has been a huge role model in the way I approach my team and discuss anything by listening and understanding their view. His books Start with Why and Leaders Eat Last are some of my favorites. A quotes from Simon is “It is a luxury to put our interests first. It is an honor to put the interests of others before our own”
Along with Simon I’d say Jay Shetty is a wonderful person to align your morals with, his book Think Like a Monk Saying ““I wish” is a way of saying “I don’t want to do anything differently.” Life becomes more meaningful when we live from intentions rather than achievements.”

Another unique way I approach leadership is listening to speakers that focus on relationships because many of your interactions you build with your staff is a relationship in a way where you have to tend to one another feelings and needs.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://time-emporium.com/ https://lookingglassbar.com/
• Instagram: @time_emporium_escape @lookingglassbar
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimeEmporiumEscape/ https://www.facebook.com/p/Looking-Glass-Bar-and-Escape-Lounge-100075696709769/

Image Credits

Zach Rockvam
Hayden Frye
Cambree Hall