From Electrician to Tech Trailblazer: Stephen Johansen on Building Indigo & Following Your Gut

What do Madonna, Prince, Formula One, and outdoor Wi-Fi have in common? Believe it or not—Stephen Johansen.

In this episode of the Chester Centurions podcast, Alan sits down with the founder of Indigo, a North West-based IT company that’s quietly powering everything from schools and offices to stadiums and music festivals.

Stephen shares the wild story of Indigo’s accidental pivot into global event tech—including an ambitious project in the UAE that involved Formula One hospitality setups and open-air networking at scale. But the real gold lies in the quiet wisdom he’s gained over 23 years in business:

• Why year two of a startup is the hardest (and what to expect)
• The moment he decided to leap from employee to entrepreneur
• How values shape team culture and client loyalty
• Why “fixing problems” beats “selling solutions”
• His personal philosophy for switching off from work and showing up fully at home

This is a grounded, thoughtful, and inspiring conversation with a founder who proves you don’t need a flashy brand to build an exceptional business.