Mattress executive-turned-studio CEO Kirk Englebright shares the unlikely pivot that led him from retail success to launching Dark Horse Stages, the newest studio for filmmakers in North Carolina. A surprise phone call turned a busted deal into a huge opportunity, and Englebright’s momentum exploded with rapid-fire productions, a major expansion with state-of-the-art stages, a headline-making booking of MrBeast, and a growing role as an advocate for North Carolina’s film industry.