A People-Centric Approach To Business—Chuck Surack (Ep 32)

Our customer service is our strength, it’s our differentiator.
—Chuck Surack

Chuck Surack is the founder of the online music retailer Sweetwater. The business employs over 1800 people and is privately owned by Chuck and his wife. Chuck’s business began in 1984 with a now legendary story of his discovering and reverse engineering the Kurzweil keyboard. The business has expanded in many directions since.

While many businesses are struggling amidst the pandemic, Sweetwater is currently thriving. Chuck has long been a supporter of his community and businesses of his hometown Fort Wayne, Indiana. We talk about the importance of putting people first, constant professional development, and the little touches that help a business stand out.

Episode Highlights

We start by talking about growing up in Indiana (05:44) and go on to discuss:

• (07:55) A high touch customer experience
• (12:45) Building a strong culture
• (19:09) Supporting and growing other businesses
• (25:00) The changing music scene amidst the pandemic
• (30:25) Buying back a company
• (40:12) Personalizing product and packaging
• (44:15) Professional development as a company priority

Mentioned in this Episode

• Sweetwater
• The Sweetwater Story 
• Chuck Surack on Learning to Live Podcast (Part 1) 
• Chuck Surack on Learning to Live Podcast (Part 2) 
• Unstarving Musician Podcast 
• Make Networking Feel Less Dirty—David Burkus (Ep 30) 
• Public Speaking For Career Advancement—Doris Pickering (Ep 26)