I recently went one on one with Chuck Surack, the founder and CEO of Sweetwater, the leading online musical instrument retailer. Chuck owns several other businesses, including SweetCars, Sweet Aviation, Sweet Helicopters, and Longe Optical.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. ​How did you get here? ​What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth? 

Chuck: I started Sweetwater 42 years ago as a mobile recording studio in the back of a Volkswagen microbus. The retail side of the business came several years later, and we have been fortunate to experience year-over-year growth every single year since then. Today, we’re the largest online retailer of musical instruments and pro audio gear in the country. Of course, there have been challenges along the way, but we haven’t faced any major setbacks. If anything, I’ve been too conservative in planning for growth. When we built our current headquarters in 2006, we quickly realized we would need even more space, so we’ve expanded our campus multiple times since then.

Adam: How did you come up with your business idea? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas for a business?

Chuck: Sweetwater was born out of my desire to help my friends make music. As cliché as it sounds, my advice is to discover what you love and then find a way to get paid for it. Doing your research is important, but it’s also important to trust your instincts. Believe in yourself even when others don’t. There were times in the beginning that people tried to discourage me, so I had to remind myself that it was my dream, not theirs and that I would have to be the one to make it successful.

Adam: How did you know your business idea was worth pursuing? What advice do you have on how to best test a business idea?

Chuck: I own more than a dozen other companies in addition to Sweetwater, and nearly all of them started because of a hobby or interest of mine. For me, the best way to test my ideas has been to just jump in with both feet. If you believe in something, invest 100% into it, and I don’t mean financially. Be prepared to work harder than you ever have.

Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level?

Chuck: There have been lots of little steps along the way. People see our success now and think it happened overnight, but it’s taken four decades of commitment, hard work, and patience to get to this point. I strongly believe in kaizen, the Japanese term for continual growth. Every single day, I find ways to improve, both personally and professionally. At Sweetwater, we invest in extensive, ongoing training for all of our employees and provide them with the resources they need to effectively do their jobs. If you are constantly helping your employees develop their skills, not only are they going to get better at their jobs, but they’ll feel valued and respected, which makes them a better employee.

Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips? 

Chuck: For us, it’s all about relationships. Our 500+ sales engineers are the best in the industry. Most of them have music degrees or have spent time actually working as musicians, so they have real world experience using the gear and instruments they sell. They work to develop meaningful relationships with their customers instead of focusing on just making a sale. For example, during the pandemic, we encouraged our sales engineers to simply reach out to customers and check on them. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and it fostered an even better relationship, which will often eventually lead to a sale.

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Chuck: It’s important to turn around once in a while to make sure people are really following you. Help them understand your mission so that you’re all working toward a common goal. Be sure to explain the path to get there so there are clear expectations. Successful leaders also set a good example for their employees and aren’t afraid to really dig in and do what needs to be done instead of just dictating directions from a corner office. Leaders should be humble and willing to learn from others.

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading and managing teams?

Chuck: Have a clear vision, hire great people, and then get out of their way.

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders?

Chuck:

1. Do things beyond reproach. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well and doing it with integrity.

2. Be optimistic and encouraging while remaining realistic.

3. Go “all in.” That’s especially true if you’re an entrepreneur. No one will care about your success more than you do.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Chuck: When I was first starting my business, I was scared to take the leap and quit my job (and a steady paycheck.) My father told me, “If you don’t go for it, you’ll never know.”


Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.

Follow Adam on Instagram and Twitter at @adammendler and listen and subscribe to Thirty Minute Mentors on your favorite podcasting app.