Guest
Chuck Surack
Chuck Surack is the founder of Sweetwater, the Fort Wayne music gear retailer that grew from a mobile recording setup into a billion-dollar company.
Circuit updated July 27, 2026
Notable quotes
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“Sweetwater University is 13 weeks of eight hours a day where they're learning all kinds of stuff. You know, they're learning products specifically. They're learning technologies. But they're taught by 80 different teachers over those 13 weeks. And they're not allowed to talk to a customer until they're through that whole process.”
Chuck Surack · How I Built This with Guy Raz -
“I've always believed everyone in our company, whether it's a sales engineer or the receptionist, is either adding credibility or taking credibility away from our company. And I've got to have people always adding credibility.”
Chuck Surack · How I Built This with Guy Raz -
“where, frankly, in your first year, you're probably going to make $75,000 to $85,000. In your second or third year, you're well into six figures. You know, we have people that are making nearly a half a million dollars now.”
Chuck Surack · How I Built This with Guy Raz -
“they don't want to have people. I mean, it's hard to call Amazon and talk to them on the phone. We encourage people to talk on the phone.”
Chuck Surack · How I Built This with Guy Raz
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