"The most underestimated part of running a company pertains to the actual role you should play."
Welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview with William Volmuth, the CEO of PowerChord, Inc. In this insightful discussion, Volmuth takes us on a journey through the world of customizable marketing solutions and shares his strategies for thriving in today’s ever-changing business landscape.
With a career spanning over 25 years, Volmuth’s diverse background in engineering, sales, marketing, and product management has shaped his unique perspective on startups and technology.
At PowerChord, the focus is on providing specialized services to brands and manufacturers selling through independent retailers, with an emphasis on tailored marketing approaches that leverage conversational marketing, data insights, and digital integration.
Join us as we delve into Volmuth’s experiences and gain valuable insights into employee happiness, the underestimated challenges of running a company, lessons learned from recent years, and his vision for success in 2023.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
William Volmuth: I’m William Volmuth, CEO of PowerChord, Inc. My career began as an electrical engineer where I had the good fortune of being assigned to various roles immediately after college. This allowed me to gain experience in engineering, sales, marketing, and product management.
One of these assignments was in a startup division within a Fortune 500 company, which sparked my passion for working in startups and technology. It’s been over 25 years, and I’m still passionate about it.
Working in startups means diving in and solving immediate problems without the hassle of bureaucracy or waiting for approvals. It’s a thrilling experience to jump right in and get things done. And once you’ve done it once, you can keep growing and solving more problems. It’s a constant cycle of learning and innovation that keeps me energized and excited to be in this field.
If you were in an elevator with Warren Buffett, how would you describe your company, your services or products? What makes your company different from others? What is your company’s biggest strength?
William Volmuth: For over two decades, PowerChord has been providing specialized services to brands and manufacturers that sell through independent retailers.
We understand that each company has its unique requirements, and therefore, we offer customizable marketing technology solutions that enable them to exceed their customers’ expectations.
At PowerChord, we believe that there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to marketing. Our goal is to serve as your strategic partner, leveraging conversational marketing, data insights, digital marketing, and integrations across the customer journey, from awareness to acquisition to loyalty.
What advice do you wish you had received when you started your business journey and what do you intend on improving in the next quarter?
William Volmuth: I believe that it would have been helpful to have been told earlier that a career is a journey and that opportunities can arise at any time. Being open to flexibility and continuous learning is key. I think the thing I always want to try and improve is my communication and listening skills.
Here is a two-fold question: What is the book that influenced you the most and how? Please share some life lessons you learned. Now what book have you gifted the most and why?
William Volmuth: I would say there are three business books that influenced me. The first is “Good to Great”; why do some companies become great while others are just good.
Next is “Crossing The Chasm”, a must-read for any company innovating with new products and services, and finally “The Lean Startup” and the concept of build-measure-learn.
I made all of PowerChord read Crossing the Chasm and the Lean Startup, and I would gift those books to anyone in the startup world (or business world for that matter).
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as THE real challenge right now?
William Volmuth: These are certainly interesting and exciting times we live in! However, amidst all the entropy and noise, the real challenge lies in identifying a genuine pain point and providing a solution for it.
In today’s world, where there are numerous industries, companies, and customers, it can be difficult to sift through the chaos and truly understand the needs of those we aim to serve. It takes a discerning eye and a dedicated effort to cut through the clutter and provide meaningful solutions that address the root of the problem.
In your experience, what tends to be the most underestimated part of running a company? Can you share an example?
William Volmuth: The most underestimated part of running a company pertains to the actual role you should play. Cast a vision, communicate that vision, hire the right people and the best people to implement that vision.
When I started my first business, I wanted to do everything myself. It took me far too long to realize that if I do everything, I can’t grow, and I can’t leverage all the great talents that can scale a business.
What does “success” in 2023 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
William Volmuth: For me, success in 2023 is all about people, communication, and learning from each other. Build a great team and listen to them; work with great partners and customers and listen to them!
Jerome Knyszewski, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank William Volmuth for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with William Volmuth or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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