Entrepreneurs, creators and the curious spent much of Tuesday soaking in knowledge and advice from those who had “made it,” at least to a certain level.
The headliners of One Spark’s Speaker Summit, though, have made it in a big way — and they were ready to share.
Jack Welch, the former chairman and CEO of General Electric, and his wife, Suzy Welch, the popular business journalist, spent an hour under the bright lights of the Florida Theatre tackling questions from the business-minded crowd.
Such as, how much does instinct matter?
“Gut is a great thing” to recognize patterns, said Suzy Welch, before advising not to use it alone when making decisions.
Jack Welch, though, was a little more direct.
“The biggest thing is go with it,” he said, gesturing with his hands for emphasis as he answered.
Decision makers who look back and say they knew something wasn’t going to work after it failed is “the worst line in the world,” he said.
Many of the questions came back to a few themes about leadership, employee retention and profits.
Honesty, trust and a positive attitude were chief among the qualities top leaders must have for success.
To keep the best employees in today’s market, Jack Welch said it’s important to create a friendly, hospitable environment where people wanted to be.
“You’ve got to make your place the place to hang out,” he said.
Keeping them engaged is the key, Suzy Welch said.
And “raises and praises” for top performers help along those lines, too.
Profits, Jack Welch said, come from motivated, happy employees and a satisfied customer base.
Without both, there’s a hole.
Given that the theme of the week is One Spark, though, the final question was relatable and came from moderator Elton Rivas, One Spark’s co-founder. It related to crowdfunding and its impact.
Suzy Welch said the concept is still in its infancy and not yet a threat to traditional venture capitalists.
Jack Welch was more animated in his response, calling it an exciting way to get people to try their ideas out because of the lure of funding.
“It’s a home-run idea,” he said.
Following the Speaker Summit was the crowdfunding festival’s opening ceremony, signaling the start of days of displaying ideas and the hope of success that comes with it.
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