ENTREPRENEUR TIMES
GREG WYDMANSKI
SAMANTHA RINCIONE Founder and CEO Crave Hot Dogs and BBQ
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Editor’s Note
A Journey Through the Skies: Greg Wydmanski's Path to Founding 77 Aviation
InthisspecialeditionofTheEntrepreneurTimes,wearehonoredtopresentGreg Wydmanski,founderandownerof77Aviation,asthecoverstoryforour"Most InfluentialPeopleintheBusinessWorld2024."Greg’sjourneyisaninspiring exampleofresilience,visionaryleadership,andanunwaveringcommitmenttohis values.
Fromacareerstartinbankingthatseemedfarremovedfromtheaviationindustryto foundingoneofthemostrespectednamesinprivatejetservices,Greg’sstoryisa testamenttohowembracingchangeandfollowingyourinstinctscanleadto extraordinarysuccess.Hisabilitytoturnwhatinitiallyseemedlikeanunexpected careermoveintoathrivingbusinessspeaksvolumesabouthisentrepreneurialspirit andhisdeepunderstandingofbothpeopleandtheindustry.
Inthisissue,wetakeadeeperdiveintoGreg'spersonalphilosophy,thechallengeshe hasovercome,andthekeydecisionsthathaveshapedhiscareer.Hisjourneyismore thanjustaboutbuildingabusiness—it’saboutcreatingacompanyculturerootedin trust,collaboration,andmutualrespect.Hisapproachtoleadershipandhis dedicationtohisteamandclientsisthedrivingforcebehind77Aviation’scontinued success.
AsGreglookstowardthefuture,hisvisionforgrowthandinnovationwithinthe aviationindustrysetsanewstandardforentrepreneursandleadersaroundtheworld. Hisgoaltoestablishaprivatejetairlineunderscoreshisambitiontotransformthe aviationsectorwhilestayingtruetothevaluesthathaveguidedhimthusfar
Throughthiscoverstory,wecelebrateGregWydmanski’sremarkableimpactonthe businessworldandhiscontinuedinfluenceasanentrepreneur.Hisstoryservesasan inspirationtoanyonelookingtoforgetheirownpath,buildmeaningfulrelationships, andmakealastingimpact.Wehopeyoufindhisinsightsandexperiencesas motivatingandthought-provokingaswedid.
Editor-in-Chief The Entrepreneur Times Magazine
T ABLE OF
20. 26. 34. 08.
Greg WydmanskiFounder and owner, 77 Aviation
Navigating the Entrepreneurial Financial Landscape: Essential Money Tips for Aspiring Business Owners
Samantha Rincione Founder and CEO
Crave Hot Dogs and BBQ
Balancing Act: Navigating Work-Life Harmony in Entrepreneurship
GREG WYDMANSKI
A Journey Through the Skies: Greg
Wydmanski's Path to Founding 77 Aviation
Thefounderandownerof77Aviation,GregWydmanskihadneverdreamedthathewouldgetinto privateaviation.HehadanunlikelyjourneyintotheindustryHefellintothiseliteworldby circumstanceandmadesomethingoutofit,withoutanypreconceivedlifelongdreamorchildhood passion.Privateaviationinourmindconnotesexoticandhigh-class,whereluxurymergeswith premiumhumanengineering.
AnUnexpectedEntryintoAviation
GregWydmanskiintheaviation,January2012.Hewasneverreallyintoplanes.Greglosthisjobatthe PolishbankinNovember2011.Hebeganapplyingforotherjobsinfinance,buttheoneshewanted werenotthere.Hewasrecruitedoutofcollegetoworkfortheprivatejetbusiness.Atfirst,hehadno interestbecauseheknewnothingofprivatejets.Buthewoundupgoingintoaviationinsteadafter meetingwiththecompany'smanagementseveraltimes.Thatdecisionwasthecatalystforawonderful adventurethatultimatelyledtothecreationof77Aviation.
Greg Wydmanski Founder and owner
The Birth of 77 Aviation
Itwasinmid-2019whenGregturnedcoatto begin77Aviation,seeingclarityaroundthe necessityofleadershipthatiscongruentwith personalvalues.Hebelievesincreatinga placewithotherpeoplethatyouwanttobe, learnthereandhavesomethingmoreontopof work.In2018,amanagementrestructuringset thestageforhimtoexithisformercompany, withthatnewleadershiprefusingtorecognize anyoftheeffortshewasleadingupinternally abouttheexceptionalworkbeingdonebyhis thenteam.Hewantedtomakeaspacewhere hecouldleadwithvaluesoftrust,engagement, responsibility,andempathy.Fast-forwardto July2020,whenhisnon-competeclause finallyended,Gregputtogetherachartersales teamforanoperatorinAustriaandofficially setoffonhisown—establishing77Aviation fromnothingbuttheprincipleshebuiltit upon.
LeadershipwithIntegrityandVision
ThemessagingaroundGreg'sleadership philosophywassimpleandoutlined.Thereare fourareasinwhichheisthoughtofasa leader:people,process,training,and motivation.Everydimensionisfundamentalto histeam'ssuccessand,therefore,theoverall performanceofhiscompany.Forstarters, hiringpeoplewithappropriatevalues,skills, andexperienceiscritical.It'snotjustabout
findingsomeonewhocandothejobforGreg—itis alsoimportanttofindsomebodythatfitsinwith theircompany’sethos.Establishingclearprocesses ensuresthateveryoneknowswhattheyare supposedtodoaccordingtotheirrespectiverole andresponsibilities(andthelimitsofthis).This visibilityaidsinbuildinganefficientteam.
AnotherfoundationofGreg'sleadershipistraining. Oneofhistopprioritiesistoequiphimselfandthe teamheleadswithknowledgeaswellasenabling themintermsoftheskillsetsrequiredtoexecute theirtasks.However,aboveallthat,Greggoes throughmotivation.Hehasastrongbeliefin providingallnecessarytoolstohisteamalongwith removinganyconstraintthatmightbeanobstacle totheirperformance.
Solongashisteamdoesn'tfeeltheneedtocallhim withregularity,thenGregknowshe'sdoneagood job.Frequentcallsmeansomewherethereisa gap—whetherit’sinhiring,procedures,training,or tools.Gregwillknowheisleadingwellifthe phoneisn'tringingandresultsarebeingachieved. However,hedoeskeephisdooropentoaddress challenges,standupfortheteamwhennecessary, andshowappreciationfortheirwell-intentioned work.Hehasfaithinenablingeachofhisteam memberstoberesponsibleforwhattheydoand nurturesasenseofownershipandaccountability witheverymovethathetakes.
Cove r Sto ry
Cove r Sto ry
Building Trust and Strong Relationships
Trust is one of the most important things in business and life. Greg feels that when one gives his word, he should keep it. Greg isn't concerned if the promise is not fulfilled, provided an effort was made and thereby grounds to offer more help in those areas.
Yet if someone drops the ball and starts pointing fingers, it tells Greg that they do not value what he does. That is when a change must be made, in that person either or his place at the company. Mistakes are just part of the learning process as per Greg, and it is in how they deal with them that will decide whether or not history will repeat.
This notion of trust expands from Greg's team to his customers and business partners. In the highly competitive realm of aviation, where so many promises are made only to be broken soon after signing on that dotted line; Greg is one man with a rep for never promising anything he cannot deliver. His blunt approach has cost him at times, with clients tripped up by other glowing offers. he has at least garnered a good measure of industry respect and trust over the long haul. He contends that keeping one's end of a promise, even at the cost of immediate profits, is central to creating long-term partnerships.
NAVIGATING CHALLENGES IN AVIATION Cover Story
Greg has faced challenges in the aviation industry. In 2015, the Russian market, which made up 60% of Greg's charter business, faced turmoil due to political reasons. Instead of giving up, Greg visited clients more often and changed his approach to meet their needs. This paid off, and despite the shrinking market, Greg's team captured a larger share, ending the year with strong results.
In 2017, Greg had to deal with internal team issues when one member started undermining others. This was difficult because the person was favored by the company's owner. Despite potential issues, Greg confronted the problem and successfully removed the toxic individual from the team, preserving its integrity.
These experiences show Greg's commitment to his values and his willingness to make tough decisions when necessary. He knows that a strong team and positive work environment are crucial in the aviation industry.
TheFutureof77Aviation
Greghasbigplansfor77Aviation.He wantstoexpandandeventuallystarthis ownprivatejetairline.Healreadyhasthe experience,knowledge,andteaminplace, butheneedsthemoneytomakeithappen. Gregiswillingtoworkwithotherswho sharehisdreamandarereadytoinvestin privateaviation'sfuture.
Gregalsowantstoleavealastinglegacy intheaviationindustry.Hehopesthatone ofhisdaughters,especiallyJulia,who alreadyworksinchartersales,will continuehiswork.Gregwantstopasson hisleadershipstyleoftrust,engagement, andfairnesssothathisvalueswillguide 77Aviationforyearstocome.
Conclusion:ALeaderofValues
GregWydmanskididn'tplantoworkin aviation,butheendedupstarting77 Aviation.Hisstoryshowshowresilience, integrity,andleadershipwithstrongvalues canleadtosuccess.He'snotjustbuilding asuccessfulbusiness;he'screatingaplace wherepeoplecandowell,trustis important,andchallengesarefacedwith determinationandstrategicthinking.
AsGregkeepsworkinginprivate aviation,hisdedicationtohisteam, clients,andprincipleswillhelp77 Aviationreachnewheightsandleavea lastingimpactontheindustryandits workers.
Cove r Sto ry
9.PrioritizeProfitabilityOverGrowth
While growth is often a primary goal, prioritizing profitability ensures the sustainability of your business. Strive for a healthy balance between growth and profitability to avoid overextending resourcesandriskingfinancialinstability
10.RegularlyReviewandAdjustFinancialStrategies
Business environments are dynamic, and financial strategies must evolve accordingly. Regularly reviewyourfinancialgoals,assessmarketconditions,andadjustyourstrategiesasneeded.Flexibility andadaptabilityarekeytolong-termfinancialsuccess.
In conclusion, mastering the financial aspects of entrepreneurship is fundamental to building a resilientandthrivingbusiness.Byimplementingthesefinancialtips,aspiringentrepreneurscanlaya solidfoundationfortheirventures,increasingthelikelihoodoflong-termsuccessinthecompetitive businesslandscape.
UNLEASHING THE ENTREPRENURIAL SPIRIT
Edition November 2024
Greg Wydmanski - Founder and owner, 77 Aviation -
A Journey Through the Skies: Greg
Wydmanski's Path to Founding 77 Aviation