Co-Founding JetBlue With John Owen

John Owen is the Co-founder and formerly the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Jetblue Airlines. John is currently an Angel Investor, Venture Partner, and advisor for multiple brands. 

 

In this episode of Forward Obsessed, David and Pete speak with John Owen, co-founder of JetBlue, about his experiences in starting one of the largest airlines in the United States. Starting with his early experiences at Southwest Airlines, John discusses the importance of creating a positive company culture and hiring employees who fit that culture. Learn about the value of hiring for attitude and the need to rectify hiring mistakes before they negatively impact the work environment, especially when starting a business and experiencing rapid growth. Explore John’s decision-making process in building a successful brand, and how he focuses on the importance of differentiating Jetblue’s product from the competition. For young entrepreneurs and leaders, the message is clear: create a cohesive team, prioritize attitude over qualifications, and differentiate your product in a way that makes it stand out from competitors.

 

Key Topics: 

• Co-founding and growing Jetblue
• Impact of 9/11 on the airline industry and creative solutions
• Creating Core Values for JetBlue: Safety, Caring, Integrity, Fun, and Passion
• Building an Airline Brand
• Creating and Leading a Positive Corporate Culture

 

OUTLINE: 

• (00:00) Intro
• (2:00) Growing up in “small-town” Oklahoma
• (4:30) Going to Wharton
• (8:00) The inspiration behind getting a pilots license 
• (11:45) My first job with American Airlines
• (16:30) The terrible culture and practices at American Airlines
• (21:57) The power of corporate culture for Southwest Airlines
• (24:55) Psychic income 
• (26:30) Why Herb Kellerher was such a strong leader at Southwest
• (29:30) The successful growth strategy of Southwest Airlines
• (32:00) How to handle teams that are complaining and lazy
• (36:00) Acquiring Morris Air and achieving rapid growth
• (44:30) How David Neeleman was set up for failure at Southwest
• (48:19) Co-founding JetBlue
• (55:30) Achieving “super speed” and agility at JetBlue
• (1:01:00) The “Boeing Killer”
• (1:04:00) Managing a visionary leader
• (1:08:00) KPI’s can cause negative behavioral incentives
• (1:11:25) How JetBlue survived 9/11
• (1:19:00) JetBlue’s incredible IPO 
• (1:22:00) Jetblue’s focus on design and marketing 
• (1:29:40) The new, cheap business model for airlines
• (1:35:30) Transitioning to Volite Airlines

 

EPISODE LINKS:

• Jetblue Airlines: https://www.jetblue.com/
• John’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-owen-a22a43ab/

 

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

 

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/