From writing music to writing code, former rocker's business strikes a chord

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (FOX 13) - Pat Schunk’s business is rocking, something that comes naturally to him -- hence the gold records hanging in his office lobby.

Schunk co-wrote “Love’s a Hard Game To Play,” a hit song for Stevie Nicks. And he later played lead guitar and toured with rocker Bret Michaels. 

“Through the 80’s it was a lot of fun. I didn’t cut my hair for about nine years,” Schunk laughed.

He still performs for thousands, just without his guitar. His St. Petersburg company PowerChord manages 13,000 websites in the U.S., 26 countries in Europe, and Australia. 

"We manage the content, the pictures, the imagery, the pricing so it's all consistent updated information,” explained Schunk.

He got the idea while on the road checking out guitars and amplifiers. “I’m like, that picture is terrible, it’s last year’s model. I knew the gear; that’s how I got started. I said, ‘There’s got to be a better way.’” 

So he learned how to write code, and 20 years later, his business has become a huge success. In fact, PowerChord has been named one of the top local companies to work for. He provides food and drinks for staff, recently added paternity leave, and even share financials with employees. 

Schunk’s business partner Lanny Tucker, who came over from Google, believes people are their greatest asset. 

"They know exactly where we do well, where we struggle, and it's we as a team doing things together that makes things happen,” Tucker said. 

You could say Pat Schunk’s business is striking a chord with employees and their customers.