Season 5 - Episode 3

Glenn Poulos

Glenn Poulos on Sales Mastery, Business Exits, and Rebuilding After Financial Collapse

A candid conversation about entrepreneurship, leadership under pressure, and the discipline required to scale and sell companies.

Glenn Poulos joins Henry Harrison to share the unfiltered story of building a company, losing it in a stock deal collapse, and rebuilding from zero. This episode explores entrepreneurship, disciplined sales strategy, risk management, and why resilience—not luck—drives long-term business growth.

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About This Episode

Glenn Poulos is a three-time business owner in the high-tech wholesale distribution space. He built, sold, lost, and rebuilt companies across telecom and power infrastructure markets—eventually exiting to private equity after scaling to $84 million in revenue.

In this episode, Glenn walks through his journey from government employee to commission-based sales professional, to founder, to private equity exit. He explains why sales is the economic engine of every company—and how understanding how your customer actually makes money is the key to winning large contracts.

He also shares a defining setback: selling his first company for stock in a public company that later collapsed, wiping out his equity. Instead of retreating, Glenn immediately launched a new venture and rebuilt from scratch. That founder lesson—move fast, avoid emotional paralysis, and protect downside risk—became central to his strategy.

Today, Glenn runs Prog USA, serving major utilities in the power generation sector. He also discusses how he uses AI in practical ways across bidding, contract analysis, marketing, and financial forecasting.

For entrepreneurs and investors, this conversation highlights real-world business growth strategy, deal structure discipline, and the mindset required to endure volatility and still scale.

Key Insights

Nothing happens in business until something gets sold—sales is leverage.
Study how your customer actually makes money before positioning your solution.
Start large deals at the highest decision-making level appropriate to the deal size.
Never accept stock-only exit deals without deep due diligence and downside protection.
When facing collapse, act quickly—momentum beats emotional hesitation.
Right-size your company if needed; growth without profitability is fragile.
Use AI to analyze contracts, bid opportunities, and financial data—but always apply human judgment.
Fear of poverty or loss can be a powerful motivator if channeled productively

Episode Transcript

Henry Harrison: We’re very fortunate today to have Glenn Poulos on the show. Glenn is a business owner—this is his third company—an author, informal coach to entrepreneurs, public speaker, and AI enthusiast. But above all, he’s passionate about owning and running businesses. Welcome to the show, Glenn. Glenn Poulos: Thanks for having me, Henry. Great to be here. Henry Harrison: Tell us what you’re doing now. Then we’ll go back and unpack how you got here. Glenn Poulos: In 2022, I sold a company I had been running for 15 years to private equity. I stayed on for a transition period, but I could see how it would eventually play out. I wasn’t ready to retire. As I transitioned out, I bought a new company in a different industry but with a similar wholesale distribution model. I had non-competes, so I changed everything—technology, customers, even countries. I moved from telecom in Canada to power utilities in the United States. The business I run now, Prog USA, distributes high-tech electronic testing equipment used for monitoring power systems. Instead of serving telecom carriers, we now serve utilities. Henry Harrison: How did you find the business? Glenn Poulos: You can use platforms like BizBuySell and filter by industry. I specialize in wholesale distribution. But in this case, it was serendipity. An old colleague connected me with someone retiring. Timing aligned, and we made the deal. Henry Harrison: Take us back. How did you become someone who builds and sells companies? Glenn Poulos: I started by getting fired from the Canadian government. My boss told me I should go into sales. I was in my early twenties. Sales became my breakthrough. It’s one of the few professions where income scales directly with performance. I realized the owners of the company were earning even more because they had salespeople working for them. After five and a half years, I proposed spinning off a new product line. They declined. So I quit and started my first business at 29. It focused on equipment used to build cellular networks—back when cell phones were just taking off. That company ran for 15 years before I sold it. Henry Harrison: Sales sometimes gets a bad reputation. What’s your perspective? Glenn Poulos: Nothing happens until something gets sold. You can have the best product in the world, but without sales, nothing moves. The key is understanding how your customer actually makes money. If you don’t understand their economic engine, you’ll position your solution incorrectly. Sales is about showing customers how they’ll feel once their problem is solved. That’s what drives buying decisions. Henry Harrison: Tell us about a defining sales moment. Glenn Poulos: Early in my career, I secured the largest order of my life in 24 hours by physically driving between decision-makers instead of waiting for meetings. I learned that you must identify the true decision-makers and engage them directly—especially on large deals. If a purchase is $500,000, executives are involved. You need to start at the right level and work your way down. Henry Harrison: What about a difficult moment? Glenn Poulos: I sold my first company for stock in a public company. I didn’t do enough due diligence. Within 18 months, the company collapsed. The stock became worthless. I went from a multimillionaire on paper to broke overnight. I didn’t have time to dwell on it. I withdrew retirement savings and launched Gap Wireless. That company grew from $1 million in revenue to $84 million before I sold it for cash to private equity. That experience taught me never to rely solely on stock in an exit deal. Henry Harrison: What does your business look like today? Glenn Poulos: We serve investor-owned utilities—companies like Duke Energy and others. We provide testing and monitoring equipment for substations, transformers, and power infrastructure. Power demand is increasing, especially with AI-driven data center growth. I believe infrastructure investment will continue expanding. Henry Harrison: When you were young, did you envision this path? Glenn Poulos: I grew up in a family-owned motel. I started working at eight or nine years old. I’ve always had a fear of poverty that drives me. That fear pushes me forward. It’s not glamorous, but it’s real. It keeps me moving. Henry Harrison: You’re active on LinkedIn and have written a book. Why? Glenn Poulos: To keep the dialogue alive. I wrote Never Sit in the Lobby to share practical sales lessons. LinkedIn lets me continue conversations and build thought leadership around entrepreneurship and sales strategy. Henry Harrison: How are you using AI? Glenn Poulos: Everywhere possible. I use it to scan bid sites, analyze long tenders, review 80-page contracts, assist with marketing drafts, and analyze financial trends. I never use it blindly. It’s a tool to enhance judgment, not replace it. Henry Harrison: What’s ahead? Glenn Poulos: I’d like to grow this company over the next three to five years and then slow down. I don’t think I’ll start a fourth company. But I’ll keep showing up every day and building. Henry Harrison: Glenn, I admire your resilience and discipline. Thank you for joining the Henry Harrison Podcast. Glenn Poulos: Thanks, Henry. I appreciate it. Transcript Disclaimer: This transcript has been edited for clarity and readability. Filler words and repetitions have been removed, and formatting has been adjusted for flow. The substance and intent of the original conversation remain intact.

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