From Multi‑Millionaire to Zero How Glenn Poulos Rebuilt After a Failed Exit
From multi‑millionaire to zero – and back again.
In this episode of the Alex Marxs Podcast, entrepreneur and sales leader Glenn Poulos shares how he built three B2B distribution companies, sold two of them for eight‑figure exits, lost everything on paper after one deal went wrong, and still found the drive to start over in a new country and a new industry.
Glenn tells the full story behind his first telecom company MMWave, the public‑company acquisition that made him a multimillionaire overnight, and how that “dream exit” turned into a nightmare when the new owners maxed out credit lines, emptied the bank accounts, bankrupted the business and eventually sent their CEO to prison for fraud—leaving Glenn with nothing. He explains what it feels like to watch 15 years of work and your life savings disappear, and why fear of being broke pushed him to incorporate Gap Wireless less than a week after the bankruptcy.
You’ll hear how he grew Gap Wireless from a 1M first year to 84M in revenue, rode the 2G–5G infrastructure waves, and survived a near‑death 1.4M loss in a side division that forced him to cut from 80 people to 29 in one morning. Glenn breaks down the tough calls behind that restructuring, how it led to record profits and a second eight‑figure sale, and why focusing back on core strengths saved the company.
Alex and Glenn also dig into the philosophy behind his book “Never Sit in the Lobby”: practical sales rules like always having “something in your hand and something in your mind,” getting behind the lobby door for mini‑tours, and being “a pleasure to do business with.” They talk about growing up in a family of entrepreneurs, learning sales by serving customers in a Niagara Falls motel and a jewellery store, and why Glenn believes showing up every single day is the brutal, unsexy truth behind scaling any business.
In a world obsessed with scripts, funnels and AI, Glenn makes the case that people still buy from people. He explains why most automated outreach gets deleted, how he uses AI only to find more at‑bats (not replace human connection), and why he now hires salespeople with deep field pedigree and real relationships in the utility market. He also shares why, after two exits, he moved from Toronto to Orlando, bought Prog USA in the power generation and distribution industry, and is choosing to build again in his 60s instead of retiring to the golf course.
If you’re a founder, sales leader or aspiring entrepreneur, this conversation is packed with real‑world lessons on exits, resilience, fear, greed‑based learning, and making lane changes when it would be easier to stay comfortable.
Listen if you’re interested in:
* Building and selling B2B companies
* Handling a failed exit and starting over
* Sales mindset, rapport and human connection
* Restructuring, layoffs and saving a business
* Using AI in sales without losing the human edge
Connect with me: Alex Marxs [https://www.instagram.com/alexmarxs/]
Connect with Glenn: Glenn Poulos [https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennpoulos/]
Buy Glenn's Book: Never sit in the lobby [https://amzn.eu/d/0jgoniwr]
