top of page
Search

Never Sit in the Lobby: Glenn Poulos on Sales, Startups, and Survival

When Glenn Poulos's boss at the Canadian federal government told him he'd be better suited for sales, Glenn didn't argue. He took the advice, made the leap, and never looked back. Three decades later, he's co-founded multiple successful companies, authored an award-winning book, and discovered that the principles that made him successful in the early days of cellular phones still apply in the age of artificial intelligence.


In our latest Polaris episode, Glenn shares his journey from government employee to tech entrepreneur, revealing lessons that resonate for anyone navigating today's rapidly evolving business landscape.



Glenn's story begins with what he calls getting "thrown out of the federal government for working too hard." His boss's suggestion that he'd be better in sales could have felt like rejection, but Glenn saw opportunity. Within years of starting in sales, he identified a niche in the emerging cellular phone market and approached his employer about a partnership. When they declined, he quit six days after getting married—without telling his wife first.


"I'm more motivated by a fear of being poor than I am by a fear of failure," Glenn explains. That mindset carried him through founding his first company in 1991, co-founding Gap Wireless in 2007, and most recently, acquiring a business in the power utility sector.


Some highlights:

  • Gap Wireless soared from $1 million to $80 million in revenue, with Glenn attributing his exit timing to luck, but also smart preparation.

  • He advises entrepreneurs to wait until three strong years and a life-changing offer before selling their business.

  • Glenn believes daily, incremental improvements—not flashy moves—are the true keys to lasting business success.

  • AI is a powerful tool for efficiency, but real business still hinges on relationships and face-to-face interactions.

  • He warns that AI’s rise could disrupt mid-level jobs, and highlights the growing need for energy infrastructure to support this technological shift.


The Human Element: Never Sit in the Lobby

Glenn's 2022 book, Never Sit in the Lobby, captures 57 tips he developed over his career for building relationships and being a pleasure to do business with. The title rule is simple: never sit in the lobby when waiting for a customer. Stand. Be ready. Show that you value their time.

"Everything I do is crafted around trying to give the customer the best experience possible and never having him wish that I would go away," Glenn says. Whether you win or lose, do it gracefully. Exit losing deals quickly and quietly. Win with humility and respect.


Finding Balance

Outside of business, Glenn finds rejuvenation through music. He's a part-time DJ who specializes in charity events, discovering that many charities pass his name along when they learn he offers discounts for nonprofits. "It's so important for me to keep going back to it," he says, noting that when he set the hobby aside for several years, something felt missing from his life.


He also shares his home with two French Bulldogs named Jean-Jacques and Pierre—named after two of his favorite customers from Quebec during his Gap Wireless days.


Glenn continues to serve as VP and General Manager of NWS Canada while building his latest venture in the power utility test equipment sector. He also provides AI advisory services to mid-market companies, helping them assess where their teams are, deploy appropriate tools, and avoid the "analysis paralysis" that keeps smaller organizations from benefiting from AI adoption.


You can connect with Glenn on LinkedIn, where he's active daily, or learn more at https://glennpoulos.com. His book, Never Sit in the Lobby, is available wherever books are sold.


Polaris is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks.

Show Notes

Glenn Poulos, co-founder of Gap Wireless and author of Never Sit in the Lobby, shares how he built and sold multiple businesses across three decades, reveals why face-to-face relationships still matter in the AI age, and explains how mid-market companies can leverage technology without losing their human touch.

Takeaways

  • Fear of poverty drives action more than fear of failure – Glenn's entrepreneurial journey started when his government boss told him he'd be better in sales, and he took the leap despite uncertainty.

  • Every good business starts with business you didn't deserve to get – The foundation of a startup often comes from an unexpected opportunity that becomes the kernel for growth.

  • Timing matters, but so does preparation – Gap Wireless sold in early 2022 just before the telecom market crashed in 2023, demonstrating that "luck is the residue of design."

  • Small daily improvements compound over time – Showing up consistently and making incremental progress is more valuable than searching for a magic bullet.

  • Process comes before people in organizational structure – Define what your business needs first, then find the right people to fill those roles rather than creating roles around existing team members.

  • AI is a force multiplier, not a replacement for human connection – While AI can speed up proposal generation, contract evaluation, and competitive analysis, major deals still require face-to-face sales calls.

  • Strategy must be linked to metrics and visible accountability – Weekly check-ins with clear dashboards help teams stay aligned and make strategy actionable rather than an annual exercise.


Sound Bites

On Entrepreneurship and Risk:

"I'm more motivated by a fear of being poor than I am by a fear of failure."

On Starting a Business:

"Every good business starts with a piece of business that you didn't deserve to get. It would be the kernel of something to build upon."

On Daily Discipline:

"What really moves the needle is when you show up every day...making incremental, minute little improvements in the business, they add up over time."

On AI and Authenticity:

"When SAP wins a project, their integrators were on site. They did not do it virtually...anything beyond that, trust me, they're making a sales call."


References

Glenn Poulos

Companies Mentioned

  • NWS Canada (formerly Gap Wireless) – VP and General Manager

  • Gap Wireless Inc. – Co-founded in 2007, acquired by Network Wireless Solutions in February 2022

  • SAP – Referenced as example of in-person sales strategy

  • Netsuite – Referenced for remote sales approach

Frameworks and Systems

  • EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) – Older business management framework implemented at Gap Wireless in 2019

  • Company Operating System (COS) – Improved management framework introduced 2023 by Synozur

Data Points

  • 65% of organizations now use Gen AI in at least one critical business function, more than double from a year prior

  • 98% of people have a cell phone globally

  • Four out of five people in the world own a mobile phone

Music and Cultural References

  • Supertramp – 1970s British progressive rock band

  • The Police – Late 1970s rock band

  • Balu Brigada– New Zealand alt-pop duo, song "Backseat" from debut album Portal (2025)

  • Journey – Referenced as example of generational music preferences


Events

M365 Community Conference | April 21-23 at the Loews Saphire Falls in Orlando Florida

AI+IM Summit | April 28-30 Hyatt Regency Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD


Production

Polaris is produced with help from Riverside.fm. Our theme song, “Alternative Dream” is provided courtesy of Adobe.  Additional music and sound provided by IndieGuy Records. Graphic design by Josh Brantley.


Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Glenn Poulos

02:31 Glenn Poulos Interview

03:11 From Government to Entrepreneurship

08:02 Navigating Business Growth and Exits

12:41 The Launch of 'Never Sit in the Lobby'

17:02 AI as a Force Multiplier in Business

21:28 Lessons from Recent Ventures

25:56 Leadership Attributes and the EOS System

31:24 Navigating Board Dynamics

32:27 The Impact of AI on Employment

34:37 Personal Passions: DJing and Dogs

37:50 Upcoming Events in 2026

38:49 AI Insights and Predictions

39:05 Next on Polaris

39:21 Closing Thoughts and Acknowledgments

Comments

Rated 0 out of 5 stars.
No ratings yet
Add a rating
bottom of page