Why “Every Day Sucks” Became Bill Greenblatt’s Mantra

If you’ve ever felt like building a business is one never-ending battle, you’re not alone. Bill Greenblatt, a pioneer in the background screening industry, gets it. He built a company from a paper route mentality into a global giant—and every step of the way, something went wrong.

In this episode, Bill and I talk about what it really takes to succeed. The setbacks. The stress. The deals that almost fell apart. The moments where quitting would’ve been easier. And yet, through it all, he kept going. We get into his wild journey—how he scaled Sterling Infosystems into an industry powerhouse, why every other competitor quit (except him), and what he learned from selling, hiring, firing, and fighting for every inch.

Bill also breaks down his book, Every Day Sucks—why he wrote it, why success isn’t as glamorous as people think, and why he still says every single day “sucked”... but every month was his best one yet. We cover winning, leadership, trust (or lack of it), and why hiring people smarter than you is the ultimate power move.

If you want the real, unfiltered truth about what it takes to grow a business—and why you should never quit too soon—this episode is for you.
Bill’s book “Every Day Sucks: Billy on Business, the Business of Life” is available on Amazon and Kindle.


00:00 - Introduction to Bill Greenblatt
02:23 - Childhood Influences and Early Work Ethic
06:20 - The Journey into the Screening Business
10:17 - Lessons from Financial Struggles
17:38 - Scaling the Business and Overcoming Challenges
22:03 - The Necessity of Background Screening
26:11 - Adapting to Change and Resilience
27:21 - Embracing Failure as a Learning Opportunity
28:01 - Scaling Challenges and Personal Health Struggles
31:29 - The Myth of Overnight Success
33:06 - The Importance of Perspective in Business
39:08 - The Role of Technology in Business Growth
43:20 -The Future of AI and Its Impact on Industries
46:21 - Navigating Change and Embracing Goodness

Bill on Socials:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billygreenblatt/   

Jon on Socials:
IG: @thejonschultzpodcast
X: @JonSchultzPod
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-jon-schultz-podcast
www.jonschultz.com