From $67k Loan to $14m Exit: John Gleason's Untold Entrepreneur Journey

What would you do if you went 7 years without a paycheck, maxed out your home equity, and still couldn’t get a bank to believe in your business?

Welcome, dreamers, doers, and those stuck somewhere in between.

This isn’t just another business podcast. It’s a front-row seat to a story that will shake your assumptions, stir your ambition, and maybe even make you a little uncomfortable—in the best way possible.

Meet John Gleason, a man who didn’t just flirt with risk—he married it. He took out a $67,000 loan against his modest Boston home, not to renovate or invest in something safe, but to build a business from scratch. No investors. No safety net. Just belief. And for seven long years, that belief was tested in ways most of us can’t imagine. No paychecks. No bank support. Just mounting pressure, growing responsibilities, and a family watching it all unfold.

But John didn’t fold.

He kept showing up. Day after day. Month after month. Year after year. And through it all, one thing never left his desk: a three-ring binder. Inside it? A business plan—not just a document, but a living, breathing roadmap that guided every decision, every pivot, every late-night call to a vendor asking for just a little more time.

This episode of The Proven Entrepreneur Show with host Don Williams isn’t about overnight success. It’s about the grind behind the glory. It’s about what it really takes to go from being unbankable to securing a $1.785 million credit line, scaling to $14 million in revenue, and selling to a private equity firm—all without losing your soul.

You’ll hear about the moments that nearly broke him. The quiet conversations at home when the money ran out. The vendors who had to be convinced to stay. The employees who were given ownership of their roles and the freedom to lead. And the moment when, after years of struggle, John walked into a national trade show and walked out with a deal that changed everything.

But this isn’t just John’s story. It’s a mirror. A challenge. A reminder that the difference between those who make it and those who don’t often comes down to one thing: the willingness to keep going when no one else believes it’s worth it.

So if you’ve ever felt like you’re building something no one else understands…

If you’ve ever wondered whether the sacrifice is worth it…

If you’re looking for a reason to keep going, or a blueprint to do it smarter…

Download it. Listen to it. Let it remind you why you started—and what’s still possible.