Unlocking Business Freedom Through Documentation With John Gwaltney

John Gwaltney

John Gwaltney is a U.S. Army veteran and accomplished entrepreneur with more than two decades of experience building and scaling successful businesses. He is the co-owner of Outback Deck, a premium outdoor living company in Atlanta, and the creator of multiple industry tools that help contractors systematize pricing, production, and sales. John is known for his systems-first mindset and his commitment to building businesses that create freedom, not dependency.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

[02:40] How investing in hiring systems transformed John’s team and culture.
[07:40] Why systemization was built into the business from the very beginning.
[10:15] How Outback Deck was designed to run without owner involvement.
[11:30] The evolution from an internal pricing spreadsheet to the Deck Metrics platform.
[12:20] How systemizing operations created the freedom to innovate and build new products.
[20:00] Why documentation became the single source of truth—and removed John as the bottleneck.

In this episode:

Freedom doesn’t happen by accident—it’s built through systems.

In this episode, Adi Klevit sits down with John Gwaltney to unpack how intentional systemization allowed him to step out of daily operations while continuing to scale multiple businesses. John shares the evolution of Outback Deck, from knocking on doors and handing out flyers to building a $14–15 million operation that runs without constant owner involvement.

John explains how hiring improved once his team invested in documented processes and repeatable hiring systems. He also walks through how operational clarity led to innovation, including the creation of Deck Metrics, Contractor Classroom, and Deck View—tools designed to help contractors price faster, sell more confidently, and deliver consistent results.

Throughout the conversation, Adi and John tie everything back to documentation, accountability, and having a single source of truth. John emphasizes that systems are not about control—they are about trust, consistency, and giving leaders the confidence to step away without things falling apart.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

“You don’t get freedom until the business can run without you.”
“If you want consistent results, you need a documented process.”
“Systems keep you inside the guardrails.”
“Most issues are either a people problem or a process problem.”
“Profit creates choice—and choice creates freedom.”

Action Steps:

Start documenting the processes that currently live in your head.
Build a single source of truth your team can rely on without asking you.
Systematize hiring so the right people can own their roles.
Use systems to buy back your time before chasing growth.
Identify where documentation can prevent repeated questions and errors.

Sponsor for this episode:

This episode is brought to you by Business Success Consulting Group.

At Business Success Consulting Group, we create custom processes and tailor-made management systems so businesses can thrive.

Businesses simply can’t survive without workable systems and well-documented processes. That’s why our team of experienced professionals takes care of it for you.

We provide business owners, entrepreneurs, and key executives with six phases to success, along with the long-lasting systems necessary to support business expansion.

So, what are you waiting for? Do yourself a favor and cut the chaos out of your business.

Visit bizsuccesscg.com today or email info@bizsuccesscg.com to schedule a free consultation.