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William Stapleton, President and CEO of Iron Rock Payments in Frisco, Texas, shares how early work shaped his path from private banking to entrepreneurship.
How did working from age 14 influence your career?
Texas, USA, Sep 22, 2026, ZEX PR WIRE — “I have worked since I was 14 years old to support myself and used this work ethic into college,” Stapleton says. He grew up in a working-class household in Long Beach, California. His mother is from Ecuador and his father is of German and Polish descent. Starting work young built financial responsibility and shaped his approach to business.
He played varsity baseball and water polo while working through high school. He graduated with honors from Long Beach Wilson Classical High School near the top of his class. In college, he took an unpaid internship at Salomon Brothers while balancing his studies. “I graduated college with full honors, top of my class academically,” he says. He earned a double major in Rhetorical Theory and Global Economics from California State University, Long Beach in 2006.
What did you learn in private banking that helped you as an entrepreneur?
After graduation, Morgan Stanley Private Bank recruited Stapleton to work in New York. He later joined JPMorgan Chase, where he contributed to building what is now known as the Chase Private Client program. He spent approximately seven years in private banking and advisory roles.
Working with high-net-worth clients taught him how to manage relationships, assess risk, and structure solutions. Those skills transferred directly to running a business. Understanding client needs and delivering value became the foundation of his entrepreneurial approach.
How did you transition from banking to payments?
Stapleton founded PayFacto, a credit card processing company based in Montreal. He built the company from the ground up and grew it until Visa acquired it in 2019. The sale carried an estimated valuation of $300 million.
He did not wait long to start again. In 2012, he founded Iron Rock Payments, a credit card processing company based in Frisco, Texas. The company has been recognized as an Inc. 5000 company and employs 15 people. Stapleton serves as President and CEO.
What do businesses get wrong about payment processing?
Many businesses treat payment processing as a commodity. They focus only on rates and miss the bigger picture. The right processor can improve cash flow, reduce chargebacks, and provide data that drives decisions.
Stapleton emphasizes that service matters as much as price. Businesses need a partner who understands their industry and responds quickly when issues arise. A few basis points saved on fees mean nothing if downtime costs thousands in lost sales.
What lessons from your first exit did you apply to Iron Rock Payments?
Selling PayFacto taught Stapleton the importance of building systems that scale. He learned to hire people who are better than him in specific areas and to trust them. He also realized that culture drives retention and retention drives growth.
At Iron Rock Payments, he focused on creating processes that work whether the company has 5 employees or 50. He invests in technology that automates repetitive tasks so his team can focus on client relationships. He also prioritizes transparency with clients and employees.
What advice do you give to people thinking about starting a business?
Start before you feel ready. Waiting for the perfect moment means you will never start. Stapleton began working at 14 and took an unpaid internship in college because he wanted experience more than money.
He also advises entrepreneurs to stay close to their customers. The best product ideas come from listening to what clients actually need, not from guessing. Finally, he says to protect your reputation. Trust takes years to build and seconds to destroy.
If you do nothing else
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Start working as early as you can to build a strong work ethic and financial discipline.
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Take internships or entry-level roles that teach you skills, even if the pay is low or nonexistent.
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Spend time in an industry before you try to disrupt it so you understand how it really works.
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Build systems and processes that can scale as your business grows.
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Hire people who are stronger than you in areas where you are weak and trust them to do their jobs.
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Listen to your clients and let their needs guide your product and service decisions.
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Protect your reputation by delivering on promises and treating people with respect.
Share this Q&A with someone who is thinking about making the leap from employee to entrepreneur or who wants to understand how early work experience shapes long-term success.
About William Stapleton
William Stapleton is President and CEO of Iron Rock Payments, a credit card processing company based in Frisco, Texas. He founded the company in 2012 after selling his previous venture, PayFacto, to Visa in 2019 at an estimated valuation of $300 million. Before entering entrepreneurship, he worked in private banking at Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase, where he contributed to creating the Chase Private Client program. He graduated with full honors from California State University, Long Beach with a double major in Rhetorical Theory and Global Economics.
The Post Why Starting Work at 14 Prepared William Stapleton to Sell a Company for $300 Million first appeared on ZEX PR Wire
