Why Beyond the Hammer Author Brian Gottlieb Recommends Upgrade
Key Highlights
- Brian Gottlieb grew a home services company from $3,000 into nearly $1 billion in sales.
- Gottlieb says growth stalls when customers can't finance the job, and Upgrade helps solve that.
- Filmed live at Accelerate LIVE! 2026, the home improvement industry's premier contractor conference.
- Gottlieb says Upgrade is easy to work with and helps contractors close more deals.
- He credits Upgrade's smooth integrations with the tools contractors already rely on daily.
Intro
When someone who built a multi-state contracting company from $3,000 and a folding table tells contractors to look at Upgrade, it carries weight. Brian Gottlieb scaled his business to 600 employees and nearly $1 billion in lifetime sales before selling it, and he now shares that playbook as the bestselling author of Beyond the Hammer, an angel investor, and a keynote speaker.
The Challenge
Gottlieb's experience points to the two things that stall most growing contractors: people and capital. A contractor can only grow as fast as it can staff a job and finance it for the homeowner. Even the best sales team hits a ceiling when a customer can't afford the project in front of them.
The Solution
"If you’re serious about growing your home improvement company, Upgrade is who you want to use.” - Brian Gottlieb
That's where financing comes in. At Accelerate LIVE! 2026, Gottlieb stopped by the Upgrade booth and recorded a short video explaining why he tells serious contractors to take a close look at Upgrade. He made his case around three things:
- Cost and ease: Upgrade is competitive within the industry and easy to work with, a financing partner that understands how a contracting business actually runs.
- Integration: It connects with the software and point-of-sale tools contractors already use, so financing becomes part of the sales process instead of a separate step that slows the close.
- Results: Giving customers an easy financing option is one of the most direct ways to close more deals and turn hesitation into a signed contract.