In this episode of To The Point Home Services Podcast, Chris and Chad sit down with Brian Gottlieb, founder of Renewal by Andersen, Jacuzzi Bath Remodel, and author of Beyond the Hammer. Brian’s story is one of true grit and growth — from starting at a plastic folding table with just $3,000 to leading teams of 600+ and generating nearly a billion dollars in lifetime sales.
Brian opens up about:
- His journey from selling home improvements in Appleton, WI, to building nationally recognized brands.
- The pivotal leadership lessons that helped him scale multiple businesses successfully.
- Why culture is more than cheerleading — it’s about shaping how your team thinks, feels, and behaves when no one’s watching.
- How to turn chaos into profit by developing your people, simplifying systems, and creating “training organizations.”
- The truth about leadership: empowering decision-making, fostering healthy conflict, and leading with influence instead of control.
He also breaks down his book, Beyond the Hammer, sharing how blue-collar leaders can elevate their mindset and build high-performing teams.
⏱️ Episode Timecodes
00:00 – Intro: Meet Brian Gottlieb
02:30 – Starting with $3,000 and a folding table
05:10 – Defining purpose and impact as an entrepreneur
07:00 – Leadership and culture as the foundation for growth
10:00 – Training managers as the custodians of company culture
15:00 – Encouraging healthy conflict and open communication
20:00 – Fixing bad culture: inspecting what you tolerate
25:00 – Creating clarity through KPIs and business disciplines
34:00 – Simplifying systems — “complexity is the enemy of execution”
43:00 – Decision-making training and empowering teams
44:00 – The story behind Beyond the Hammer and what it means
48:00 – Mentoring, giving back, and legacy in the home services industry
🔗 Resources Mentioned
📘 Beyond the Hammer by Brian Gottlieb — Get the book on Amazon
🎧 Beyond the Hammer Audiobook (read by Edoardo Ballerini & Brian Gottlieb) — available on Audible
🌐 Follow Brian Gottlieb: LinkedIn | Website
💡 Mentioned Event: Tommy Mello’s Vertical Track
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rilla: https://www.rilla.com/tothepoint
Chiirp: https://chiirp.com/
Contractor Commerce: https://www.contractorcommerce.com/ryno/
Bluon: https://www.bluon.com/get-demo?referral_code=ToThePoint
Avoca.ai: https://avoca.ai/r/tothepoint
💬 Join the Conversation
What was your biggest takeaway from Brian’s journey? Drop your thoughts in the comments — we’d love to hear how you’re building leadership and culture in your business.
👍 If you enjoyed this episode, like, comment, and share it with another contractor or leader who needs to hear it.
📲 Don’t forget to subscribe to To The Point Home Services Podcast for more powerful insights from the industry’s top minds!
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