The home improvement industry is moving faster than many contractors can plan for. Homeowners are doing more research before they call. Reviews carry more weight. AI search is changing how companies are found. GEO is becoming part of how customers learn who to trust. Technology is shaping the way contractors sell, train, communicate, and show proof of their work.
That change can feel heavy for leaders who are already running busy teams, serving homeowners, managing jobs, and trying to grow. Many contractors know the market is shifting, but they may not know which changes matter most, which tools they should watch, or how soon they need to act.
That is why Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100, used the moment at Corken Steel Products to explain why Paul Burleson was the right leader to guide the room through what comes next. Greg did not introduce Paul as someone chasing the newest idea. He introduced him as a leader who has spent his career seeing change early and helping contractors understand how to respond before pressure forces their hand.
“But there’s nobody better to talk about how to adapt and change proactively, so you have the advantage, than Paul Burleson,” said Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100.
Greg’s point was clear. Contractors do not have to adopt every new idea the first time they hear it. They do not have to use every tool, follow every trend, or change everything at once. But they do need to understand what is changing around them. Awareness gives leaders a choice. Waiting until the market forces change can leave companies behind.
Cummings pointed to Burleson’s long path through the industry as proof of why his message matters. Paul started young in canvassing, grew into national sales leadership, helped contractors understand websites and digital tools, and now brings guidance on AI, GEO, and the future of contractor visibility. As a home improvement industry expert, his message is shaped by real work, real change, and real years spent helping companies grow.
Corken Steel gave this message a strong setting because the company has long supported HVAC, roofing, and building professionals through products, training, technical service, education, fabrication, and long term business support. Corken Steel helps contractors prepare for the field. Paul Burleson’s message helped them prepare for the future.
That connection fits the mission of Power100, which brings attention to leaders and companies helping the industry learn before change becomes a crisis. Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry.
By sharing Greg Cummings’ perspective on Paul Burleson’s leadership, the platform helps contractors see why the future feels less risky when trusted voices help them understand what they are up against.
Greg Cummings’ remarks at Corken Steel gave Paul Burleson’s speech a strong frame. He did not present change as something contractors should fear. He presented it as something they should understand before it becomes urgent.
Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100
Each theme from Greg’s message pointed back to one clear idea. Contractors do not need to move blindly, but they cannot afford to stay unaware. The leaders who study change early can make better choices for their teams, their customers, and their future.
Greg opened the door to a bigger leadership lesson by showing that change can become an advantage when leaders face it early. Contractors who wait until the market forces them to act may find themselves moving in a rush. They may have to fix gaps under pressure, train teams too late, or explain new customer habits after the business has already felt the impact.
That was not the kind of response Greg wanted contractors to have. His message was calm and clear. Learn before the pressure rises. Pay attention before the market makes the choice for you. Give your company time to think, plan, and move with purpose.
“But there’s nobody better to talk about how to adapt and change proactively, so you have the advantage, than Paul Burleson,” said Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100.
That line placed Paul in the role of a guide, not just a speaker. As a contractor business growth consultant, his value is tied to helping contractors see the next step before it becomes a problem they must solve in a hurry.
For home improvement leaders, this matters because change affects trust. When homeowners search in new ways, ask different questions, and use new tools to compare companies, contractors need systems that can meet that moment. Early learning gives them room to protect the customer experience before the customer feels the gap.
The heart of Greg’s message was not panic. It was readiness. Contractors who understand what is changing can decide what to act on, what to watch, and what to prepare for next.
Greg then made clear why Paul was the right voice for the moment. Paul has not watched the industry change from a distance. He has lived through many of its biggest shifts and helped companies move through them.
Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100 interview with Paul Burleson author of Grit to Gold
“Paul has led the charge on what that next step is,” Greg said.
That statement gave weight to the room. Paul’s message about GEO, AI, digital trust, sales change, and contractor readiness was not coming from theory. It came from a career built through real market turns.
He started young in canvassing, grew through sales leadership, trained teams across the country, helped companies think about websites and digital tools, and now continues helping contractors understand AI, GEO, and the new ways homeowners find proof before they call.
That kind of path matters because contractors are often careful about who they listen to. When the future feels unclear, a tested voice carries more trust. Paul has seen what it looks like when companies adapt. He has also seen what happens when they wait too long.
As a home improvement sales trainer, his message speaks to more than tools. It speaks to people, habits, systems, and the way companies must keep learning if they want to keep leading.
Greg’s point was that Paul brings both history and foresight. He understands the old way, but he is not trapped inside it. That is what makes his guidance useful for contractors trying to protect what works while still preparing for what comes next.
Greg also gave the moment a human side by pointing to Paul’s early start. His reference to Paul’s canvassing story reminded the room that change has always been part of home improvement.
“Everything from the youngest canvasser in the Guinness Book of World Records,” Greg said. “He’ll tell you nobody else applied, but he was 12 when he was doing it.”
The line brought some humor, but it also made a real point. The industry Paul entered as a young canvasser is not the same industry contractors are working in today. Sales methods have changed. Customer research has changed. Marketing has changed. Search has changed. The way people build trust has changed.
Canvassing required grit, face to face skill, and courage. Websites brought a new need for visibility. Digital media asked companies to show more proof. AI and GEO now ask contractors to make their knowledge, reviews, content, and trust signals clear across many places.
The strongest leaders do not throw away the past. They build on it. They keep the work ethic, service, and trust that built the business, while adding new skills that help the company stay useful in the next stage.
Paul’s story gives this message depth. His career shows that grit is not only about working hard. It is also about staying open enough to grow when the rules of the market keep changing.
For contractors, Greg’s message was simple. Change is not new. The leaders who keep learning can carry the best parts of the past into the future.
Greg did not ignore the fact that new technology can feel uncomfortable. He named it directly.
“Today, where he’s going to talk to you about GEO, AI, you name it. It’s probably scary a little bit,” Greg said.
That honesty made the message stronger. Contractors do not need someone to pretend these topics are simple. They need someone to explain why they matter and what the business should do with them.
GEO and AI are no longer distant ideas. They are becoming part of how homeowners search, compare, and choose. They can affect what information people see, which companies appear trusted, and how public proof is gathered from reviews, content, social media, websites, articles, lists, and other online signals.
This does not mean contractors must adopt every new system right away. But it does mean leaders should understand the language of the new search world. If customers are using new tools to find answers, contractors need to know how those tools may read their company.
Knowledge gives leaders options. A contractor may choose to act now. Another may choose to prepare slowly. Another may decide a tool is not right for their business yet. But those decisions are stronger when they come from awareness, not confusion.
As a home improvement AI sales expert, Paul helps contractors see that AI is not only about technology. It is also about trust, proof, communication, and customer confidence.
The setting also mattered. Greg’s message landed well at Corken Steel because the company has long been focused on helping contractors stay ready.
Corken Steel supports HVAC, roofing, and building professionals through products, training, technical service, fabrication, estimating support, warranty help, education, and business resources. That kind of support gives contractors more than materials. It gives them a place to keep learning.
In a market that keeps changing, that matters. Contractors do not have to face every shift alone. Strong partners can help them understand products, systems, customer needs, and new ideas before those ideas become urgent.
Corken Steel’s long term service mindset also fits the lesson Greg framed. A company built around contractor support creates the right space for leaders to ask hard questions, hear trusted voices, and decide what should come next.
Its employee owned culture adds another layer to that story. When people share in the future of the company, there is a stronger reason to protect trust, serve well, and think long term.
Paul’s message gave contractors a look at the future. Corken Steel gave them a place to learn about it. Together, they helped turn a topic that can feel scary into a conversation about readiness, choice, and growth.
Greg closed the idea with a balanced point that every contractor could understand. Not every company needs to adopt every tool today. Some may move now. Some may move later. Some may decide certain tools do not fit their business.
But leaders still need to know what is happening.
“At the end of the day, it’s good to hear whether you adopt it today, or you adopt it tomorrow, or you choose not to, at least you know what you’re up against,” Greg said.
That line gave the event its clearest leadership lesson. Awareness comes before adoption. A contractor cannot make a wise choice about the future if the company does not understand the change in front of it.
Knowing the landscape helps leaders ask better questions.
The strongest companies will stay curious. They will listen before they reject. They will learn before they react. They will keep looking for the next step that helps them serve homeowners better.
Greg Cummings’ remarks at Corken Steel mattered because they gave the room a clear reason to listen closely. He did not introduce Paul Burleson only as a speaker. He introduced him as a trusted guide for contractors facing the next stage of change in the home improvement industry.
Paul Burleson, nationally recognized home improvement sales trainer, keynote speaker, and author of Grit to Gold
That framing carried weight because Greg used the moment to point to Paul’s long record of seeing change before it becomes normal. Paul’s career began with canvassing at a young age and grew into national sales leadership, training, speaking, authorship, AI innovation, and contractor education. Over forty five years, he has helped more than 200 home improvement companies improve their sales systems, train teams, gain market share, and create better customer experiences.
Greg’s message showed why Paul was the right voice for the room. He has not only studied how the industry has changed. He has helped shape that change. From early sales work to websites, digital tools, virtual selling, AI, GEO, and modern customer trust, Paul has spent his career helping contractors understand what comes next.
As Director of Home Improvement Sales at Westlake Royal Building Products, Paul continues that work through the Building Pros Partner Program. His role connects contractors with education, product resources, industry support, business ideas, and relationships that help them keep growing.
That is why Greg’s words added strength to the event. His perspective helped contractors see Paul as more than a leader with a long career. He helped them see Paul as someone who has earned the right to speak about change because he has walked through it, taught through it, and helped other companies move through it.
Paul’s national honors reflect that impact. In 2025, he was inducted into the Legend of the Home Improvement Industry Hall of Fame. In 2026, he was inducted into the Legends Ring of Honor at the Peak Profit Summit. He has also been recognized among the Top 15 Most Influential Leaders in Home Improvement.
He is also the author of Grit to Gold, a book focused on resilience, discipline, growth, and turning hard lessons into lasting value. That same message shaped the moment at Corken Steel. The future may feel uncertain, but leaders do not have to face it from a place of fear. They can face it with learning, trusted guidance, and a clear view of what is changing.
For Greg, Paul’s value was not just in what he knows. It was in how he helps contractors think. He gives leaders a way to understand new ideas before they are forced to react to them. He helps them see that AI, GEO, digital trust, and customer behavior are not distant topics. They are part of the market contractors are already working in.
That made Greg’s introduction more than a welcome. It became a statement about leadership. The contractors who keep learning from trusted voices will be better prepared to protect their teams, serve homeowners, and choose their next step with confidence.
Greg Cummings’ message at Corken Steel came back to one clear idea. Contractors do not need to adopt every new tool the moment they hear about it, but they do need to understand the change happening around them.
That is what made Paul Burleson’s role in the room so important. Paul has lived through many stages of the home improvement industry. He has seen the work move from canvassing to websites, from digital selling to AI, from old search habits to GEO, and from simple online proof to a much wider picture of trust. Because of that, he can help contractors see what is coming with more clarity.
For leaders, that clarity matters. It gives them time to ask better questions. It helps them decide what fits their team, their customers, and their future. It also helps them avoid making choices from fear, pressure, or confusion.
Corken Steel created the right space for that kind of learning by bringing contractors into a room built around education, growth, and readiness. Paul brought the experience to explain why the next step matters. Power100 brought the wider mission of recognizing and elevating the people helping the industry lead with more purpose.
The future of home improvement will continue to change. New tools will appear. Customer habits will shift. Search will keep moving. But contractors who stay curious, listen to trusted voices, and keep learning will be better prepared to lead through that change.
When contractors understand what they are up against, they can stop reacting from fear and start choosing their next step with confidence.
Power100 shares this kind of guidance because the home improvement industry is changing fast. Homeowners now use reviews, online content, social media, search tools, and AI answers to decide who they may trust. By sharing lessons from leaders like Greg Cummings and Paul Burleson, Power100 helps contractors understand what is changing before it becomes a problem for their business.
Power100 focuses on leaders, companies, and partners that show value through leadership, customer experience, culture, growth, innovation, and impact. These stories are not only about recognition. They help contractors learn from people who are helping the industry improve, adapt, and serve homeowners better.
Greg Cummings said Paul Burleson is the right voice because Paul has lived through many stages of home improvement change. He began in canvassing, grew into sales leadership, helped companies understand digital tools, and now teaches contractors about AI, GEO, digital trust, and the next stage of customer visibility.
No. Paul Burleson is not chasing a trend. His message comes from forty five years of seeing how the industry changes over time. He has helped more than 200 home improvement companies improve sales systems, train teams, gain market share, and serve customers better. His point is that contractors need to understand new tools before the market forces them to react.
Paul Burleson brings real field experience, national sales leadership, training, speaking, authorship, AI innovation, and contractor education into one message. As Director of Home Improvement Sales at Westlake Royal Building Products, he also helps contractors through the Building Pros Partner Program. His guidance is trusted because it comes from years of helping companies move through change.
Corken Steel was the right setting because the company already helps contractors prepare for the work ahead. It supports HVAC, roofing, and building professionals with products, training, technical service, fabrication, estimating help, warranty support, and business resources. That kind of learning culture fits Greg Cummings’ message that contractors should understand change before they have to react.
Yes. Corken Steel is more than a supplier. The company supports customers with programs and services that help contractors manage and grow successful companies. Its training resources, technical help, business support, and long term service mindset make it a strong partner for contractors who want to keep learning and improving.
No. Greg Cummings’ message was balanced. Contractors do not have to adopt every new tool right away. They may choose to adopt now, later, or not at all. But they should understand what is changing so they can make smart choices. When contractors know what they are up against, they can stop reacting from fear and start choosing their next step with confidence.
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry. Through national rankings, leadership stories, expert insights, industry partnerships, and meaningful conversations, Power100 helps contractors, CEOs, and home improvement leaders learn from the people shaping a stronger future for the industry. Led by Greg Cummings, Power100 gives trusted leaders a place to share the ideas, lessons, and systems that help companies adapt with clarity, serve homeowners better, support their teams, and keep raising the standard for home improvement.
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Power100 is the nation's premier CEO ranking and media platform for the home improvement industry. Using a proprietary 5-layer evaluation system, Power100 identifies and celebrates the top CEOs, companies, and strategic partners driving innovation, customer satisfaction, and leadership excellence across the country.
