The Senior Account Executive of National Remodeling Accounts at Westlake Royal Building Products is recognized for more than 40 years spent training the salespeople who sit at homeowners’ kitchen tables, for a 2025 Hall of Fame induction as a Legend of the Home Improvement Industry, and for a memoir-meets-sales-manual, Grit to Gold, that turns his own hard start in the business into a teaching tool for a new generation of contractors.
HG HomeClub has named Paul Burleson, Senior Account Executive of National Remodeling Accounts and National Remodeling Consultant at Westlake Royal Building Products, to its list of the 25 Most Influential Leaders in Home Improvement, Home Services and Outdoor Living.
The list, published by HG HomeClub, recognizes 25 leaders who are shaping these three industries in the right way. It spans manufacturing, distribution, retail, technology, franchising, contracting, media, capital and the associations that convene the trades. It is presented alphabetically and carries no numerical ranking, because the leaders on it exercise influence in fundamentally different ways, and comparing a keynote stage to a distribution network, or a franchise system to a product platform, would flatten what makes each of them consequential.
Burleson earns his place on it as one of the industry’s most widely traveled trainers, the person who has spent decades teaching in-home selling systems directly to the contractors who install siding, roofing, windows and trim in millions of American homes. Westlake Royal’s own announcement describes him as a nationally recognized home improvement leader with more than 40 years of experience who has trained and supported sales teams for hundreds of companies, work that culminated in his May 2025 induction as a 2025 Legend of the Home Improvement Industry by Dave Yoho Associates.
Those are the numbers. The story starts with a boy who was told he might never walk again, and who instead became the youngest canvasser in the industry’s history.
From the Youngest Canvasser in the Industry to a Million-Dollar Producer
Burleson‘s own account of his career, recounted in his book, describes a childhood setback, being told he might never walk, that preceded a start in the trades selling newspapers and Grit magazine door to door before moving into canvassing at what Pro Remodeler’s own event materials call the youngest canvasser in home improvement history. He went on to become a million-dollar sales producer for legacy firms including Amery, Statewide and Pacesetters.
Training the Brands That Built the Modern Exterior Products Industry
Over the course of his career, Burleson moved from selling in-home to training and advising major national brands including Reynolds Aluminum, Owens Corning, Alcoa, Crane and Ply Gem, before joining Westlake Royal Building Products. Across more than 30 years designing in-home selling systems, he became known industry-wide for pioneering approaches, including early use of websites, YouTube testimonials, remote virtual measurement tools and, more recently, AI, in a trade that had historically relied on door-to-door canvassing and paper contracts.
A Legend of the Home Improvement Industry, Chosen by His Peers
On May 6, 2025, Burleson was one of six professionals inducted in St. Louis, Missouri, as a 2025 Legend of the Home Improvement Industry by Dave Yoho Associates, an honor built entirely on peer nomination, with winners evaluated by prior recipients and members of Dave Yoho Associates on criteria including business growth, industry contributions and setting high standards for future leaders. “I’m honored to be recognized alongside such respected leaders in the home improvement industry,” Burleson said of the recognition. “Paul is not only integral to the Westlake Royal Pros program, but his innovations and industry expertise have also helped Westlake Royal Building Products adapt, grow and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market,” said Bill Conlon, vice president, U.S. Sales for Siding and Trim at Westlake Royal. “It’s been a pleasure seeing how his passion and leadership continue to inspire industry professionals to push boundaries and redefine success.”
Building the Program That Connects Contractors to the Tools They Need
At Westlake Royal, Burleson has been a driving force behind the Westlake Royal Pros program, an initiative that brings together technology, finance and consulting companies to provide solutions for contractors, giving companies access to discounted services while strengthening their partnerships with Westlake Royal.
Writing the Book on His Own Career
In November 2025, Burleson launched Grit to Gold at an exclusive event in Las Vegas, a book that traces his path from selling newspapers and canvassing door to door to leading national training programs for Reynolds Aluminum, Owens Corning, Alcoa, Ply Gem and Westlake Royal, framed against the industry’s evolution from what he calls its “Tin Man” era to today’s AI-enabled, customer-centric world. Teaching from the book’s framework at industry events, Burleson has distilled his approach into a memorable pitch: “When you go to a home, the house is sick and your job is to write a prescription to make it healthy again,” he has told contractors, urging them to stop thinking in terms of quotes and bids and start positioning themselves as trusted experts. “Homeowners are scared,” Burleson has said. “This business was not always built on honest people. So a lot of times you’re walking into the home with the deck stacked against you. Your brand, your online presence, and your in-home process are how you rebuild that trust.”
Mentoring the Next Generation Alongside Power100’s Own CEO
Burleson serves on the Power100 Advisory Board, and co-mentors Power100’s Inner Circle initiative alongside Power100 CEO Greg Cummings, a free mentorship program for home improvement contractors offering monthly masterclasses, AI coaching and business benchmarking. The two have also toured together directly to contractors, taking the Grit to Gold Success Process Tour to stops including Reese Wholesale in Indianapolis, where Burleson challenged attendees to rethink how they present themselves the moment they pull up to a homeowner’s curb.
A Road Warrior’s Schedule, and a National Speaking Circuit
Burleson is a member of the National Speakers Association and serves on the Advisory Board for Channel Automation in addition to Power100, and was a featured speaker at The Pinnacle Experience 2025, Pro Remodeler’s national conference, presenting on marketing, leadership and growth strategies. His work leading AI adoption, TCPA compliance frameworks and virtual measurement tools has extended his reach across hundreds of home improvement businesses nationwide.
Why Does Paul Burleson Belong Among the 25 Most Influential Leaders in These Industries?
Influence in these industries takes several forms. Some leaders influence through a keynote stage or a book. Some through a franchise system that creates business owners. Some through a distribution network, a software platform, or the price of a pallet.
Paul Burleson influences through decades spent standing in front of the salespeople who actually sit across the kitchen table from homeowners. He built his career from the ground up, as the youngest canvasser in the industry’s history, into a trainer trusted by some of the largest brands in building products, and he has spent the back half of that career turning his own hard-won lessons into a book, a mentorship program and a national speaking circuit that reaches contractors directly. That combination of frontline credibility and sustained teaching reach is exactly the kind of influence this list was created to recognize.
About HG HomeClub
HG HomeClub is a national media platform serving the home improvement, home services and outdoor living industries. Created to champion media back to its original purpose of informed transparency, HG HomeClub curates the top stories, headlines, rankings, videos, podcasts, webinars, events and professional recommendations across the industry and presents them in one consolidated, easily consumable destination, helping both homeowners and professionals make better-informed decisions. More information is available at hghomeclub.com.
About Westlake Royal Building Products
Westlake Royal Building Products, a Westlake company (NYSE: WLK), is a leading manufacturer of innovative exterior and interior building materials, with a legacy spanning over 50 years, offering siding, trim, roofing, stone, windows and outdoor living products for architects, builders and homeowners. Paul Burleson serves as the company’s Senior Account Executive of National Remodeling Accounts and National Remodeling Consultant. More information is available at westlakeroyalbuildingproducts.com.
The 25 Most Influential Leaders in Home Improvement, Home Services and Outdoor Living
Presented alphabetically. There is no numerical ranking; each leader is recognized for influence exercised in a distinct way.
- Doug Black — Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, SiteOne Landscape Supply (Outdoor living)
- AJ Brown — Co-Chief Executive Officer, Apex Service Partners (Platforms)
- Paul Burleson — Senior Account Executive, Westlake Royal Building Products (Home improvement)
- Jenilee Common — Chief Executive Officer, Leaf Home and Erie Home (Home improvement)
- Greg Cummings — Chief Executive Officer, Power100 (Media)
- Bill Darcy — Global President and Chief Executive Officer, NKBA and KBIS (Associations)
- Mike Davis — Chief Executive Officer, Neighborly (Franchising)
- Ted Decker — Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Home Depot (Retail)
- Marvin R. Ellison — Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Lowe’s (Retail)
- Aaron Erter — Chief Executive Officer, James Hardie (Manufacturing)
- Daniel Gluck — Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Renuity (Home improvement)
- Ken Goodrich — Chairman; Founder, Goettl; The Goodrich Organization (Home services)
- Brian Gottlieb — Best-Selling Author and Speaker, Beyond the Hammer (Speaking and authorship)
- Maggie Hardy — Owner, President and Chief Executive Officer, 84 Lumber (Distribution)
- Brad Jacobs — Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, QXO (Distribution)
- Kurt Kane — President and Chief Executive Officer, TruGreen (Outdoor living)
- Ara Mahdessian — Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ServiceTitan (Technology)
- Matt Malone — Founder and Executive Chairman, Groundworks (Home services)
- Tommy Mello — Founder and Chief Executive Officer, A1 Garage Door Service (Home services)
- Heidi G. Petz — Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer, Sherwin-Williams (Manufacturing)
- Asher Raphael — Co-Chief Executive Officer, Power Home Remodeling (Home improvement)
- Dave Regnery — Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Trane Technologies (Manufacturing)
- Marcus Sheridan — Founder, Marcus Sheridan International (Speaking and authorship)
- Dan Tinker — President and Chief Executive Officer, SRS Distribution (Distribution)
- James W. Tobin III — President and Chief Executive Officer, National Association of Home Builders (Associations)
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is HG HomeClub, and what is this list?
HG HomeClub is a national media platform serving the home improvement, home services, and outdoor living industries. It was created to return media to its original purpose of informed transparency, curating the industry’s top stories, headlines, rankings, videos, podcasts, webinars, events and professional recommendations in one place for both homeowners and professionals. The 25 Most Influential Leaders in Home Improvement, Home Services and Outdoor Living is one of HG HomeClub’s editorial rankings, recognizing the people shaping these industries in the right way across manufacturing, distribution, retail, technology, franchising, contracting, media, capital and the associations that convene the trades.
- Is the list ranked from one to 25?
No. The list is presented alphabetically and carries no numerical order. The leaders recognized exercise influence in genuinely different ways, through enterprise scale, growth, product innovation, franchising, capital, authorship, keynote stages, advocacy and media, and HG HomeClub declined to impose a hierarchy on work that is not comparable. Every leader on the list is recognized equally.
- Who is Paul Burleson?
Paul Burleson is Senior Account Executive of National Remodeling Accounts and National Remodeling Consultant at Westlake Royal Building Products. With more than 40 years in building materials and remodeling, he began as one of the youngest canvassers in home improvement history, became a million-dollar sales producer for firms including Amery, Statewide and Pacesetters, and later trained national brands including Reynolds Aluminum, Owens Corning, Alcoa and Ply Gem before joining Westlake Royal.
- Why was Paul Burleson selected for this list?
Because he has spent more than 40 years training the sales teams and contractors behind the home improvement industry’s biggest brands, was inducted as a 2025 Legend of the Home Improvement Industry by Dave Yoho Associates, and published Grit to Gold in November 2025, a book distilling his career into a teaching framework he now brings directly to contractors through national speaking engagements and mentorship programs.
- What is the Legends of the Home Improvement Industry award?
Legends of the Home Improvement Industry is an annual honor from Dave Yoho Associates recognizing leaders who exemplify creativity, positive leadership and customer care. Nominees are submitted by industry peers and evaluated by prior recipients and Dave Yoho Associates members based on business growth, industry contributions and leadership standards. Burleson was one of six professionals inducted at the 2025 ceremony, held May 6, 2025, in St. Louis, Missouri.
- What is Grit to Gold?
Grit to Gold is Burleson’s book, launched in November 2025 at an event in Las Vegas, tracing his career from selling newspapers and door-to-door canvassing to leading national sales training programs for major building products brands. The book frames the industry’s shift from its traditional “Tin Man” era to today’s AI-enabled, customer-centric approach, and lays out a repeatable framework for building trust with homeowners.
- What is the Westlake Royal Pros program?
The Westlake Royal Pros program is an initiative Burleson helped grow that connects contractors with technology, finance and consulting partners, giving them access to discounted services while deepening their partnership with Westlake Royal Building Products for siding, roofing and trim systems.
- What is Paul Burleson’s role with Power100?
Burleson serves on the Power100 Advisory Board and co-mentors Power100’s Inner Circle initiative alongside Power100 CEO Greg Cummings, a mentorship program offering home improvement contractors monthly masterclasses, AI coaching and business benchmarking. The two have also toured together, bringing the Grit to Gold Success Process Tour to contractor events around the country.
- What does Paul Burleson focus on as a trainer today?
Burleson is widely recognized as a pioneer in virtual selling and AI-driven sales, and his current training work spans AI integration, TCPA compliance frameworks, and virtual measurement tools. He is a member of the National Speakers Association, serves on the Advisory Board for Channel Automation in addition to Power100, and has spoken at national industry events including The Pinnacle Experience.
