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The complete manuscript in a distraction-free reader — with read-aloud, bookmarks, highlights, and notes that stay on your device.
Start with the Foreword →Pillar 03 · The Book
Hands Up
A CEO's letter to the generation that will inherit what we build.
Jennifer L. Bagley · Free digital pre-release
Pre-release · free digital · 24 sections
Or download the free pre-release (PDF) · Reading as an operator? Start with the Field Guide
Inside the book
A CEO's letter — written to be inherited
A foreword, What They're Saying, fourteen chapters, bonus love letters, and voices from the CI Web Group team who lived the transition — the four-generation story behind the company, told exactly as it was written.
Take it with you
The free digital edition — every chapter and photograph, typeset as a 6×9 PDF you can read anywhere.
Download the PDF →Meet the author
Jennifer L. Bagley — founder & CEO of CI Web Group and keynote speaker bringing AI to the trades.
About Jennifer →Dedication
For my father, Kevin Michael Bagley — and my grandson, Dallas Kevin Bagley-Slone.
The line runs through both of you. I am in the middle.
“Build accordingly.”
Begin with the Foreword →
Author
Jennifer L. Bagley
Founder & CEO of CI Web Group. The Catalyst for the Trades exists so operators can build something worth inheriting — Hands Up is the letter that started it.
Where the letter leads next
LearnTrades Business Learning CenterTen operating pillars — Start, Grow, Scale, Acquire, Exit, Legacy — each with a flagship guide and connected articles.Explore →BuildCatalyst ConsultGrowth strategy, AI transformation, brand and demand systems, or operator coaching.Explore →Buy · Sell · ValueAcquisitionsBuy-side, sell-side, diligence, valuation, and post-close integration.Explore →ListenThe Catalyst podcastLong-form conversations with the operators shaping the next decade of the trades.Explore →
Questions about the book
What should a first-time reader know before starting Hands Up?
Is Hands Up available yet?
Yes — as a free digital pre-release. Read it online starting with the Foreword, or download the PDF. The print edition comes later; the full story is yours to read now at no cost.
Is the pre-release really free?
Yes. The digital pre-release is free — no paywall, no sample chapters only. Start with the Foreword or download the complete digital edition.
What is Hands Up about?
Hands Up is a CEO's letter to the generation that will inherit what we build — Jennifer L. Bagley's four-generation story behind CI Web Group, told to the operators, builders, and family who will carry it forward.
Who is Hands Up for?
Operators and owners in home services and the trades, family businesses with a next generation in the wings, and readers who care about leadership, technology, and building something that lasts.
How long is the book?
A foreword, fourteen chapters, love letters, and voices from the CI Web Group team — about six to seven hours of reading, with each chapter running 15–45 minutes.