Tailor Hartman: Upwork to “40 Under 40” in Just 3 Years | The Disruptors

Celerity's founder turned a side-hustle into a fast-growing success.

The Disruptors
With Liz Farr

Tailor Hartman didn’t start Celerity Accounting with a grand plan. The initial goal was to make enough from an accounting side gig to pay down his student loans while he worked full-time as an assistant controller. He found his first clients in an unorthodox place – Upwork. 

“I started going on [Upwork] to find cleanup gigs, you know, quick cleanup gigs for like 30, 40 bucks an hour in QuickBooks or maybe even NetSuite,” he shares.  

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Those cleanup gigs turned into monthly accounting. “I ended up getting enough clients where I could quit my job within three months… which is pretty crazy.” As a testament to Celerity’s excellent service, those early clients remain loyal today.

“We still have all of my existing Upwork clients, which is crazy.”  

Hartman's biggest challenge early on wasn't finding clients or managing cash flow—it was himself.