One Ally Is Greater Than Multiple Partners
One Ally Is Greater Than Multiple Partners
What drives you to keep pushing forward in your business beyond financial gain?
I like to have a good time, and now that I have four kids, that's a big "why" for me. But just having kids isn’t enough—there are plenty of people who don’t do much with their lives, and that’s never been me. I want to give my kids cool experiences. If you believe we only get one life, I want to make the most of it. I’m here to have fun and make memories today.
People say money doesn’t buy happiness, but it buys experiences, and experiences are pretty great. What keeps me going is the drive to go on the next adventure. Last year, we spent the entire month of July in Hawaii, bouncing around different islands and playing in the ocean. I worked while we were there—the great thing about Hawaii is that the workday starts early because of the time difference, so I was done by 10 or 11 a.m., leaving the rest of the day to explore.
I have an insatiable appetite for adventure, fun, and experiences. Some might call it addictive, but I want my kids to have an awesome life, and I want to experience incredible things with my friends. That’s one of the reasons I enjoy working with my friends—if your friends can’t afford to do the things you want to do, those adventures aren’t as fun.
Why is it important for entrepreneurs to be themselves rather than follow a mold set by others?
Everyone's path is different. I’ve tried the routine of waking up at 5 a.m., hitting the gym by 5:15, and following a strict schedule. It drove me nuts. But I also know people who need that structure, or else their world falls apart.
What I’d say to anyone is to find out if that routine is really what you need. Take the time to decompress, whether that means meditating, praying, or even going on an ayahuasca trip. Do whatever works for you, but take the time to ask yourself: are you trying to fit into a mold that influencers talk about, or is this what truly drives you to reach your goals?
Also, ask yourself: where do you want to be? I talk to a lot of guys, especially younger ones. Recently, I joined a recruiter’s interview with a new sales candidate. I asked him about his goals, and he said he wanted to make money. Of course, but what are you going to do with it? Why do you want it? He mentioned “financial freedom,” but I pressed further—freedom from what? What does that really mean to you?
So, for anyone feeling stuck, I’d say: stop for a minute and figure out your goals. Is what you’re doing actually going to help you achieve them, or are you just trying to fit in? I remember trying to close deals the way others did when I was still a sales rep, and it didn’t work. What worked for me was being myself. For example, if I noticed the Dodger game was on, I’d suggest we watch it while going over the deal. I’m a rapport guy, not a structure guy. When I’m myself, my closing percentage is second to none. But when I try to fit into a mold that isn’t me, my results are terrible.
What steps should business owners take to scale their business?
There were two critical moments. First, the day I decided I was no longer going to close deals at the B2C level. That was a huge turning point because it meant I was no longer going to be a sales rep working in my business—I was going to become a true business owner. Someone I looked up to told me that during that first year, I would probably make a lot less money. And they were right. I made significantly less, but by the second year, I tripled my income. That decision was pivotal.
The second big moment came about two years ago when I went all in on perfecting our call center approach. I made a lot of mistakes and put most of my life savings into trial and error to see what worked. I still had my door-to-door business running, so I had some income, but I was ready to bet big. Now, we’re opening in multiple states—California, Texas, Massachusetts, and Connecticut—and expanding to Utah, Arizona, and Orlando in the next two months.
It was scary, working 16-hour days, but I was committed. My business partner even moved in with me for a few months to help dial everything in. We were all in, even though it meant missing out on time with my kids. But we knew it could be huge. The lesson is simple: figure out what you want to do, and either go all in or don’t do it at all.
What should business owners consider when building vendor partnerships?
When I first decided to stop being a sales rep for someone else's solar company and launch my own, I made a bad decision. In the solar world, there's something called "red line hunting." This means you're trying to find the lowest bottom line to operate from. I made the mistake of trying to work with three different companies—one for loans, another for installs, and so on.
The biggest mistake I made was not sticking with one solid vendor partner. I thought I needed four or five partners to handle different aspects of the business, and I was focused on finding the cheapest options. But I quickly learned that the cheapest isn't always the best.
Now, we've had the same partner for almost five years, and it's been incredible. They're based in San Francisco, and they've grown significantly, even merging with a panel manufacturing company and going public soon. We've built a strong relationship, and it's been great to watch them grow.
The problem with constantly switching partners is that you never build real relationships. Sure, you can have fun at dinners or events, but it remains surface-level. The real value comes from sticking with the same partner long enough to develop trust and a deeper connection. For example, some of the guys at our partner company know my kids and my family. There's no contract forcing us to work together—we could walk away tomorrow—but we choose to keep working together because of the relationship we've built. That, to me, is what a real partnership looks like.
What key metrics should business owners track for sales team performance?
The obvious metric for me is how many deals we closed this month. Another key metric I track is the average monthly commission for each closer. I have a target number in mind for all my closers, and I measure our success based on whether we hit that number. So, if I could track just one thing, it would be the average monthly commission for each closer.
*This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.*
