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Rogue Energy

While operating Fantasurf I had a part-time sales job at another startup to help pay bills. Before long, the entire company shifted from car dealership software to renewable energy; Rogue Energy was newly formed and I was a partner.

We purchased Long Lasting Power, a solar installation company with an excellent reputation and a pre-existing partnership with SunPower solar panels. SunPower and LLP combined for the highest quality solar product on the market, and now Rogue Energy would be the salesforce.

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We set up a phone team with a leads list and CRM, and trained field agents for in-home consultations. Like any startup, I was responsible for a long list of items, including branding, sales materials, compensation structures, contracts, recruiting, interviewing, hiring, developing and executing training programs, and writing course material. 

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I also did sales during down times to earn extra in commission. This was a fun part of the journey with great people, and a solid experience in building, training and motivating a sales team. 

Premiere product

Being an official installation company of SunPower solar panels meant Rogue Energy could offer the best product on the market. SunPower requires installation companies to meet rigorous criteria in order to offer their product. Having purchased an accredited installation business, we were able to do that. 

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Our vision was to build a brand based on quality, rather than cost, that could compete with SolarCity. By the time Rogue Energy was established, southern California was oversaturated with solar marketing. We needed to stand out and provide a unique value.

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That's where the bear logo came from. Uniqueness was a foundational pillar, and it was a focused decision to not have the color orange or a sun in our branding. 

Design and copywriting

I drove company branding, designing hundreds of materials for our sales team. These included infographics, sales contracts, employee contracts, prospective employee packets, various pitch decks and more. 

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As the recruiting lead I listed multiple job opportunities per day, scheduled and ran interviews, hired, trained and evaluated employees. I put together training programs for our phone team hires, provided feedback sessions and worked with them towards compensations structures they found rewarding.

 

I designed a one-week, intensive training course for new field agents with no solar experience to teach them about the technical aspects of the industry. I also developed an advanced sales program for agents who showed early promise. My goal was a happy, healthy ecosystem that naturally generated sales. I believe we achieved that.

Motivational compensation structures

We had a unique and attractive compensation structure for recruiting agents. We offered a 50% commission split with them, down the middle with no fees. We were able to do this because we owned the installation company, and with the price of SunPower panels and installation, that percentage was much greater than what they would earn from a SolarCity sale.

Onboarding, training documentation and courses

When I started at Rogue Energy, I put myself through a crash course on the industry. This allowed me to create training programs that worked for all levels of skill and experience. 

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My time at Rogue Energy was a growing experience for my career. It was my first sales business and I learned a lot. I hosted over 200 interviews during our 3-month peak hiring phase, which honed my skills in finding talent.

The end

Ultimately, I left Rogue Energy to pursue Fantasurf and Surf Stats in 2015. We were thriving with a full sales pipeline and positive reviews and I felt proud to help the team grow.

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I was now much more efficient at interviewing candidates, drafting business related documentation, motivating sales employees and structuring contracts that kept everyone happy. 

Next Chapter: World Surf League

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