Erik Mendoza is the founder of a Bakersfield, California based company called Solar Panel Guide. More than just a business owner, he not only helps customers find the right solar company for their needs, but encourages his team members to grow both professionally and personally.

Erik Mendoza
Erik Mendoza Erik Mendoza

Three percent of homes in the United States utilize solar energy, and that number is continuing to rise across the country. It's no surprise that switching to renewable energy is good for the environment and for your wallet, but making the switch is not always the easiest process.

Between finding the right energy provider, consulting a solar panel expert and everything in between, there's a lot to consider and the whole process can feel overwhelming.

This is something that entrepreneur Erik Mendoza noticed right away. In his city of Bakersfield, California there are dozens of solar companies competing for the same customers, all offering varying products, services and rates making it virtually impossible to decide which company to go with.

With a desire to make solar energy as accessible as possible, Mendoza created a solar company unlike any other called Solar Panel Guide, through which one can find all of their solar options in one place.

By first identifying what you're looking for and answering your questions, he or a member of his team can help you decide which solar company best fits your needs. Awesome right?

Mendoza has been able to take the confusion out of solar energy for thousands of people, helping them upgrade their homes and lifestyle in a way that makes sense to them.

Beyond a business owner, Mendoza is a leader, and a role model for others around him, especially his team.

"Working with customers is cool because you're helping them save money, but for me, the real satisfaction I get from working in the solar industry is mentoring up and coming guys," Mendoza tells us.

At Solar Panel Guide, Mendoza hosts team meetings and facilitates workshops where he mentors his employees on more than just sales.

"We have an online university that we use to learn more about solar and selling, but we also have an assigned book of the month for personal growth."

"We do sales training, of course, but a big part of a sales organization is the human element, so we spend a lot of time developing the human. For example, basic things like making your bed in the morning, brushing your teeth, waking up early, and all these little micro wins that you're stacking throughout the day give you momentum. I like to encourage those things with my team and help them build on it," Mendoza continues.

Mendoza embodies a human development approach to his business, and shares that aside from team meetings and sales training, he also organizes mindset, future, and tactical training as well.

A typical day for the team begins at 8:00 a.m. where they discuss the book of the month and its different lessons. Then, they are encouraged to share affirmations and gratitude before heading into sales training.

Prior to starting his company and dedicating his efforts to developing his team both professionally and personally, Mendoza shares that he didn't know what direction to go in for his career.

"When I was unemployed, I didn't know where to turn, but I found a group of guys that were making high levels of income, and I thought to myself, if they can do it, so can I. And now that I'm in it, it's more about helping people, helping the customer, and living my life in service of the client so they can have the best experience possible," he shares.

Mendoza, a selfless leader, is a problem solver and listener, who says he is able to "identify what someone's pain point is so [he] can help them relieve that pain."

When it comes to solar, people can be very skeptical and have their guard up. But Mendoza and his team are able to help them work through that in a way that prioritizes the customer's experience.

"People have their guard up, and I mean rightfully so. Whether it's me or one of my guys, we just knocked on their door and started talking about solar, right. So that's the main thing. They know they want solar, but they have that back of the brain trying to protect them. They don't realize that solar is going to help them, and that's our job, to come in and help them overcome that fear."

Helping people overcome their fears and embrace growth is what Mendoza does best. Whether it's by helping thousands of people switch to renewable energy, or putting a strong emphasis on personal growth in the workplace, Erik Mendoza is always helping you find the right answers.

"The fact that I get to impact people's lives means the world to me," he says. "This is my passion, and I take pride in knowing that I'm helping people in all of these different ways," he concludes.

Solar