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Writer's pictureDetermin8tor Diaries

The Truth About Solar: A Woman's Mission to Expose Industry Dishonesty

Updated: Sep 16

The biggest challenges I ran into were navigating an industry dominated by low integrity salespeople with extremely minimal training, many of whom are willing to tell lies or hide the actual facts in order to get contracts signed.


woman with blue eyes
Erin Leece | Founder & CEO

There are NO requirements for training, certification or licensing for salespeople in the solar industry, a fact which leaves many casualties. I am a single mom of two young kids, and I have a TON to juggle. Balancing everything can be challenging, but it's a part of life that I'm constantly managing with determination. Finding trustworthy individuals who have the same mindset as my own has proven the biggest challenge in the beginning and also in present time.


My motivation for entering the industry was to assist individuals by addressing the significant corruption prevalent in energy monopolies. I went on a mission to find correct data, to be able to present a valuable product truthfully and truly offer an amazing result for my clients. As a woman and one of only ten people in the state of Florida and only 240 in the entire country who are NABCEP PVTS certified, I know more about solar than almost anybody else out there providing advice to homeowners.


woman in SunForge Energy uniform
SunForge Energy | Clearwater FL USA

I communicate these facts to residents so they understand that they are putting themselves at risk if they trust the wrong individual or company when they're going solar. I am constantly promoting education and truth on social media, which has helped tremendously but it is still an uphill climb.


An ongoing issue I encounter in this industry is the delay in payment, which usually extends for approximately three months after the work setup and completion process. So I constantly "work for free" while until the next check arrives. I address this by staying strong and persistent and continually promoting to invest my time in future funds I will receive. It requires a certain mindset that is essential for success as a business owner.


Once, I encountered a Naysayer who went as far as setting up a false account on Google just to give me my very first and only 1-star review. This individual formed their opinion after watching no more than 30 seconds of an educational video I had shared, without ever engaging in a conversation with me or any member of my team to seek clarification or raise any concerns.


The most difficult part of this situation was I couldn't clear it up with that person because they had a fake profile. It affected me mentally and prevented me from posting my educational videos for a few weeks. However, I know that a sure sign of success is when you start to receive attacks despite your good works. Armed with that knowledge, I reported this fake review several different ways and asked others to report it as well. It was taken down within two days and has never returned.


I know that a sure sign of success is when you start to receive attacks despite your good works.

One of biggest goals I have is educating more people. I have a trusted brand and great reputation, but the barriers of scams and misinformation about solar power become a challenge to overcome. Many people are continually taken advantage of, despite "doing their research". I want to conquer that false data and prevent people from working with companies who are dishonest. I want to provide a service and product that is based on integrity to help them improve their lifestyle with energy-efficient solutions.


I also want to increase the number of speaking events I do a year. I spoke at SolarCon 2023 and was a guest speaker at Pinellas Technical College, but I want to do more. I aim to enhance trust, increase visibility, and educate homeowners about solar energy to prevent fraud. Additionally, I seek to expand my customer base for medium to large-scale commercial projects. My goal is to secure ten new commercial contracts within the upcoming year.


One piece of advice I would give women going through similar challenges is: get data for yourself. Keep your integrity in when it comes to delivering a great product and great customer service. Never put your own income before the wellbeing of your clients. Provide above and beyond customer service it will come back to you. Also, don't give up!



 
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