We had the good fortune of connecting with Elliot Freeman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elliot, is there something you believe many others might not?
Conventional wisdom on career moves seems to have always been to pursue bigger roles, don’t make a lateral move, and always increase your compensation. My take is: create your own yardstick for what “ambition” means to you.

I followed that conventional wisdom for a while and reached a CMO position at an international food brand. Even though it was a great company and we were achieving our financial goals, after a few years, I started to feel like growing a food brand similar to others was a bit trivial and the marketing playbook was getting a bit too predatory. So I asked myself two questions: 1) what would truly be meaningful, impactful work? 2) Do I really want a bigger job or might I actually want a smaller one?

Thinking through this led to me to a couple of clear answers: I wanted to work to impact climate change and I also wanted to work less. So I made an unconventional move. I joined a small, local solar and heat pump company, I took an ambiguous role, and I negotiated my way to a 4-day per week job for 80% of the salary. To me, this was getting what I really wanted — more time, not more money, and my work time better spent on making a difference. Think about it this way: how much would you pay to buy 52 extra vacation days per year?

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I recently pivoted towards impacting climate change, which I consider to be the most pressing issue of our time. I felt like I couldn’t not be using my skills and training to try to make a difference. My new company is a solar and heat pump company called Independent Power.

What makes me excited: with the team we’ve assembled, we can turn any home into a carbon-free, net zero, electrified home that no longer pollutes. Did you know that residential pollution accounts for almost 15% of global carbon emissions? With today’s technology, you can replace your gas furnace and air conditioner with heat pumps, add solar, swap your gas stovetop for induction, and have your home completely powered by the sun. You can do this all for about the cost of a Tesla, and the impact is equivalent to planting 6 acres of forest…. EACH YEAR. We’re the only company in our area that installs solar + batteries + heat pumps + electrical upgrades all ourselves. These systems are complicated and we know how to make them all work together.

This is the work we all need to be doing and I feel good about it every day.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
A great day in Boulder includes a hike up Gregory Canyon, lunch and a beer at Rayback, a concert in Chattauqua, and dinner on Pearl Street!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Check out the Boulder Pickleball Club for a real sense of community!

Website: www.solarips.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliotfreeman/

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.