Meet James Miazza | Residential Solar Sales

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

Hi James, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
Almost all sales people in solar are independent contractors. It is much more similar to the way real estate agents operate than the traditional retail sales model.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My career path into solar is nontraditional for the industry. I started working in the energy sector with an oil and gas firm in 2019. I was quickly recruited into a software startup selling work order management to utility companies. Growing up, my dad worked for the utility company in Dallas so I had a rough understanding that these organizations were not what we think when we envision the designation “public utilities”. Most of them are for-profit entities that are publicly traded and have a responsibility to generate profit. When I was in high school, my dad was laid off from the utility company because of budget cuts. The next year, that company reported it had increased profits for shareholders. As a software salesman to utility companies I gained first hand experience working with the business of selling power. We generally think of these public services as being similar to the library but they are businesses just like any other. These experiences changed my perception of how power is bought ,sold, and operates as a government protected monopoly. That startup was sold and as I was searching for a new career I found that solar was the job, lifestyle, and mission that I was looking for.
The opportunity to empower homeowners with their own renewable energy system fuels my passion for the work every day. After doing this for half a decade I’ve helped hundreds of homeowners get away from the monopoly utility company and take their energy into their own hands. I’ve seen how this has benefited people’s lives from young and growing families to seniors on a fixed budget. The opportunity to help homeowners become energy independent has transitioned from being a job, to a career, to a crusade for economic independence through energy ownership. I’ve heard that if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life and I’ve made that a reality through solar. The positive environmental impact is icing on the cake.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Here’s my top list of favorite things to do in Denver. Red Rocks is a fantastic venue. It’s my favorite place to see live music in town. Mission Ballroom is a close second. If I was your tour guide we would go to one of these spots for the great EDM music scene we have here. For a casual lunch, it’s hard to beat the award winning burgers at The Cherry Cricket. It’s a Denver icon, plus they have wifi so it’s ideal for a working lunch. 801 Chophouse, not too far away, is my favorite dinner spot in town. It’ll be the best prime rib you’ve ever had. Next on the itinerary after a great dinner is going to Beacon for great music and the best vibes of any bar in town. You’ll discover hidden talent in the local DJs that play there. When the weather is nice on a Sunday afternoon we’ll hangout at the pavilion in Cheesman Park and practice flow arts with my friends. It’s the perfect way to bookend the weekend.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to shoutout my installation partner Freedom Forever. I’ve actually worked with five different installers since becoming an independent solar rep and thus have seen the good, band and ugly of the industry. Out of my experience, Freedom Forever has been consistently growing and improving their business year over year. I could not do what I do without the high quality support I have from them to manage these projects at a high level.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miazza_solar/?hl=en

Image Credits
Photos taken by James Miazza and James Deane