Scaling Clean

TigerComm
Scaling Clean

“Scaling Clean" is an insightful podcast for cleantech CEOs, investors and the people who advise them. Each show, host Mike Casey brings you a deeper look into the minds of influential leaders working to create a new clean economy.

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    Episode 37: Jo-Jo Hubbard

    #Cleantechers -  On the show, we've had leaders with a variety of backgrounds. Some, like my guest in this episode, have come from investment and finance. But few have achieved so much so quickly in their careers as Jo-Jo Hubbard. This McKinsey veteran got her start in a fintech startup, then moved into renewable energy finance. From there, she helped found the UK-based Electron, a SaaS company, out to transform energy trading to make the grid cleaner.  Jo-Jo now runs Electron as CEO. Her company helps grid operators and municipal suppliers with what it calls “local flexibility markets” to help them adapt to our renewables-heavy grid.  Here are Jo-Jo’s B3P’s: 16:05 - When you manage other people, you make them more productive by creating space for them to grow. And the more you create space for yourself, the better you become at doing that for others. It’s important to prioritize the time to exercise, meditate, or take a walk without a cell phone. 20:28 - The difference between running a cleantech company and a more mature company is the pace of growth. Cleantech is still evolving alongside the energy transition, creating a collaborative spirit. Companies with overlapping skills often work together. It’s a dynamic, problem-solving mindset of “let’s figure this out together.” More mature industries have well-defined market parameters and sizes, which makes collaboration less about exploration and more about execution. 27:41 - Hire people who are passionate about your company’s mission and inspire excitement among the entire team. Startups demand hard work, and having colleagues who energize others and share your commitment to a meaningful cause can make all the difference.  Thanks for coming on the show, Jo-Jo.

    37 min

  2. SEP 6

    Episode 36: Russ Bates

    #Cleantechers -  My most recent Scaling Clean guest has a compelling background. You might say he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty.  Russ Bates grew up in the southern Indiana coal fields, starting his career as a union electrician, then moving up the ladder to foreman, and eventually VP. At the 26-year mark, he moved into company ownership, and he's now the founder of the Cleveland-area NXTGEN Clean Energy Solutions. NXTGEN is a one-stop shop for solar, wind, battery storage, and EV charging station projects.  Here are Russ’s B3P’s: 5:08 - Clean energy is drawing people to it because it seems every day brings a new breakthrough.  14:34 - As a CEO, ask yourself: “Is this decision going to be sustainable? Is this decision going to lead us to do enough business” to take care of your family and employees. There’s so much going on in this sector, especially with an election approaching, that could derail a business plan. It’s important to be mindful of those questions so you are best prepared for future changes.  25:35 - When you need to make the tough decision to fire someone, make sure you are confident in your reasoning as to why. Then, do it quickly. The employee might not have done something wrong but just weren’t the right fit. In those situations, sometimes the best thing for them is for you to part ways with them. Thanks for coming on the show, Russ.

    33 min

  3. AUG 1

    Episode 35: Geraldine Gray

    My most recent Scaling Clean guest has been at the helm of her company for 16 years. Geraldine Gray runs Endiem, a Salesforce practice based in Houston. Her company works to help companies drive commercial growth by aligning their strategic goals with their Salesforce options. She has served clients in a wide number of sectors, not just in cleantech. Geraldine has also been very public about her successful battle with cancer, and I want to acknowledge her courage in sharing that story on LinkedIn. From several friends of mine, I've learned that overcoming such a challenge often brings an exceptional level of perspective and wisdom. Here are Geraldine’s B3P’s: 2:16 - There’s no “easy” button for making your business successful. You need to be resilient and just grind it out, looking for continuous improvement. The search for continuous improvement comes with challenges, so be okay with accountability and negative feedback. 19:10 - Working in cleantech is different than mature industries. People in the renewable industry tend to have several roles over several companies, while those in the oil, gas and chemical companies tend to stay at one company for a very long time. The benefit is that they bring a broad range of experience and knowledge to a project, but it’s hard for them to see what’s possible in the future vs. what needs to be done today. People in the renewables industry tend to have a broader mindset. 28:00 - Success in a business depends on how a leadership team executes its strategies. Tactics is doing things right. Strategy is doing the right things. You must have strategic marketing, strong sales and business development executed by people who care, not just have an engine that's generating leads. Don’t pursue opportunities that are a bad fit, with no strategy behind them.  Thanks for coming on the show, Geraldine.

    44 min

  4. JUL 3

    Episode 34: Katie Mehnert

    My newest Scaling Clean guest is Katie Mehnert. She got her start in oil and gas, and she’s become a leading thinker and evangelist for growing the clean energy talent pool as CEO of Ally Energy, a global consultancy based in Texas. Katie’s journey through the incumbent parts of the energy sector has given her an enhanced perspective on being a clean economy CEO.  Here are Katie’s B3P’s 12:38 - As a leader, you have to surrender the notion that you can control everything, because you can’t. CEO doesn’t stand for “Chief Everything Officer.” Rather, it’s about making sure you pull in the best team you can, and help them make things happen. 16:28 - Visible leadership is when someone leads a company, rather than runs it. To be a visible leader, determine what your “why” is, and march forward. My “why” is to help give my child a cleaner future. But, the world will not be a better place if you are on the sidelines, playing it safe.  23:26 - When you look to hire someone, it is important to consider what the workforce values right now. The job search is no longer about the gold watch – the best benefits and pay can only get you so far. People instead look for a purpose. Create a purpose within your company that attracts people and gives them a reason to enjoy their work. Thank you for coming on the show, Katie.

    40 min

  5. JUN 10

    Episode 33: Scott Case

    Cleantechers -  My recent Scaling Clean guest, Scott Case, is deeply experienced in starting successful ventures. He came to cleantech by way of Priceline, as that company’s founding Chief Technology Officer. Among nearly 20 other different experiences, Scott now runs ZettaWatts, which has pioneered what it calls the “Additionality Rec Market” (AREC). It's offering fixed-price forward contracts to buy AREC from new projects under development. ZettaWatts is based in the National Capital Area, where I live and work, so it was good to have a neighbor on the show.  Here are Scott’s time-stamped highlights:   6:21 – When you think you don’t need help, it’s probably the first sign that you need it.    10:15 – Leadership is a practice. You’re never done.    12:48 – Observe the traits and attributes of leaders you admire. Then, borrow what resonates the most with you.   13:53 – There are three things to come back to as a CEO: Transparency, ownership (ensuring employees have both responsibility and the authority to reach goals) and resiliency. 24:23 – Hiring is the most difficult thing you do as a founder or a leader. You’re bringing new DNA into your culture, and new employees will have a profound impact. If you get hiring right 50% of the time, you’re doing great.  Scott had also shared three big lessons for founders of startups (19:26): Fall in love with the problem, not your solution. Validate that the customer problem is accurately captured. Accept the fact that the early customers aren’t necessarily the full customer base. Spend the time on messaging your value proposition.. Thank you for coming on the show, Scott.

    44 min

  6. MAY 1

    Episode 32: George Hershman

    George Hershman is one of the most prominent leaders in U.S. clean energy. He spent his career running SOLV Energy, formerly known as Swinerton Renewable Energy. He also recently served as the Chairman of the Solar Energy Industries Association.  SOLV is a widely recognized EPC. It has built 8 GW of utility scale solar capacity and now manages over 9 GW across more than half the states in this country.  If there is anyone who has collected a lifetime of leadership and management wisdom, it's George. Here are his big three points: 4:30 - You may be eager to take risks right off the bat, but it’s easier for a more mature company to take risks than it is for a new company. If you just started a business, be careful taking risks. Before starting a project, make sure you have the right people and a good understanding of your objectives first.  12:42 - Renewables have moved out of the era of policy dependence and niche markets. Renewables are now the lowest cost of energy and the fastest to deploy. It solves the biggest problems around energy distribution now that we have storage at scale. 23:29 - When interviewing new candidates, it’s important to determine how that person will make you feel comfortable and uncomfortable. When done the right way, people can be transparent and challenge your organization to be better. This is especially important for companies that have low turnover, who may have a narrowed point of view.

    34 min

  7. MAR 28

    Episode 31: Stephen Lacey

    Cleantechers –   My most recent Scaling Clean guest is someone I’ve known for 20 years, Stephen Lacey, who has a perspective on clean economy like no other.    He’s covered our sector as an editor and early podcaster at Renewable Energy World, then editor-in-chief for Greentech Media, and now he's the founder of a new media and research company, Latitude Media. Stephen's not only covered our CEO audience, he's joined their ranks as a founder.    Here are Stephen’s B3P’s:   3:58 - People used to view the clean energy industry as “other.” Now, it is a multi-trillion dollar transition that has changed the business models of energy companies across the globe. People now take the transition seriously.    8:48 - The mindset shift from managing one team to running a business with 3+ teams is very different. As a business owner, you need to use your management skills to devote your attention to each team, while how ensuring they work together into one cohesive unit.    19:32 - This industry has dramatically expanded, and incumbents sectors are nervous. But we need to double the trillions of dollars we are already putting into the global energy transition if we are to avert the worst of the climate crisis. That said, if pessimism causes us to lose our ability to fight, we’ve lost.    Thank you, Stephen, for coming on the show.

    23 min

  8. FEB 28

    Episode 30: Scott Kubly

    Cleantechers -    My most recent guest on Scaling Clean has been an advisor to three Seattle-area companies, a policy lead for the e-mobility leader Lime, as well as an official in four municipal transportation departments. But, he's also the CEO of an innovative camper van sharing company, Cabana.    On a recent episode of This Week in Cleantech, I nominated Scott Kubly for “Cleantecher of the Week” because he courageously authored an open-kimono post on LinkedIn about Cabana’s ending.    Here's the thing about cleantech: It's hard. We're disrupting powerful, mature, incumbent sectors, and it's not like the disrupted are passively waiting around for us to put them out of business. Oh, and add to that difficulty the normal challenges launching companies within new industrial sectors.     Everyone is going to have failures. We're going to lose jobs, accounts and companies. I've learned that there are more lessons and improvements available from failures than wins. Scott continues to display that courage and openness by agreeing to be our Scaling Clean guest. He's the first to talk with us about lessons learned from a significant, recent loss. I'm grateful he's done that.  25:25 - Recognize the value of time. Cut off less impactful endeavors (even if you love them) to focus on what matters for demand. Channel your time toward company growth. 29:06 - To be a successful CEO, it’s crucial to make mistakes and apologize without requiring forgiveness from others – but forgive yourself. In the leadership world, errors are inevitable. The key lies in transforming those missteps into valuable learning experiences. 48:55 - The Stockdale Paradox, named after Admiral James Stockdale, is a mindset that involves short-term realism and long-term optimism — a mindset that is often necessary to handle the challenges of owning a company. Even if you are struggling through your current reality, it’s crucial to maintain faith that you will be successful in the end

    54 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

“Scaling Clean" is an insightful podcast for cleantech CEOs, investors and the people who advise them. Each show, host Mike Casey brings you a deeper look into the minds of influential leaders working to create a new clean economy.

Information

  • Creator
    TigerComm
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2024
  • Episodes
    37
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © TigerComm
  • Show Website
    Scaling Clean

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