Embrace the Grind: Interview with Jason Schwartzberg, Co-Founder and President of MD Energy Advisors
I recently went one on one with Jason Schwartzberg. Jason is the co-founder and President of MD Energy Advisors and the co-founder of Point.Click.Switch.
Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Jason: I come from a family of entrepreneurs and always wanted to own my own business. I just didn’t know in what industry. Candidly, I thought it would be in real estate as I was building a career in real estate development while we were building our energy company, MD Energy Advisors, on the side. It was April 17, 2013, and I reported to my job as Development Manager at a prominent locally owned real estate development company. I worked hard and was told I was on the path to be a partner in the company and receive equity. I arrived to work on that Wednesday and was immediately called into a meeting. I was on the partnership path and out of nowhere I was told in that meeting that the company was downsizing, and I was out of a job. Naturally, I was a little confused. Mind you, it did not have anything to do with my performance, but I was SOL any way. It was at that moment that I decided that I was not going to let someone else control my own destiny. The very next day, I was focused full time on the energy company.
Adam: How did you come up with your business ideas? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas? Adam: How did you know your business ideas were worth pursuing? What advice do you have on how to best test a business idea?
Jason: I was searching for ideas high and low – considering everything from T-shirt companies to food trucks to franchises – when I stumbled on an article in the local paper that spoke to me. I was. The article recognized that only 5% of the market had taken advantage of energy choice in our market. I was looking for a business that was scalable, had limited inventory/startup capital requirements and would allow me the flexibility to work from anywhere. We launched an energy choice aggregation platform, similar to what Expedia is to travel, that allows consumers to compare and contrast their options. We built the initial website and tested. I am a big believer in minimal viable products. We could have dropped $50k on a website or we could build the website ourselves on Wix for $500 and see if we got traction. Build it and test it and see how the market responds before making a huge investment to find out that the market isn’t buying what you are selling.
Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level?
Jason: We have maintained our entrepreneurial spirit and have pivoted quite a few times since our founding. We started with a residential energy choice platform by the name of PointClickSwitch.com. The addressable market was HUGE. So were the costs to acquire customers! The margins were also small. After learning the energy game, we focused on the commercial customer, specifically commercial real estate owners and sought to reduce their operating expenses through energy. We understood this segment of the market from our prior experience, and it has been historically underserved in the energy space. We still serve the commercial real estate customer and offer them energy brokerage, energy efficiency, renewable and financing solutions. You must listen to the market and provide a solution that addresses their needs. I am a firm believer that you cannot be all things to all people and that niche is rich.
Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips?
Jason: Big believer in the sniper vs shotgun approach. Take the time to identify your target market. Reach out authentically and you will surprise yourself with the results. Also, don’t underestimate the power of a chunky package for that hard-to-reach prospect. Find out what they are passionate about - Michigan Football, craft coffee, toffee, whatever - and drop a themed product in the FedEx in a chunky package with a handwritten note. You’ll get a call back!
Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level? Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading and managing teams?
Jason: Effective leaders exhibit 5 core traits-ambition, accountable, integrity, competence, and empathy. Building a great team also makes all of us look like great leaders!
Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders?
Jason: Listen. Listen. Listen.
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Jason: Embrace the grind. There are no shortcuts.
Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.
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