The business philosophy of one solar company striving to do good
By Doug Ager, Co-founder of Sugar Hollow Solar
Scroll to the end for Doug's top business principles
Early lessons in caring for the land
I grew up in a household that was very concerned with how humans affect the environment. My mother started the first recycling center in our area which meant us kids hauling huge amounts of newspaper into town in her horse trailer. She abhorred plastic and would never let us purchase plastic bottles at the gas station. My Dad was more concerned with erosion from all the new development in the mountains and always pointed it out when we were driving around or hiking.
All of this is to say that I spent a lot of my youth agonizing about how humans were hurting the environment. It really worried me, and as a teenager and young adult, I hovered between a state of despondency and searching for solutions.
I remember I was flying by myself in my early 20s somewhere over the east coast, and I saw all the lights over the landscape, and it dawned on me that we had to figure out how to power all of that in a way that wasn't harmful to the environment. It was a moment of clarity that gave me hope for a better future for the planet and my place in it.
Business wasn't something that my family pushed us toward
Most people in my family majored in history and either became lawyers or did some type of farming. The idea that business is somehow inherently flawed goes back a few generations in our family.
My introduction to business came through watching my brother and his wife take over our family farm, Hickory Nut Gap Farm, which forced them to tackle business necessities like accounting, sales, marketing, managing staff, and trying to make a profit. As I watched their business grow over the years, at some point it clicked for me that building a business was a fairly straightforward process that mainly required commitment and perseverance. It also taught me that business could be a powerful tool for making positive change in the world.
Learning to run a business
For many years I worked in carpentry and construction and I was always frustrated by not having a sense of why my hard work mattered. I didn't know it at the time, but what I craved was to be a part of something bigger - an organization with a clear vision and excitement to share it.
When I was close to finishing my master's degree in English, I started working with my cousin to help him build his start-up solar business. Not long after, I bought into the company (now Sugar Hollow Solar) and did what all good English students do when they research a topic: I read all the business books I could get my hands on.
One that quickly became a favorite and helped shape Sugar Hollow Solar was Ari Weinzweig's book "A Lapsed Anarchist's Approach to Building a Great Business." Ari is passionate about the philosophy behind business and shares his beliefs about the best ways to create a healthy culture and motivate staff in a supportive way. Ari believes that as a business you can both be profitable and have a positive impact on your staff and community.
Some business principles we strive for
After ten years of learning from others and our own trial and error, here are some of the principles that we work to operate our business on (albeit imperfectly):
Open book finances.
Servant leadership.
A clear vision for the future of the company that is shared by all.
Clearly laid out core values that are shared by all.
Disregard "chain of command" when it comes to communication.
Aim to bring out the best in everyone.
Aim to teach everyone to be a leader.
Believe most people can be trusted and want to do a good job.
Actively encourage a giving, open, caring, and positive workplace.
Trust and track vs. command and control.
Aim to provide great service both internally and externally to colleagues and customers.
If you, reader, have thoughts you want to share, I love hearing from others about business philosophies that have worked for you.
Jump over to sugarhollowsolar.com/who-we-are to read more about the history of Sugar Hollow Solar, and if these philosophies of business appeal to you and you’re on the job hunt, please check out our open jobs.