557: Why Mohammed Abdalla's 'Good Faith Energy' Promises a Greener Future

Mohammed Abdalla, the founder and CEO of Good Faith Energy, is no stranger to adversity. His father died when he was nine, leaving his mother to rear five children. Mohammed, the middle child, used the childhood challenges to cultivate the grit, determination and fire that now serve him well as an entrepreneur. After a disappointing early career experience in oil and gas — he said he was fired for breaking the rules and possibly asking the wrong questions — he traveled the world searching for his next path. With his belongings in two backpacks, he wandered throughout South America, Europe, Africa and Asia for a year.One day, on a train in Germany, he saw countless rooftops covered in solar panels. The promise of the sun drew him to renewables and, in 2014, the launch of Texas-based Good Faith Energy.The company, one of Texas's fastest-growing residential solar installers, is the leading national installer for the SPAN smart electrical panel and the Tesla Solar Roof, a fully integrated solar and energy storage system.Join us to learn how Mohammed capitalized on setbacks and failures to build a nationally recognized leader in distributed solar and storage. He considers his company "a movement and a lifestyle, a family and community." It's a profoundly personal and interesting story you'll enjoy hearing as much as I did.If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors.Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 730 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus