Publish Date: August 5^th, 2024

Rachel is such a big part of Namaste Solar. Working her way from commercial sales support to the director of our commercial sales team, she’s clearly shown her passion and commitment throughout the years. She’s also a co-owner and on our board of directors, as well as board of directors for the Colorado Solar and Storage Association and the State’s New Energy Improvement District. We caught up with Rachel to learn more about her and her place at Namaste Solar.

What’s your role at Namaste Solar?

I’m the Director of Commercial Sales and a co-owner. I’ve been a co-owner since mid-2018.

How long have you been with Namaste Solar?

Since February 2017, so that’d be 7 years and 4 months. I had just moved to Colorado when I started at Namaste Solar.

Why were you first interested in working at Namaste Solar?

When I moved here, one of my brother’s friends knew of Namaste Solar, and he raved about the company and its employee-ownership model. This friend and I actually started dating and are still together today! So I started researching and the employee ownership piece got me. I hadn’t heard of that structure. I’d never worked anywhere like this. So those were the big driving factors – employee ownership and the company’s reputation.

Ben (left), the friend-turned-partner that knew of Namaste Solar, and Rachel (right)

And then I applied. The third job I applied for is the one I actually got. And there’s a funny story associated with that. Should I tell it?

Yeah, go ahead!

I became, what we affectionately call, a Namastalker. The first job I applied for wasn’t the best fit for my qualifications, I was really just trying to get my foot in the door. I don’t remember the role but it had to do with administrative responsibilities like payroll. Someone who would soon become my good friend ended up getting that role, so it was serendipitous! When I didn’t get that job, I applied for a residential sales role and had an in-person interview with Joe Montoya, who was running the team at the time. He was really nice and called to let me know that I didn’t get the job, but said I was a great fit for the company and would tell Teri and HR to keep me in mind as they were hiring. And then there was a commercial sales support role that I applied for as well. This time I came to the office and dropped off my resume in person. As I was talking to the administrative assistant, I heard someone shout my name from across the office. I turn around and it’s this guy I went to high school with in Tennessee a decade prior. I hadn’t seen him since but I told him that I wanted to work at Namaste Solar and he said he’d put in a good word for me. I ended up interviewing and finally getting hired for the commercial sales support role.

What motivates you to wake up and go to work?

I came here for the employee ownership, and I stay because of the people. It is the people here at Namaste Solar that get me excited to come to work every day. In my 7 years, I’ve always loved my team and the people on it. I can trust them to show up at work, not only as their authentic selves like we want them to do in alignment with our core values, but I also can trust them to show up and do their best. They have the best intentions about what we’re all working towards together. So, definitely the people. It makes those little wins and little praises just so much better I think.

What’s something about your job that most people don’t know?

I’ve had to learn a lot about commercial real estate, like how to quantify property value increase with NOI and cap rates and to navigate the traditional challenges like split incentives, NNN leases, short-term holds, and financing that suits commercial real estate investors.

What’s been one of your proudest moments working here?

My first sale. I had only been at the company 5 months and was still in the sales support role, but my team thought it would be a good opportunity to ‘cut my teeth.’ It was a 20kW rooftop system for the Nederland Library.

How has Namaste Solar helped you develop your skills and career?

One of the biggest things is being afforded the ability to run for the Board of Directors. Running for the board and getting elected is only something that was possible for me because of our employee ownership and unique business model.

Our board is made up of four internal members and three external members. So, having access to those three external members who have spent their lives as CFOs and CEOs has afforded me a lot of professional development. They’re really smart people who are interested in what we do and willing to share their expertise.

On the solar side of things, working with people who have been here 15+ years has brought me up to a level I don’t think I would be with another company where there wasn’t as much knowledge. People like Jon Ernst on the design team, Tom Zwahlen in estimating, and Jon Wedel as the VP of Commercial have helped me so much. Just by being in proximity to them and learning from their technical expertise has been career elevating.

"Creating holistic wealth for ourselves and our community was different in 2005 than it is now and will be in 2050. But I like that it’s top of mind to always keep ourselves and our community stakeholders close to our hearts."

What advice would you give to recent new hires?

Be patient with yourself. This is true especially on my team. When I’m hiring for sales, those people are generally go-getters. They want to start contributing and get things done quickly. But on the commercial side, it’s likely that they won’t get a sale for at least 12 months. So, I tell them to be patient. Work on getting used to Namaste Solar, our processes, and working with clients. You’ll get there.

What do you like to do when you’re not at work?

Ben, my partner, and I bought a house with a big unfinished basement. So, that’s a huge project we have going on right now. We’ve been framing downstairs for a few months now, then we’ll move on and progress through the other scopes until we get to the end. That’s how I’ve been spending most of my free time. I enjoy it but there’s definitely times where I’d rather be playing outside.  

Outside of that, I very much like the winter season. I didn’t used to like it until I moved here and started snowboarding. I fell in love with it immediately and it felt great to have something to do in the wintertime. That’s probably one of my favorite activities outside of work. When I first tried it, I spent the whole first day on my butt but there was something about it. I just loved it and knew I wanted to get the hang of it.

Rachel doing one of her favorite things - snowboarding

One of our core values is “Come as you are” and part of that is working to build a culture where people feel able to be their full selves at work. How have you experienced “Come as you are” at Namaste Solar?

I think that really shows up when you’re having a rough day. Maybe life is generally tough or you’re going through stuff. And in those cases, you can show up to work as a human and share the fact that you’re going through it. You still have to get your job done. But it means that your team and the people around you have empathy for what you’re going through, and they’re going to provide the support and care that you need.

Another example is we had a companywide JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) session earlier today. And I think it’s really important to work for a company where we’re encouraged and empowered to take time out of our day to learn about how to be more inclusive and understanding of all the different types of humans on this planet.

Rachel and her dog, Zula

What parts of our mission do you most connect with?

Oh boy, it’s hard to choose one. There’s three pieces and they’re all so fundamental to what we do. But I think at the end of the day, from a long-term perspective, it’s the last one. It’s creating holistic wealth for ourselves and our community. What that means changes over time. We’re 19 years old. Creating holistic wealth for ourselves and our community was different in 2005 than it is now and will be in 2050. But I like that it’s top of mind to always keep ourselves and our community stakeholders close to our hearts.

If you could pick one superpower, what would it be?

Probably teleportation. Being able to travel anywhere you want without that extra time and cost would be pretty neat. And since there’s no greenhouse gas emissions from teleportation, it’s the most environmentally friendly form of travel. So, it aligns with what I’m doing for my career.

Recommended Reading:

• Solar Spotlight: Teri Lema
• How to Assess a Commercial Project Proposal
• FAQs: We Answer Your Top Commercial Solar Questions