The Rise and Fall of a Young Solar Entrepreneur
Aaron Colvin was doing tricep pushdowns at the gym when he noticed an impressively large bodybuilder on the other side of the mirrored room. This bodybuilder, assisting a woman with cable rows, caught Colvin’s attention enough that the 18-year-old paused to observe their form. When the bodybuilder saw Colvin’s gaze and approached him, Colvin feared a misunderstanding might occur, reminiscent of classic gym etiquette breaches.
Unforeseen Opportunities
To his relief, the bodybuilder simply wanted to chat and inquired about Colvin’s profession. At that moment in August 2023, Colvin was preparing to embark on his collegiate journey at Niagara University. However, his enthusiasm for academia was tepid; he aspired to mirror the entrepreneurial successes of his idols, Grant Cardone and Alex Hormozi. Colvin, at just 13 years of age, had promised himself he would pursue this path to alleviate his mother’s financial burdens, as she single-handedly raised him with limited assistance.
During his teenage years, Colvin launched various solo business ventures ranging from selling T-shirts to Amazon arbitrage, none of which took off. Simultaneously, he juggled two jobs, one at Chipotle and the other at Pet Supplies Plus, aiming to gather enough capital to invest in a personal-training business course.
An Enticing Proposal
The bodybuilder introduced Colvin to a different opportunity. "What do you know about solar?" he asked while revealing his professional role at Freedom Pros, a sales division for solar installations connected to Freedom Forever, a leading solar energy installer. Recently, the bodybuilder had participated in a "blitz" in Florida—a term used in the solar sales industry for intensive sales campaigns involving aggressive outreach by sales teams. He boasted substantial earnings, claiming to have made up to $20,000 in a month by persuading homeowners to adopt solar energy.
Intrigued by this possibility, Colvin found himself saying, "holy shit," as he mentally explored this potential avenue.
Facing a Crossroads
Weeks later, Colvin had a FaceTime meeting with Will, the manager from Freedom Pros, who was just 21 but bursting with energy. With the fall semester just starting, Colvin confided his thoughts about leaving college. The disparity between his tough upbringing over a Niagara Falls pharmacy and the privileged campus environment made integration challenging.
Will encouraged Colvin to join the door-to-door sales team, which he dubbed Seal Team Six. The sale pitch was compellingly simple: enlighten homeowners about saving and even earning money by installing solar panels. Promising commissions far surpassing his earnings at Chipotle, the slogan "behind every door is $5,000" resonated deeply with Colvin.
A Tough Decision
Colvin hesitated, opting first to give college a fair chance. However, Will was persistent, continuously sharing Instagram Reels of successful "solar bros" flaunting high commissions, luxury cars, and posh apartments, insisting that anyone could achieve these dreams by venturing into the burgeoning green economy.