Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jenna Neumann. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Jenna, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I knew I needed to find something that made me feel worthwhile while also making a positive impact in the world we live in today. To me, it’s about giving back to help our schools and community make impactful changes for a better tomorrow.
I think one of the most important ways to find your purpose, in everyday and work life, is to develop your growth mindset. It’s amazing when you don’t have this, how much it can hold you back. Today we live in a world where people think they know it all instead of listening, reading, and growing. The process requires plenty of self-reflection, listening to others, and finding where your passions lie.
As the saying goes, you are the company you keep. For me, it was all about surrounding myself with like-minded individuals who were positive, supportive, and inspirational. It’s hard to feel passionate and purposeful when you’re surrounded by people who aren’t interested in making positive contributions.
People don’t usually find their purpose overnight. It’s something you need to explore. Keep reading, keep meeting new people, keep developing relationships, and don’t hold yourself back. As Tony Robbin’s says, “We can change our lives. We can do, have, and be exactly what we wish.” Believe that and purpose will follow.”
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My story is a bit unconventional. I grew up in small town Wisconsin with dreams of becoming a middle school teacher and coaching high school basketball. When I graduated college, I stayed in the teaching industry for seven years until I felt I was destined for something different. I ended up getting out of the education industry and took a job in Texas for a solar company. I started learning the ins and outs of solar and took any and every solar course that came into my inbox. Months later, I was promoted to General Manager of the company, managing fifty employees and three locations. About four years into my position, I decided I wanted to make the move back to Arizona, where I was teaching for a few years prior, and my former CFO, now business partner, Christopher Yau, approached me about the idea to start our own solar company. After months of planning and strategizing, iVee League Solar was born. With our combined passion, knowledge, and expertise in the solar industry, it only made sense for us to continue our solar journey in the sunny state of beautiful Arizona.
My focus right now is building a company that is active in our local community, providing local jobs, and helping individuals and communities become educated on solar and teaching the impact it can have on our world. So many people are uneducated when it comes to energy, specifically solar, and we want to give people the opportunity to learn and better yet, join the solar movement.
iVee League Solar has now been in business for a year and a half and we are excited to announce that we are teaming up with AZ Green House Project on a self-sustainable home in Cave Creek, AZ. This home will showcase the latest in sustainable building designs, construction and solar products. The goal of the home is to be self-sustainable for power, water and vegetarian food sources. With enough capacity and battery storage to be “off-the-grid” optional and EMP resistant, the design is a model of energy independence. We are excited and grateful to be a part of this amazing team and project.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Wow, this is such an important question.
Coming from the education field, I was very good at managing a room full of 30 children. Teachers often have excellent management skills to lead their classrooms and motivate their students so I transferred this skill to the office setting. Management courses are great, but nothing beats on the job training.
Good decision-making also helped me achieve greater job and life satisfaction. Ultimately, making decisions is what will make you a leader in your work place. You cannot lead without being decisive.
There are so many qualities and skills that were impactful but I would say my last one would be self motivation. You have to have that internal drive to achieve, produce, develop, and move forward. When you think you’re ready to quit or don’t know how to continue, self-motivation is what pushes you to go on.
Improving your skill set should be something you strive for every day. My advice to accomplish this would be requesting constructive feedback, be open to new challenges, setting goals for yourself, finding a business or life mentor, and joining professional associations. It’s a matter of knowing what skills you want to learn and finding ways to develop them.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
Well, this interview took an interesting turn. Haha, this is a great question.
My parents were big into sports and making sure all their kids were actively involved in community and local teams. They used to always tell me, “the strength is in the team not the individual.”
This was my motto when building our company, and this will continue to be my motto as we grow the company.
It’s all about our work unit and how we function together. We would be no where without our amazing, dedicated, and smart team that we have hand picked to represent iVee League Solar.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.iveeleaguesolar.com
- Instagram: @iveeleaguesolar
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iveeleaguesolar/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ivee-league-solar-inc
