305 | Brett Bergmann | Lighting Up 140,000 Homes in Kenya

In today’s show, Chris interviews, Brett Bergmann, COO, Solar Panda.

Growing up, young Brett was totally confused by the myriad of options available in front of him. There were a whole bunch of ways he wanted to go, but he had little idea how to get there.

This is when the Student Works opportunity came knocking.

Running a painting business and managing a crew of people at a young age had a transformational impact on young Brett. Rather than looking at business through a dispassionate and practical lens, Brett realized that, at the end of the day, it was all about great people.

The important SUCCESS DRIVER in business was something so rudimentary yet often-ignored…a team of happy, productive people.

Other than learning these important, foundational skills, working at Student Works also helped Brett snag his first corporate job.

While working as a Students Painter, Brett took on a garage painting job for the CEO of McCain Foods. Impressed by his passion, collaborative approach, and leadership skills, he offered Brett his first job in corporate development at McCain.

Certainly, if you show up in a consistent and unique way, the opportunity will come knocking sooner or later…and when you least expect it.

After McCain Foods, Brett joined another iconic organization, General Mills as a marketing manager. Notably, Brett worked on some well-known brands like Nature’s Valley and Green Giant.  

 

Lighting up 140,000 homes in Kenya

“I don’t have to worry about my kids coughing on kerosene fumes.”

Currently, Brett works as the COO of Solar Panda. Solar Panda sells solar kits in Africa – thus providing Kenyans with a much-needed and far healthier alternative to kerosene. Brett talks about their unique micro-financing structure which has made it possible to scale up their business in Africa. 

In this segment of the show, Brett also talks about the different challenges of remotely managing their 198 people team in Kenya.

We also draw some interesting comparisons between working in start-ups and extremely large organizations. 

If you thinking of switching over from a start-up to a large organization or vice-versa, this segment of the show will be particularly interesting to you!

Enjoy!

 

What You Will Learn In This Show

• Working in a large organization vs. start-up – a comparison
• How solar energy is proving to be an affordable solution for thousands in Africa
• Why great people are the most important success driver for any business
• And so much more…

 

Resources

Student Works 

Chris Thomson LinkedIn

Chris’s Email