“Taking that leap of faith will scare you more than anything you’ve ever done but it will grow you and reward you more than you’ve ever experienced too.”

Green Energy of San Antonio is the premier dealer of Green Energy Radiant Barriers in San Antonio and central Texas.

Green Energy Radiant Barriers utilize a space age technology that was originally developed by NASA to protect astronauts from the extreme hot and cold temperatures in space. This same technology helps reduce the amount of radiant energy that enters your home, and can decrease your utility bills by up to 35%.

MO: What inspired you to launch your business?

Richard: My inspiration came from working hard for someone else. The question I asked myself was, “Why am I building a dream for someone else?”

MO: Do you consider yourself successful and by what means do you measure success?

Richard: Yes, I consider myself successful. However, we all know that the true measure of success isn’t through what you can acquire, but how you FEEL when your head hits the pillow at the end of the day. Money can give me the ability to purchase a bed made of platinum and gold, but how do I feel when I’m sleeping in it? Sure, the material items came eventually but I felt successful long before that point because I felt that I was making a positive difference in the world. I felt at peace with my creator, and my mission on this earth. I think that’s the reward that business gives you. Sure, you’ll take a huge leap of faith, and you’ll work harder than you’ve ever worked in your life. But when it’s for your own dream, and your own mission, and on your own terms, the reward is bigger than you can even imagine. The harder you work for it, the more amazing the reward feels.

MO: How do your competitors view you?

Richard: I’d sure hate to be our competitors, we make their lives really hard. We’re ridiculously organized, disciplined, and well informed. The standards we set internally for ourselves and how we treat our customers are so high that it’s nearly impossible to keep up with us. We don’t compete against our competitors, we compete against ourselves. How can we do this better? How can we improve this experience? Our standards are so ridiculously high that even when we fall on our face, we’ll still be performing at a level that makes our competitors loose sleep.

MO: What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs and business owners? What do you wish someone told you?

Richard: Regardless of what service or product you may provide, every entrepreneur must realize they are in the lead generation business first. Everything you do in business revolves around generating leads, leads, leads. Nothing else is more important. Lead generation needs to be in the heart of your business plan. If customers aren’t walking through your door, you can’t pay your employees or keep your business alive.

MO: What’s the biggest risk that you’ve ever taken and how did it turn out?

Richard: I think for most business owners, the largest risk you will ever take is trusting your gut and jumping into your own endeavor. There’s never a “perfect” time to abandon the security of a consistent paycheck and strike out on your own. You’ve got to be willing to abandon short term comfort for your long term happiness. We opened our doors following the biggest economic downfall since the depression. The rest of the world seen may have called us as crazy, but you’ve got to be a little crazy to survive in business these days anyway. In three and a half years, we’ve became the #3 dealer in North America, and the #1 dealer in Texas, for our product Green Energy Barriers. When every says you can’t do it, you’ve got to believe in yourself enough that you don’t need their validation to get started. Taking that leap of faith will scare you more than anything you’ve ever done but it will grow you and reward you more than you’ve ever experienced too.