"Story telling is a wonderful way to communicate and educate."
Russ Bates Tweet
Meet Russ Bates, the Founder of NXTGEN Clean Energy Solutions, the One Stop Shop for Solar, Electric Vehicle Charging, and Battery Storage projects.
NXTGEN was born of his passion for clean energy technologies and how they can help save money, improve the economy, and improve the environment. He loves working with small businesses and showing how clean energy can vastly reduce costs and that these technologies are not only for big corporations.
Russ transitioned from a long career in the fossil fuel power generation industry to the clean energy sector. From growing up on property that was once a coal mine to working as a pre-apprentice in a coal fired power plant to being the Vice President of a company who build a 750MW combined cycle facility, he’s seen it all in the fossil fuel power gen sector. Clean energy and bringing this technology to businesses, municipalities, and the general public is his purpose.
Russ is an experienced executive who is passionate about all aspects of business, strategy, and building long term relationships. He’s skilled in management of P&L centers, including project estimation, proposals, project management, project controls, subcontract management, and supply chain management. Russ is also a believer in one team where everyone contributes to achieve the common goal and strives to bring success to the organization.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Russ Bates: I was born in the ‘coal country’ of Southern Indiana and grew up in a small house built on an abandoned coal mine. Many of my family and friends made their living working in the mines. In the early ‘90s, I worked my first job as an IBEW electrician at a coal fired power plant. This fossil fuel power generation industry was incredibly strong, and my career continued at various coal fired and combined cycle (gas) power generation facilities. During this time, I grew increasingly interested in renewable energy technology and was inspired by its continued advancement.
The idea for NXTGEN Clean Energy Solutions was born of my my interest in (and eventual passion about) renewable energy. I recognized that there was sometimes a missing link between this technology and general public awareness of its benefits. I also identified the issue of accessibility to various aspects of the technology even if the awareness is there.
That led me to found NXTGEN as a one stop shop, concept to completion, single point of contact company for sustainability consultation, customized project development and execution of solar power, wind power, battery storage, solar lighting, and electric vehicle charging stations for businesses, homeowners, municipalities, health care facilities, schools, and so on. NXTGEN works with clients from concept to completion.
2020 and 2021 threw a lot of curve balls into business on a global scale. Based on the experience gleaned in the past couple years, how can businesses thrive in 2022? What lessons have you learned?
Russ Bates: I feel that as the business world has changed the last few years with more people working remotely and virtual meetings, customer service is still key. The automated world makes life easier but actual service really matters.
For businesses to thrive in 2022 and beyond, customer service and long term relationships should be part of a company’s core values. And of course, planning and communication is key to keep ahead of the supply chain challenges.
The pandemic seems to keep on disrupting the economy, what should businesses focus on in 2022? What advice would you share?
Russ Bates: My advice is to be prepared to pivot as needed by being aware of what risks the pandemic may pose to your particular sector. For example, if your business relies on in person interaction then think about how to mitigate that risk by asking ‘how can my organization work around the disruption we experienced the last couple of years’. To repeat what I’ve already said, planning and communication is key.
How has the pandemic changed your industry and how have you adapted?
Russ Bates: I feel the pandemic affected most every industry with some being more affected than others. The biggest impact for the clean energy sector that I’ve personaly seen is in regards to the supply chain. This was multiplied earlier in 2022 with the tariff situation on solar panel imports from China. There is not a quick fix for domestic manufacturing as expansion of existing plants and building new facilities does take time. There is some relief with solar panel imports from countries other than China.
Labor challenges are also a concern for many sectors and we are seeing the same with the clean energy market. Installation of renewable energy technology is physical work that requires a degree of skill. These skill sets can be acquired and NXTGEN is working with various apprenticeships, college and university training programs, and so on to help workers not only acquire the knowledge needed but also place them on projects. It’s a win for everyone.
What advice do you wish you received when the pandemic started and what do you intend on improving in 2022?
Russ Bates: That’s a tough question. My initial thoughts go to how more lives could have been saved if everyone had a better understanding of what the virus was. I wish everyone could have received the advice of how to stay safe and minimize the loss of life we experienced.
From a business perspective, based on what the pandemic has taught me we have made adjustments in certain areas of our operation. Virtual meetings are a normal way of interacting now as is working remotely. Don’t get me wrong. Face to face interaction is very important and we value building relationships in that way. But there are certain situations where technology can save time and money where prior to the pandemic the immediate response was to schedule an in person meeting or site visit.
Online business surged higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for 2022?
Russ Bates: I see this trend continuing as companies see it can work. The world has changed and technological advances have reduced the need for face to face interaction. As I’ve mentioned, virtual meetings are not a substitute for an actual in person experience but they do have their place. If given the choice I would always prefer to sit down with a client and build a relationship in that way.
Regarding remote work, I see it as a valuable way for both companies and individuals. It provides a level of freedom to employees and has also been proven to increase productivity. There are some who believe that employees must be in an office to get things done but I disagree. From my perspective, if I need to consistently watch an employee in the office to be sure they are doing their job then it’s probably not a good fit for either party.
We believe in empowering members of the NXTGEN team which equals happier and more productive team members and an even better experience for our clients.
How many hours a day do you spend in front of a screen?
Russ Bates: More than I should. I am usually in front of a screen, whether it’s my computer or smartphone, around 12 hours a day right now. That’s probably why I’m an advocate of meeting in person when possible… I can get away from the screen for a bit.
The majority of executives use stories to persuade and communicate in the workplace. Can you share with our readers examples of how you implement that in your business to communicate effectively with your team?
Russ Bates: Story telling is a wonderful way to communicate and educate. I’ve learned from many great communicators the importance of telling a story to make a point. Personally, I’ve told stories of both success and failure to illustrate a perspective for the audience. I use many different stories of decisions made that worked out incredibly well and even more experiences to share how things didn’t go the way I hoped.
Those instances that involved a ‘failure’ are some of my favorites to share because they helped me learn, grow, and not make the same mistake a second time. Being able to share an experience and pass that knowledge to others is one of the best ways to effectively communicate.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as the real challenge right now?
Russ Bates: Speaking on the clean energy sector, the biggest challenge is a lack of knowledge and too much politicizing. Clean energy can be very complicated and the technology has made incredible advancements over the last several years, but many people are making decisions on outdated and/or skewed information.
When we speak with potential clients and show them the real numbers, performance guarantees, studies and so on, the knowledge really helps to clear up preconceived notions and expectations. That’s when the potential client gets very excited and becomes an actual NXTGEN client.
In 2022, what are you most interested in learning about? Crypto, NFTs, online marketing, or any other skill sets? Please share your motivations.
Russ Bates: Online marketing is intriguing and something that I would like to better understand. I am also learning more about how investing is changing in this new economy especially when talking about ESG. My expertise is certainly not in crypto or NFTs as I leave that up to my financial adviser.
A record 4.4 million Americans left their jobs in September in 2021, accelerating a trend that has become known as the Great Resignation. 47% of people plan to leave their job during 2022. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued and misunderstood in the workplace. Do you think leaders see the data and think “that’s not me – I’m not that boss they don’t want to work for? What changes do you think need to happen?
Russ Bates: In my experience, many leaders feel they are not a bad boss…but that doesn’t mean they are an effective leader either. Company culture is incredibly important which includes recognizing the value of each and every employee. Most people want to feel that what they are doing is important and that their contribution is appreciated. It’s really not hard to express appreciation to employees if you genuinely care about them.
Regarding what changes do I think need to happen? I feel that leaders, supervisors, C-Suite personnel, and so on simply need to take a long hard look at how they manage people. Asking simple questions like “would I want to be talked to that way” or “did I say say thank you for what that person did to help the company” is a great start. The big picture solution is to promote a positive work culture where everyone actually feels like part of the team.
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Russ Bates: That’s an interesting question. I would have to say my chosen superpower would be the ability to show prospects the future where clean energy is the norm. Our industry is really still quite new and it is hard for many people to picture consuming electricity from any other source besides the traditional utility.
People still believe that even renewable energy has to rely on fossil fuels. For example, I still hear that if someone chooses an electric car, they will need to rely on traditional forms of energy to power that car. That’s not the case. If I had the superpower to show them all the benefits from dollars saved to their impact on improving the environment, well that would be something to feel proud about.
What does “success” in 2022 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Russ Bates: For me, success comes down to living up to the NXTGEN mission statement. As long as we “represent our clients in the development and execution of clean energy projects that meet their needs while also ultimately benefiting the environment, society, and the economy” then success is realized.
The company growth, increased revenue, and so on, will come in the process of all of us working our mission statement. That’s what success in 2022 and beyond means to me.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Russ Bates for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Russ Bates or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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