Jeremiah Broz is determined to motivate people to make positive changes in their lives. Whether it be through mentoring people, working with those in need or through his solar energy business, Broz wants to make people's lives better.

"My name is Jeremiah Broz and I would say I have a lot of experience in failing."

Jeremiah Broz
Jeremiah Broz Jeremiah Broz

These are the first words Broz utters to the interviewer on a recent podcast he was invited to. It is not something you would expect from a successful businessman who has been asked to be a guest to talk about his success in the solar industry and the effects of climate change. As he continues though, you begin to understand that Broz is proud of his successes and failures. These life-altering moments have shaped him into the man he is today, given him the focus he has, and inspired him to devote himself to the well-being of those around him, especially his family.

As we begin our interview, the first thing Broz shows us is a picture of himself with his two daughters. It is his favourite picture of the three of them, bundled up and playing in the snow, laughing. "My children are a big reason why I do what I do," he says. "I was a workaholic and it eventually led to a divorce. After that, my daughters became my epicenter. I picked them up from school, we would do homework together and we would engage on the weekends. It changed everything. I always thought I had to work. I thought I had to put in a ton of hours and continuously take on more responsibility to make everything work. Now I am doing what I'm doing because I want to be with them. I want to be present in their lives and I want to see them grow up."

Before founding Energy Advantage Roof and Solar Services, Broz had started, and closed four businesses. His current business specialises in powering commercial, residential, and multifamily properties with safe and clean energy. He founded the company after realising that roofing companies for the most part do not incorporate any sort of change but rather install the same shingles that just got damaged from hail expecting the same thing to take place in 5-7 yrs… “What a waste!” Broz says. So creative and passionate about the change he wanted to see he started installing SOLAR with the roof when people had filed insurance claims for Hail and wind. It is his fifth startup and most successful to date.

He speaks candidly about his previous failed start-ups and the losses he has experienced in his journey to get to where he is. He has been through bankruptcy, divorce, and the loss of property and business. "Instead of quitting, I picked myself up, brushed myself off and went on to fight for what I wanted out of life," he says determinedly. “Without these failures, I wouldn't have known how to rebound when the times got tough and without the successes, I would not know what value I have to offer the world.”

His resilience to overcome the challenges of his past has given him an empathic understanding of the needs of others, something he has taken into his business and placed at its heart. The company is grounded on five principles – gratitude, resilience, accountability, connection, and empowerment (GRACE) . These principles are also at the core of Broz's own life mission. Many salespeople in the solar and roofing industry tend to oversize and oversell the system to the customer, creating distrust amongst consumers. Broz is determined to shift the perception of the industry by offering the best service, ethically and cost-effectively. “We don't take any money until the products are on the roof," he explains. "We have to deliver on what we promise to the customer every time."

In his personal life, Broz is deeply committed to the welfare of others, devoting a lot of his time to various charitable causes. He has volunteered as a meal server for Meals on Wheels America for the past seven years and sits on the board of Aftercare International , which protects children from exploitation and trafficking. He is also the soccer coach for Casa Soccer Colorado where he works to build community and inclusivity in Denver while coaching soccer.

As if that does not keep him busy enough, he also works as an education mentor for Young Americans Center for Financial Education , mentoring young entrepreneurs between the ages of 12 and 35. Entrepreneurship is a continued passion for Broz. He has recruited, hired and trained over 700 salespeople in his career, many of whom have gone off to start businesses of their own.

"I love entrepreneurship," says this self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur. "I love it when somebody can risk it all, possibly fail but when they do win, internalise it, and then create greater good around them." He is evidence of exactly this. He has created a business and a life for himself that is committed to a greater cause and to adding value to the people he encounters. Broz wants to be a man who makes a positive difference in the world, whether it be in the work he produces, with those who are less fortunate, and in his family.

"There's a larger world than what I have in my world," says Broz. "There are a lot of people in need. And I'm blessed with what I have around me. I'm fortunate to be able to live in a country where I can work hard and have a direct outcome, and that offers security and safety to my family and myself. There are a lot of people who don't have that opportunity. So I always think about how we can make a difference. It can seem a little overwhelming but – and I say that with a 'but' – we can still help one person at a time or take one hour out of the day. Small increments can go a long way."

Follow Energy Advantage Roofing and Solar on Instagram to see some of the work they are doing and to hear about their determination to add positively to the community.