All I can say is by the Grace of God! Now some people will not love that I invoke my faith off the top, but whether you believe is not the issue, I do! It is why I am still here today through the big ideas, small mistakes, incredible success, and the “are you kidding me’s.” But this journey started with a question and 10 years later the answers keep coming, some days it feels like they are coming in waves. The reason is the proper foundation was laid, for the right reason. The only thing that is true today – a decade later, is “give first and you will get.”
Many of you know the story, I battled cancer – twice. Lost my voice box and, consequently the ability to speak. Found a way to speak without a voice box. I would tell you how, but you really do not want to know. Let us just say it takes a lot of intestinal fortitude which, if one believes what is said, I have much of.
But when I asked that question a decade ago, and the answer was providing all energy efficiency solutions at no cost to the client, I was naive to think that such a gift would be readily accepted. In fact, I got more side eyes than sincerity. More pushback than platitudes. More takers than givers. Such is life. There was much to be done.
As we proceeded to craft our No Capital Outlay Partnership Agreement (NCOPA) with the brilliance of my dear friend Dickran Guerguerian and RSF Capital Partners, the model kept becoming more inclusive. I must also say this agreement originally had the word Plan and it was our Chief Development Officer, Chiara Oosthuizen, who has become so much more, recommended it changed to the word Partnership instead. One word can make all the difference in the world. In a plan you need a clear objective, in a partnership you need trust.
Transparency and trust. Every single facet of our decade-long development of the NCOPA comes down to those words. I mentioned earlier the answers are now coming in waves. Those answers have come in the form of CARES and ESSER FUNDS. They have come in the form of the American Relief Plan Act of 2021. They have come in the form of buying consortiums and purchasing collectives. They have come in the form a global 
network of incredible individuals who are dedicated to this mission every bit as much as I am. In fact, on days that I can be challenged, one word from someone in the group gets me out of my head and into theirs and I learn something new and am recharged. Ten years of seeing people like Sean Ewais, Larry Pasetti, Paul Burzsynski, Veronica Rojas and Tim Breitbach riding shotgun on the journey gives me knowledge that I can count on nothing but maximum effort from these radically different people.
The relatively new, but incredibly important contributions of Kosh Samuel and Cesar Hernandez in Business Development and Public Affairs respectively has been a blessed extension to the team. Add to the list of people the tireless contributions of Danie Langner whose array of skills cannot be put into a category.
Transparency and trust. Every single facet of our decade-long development of the NCOPA comes down to those words. I mentioned earlier the answers are now coming in waves. Those answers have come in the form of CARES and ESSER FUNDS. They have come in the form of the American Relief Plan Act of 2021. They have come in the form of buying consortiums and purchasing collectives. They have come in the form a global network of incredible individuals who are dedicated to this mission every bit as much as I am. In fact, on days that I can be challenged, one word from someone in the group gets me out of my head and into theirs and I learn something new and am recharged. Ten years of seeing people like Sean Ewais, Larry Pasetti, Paul Burzsynski, Veronica Rojas and Tim Breitbach riding shotgun on the journey gives me knowledge that I can count on nothing but maximum effort from these radically different people.
The relatively new, but incredibly important contributions of Kosh Samuel and Cesar Hernandez in Business Development and Public Affairs respectively has been a blessed extension to the team. Add to the list of people the tireless contributions of Danie Langner whose array of skills cannot be put into a category.
This week, we will be making an announcement of our next big partner. Did I say big? Let us say massive! I like to think of this as our “look, Ma, we made it” moment. Because in an industry we tried to disrupt we found the one partner who together can help us “give first” for hundreds of clients affecting thousands of companies and touching millions of people. Stay tuned.
Thank you to each of every one of you willing to listen. You are priceless!
A decade in and we have just begun.
Thank you for your time and God Bless,
Daniel Badran
