Jason Schwartzberg, President of MD Energy Advisors (bottom) with Kristal Hansley of WeSolar (right) and moderator Alicia Wilson of Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Health System

Jason Schwartzberg, Paul Clary and Phil Croskey all had stable, interesting and well-paying jobs when they collectively elected to quit and “bet on themselves” ten years ago to found Baltimore-based MD Energy Advisors. Schwartzberg, President of the firm providing energy solutions to utilities, private companies and residential clients, joined Kristal Hansley of WeSolar to provide career and business tactical advice during a webinar hosted by Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Health System. The session was moderated by Alicia Wilson of JHU.

“Success or failure boils down to a few basic principles,” Schwartzberg began. “This includes, are you willing to put in the proper amount of work, do you know what your value propositions are, will you offer unparalleled customer service and will you treat people the way you wish to be treated?” he said. “Starting your own business does not mean betting the farm on everything. It can be a series of calculated risks that, over the period of months or years, eventually leads to a launch. Through trial and error, you find out what works – and what doesn’t – and that path leads you down the road to the achievement of goals.

“Everyone has 24 hours in each day,” Schwartzberg continued, “and it's all about how you best utilize that time to your advantage. I use a bootstrap grind mentality, which involves pinpointing specific goals and employing a laser-like focus to achieve them.”

He explained that his team initially did not possess tremendous insight into the energy sector, but they identified a need and pursued it. This led to the launch of PointClickSwitch, a subsidiary of MD Energy Advisors that helps residential customers in deregulated energy markets save on utility costs through comparison shopping. The team succeeded by completing research, establishing the right relationships and executing smart marketing strategies to quickly build market share and establish profitability.

“Controlling my own destiny fueled the drive and passion to start my own business,” he added. “This meant controlling my lifestyle, time, culture and financial ceiling. Among our most significant accomplishments is the number of family-sustaining jobs we have created – more than 25 full-time professionals to date and growing.

“It is important to always trust yourself and the process. Learn from your mistakes, talk to your peer group for advice and motivation and put everything in a macro and micro perspective. Don’t let a bad day get you down. Channel any bad experiences into a bad few hours or minutes. If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, you really don’t have the luxury to dwell on an entire bad day. So, minimize it and move on,” Schwartzberg concluded.

For more information about MD Energy Advisors, contact Jason Schwartzberg at jason@mdenergyadvisors.com