Live from RE+ Las Vegas: A Sales Visionary’s Story
What does it take to build a distribution company from absolutely nothing and scale it to $5 million in annual revenue? In Episode 4 of The Solar Coaster, recorded live at RE+ Las Vegas—the biggest renewable energy event of the year—I sat down with Todd Morgan, VP of Sales at Spitzer Energy Co., to find out.
Todd’s story isn’t just impressive—it’s a masterclass in entrepreneurial grit, strategic thinking, and the kind of “do what it takes” mentality that separates dreamers from achievers.
From Blank Paper to Powerhouse
Let’s start with the most audacious part of Todd’s journey: he built a well-known distribution company from a literal blank sheet of paper.
No existing customer base. No established relationships. No infrastructure. Just a vision and the determination to make it real.
“You have to be willing to do everything yourself at first,” Todd shared. “I built call centers, managed all the marketing, crafted every piece of sales messaging. You can’t outsource your way to success when you’re starting from zero.”
And the results? A network of 4,000 contractors with approximately 500 ordering on a regular basis, generating up to $5 million in annual revenue. That’s not luck—that’s strategic execution at the highest level.
The Preferred Contractor Program: Building Loyalty at Scale
One of Todd’s most innovative contributions to the solar distribution space is the “preferred contractor program” model. This isn’t just a loyalty program—it’s a systematic approach to turning one-time buyers into long-term partners.
The concept is elegant: create special benefits, offers, and support systems that incentivize contractors to keep ordering from you rather than shopping around. It’s about building relationships, not just processing transactions.
“Contractors want to feel valued,” Todd explained. “When you create programs that genuinely help them succeed, they become partners, not just customers.”
This model has revolutionized how distribution companies think about partner loyalty, moving beyond transactional relationships to true collaborative partnerships.
The Full-Stack Sales Leader
What makes Todd particularly unique is his comprehensive skill set. He’s not just a VP of Sales—he’s a full-stack business builder who understands every piece of the puzzle.
During our conversation at RE+, Todd detailed his hands-on experience with:
Call Center Operations: Building and managing outbound and inbound lead generation systems from scratch
Marketing Mastery: Handling digital marketing, email campaigns, tradeshows, events, magazine placements, and social media—all while ensuring maximum open rates, click-to-lead conversions, and precise targeting
Sales Messaging: Crafting the copy and graphics that drive conversion, not just interest
Strategic Planning: Determining market strategy, product mix, core competencies, unique value propositions, and market positioning
Program Development: Creating special promotions, offers, liquidation sales, and blowout events that move inventory and build excitement
This breadth of experience gives Todd a 360-degree view of what actually drives business growth—not just in theory, but in practice.
The Power of Strategic Thinking
Throughout our live conversation, one theme kept emerging: the importance of strategic thinking combined with relentless execution.
Todd doesn’t just work hard—he works smart. He understands that building a network of 4,000 contractors isn’t about cold calling everyone in the phone book. It’s about identifying your ideal partners, crafting messaging that resonates with them, and creating systems that deliver value consistently.
“You have to know your market,” Todd emphasized. “What products are in high demand? What value can you uniquely provide? How do you position yourself differently from competitors? Strategy comes first, then execution.”
This strategic foundation is what allowed him to scale so rapidly while maintaining quality relationships and sustainable economics.
The RE+ Las Vegas Energy
Recording this episode live at RE+ added an electric energy to the conversation. The conference floor was buzzing with innovation, deals being made, and connections being formed—the perfect backdrop for discussing Todd’s approach to building contractor networks and distribution success.
You can hear the excitement and passion in our discussion as industry professionals walked by, the hum of the expo hall in the background. It captured the real-world energy of the solar industry in action.
Lessons for Solar Professionals
Todd’s journey offers invaluable lessons for anyone in the solar space:
1. Start where you are. You don’t need perfect conditions to begin. Todd started with a blank sheet of paper and built from there.
2. Master multiple disciplines. The most successful leaders understand sales, marketing, operations, and strategy—not just one piece.
3. Build systems, not just relationships. Individual relationships matter, but systems scale. Todd’s preferred contractor program creates sustainable loyalty.
4. Focus on partner success. When your contractors succeed, you succeed. Make their growth your priority.
5. Never stop executing. Strategic thinking is critical, but without execution, it’s just planning. Todd combines both.
6. Be willing to do the hard work. Building call centers, crafting marketing materials, managing logistics—Todd did it all. There are no shortcuts to building something real.
Why This Episode Matters
Todd Morgan represents a breed of solar professional that’s increasingly rare: someone who’s built something from nothing and lived to tell the tale. His insights aren’t theoretical—they’re battle-tested strategies that generated millions in revenue and created thousands of contractor relationships.
Whether you’re a solar distributor looking to scale, a contractor trying to understand the distribution side of the business, or an entrepreneur seeking inspiration, Todd’s story provides a roadmap for growth that’s both ambitious and achievable.
Watch the Full Episode
Experience the live energy from RE+ Las Vegas! Watch Episode 4 of The Solar Coaster:
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Get The Solar Coaster Book
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