From Corporate Burnout to Clean Energy Advocate: My Journey to Founding SolarPunkPro

I didn’t follow a straight path into sustainability. It was long, uneven, and full of detours. But it led me somewhere worth going.

Today, I run SolarPunkPro, a platform designed to help people pivot into green careers with purpose and practical skills. If you’re stuck in a job that drains you, wondering how to start working on something that actually matters, this post is for you.

You’ll learn about my journey from hospitality and construction to running international solar and energy efficiency projects, and how I turned two decades of experience into a guided path for others ready to make a career pivot into clean energy.

Where It All Started: A Third-Grade Club and a Big Dream

My name is James Manzer. I was born in the 80s and grew up during the Captain Planet years. In third grade, I started the Save the Earth Club. I didn’t have the vocabulary for sustainability back then, but I knew one thing: I wanted to help the planet.

That clarity stayed with me. I went on to earn a Bachelor of Science from an Environmental Liberal Arts college focused on sustainability. But after graduating, I hit a wall. I had the ideals, but I didn’t have the real-world skills to act on them.

So I drifted.

For a decade, I worked in hospitality, sales, construction, food service—you name it. Jobs that kept me afloat, but left me unfulfilled. I showed up, punched the clock, and wondered how I’d ever get closer to the mission I cared about.

Finding the On-Ramp: From Tech College to Purpose-Driven Work

The turning point came when I realized I couldn’t keep drifting. I had to double down.

I enrolled in a local tech college and completed two semesters of energy-focused coursework. I started volunteering with a local low-income energy assistance program. That experience grounded everything and gave me a first glimpse of what it meant to work on real problems in real communities.

I went on to earn certifications in BPI and HERS. Eventually, I added an MBA in Sustainable Business to help me navigate leadership roles in this space. On paper, I had a strong mix of education and experience. But in reality, I still felt behind.

I was overeducated and underprepared. Even with a degree, certifications, and an MBA, I couldn’t clearly explain what a kilowatt-hour was or how energy moved through a building. I was eager to make a difference but felt blocked by jargon and technical barriers. I kept running into the sense that this work was reserved for engineers and experts. And honestly, I nearly walked away.

What shifted things was learning how to reframe. I stopped trying to become someone else and started building on the skills I already had. I focused on what I could contribute: curiosity, communication, follow-through, and values that matched the mission.

That opened the door. From there, I was able to educate, design, and manage energy efficiency and solar projects across the U.S., Australia, and Uganda. These weren’t abstract ideas. They were real systems, real buildings, real people.

Why I Built SolarPunkPro

^{Image: James Manzer, founder of SolarPunkPro} 

After nearly 20 years in the industry, I saw a pattern: so many smart, capable people were stuck in work that didn’t reflect their values. They were hungry for change, but they didn’t know where to start or thought they needed a technical degree to qualify.

SolarPunkPro was my answer to that. I built it to help people go from feeling stuck and burned out to contributing to a future powered by renewables and resilience. This isn’t just a platform. It’s a solar punk career gateway; practical, empowering, and community-driven.

We take the most essential knowledge from the field and condense it into eight focused classes and a capstone project. You don’t need two years of school to make a shift. You need clear direction, real examples, and a structured path.

Want Tools to Start Your Solar Punk Career Pivot?

^{Our weekly newsletter includes green job leads, tools to build confidence, and stories from people making this shift. If you're curious about clean energy careers or ready to start a transition, you're in the right place.}

What I’ve Learned on This Journey

Looking back, the best thing I did was take small, consistent steps. I didn’t leap into solar overnight. I started with one class. One volunteer project. One decision to keep going. Here are a few takeaways that I share with every SolarPunkPro student:

You Don’t Need a Traditional Background

Most of the students I work with have backgrounds in teaching, sales, admin, construction, food service, or logistics. These roles build the people skills, communication, and problem-solving ability that clean energy teams need.

Community Helps You Go Further

When I was starting out, I had to figure a lot out on my own. Today, you don’t have to. Through SolarPunkPro, you’ll learn from people who’ve already walked this path and want to share what works.

Skills Matter More Than Status

You don’t need a flashy title to make an impact. What matters is your ability to take initiative, learn quickly, and work toward a shared goal. These traits will take you far in the green economy.

Mistakes to Avoid When Pivoting Into Sustainability

Here are some of the most common things I see people struggle with:

• Thinking you’re too late to start 
• Waiting to feel 100% “ready”
• Assuming you need to go back to school
• Trying to do it all alone
• Thinking only technical roles matter in clean energy

Avoiding these traps will help you move faster and with more confidence.

Extra Tips for Career Changers

• Start by learning where your energy comes from. Understanding the system makes your impact more tangible.
• Use your existing experience. Map your skills to roles in energy efficiency, solar, or sustainable construction.
• Follow organizations aligned with the solar punk vision, climate justice groups, cooperatives, and community energy orgs.
• Take short courses or get certified (NABCEP, BPI, or basic energy literacy courses are a great place to begin). 

The Work Is Waiting for You

The clean energy industry is growing. And it’s not just building infrastructure, it’s building livelihoods. It needs people who care. People who want to contribute. People who are tired of clocking in without making a difference.

This is about more than jobs. It’s about the way we live, build, move, and care for each other. The solar punk future is already being built. It needs your voice, your hands, and your ideas.

Let’s Grab Virtual Coffee and Chat

If you're ready to explore what your clean energy path could look like, let’s talk. We’ll walk through your goals, your skills, and your next steps toward a career with purpose.