New Beginnings in Solar

How I Traded Addiction for Ambition

BY DONNIE NEWBOLD

My Journey

The most surreal moment of my life was when I made my first big solar check.

I had earned $14,000 in one week — and it blew my mind.

You see, for nearly 20 years prior, I had struggled so badly with addiction that I lost everything. Drugs had stolen my family and friends, along with my professional career as an Executive Chef. I overdosed so severely at one point that someone had to give me CPR for almost 10 minutes. For the last two years of my active addiction, I was homeless.

A check of that size — earned with what felt like ease — seemed like a dream. But it wasn’t. I wouldn’t wake up and realize it wasn’t real.

It was real.

I was redeeming myself and getting a second chance at life through solar sales.

If you had told me five years ago that I’d end up in sales, I would’ve called you crazy. I was too deep into the daily grind of maintaining my habit to think about the future. In my mind, if I ever got clean and worked again, it’d be running kitchens.

But all the chaos finally caught up with me — and I went to jail.

It probably saved my life.

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Recovery & Reinvention

I knew when I got out, things had to change.

I didn’t want to be a chef anymore.

While I was locked up, I got serious about recovery. I made a promise to myself to stay on that path. And I’ve kept that promise.

After my release, I met a few guys in my recovery circle who were in solar. I had no idea what the job really entailed. I just knew I was ready for something new. I started in solar in March of 2023 as a setter — and I was good at it. I loved being able to set my own hours. In my second week, I set two appointments that closed. I remember thinking: “This feeling is better than any drug.”

It felt like a true accomplishment after everything I had been through. But I wasn’t satisfied — I wanted to close my own deals.

So I dove in headfirst, studying every piece of training I could find. Knockstar, D2D University, Snapper Academy — I watched solar content four hours a night, every night after work. In July 2023, I sold my first self-generated deal. I was completely hooked on the dopamine hit of turning nothing into something.

But I also realized I needed to find a company that would invest in me the way I invested in them. I wanted a real home.

Finding My Tribe

In February 2024, I joined LGCY Power.

I immediately felt aligned with the leadership. So many of the solar professionals I admired on social media were at LGCY — people who were both successful and honest. That’s what I wanted to be. That’s who I wanted to learn from.

But I’ll be real — I still doubted myself.

“You’ve been a loser for so long,” I would think. “What makes you think you can change that now?”

But I did change. And still am. In ways that make my head spin.

At LGCY, I started showing up — for my team and, more importantly, for myself. We were part of a traveling solar team, and I was often one of the first to arrive and one of the last to leave.

Then came my breakthrough: a two-week blitz where I closed 20 accounts.

The recognition felt incredible. Seeing my name at the top of the sales leaderboard felt better than I ever imagined.

The next blitz? 23 more deals in two weeks.

I was finally building a name. I was forming real friendships — surrounded by people with integrity, drive, and heart. I was crushing my second chance at life.

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Redemption Through Solar

Over the following months, I remained a top producer.

I finished 2024 with 106 accounts. By the end of Q1 2025, I already had 51 signed.

I’m now surrounded by elite sales professionals every single day. The leadership in my office — Chris Underwood, Mark Toone, Steve Rivela, and Justin Aylsworth — have pushed me far beyond what I thought I was capable of. They’ve shown me that every sales record is just another ceiling waiting to be shattered.

They’ve gone to bat for me. They’ve shown me what real leadership looks like.

In January 2025, I was promoted to Assistant District Manager.

Of everything I’ve achieved since getting clean, that promotion is what I’m most proud of. It’s proof that I can lead with integrity. That I’m valuable.

After a lifetime of failure and disappointment, I’ve found redemption through this amazing industry and group of people — and through the grind of door-to-door solar sales.

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A Message to Anyone Who Needs It

Solar has taught me how to be resilient. It’s taught me how to be of service.

If you chase only the money, your impact will be limited. But if you focus on serving your team and your customers — with heart and integrity — the money will follow. In fact, it will multiply.

I know I’m not the only one who’s found a second chance in this industry.

Solar is a proving ground for those willing to do the hard things to become better. It’s tough — but everything worth doing is.

And I wouldn’t trade this life for anything.

Today, I’m the father my daughter has always deserved. I’m the son my parents always believed was buried under that broken, drug-addicted shell.

Anyone can rise up — like the sun that powers our industry — and begin again.

About The Author

Donnie Newbold

Donnie Newbold is an Assistant District Manager at LGCY Power and a top-producing solar pro with over 1.6 megawatts sold in 2024. After overcoming nearly two decades of addiction and homelessness, he found purpose and redemption in door-to-door solar. Known for his work ethic, heart, and hunger to grow, Donnie now leads by example and helps others rise with him. His story proves that anyone — no matter their past — can rewrite their future in this industry.

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