I've always enjoyed helping people and solving problems. When I left the U.S. Navy in 2014, I moved to Huntsville, Alabama with the intention of getting my business degree and starting a company that would do just that - solve problems in a way that best helped others.
During my undergraduate years at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, I started an energy efficiency company called Echnaton Energy. I got the idea from an art history class - although I thought the name sounded cool, it was an unfortunate choice! I brought on a fellow student as our CFO, and we dove headfirst into the process of running a company and getting customers.
I had much to learn, and eventually, had to close down that business. It was not an easy choice, but finishing my undergraduate degree and then earning my MBA was the best path at the time.
Many business classes later, after countless hours of studying and working full-time, I earned my MBA at UAH in December 2019. It was quite a exciting occasion! All the work had paid off, and I had a shiny piece of paper in my hands. But the work was not done. I couldn't rest until I was able to make a difference for people in the community, state, and beyond.
To this end, I thought long and hard about how exactly to start my current company. I pondered numerous names, logos, and what our purpose would specifically be. I wanted to help people, in a way that would transform their lives and change their story. So I decided to call my company Retcon Energy LLC, with the idea that changing the story (what the word "Retcon" means) was the most important focus for our business. So in June 12, 2019, I launched the new company whose purpose was to lower energy costs for small businesses and homeowners.
But none of this would be possible without my Mom, Donna Maresh. Her selfless act of adopting me at two years old turned a life doomed to despair and stagnation into a story of hope, love, and light. I love both of my parents, and will forever be grateful to them for what they have done for me. Thanks to what my Mom did, I was able to grow up with a solid education, became an Eagle Scout in Troop 351 in Portland, Oregon, served eight years in the U.S. Navy, got my MBA, and now have a formidable career today - and a business. I could not be prouder of my Mom, for she did (and does) the things that many other people wouldn't do.
This brings me to today - this morning - where I work on building a company that will help people lower their energy costs. I still have so much to learn, and am working on bringing the right people together to make a difference in the world. We live in a world whose abundant resources are more than enough to provide basic needs to all - and yet we find that many do not get to share in this abundance.
You see, this is the part where the story isn't about me at all - it's about YOU. You may struggle to pay your electric bill on top of providing a life for your children, earning your college degree, paying the rent, and so many other bills that keep coming. The 2019 coronavirus has been hard for all of us, but for some, it is more than hard. It seems impossible. Many of you have had your hours cut or have been laid off. Your bills never stop, even when your paycheck does - or gets smaller. When I get up each morning, I think of the struggle that each of you must be enduring, and that motivates me to find new ways to help you. We are giving away our Energy Bill Analysis for free for the month of April, 2020. We are redesigning and adding content to our website to help you learn ways to lower your energy expenses. We are planning on how to work with manufacturers and distributors on lowering the cost of their products, by focusing on the best business case to do that.
I share my energy story because I want you to know about where I came from and what drives me. I want to help you change your energy story, from paying a lot of money every month to lowering your energy expenses - in a way that keeps your wallet fuller and gives you peace of mind. No one should have to choose between paying the energy bill and paying for necessary medication, food, shelter, or providing for their family. So I will keep getting up early each morning and figuring out how to help you lower your energy bills. Because in the end, things don't matter - people matter. That is what Retcon Energy, LLC is all about - You.
Stay safe out there, and please share your energy story with us! You can send us a written story, or video, about your experience with your energy bills - the frustrations, triumphs, and realities, in the spirit of motivating your friends and family to change their energy story.
Make this a great day, and may this day be better than the last.
Sincerely,
Zachary Maresh, CEO - Retcon Energy, LLC