EP 3: Chat with Mary Britton

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Sharon Lee talks with Mary-Hayden Britton, a very talented woman who landed in the solar industry by accident but has remained strong and influential 8 years later. Here we talk about a little bit of who Mary-Hayden Britton is, not only as a worker in the solar industry, but as a mom and woman, what role she has in Velo Solar and how she is constantly trying to evolve by helping other women maximize their positions and careers in the solar industry, which is traditionally dominated by males.

 

Sharon Lee:

Sharon Lee taps over a decade of solar sales experience, having led the creation of a solar division for a leading manufacturing/construction firm, resulting in over 17 MW of solar in its portfolio as well as solar ultimately becoming its highest grossing revenue vertical. Lee has been involved in the GA Solar Energy Association, serving on the board of directors as the marketing chair, organizing the annual conference, as well as vice chair, and ultimately the first female chair of the organization in 2015. She is also a charter member of the Professional Women in Building chapter of the Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association, a member of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), and Women in Solar Energy (WISE). Lee earned her B.S. degree in communications with double minors in marketing and psychology from Middle Tennessee State University, after spending three years at the University of Tennessee in the pre-health curriculum. Lee is the mom of two boys, ages 14 and 11 and a rabid college football fan. She and her husband, John, spend most of their free time at the baseball or football fields, unless they can steal away for a quick round of golf.

 

Mary-Hayden Britton:

Mary-Hayden Britton has a Bachelor in Science from Elon University and a Masters in Human Resources from Cornell University. She is currently the Director of Operations of Velo Solar, but in past years she has worked as the Director of Service of Hannah Solar LLC, and the Sales Administrator of SolarMax. She participates in different important groups of the solar energy field such as TenneSEIA (Tennessee Solar Energy Industries Association) and the Solar Energy Group. She is a great believer in mentoring and networking, which is why she always tries to give more light to women and help them rise in the solar industry.

 

Insights from this Episode:

• How long has Mary been with Velo?
• How Sharon and Mary landed for accident in the solar industry?
• The mentors that have influenced Mary during her career
• How Mary got involved in mentoring other women
• The challenges in the solar industry
• What makes Velo Solar unique
• Mary’s relationship with her son

 

Quotes from the Show: 

• “[About inclusivity in Velo Solar] These are not traditional support admin roles and I think that it's great that we’re showcasing diverse roles as women at Velo”- Mary-Hayden Britton in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
• “I did learn along the way that I should be mentoring other women so I did make it a priority to do that from each company that I’ve been involved with and I encourage women to get also involved in network and continue to grow and learn as they build their way up”- Mary-Hayden Britton in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
• “[About challenges of the solar industry] Given the state of the world we’re seeing a lot of shortages in supplies so we have had to constantly look at new technology and come up with other solutions”- Mary-Hayden Britton in “The Sunnyside Podcast”

 

Stay Connected:

 

Sharon Lee

LinkedIn: Sharon Lee 

Facebook: Sharon Lee

 

Mary-Hayden Britton

LinkedIn: Mary-Hayden Britton 

 

Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Spotify.

 

This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.