Running a small business can feel like living in a constant state of reaction, especially if you’re in solar construction. There’s always a fire to put out, a delay to fix, or a client who needs immediate attention.

Now throw in the rollercoaster volatility of the solarcoaster—changing regulations, shifting utility policies, fluctuating incentive programs—and suddenly, thinking ten years ahead feels like a luxury you can’t afford.

But the truth is…if you’re not thinking about your 10-year goal, what is getting you out of bed in the morning?

Because chances are, when you started your solar company, profit wasn’t the only thing driving you.

Maybe not even the main thing.

You likely joined this industry because you wanted to be part of the solution. You saw a world dependent on centralized, monopolized, fossil-fueled systems, and you wanted to help change that. Maybe you were motivated by the climate crisis, or the idea of building something better for future generations. Or maybe you wanted to open doors for the next wave of green economy workers.

Whatever it was, it probably felt big. Maybe even idealistic.

That’s where the BHAG comes in.

So… what is a BHAG?

BHAG stands for Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal.

It’s not just a mission or a vision, it’s a rallying cry. A BHAG is a bold, long-term goal that aligns your entire company. It’s the kind of goal that, when spoken aloud, makes people pause and say,* “Wow, really?”*

If your team seems misaligned, if morale is lagging, or if your company feels like it’s coasting instead of charging forward, it might be because your BHAG isn’t clear.

Or worse, it doesn’t exist.

And here's the thing: there’s no such thing as a wrong BHAG—as long as it meets the criteria.

What makes a goal a BHAG?

Okay, let’s break it down:

• **Big: **It should feel much larger than what’s achievable today. It’s something that stretches your imagination.
• **Hairy: **You don’t quite know how you’re going to get there. It should make you slightly uncomfortable and a little bit dizzy.
• **Audacious: **It should wow people when they hear it. It should make you proud to say out loud.

If your 10-year goal doesn’t intimidate you* just a little, *it’s not a BHAG. That’s the litmus test.

Why a BHAG matters?

A good BHAG does more than live on a PowerPoint slide or in a leadership retreat notebook. It creates alignment. It sparks motivation. It gives purpose to the grind.

It tells your team: This is where we’re going. And we’re going there together.

Without it, the day-to-day starts to feel like, well... just a bunch of days.

A BHAG reminds you that all those little wins and hard decisions are building toward something epic.

How To Create A BHAG That Actually Works?

Coming up with a BHAG sounds exciting (and it is) but it’s also deceptively tricky.

You don’t want to brainstorm this in isolation. A BHAG isn’t just your personal dream; it needs to be something your leadership team believes in and feels ownership over. After all, they’re the ones who’ll help implement it.

That means the process of creating your BHAG should be collaborative. Workshop it with your key people. Get their input. Ask them what kind of impact they want to make and what feels just beyond reach. When your team helps shape the goal, they’ll be more emotionally invested in achieving it.

A real example based on our experience:

At our previous company, we worked closely with a leadership coach to define our BHAG. After several rounds of brainstorming, discussion, and goal setting, we landed on this:

Install 30,000 solar systems and achieve an average 30-day timeline from contract to installation—within 10 years.

At the time, we had completed just 1,000 installs, and our average install timeline was closer to 120 days. So yes—it was big. It was hairy. It was audacious.

But it gave us something powerful: a North Star. A goal that motivated everyone on the team and helped us make decisions with long-term purpose.

But what if that BHAG isn’t big enough for you?

Let’s say you’re a Texas-based installer cranking out 100 jobs a month with a current average install time of 30 days. Great! That’s already impressive.

So maybe your BHAG sounds more like:

1 million solar systems installed in 10 years, with an average install time of 24 hours.

That might sound borderline insane. But that’s the point. It’s not supposed to be comfortable. It’s supposed to push you.

You want your goal to give you goosebumps. You want it to stir up doubt and excitement in equal measure. You want it to stretch your capabilities and your imagination.

Because that’s how you’ll grow.

That’s how your company will grow. And that’s how the solar industry, as a whole, gets better.

Final Thoughts

Finding your BHAG won’t be easy. But once you do, everything shifts.

You’ll stop working in the business and start working on the business.

Your team will be more aligned. Your decisions will feel more intentional. And best of all, you’ll wake up every morning with a sense of purpose that transcends putting out fires.

So go ahead—gather your team, clear the whiteboard, and start dreaming a little bigger. Your future self (and your company) will thank you.

Do you have any questions? Let’s talk.