Meet Jonatan Escalante | Director of Construction and Operations

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jonatan Escalante and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jonatan, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
There are three specific habits on which I have based my success. The first being the task of setting constant goals. The goals I set are not restricted to either short-term or long-term. Instead, I’ll set a long-term goal with individual short-term goals to get me there. The process of goal-setting enhances my need and want to persevere and achieve greater success. The second habit I depend on is starting the day early. Being a morning person, starting work earlier provides me with a longer period of time to show my greatest potential. Early in the morning, the mind is fresh and ready for the new activities that await it. Working early in the morning also provides isolation and a better space for focusing. By starting early, I can dedicate that time to individual work time, and later focus my afternoon to working in a multi-person/ teamwork setting. The habit of starting work early not only helps me get more work done but also allows me to build on individual work skills and work with others. The final habit I aspire to maintain is healthy boundaries between my work and personal life. As a father and a husband, I try not to let work problems impact how I am at home. The same applies to not letting personal problems affect the quality of my work. Boundaries promote success both in my personal life and in my work.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My career has been a long path, with lots of twists and turns. The thing I am most proud of is coming from a different country with nothing but the clothes on my back and making it to where I am today. To get to where I ended up, I had to dabble in many different things. I painted, worked in construction, did wood floors, practiced carpentry, and finally landed my job in solar. But even after discovering the solar industry, it took a long while before I earned the title I hold today. The biggest struggles I faced building my career were language barriers and being taken for granted because I came from somewhere else. And yet although I faced these language struggles, I did my best to adapt and learn. I spent years trying to perfect my English, and even today I always try to become more fluent. In regards to being taken for granted, I like to think that I’ve helped prove that people from other countries have the potential to be successful even though they came from very little.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m a spontaneous planner, I know there are a lot of good places to eat around Los Angeles. But as a proud Guatemalan, I will take them to my mom’s house to try the best Guatemalan food in town. But in all seriousness, I would take them to San Diego to have a great lunch at Old Town San Diego, and spend the rest of the afternoon at Balboa Park to explore all the amazing museums in that area. Then, end the night walking around Coronado or La Joya. I think, for last-minute plans, San Diego has a lot of amazing places to visit with a combination of different gastronomies and cultures.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First and foremost, I think a lot of my accomplishments are thanks to God, for the guidance to always take the right path in life. Second, my mom for all the sacrifices she made as a single mom, to offer me a better future. And third, my wife, for always encouraging me to give my best and supporting me in every idea or goal I set for my career/life.

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