Good Business with Clay Vaughan
Good Business with Clay Vaughan is a podcast about building companies that actually matter. Not just ones that grow, but ones that last. Ones that honor God, care for people, and create real value in the world.
Every week, Clay sits down with entrepreneurs, executives, and leaders who are walking that road in their own way. The conversations aren’t fluffy or surface-level. They get into the hard stuff—how to lead through chaos, how to build culture when it’s easier to cut corners, and how to keep purpose front and center when profit is shouting in your ear.
It’s a show about the kind of business most people want to run but few actually figure out. You’ll hear wins and mistakes, stories and strategies, but more importantly—you’ll hear what it looks like to run a business that’s both good at what it does and good for the people it touches.
If you want to grow, lead well, and make an impact that outlives you, this is your place.
Good Business with Clay Vaughan
Building a Solar Company in Oil Country
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In this episode of Good Business, Clay Vaughan and Luke Frazier sit down with Power Ray founders Jarel Ray and Nefi LeBaron to discuss entrepreneurship, culture, leadership, and why they believe the future of energy will require entirely new ways of thinking.
From humble beginnings in Mexico to building one of the fastest-growing utility-scale solar companies in Texas, Jarel and Nefi share how hard work, faith, and a commitment to people have fueled their vision of creating a billion-dollar company built on purpose.
In this episode:
• Why Jarel believes major power outages could be coming to Texas
• The future of decentralized energy and community power systems
• Building a solar company in the heart of oil country
• Growing from 30 employees to hundreds in record time
• Scaling culture in a high-growth business
• Why integrity sometimes means walking away from money
• Lessons from growing up with very little in Mexico
• The role of faith, purpose, and service in leadership
• Why business should be about more than profit
• What defines a truly good business
Jarel and Nefi's story is a powerful reminder that great businesses are built by great people—and that success is ultimately about serving others.
If you're an entrepreneur, business owner, leader, or someone who believes business can be a force for good, this conversation is for you.
Key Moments:
00:00 Why Texas Could Face Major Power Outages
05:09 Meet Power Ray
08:08 Scaling From 30 to Hundreds of Employees
13:16 Building Solar in Oil Country
18:38 Where Drive and Ambition Come From
24:13 Empowering People Through Business
29:44 Growing Up in Mexico
41:20 Wrestling Crocodiles and Childhood Adventures
46:43 How Power Ray Was Founded
55:04 Is Texas Headed Toward Another Grid Crisis?
1:00:57 The Future of Energy
1:12:04 Why Core Values Matter
1:22:53 Building a Billion-Dollar Company
1:24:28 What Defines Good Business?
Subscribe to Good Business for more conversations with founders and leaders who are using business as a force for good.
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