Jordan Brompton

Published: 16/10/2024

Jordan Brompton, 35, says she’s always had an entrepreneurial flair which started from an early age. She began by working on scooters for her uncle at a market in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire and recalls that while she was growing up in a small town called Grimsby she was always hustling, grafting and finding ways to make money.

She adds: “I’ve tried everything under the sun. I was a hairdresser, social worker, Zumba instructor, radio presenter and worked in travel and tourism but that didn’t light me on fire.”

It was only when she entered the renewable and sustainable energy sector that she found her true passion, which has been a driving force throughout her career.

Powering up through myenergi

In 2016 Brompton co-founded myenergi with Lee Sutton. She says the idea for the company came from a conversation over a bottle of wine where they discussed the lack of options for electric vehicle (EV) drivers to charge their cars using solar panels. This is how myenergi was born, and the company now focuses on innovative, sustainable energy solutions for consumers.

She explains: “When I met Lee he’d gone from being a solar installer to a manufacturer of gizmos to heat water. I fell in love with the business, the industry and taking people off grid and putting the power back in their homes.”

They started the business with no funding, no brand, no manufacturing equipment - just ideas for products. Instead, the partners had to rely on their own business nous and back themselves.

“Lee had an  amount to invest from previous business dealings and I had some saved up, too and was just 26 years old. We structured the business so that Lee is majority shareholder, and I got a smaller stake, and we grew it together.”

As they were backing the business themselves, Brompton found there was little time to lose. “We had to get sales fast. Lee cracked on with electronics and design to build prototypes and create concepts and I was out there selling.”

But the pair did eventually get funding from elsewhere to scale the business after the product launch of their famous ‘zappi’ an EV charger and smart power diverter called ‘eddi.’

Highs and lows

It wasn’t always plain sailing for the co-founders and Brompton admits that running a business, despite her passions for it, aged her. She explains: “It’s been the best experience but also terrifying and pushes you out of your comfort zones. You go through a lot emotionally. 

“When you grow up in a small place like Grimsby you can’t imagine companies like this where you have shareholders and boards. Sometimes you feel amazing about what you’ve built and other days you feel like an imposter and feel like you don’t know anything. 

“We’ve had a lot of problems – mostly due to external factors like microchip shortages, cost of energy, government flip flopping and subsidies being pulled. You name it, we’ve been through it.

“Sometimes the business grew too fast, or we hired the wrong people. When something is growing this fast it still feels like it did on day one, but the business is eight years old now.”

Sound advice

When asked what advice she’d give to other budding entrepreneurs she highlights the importance of sticking away money for a rainy day. “The best advice I received is to take some money off the table when things are good. That’s really important."

She adds that it’s important to trust your own instincts. “If you’re a Founder of a business no one knows your business better than you. It shouldn’t matter if they are smarter or have letters after their name – it doesn’t always mean they’re right. Have faith in your own ability and don’t lose who you are as it can be emotionally challenging at times, and you have to stand up for yourself.”

Expansion and mentoring

Both Brompton and Sutton worked hard to turn myenergi into the market leader of self-consumption products that it is today. The business now has a range of products and works with energy providers to help people get off grid and embrace smart home management.  

While Brompton is unlikely to be lured by any other sector, she’s also passionate about helping other start-ups. “I’m an entrepreneur at heart and as long as it doesn’t feel like a job I will stay in it. I already invest in other startups. I just love the scrappy entrepreneurial beginner stage and I see myself adding value here.

“I can’t see myself not contributing to myenergi in some kind of way as I love it. But in the future, perhaps I’ll be in a different role. For now, we just want to keep going in the right direction.”