Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jessica Thompson, Co-Owner of The Electric Way, located in Colorado Springs, CO, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

The Electric Way is a family-owned and operated residential and commercial electrical business serving all Colorado Springs, Monument, Fountain, Manitou Springs, and parts of Falcon. The company was founded by my brother-in-law, David, back in 2013. At the time, he had been an electrician for several years. He noticed a trend of contractors who only cared about making money, which often meant they were taking advantage of their customers and treating their employees poorly. So, David got his Master's Electrician license and decided to start his own business to try to do things the right way. In the first few years, he ran the business out of his home and personal vehicle to help his neighbors and give honest advice. This was a radically different approach from the upselling, scare tactics that other electricians used, so he quickly gained the reputation of being the "friendly neighborhood electrician."

By 2018, other family members, including myself, became involved because we saw the potential in The Electric Way to grow into a company that could serve more neighborhoods and creates a positive workplace culture that was rare in the construction industry. We now have an office, a fleet of service vans, and a team of 12, and are still consistently expanding to meet the demand of our schedule, which often books out 1-2 months in advance. We are one of the highest-rated electricians in the area because, despite our exponential growth, our core values still revolve around helping our neighbors and giving honest advice.

The Electric Way does everything from lighting, electric vehicle chargers, remodels, troubleshooting, panel upgrades, and basically anything electrical in a home or office. The best way to figure out who we are and what our service is like is to see what our customers say on Google, Facebook, Nextdoor, and even just through word of mouth. Our reputation speaks for itself.

Tell us about yourself

I am a co-owner and the Chief Marketing Officer at The Electric Way. My role focuses on growing the company while maintaining our brand. I spearhead all our community engagement efforts, B2B development and manage our online presence. As an owner, I also work with our team to ensure that our day-to-day aligns with our overall values and vision. I first joined The Electric Way in 2018 after I had my son, Jaxon. At the time, I had just stepped away from a position as the Operations and Marketing Manager for a prestigious law firm in Denver. As much as I loved the work, I knew I needed something with more flexibility (and a shorter commute) so that I could be with my son. While I was struggling to figure out what was next for me, The Electric Way was turning a corner from a home-based, simple operation into a legitimate company that needed to start thinking about long-term strategy and growth (e.g., marketing, profit, and loss, staffing, etc.).

It was the best of both worlds for me. I could create my own schedule AND had the opportunity to get in on the early stages of this business with a world of possibilities ahead of it. I immediately had so many ideas and, for the first time, had full autonomy and authority to make my vision a reality.

That excitement still drives me. I wake up in the middle of the night with (what I think are, at the time) revolutionary ideas for The Electric Way. And even though 80% never come to fruition, I love that I get to decide which ideas are worth exploring and which are half-asleep nonsense. Plus, I have a team of people I trust to get feedback and help me brainstorm when I get stuck.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Hands down, I'm most proud of our team and the culture we've created at The Electric Way. The construction industry is notorious for hazing, big egos, and a toxic masculine approach (e.g., "I don't care how you feel," "tough it out," "stop whining," etc.). Every single technician on our team has experienced this at previous jobs. Most had gotten to the point of just thinking this was the only way the industry could be.

We take a radically different approach to building and nurturing our team because we believe it's our responsibility to create a culture where everyone actually enjoys coming to work and has opportunities to develop professionally. We have team meetings, one-on-one check-ins, fun outings, and training. Most importantly, we just try to be transparent and inclusive so that our whole team is helping drive how the company develops. We want to know what's going well, but we especially want our team to tell us how we can be better.

I have heard countless times from our techs that they have never worked anywhere like this - a place where they feel listened to, taken care of, and valued. As much as I love hearing customers rave about our services, the feedback I hear from our team is what makes me feel like we're getting it right.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Honestly, it's sort of the other side of the coin from what I mentioned above. I want to always be transparent and open with the whole team, but boundaries are important, too, and it can sometimes be hard to figure out where to draw the line.

As an owner, it's my job to protect the team from certain stressors. At one point, we used to review job revenue and conversions with the entire team each month. Our attempt to be transparent resulted in added pressure on our technicians, who felt like they had to "sell" more and were worried about underperforming. We realized that this just distracted from the high-quality work they were already doing, and it shouldn't be their responsibility to analyze the company's financials monthly.

When we think about whether to share information with our team, we try to be more intentional by asking ourselves, "Will this help them do their job better? Or is this going to add unnecessary stress?". I love when our team asks questions to understand the big picture because that tells me they want to know and will use that information to become even better. If they ask, I'm more than willing to give them as much insight as they want. But, when it's not solicited, I've found oversharing bogs down the team with details they don't have to worry about and does them a disservice.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Have multiple circles of support. Working with family, we have unconditional respect and appreciation for each other. But often, we can be so deep in the weeds that we don't see obvious solutions or new opportunities. Being friends with other business owners helps you get perspective and reconsider how you are doing things. I'm part of a local women's networking group called The Success Collective. Developing genuine friendships with this group of women has changed my world. They always have great advice and the deepest level of empathy, no matter the situation. If you don't have a circle like this, find one! It'll make you better.
  2. Work-life balance is a misnomer that sets people (especially women) up for failure. "Balance" implies there is one universal point of perfection and anything outside of that is unstable. Owning a business is a series of ebbs and flows. Find what works for you, that day, that week, that hour, and readjust as often as you need to.
  3. Trust your gut, especially when it comes to people. Whether it's a customer, employee, or business partner, sometimes you just know when it's a bad fit. Rather than pushing through that, listen to what your instincts are trying to tell you. You are bound to trust the wrong person at some point, but figure out where the red flags are so you can avoid them next time.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

As serious as we can be about our business, we also have a lot of fun in the office and on social media. David and I have collaborated on a mix of Tik Tok videos, including tips for homeowners, tricks of the trade, and fun takes on Tik Tok Challenges. Our most famous video where we recommend a certain tool has almost 600K views. Apparently, this is a controversial opinion in the electrical trade, and many commenters were quite "passionate" about their view. Whether good or bad, we love seeing people engaging with our content.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://theelectricway.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theelectricway
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theelectricway/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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