DiscoverNikonomics - The Economics of Small Business214 - $150K in 3 Weeks Selling Christmas Lights—In August! with Anne McGinty
214 - $150K in 3 Weeks Selling Christmas Lights—In August! with Anne McGinty

214 - $150K in 3 Weeks Selling Christmas Lights—In August! with Anne McGinty

Update: 2025-08-06
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Join me, Nik (https://x.com/CoFoundersNik), as I interview Anne McGinty of the How I Built My Small Business Podcast.

In this episode, I sit down with Anne, a true hustler who transformed early career struggles into entrepreneurial triumphs. We dive into Anne's journey, starting from a demoralizing toothpaste sales job and a side greeting card business that funded her first foray into real estate.

Hear how a serendipitous repeated encounter with an idea led Anne and her husband, Mark, to launch a seasonal Christmas lighting business, growing it from a three-week operation generating $100,000 in net profit to a six-month, multi-truck enterprise. We discuss their unique, scrappy marketing tactics, like using a spray-painted box truck as a mobile billboard, and why they ultimately decided to sell their highly profitable business, even with a 50% net profit margin.

Enjoy the conversation!

Questions This Episode Answers:
• How did Anne McGinty pivot from a low-paying job to building significant capital through early side hustles and real estate?
• What innovative strategies did Anne and her husband Mark use to "house hack" and secure their first multi-unit property in the high-cost Bay Area?
• What unusual "signs" prompted the launch of their extremely successful seasonal Christmas lighting business?
• How did Anne and Mark scale their Christmas lighting business from a three-week side gig into a six-month operation with multiple teams and high-profile contracts?
• What strategic financial modeling led Anne to sell a thriving business, and how did she achieve passive income equivalent to its former profits within five years?

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Love it or hate it, I'd love your feedback.

Please fill out this brief survey with your opinion or email me at nik@cofounders.com with your thoughts.

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This week we covered:

00:00 From Struggles to Success: The Christmas Lighting Journey

11:23 The Birth of an Entrepreneur: Seizing Opportunities

18:29 Scaling the Business: Strategies for Growth

25:36 Navigating Challenges: The Impact of COVID-19

33:13 Reflections on Selling: Lessons Learned and Future Goals

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214 - $150K in 3 Weeks Selling Christmas Lights—In August! with Anne McGinty

214 - $150K in 3 Weeks Selling Christmas Lights—In August! with Anne McGinty

Nikolas Hulewsky