What does it really take to turn a two-person hustle into a durable, people-first business? We sit down with Maja, co-founder of Carolina Outdoor Lighting, to trace the arc from answering irrigation clients’ lighting requests to building a design-led brand known for craft, culture, and steady growth. From the first two-day crash course to a recent acquisition in Brevard, Maya shares the decisions that mattered most—and the ones she’d make sooner if starting over.

We get practical about hiring early, even when it dents short-term profit, and why the right attitude beats prior experience in a niche trade like landscape lighting. Maja walks us through the company’s weekly LIONS rhythm—last week, issues, opportunities, next week—and how it keeps projects moving while opening space for personal vision work. You’ll hear how she and Jason divide roles—she leads operations and people; he leads field design and technical excellence—to reduce context switching and keep both the business and the craft moving forward.

If you’ve ever believed the myth that running a business means more freedom, Maja offers a grounded counterpoint: responsibility grows with the team, which is why planning, process, and values matter. We dig into core values like integrity, excellence, and creative innovation, plus the tangible tools that lift morale—ongoing education, certifications, and simple recognition rituals that make good work visible. We also explore the lessons from acquiring a competitor: gaps you only discover mid-integration, the questions to ask next time, and why fear, when paired with a solid plan, can be a reliable compass for bold moves.

Looking to grow your company without losing your soul? This conversation delivers a clear playbook: hire sooner, plan before you implement, teach constantly, and let your values steer the hard calls. If the next step still feels scary after you’ve planned it, that might be your signal to go. Subscribe, share this with a builder in your life, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway—we’d love to hear what you’ll try next.

Thanks for Listening. You may contact me or our team at https://billgilliland.biz/

All the best!
Bill

Thanks for listening. Please hit the subscribe button, leave us a 5 star review, and share this podcast. You can reach me at williamgilliland@actioncoach.com or at https://billgilliland.biz/

All the best!

Bill