There is something to be said about grabbing a warm cup of hot cocoa, piling into a car, blasting Christmas carols while driving through neighborhoods to ‘ohhh’ and ‘awww’ over beautiful light displays that celebrate the holiday season. Making those magical memories, is exactly why Light Waco strives to bring the highest quality Christmas lights for families in the Greater Waco Area.
Light Waco founders Micah Jones and Rhett Williams grew up together in Lorena before going their separate ways to secure degrees from Tarleton (Jones) and Texas State (Williams). Upon their return a few years ago, they set foot toward creating business opportunities that allowed them freedom and control of their own destiny. This vision and passion led them to found Serve Waco, LLC in 2018. Jones and Williams merged their respective businesses they had separately, to become partners of Quick Move Waco, Mow Waco, Light Waco and Move Waco. In speaking with Jones and Williams, it is clear they have a distinct passion around holiday lighting and displays.
“We’ll listen to Christmas music. One of our workers last year wore an elf costume and we’ve thought about wearing a Santa suit when we’re up there [on the roof]. I mean, we’re truly excited when we install Christmas lights,” said Williams.
Jones echoed Williams’s sentiments in that Christmas lights bring happiness, which can be even more important in times of COVID-19.
“We hope we can [bring joy] to people, especially in COVID times. Lights make people happy. Having lights up really makes it feel like Christmas,” Jones said.
As entrepreneurs they have leveraged the burgeoning entrepreneurial ecosystem in a variety of ways. Through programs hosted at Startup Waco and by Extraco, they’ve grown their network of contacts and partners, while savoring best practices from other local leaders. The Small Business Development Center at McLennan Community College also played an important role in supporting their venture into entrepreneurship. Jones and Micah spoke highly of Steve Surguy, Director of the SBDC, as an essential entrepreneurship support organization. This free community resource offers a range of services from assistance with business plans, financial projections, loan preparation for both startups as well as existing businesses.
Through these connections, networks and programs, Jones and Williams have continued to hone their values, messaging and culture. At Light Waco, they strive to provide an inspiring experience with integrity and high-quality installation to their customers.
“We want to give value to our customers; we truly want them to know that we care about the things that we’re doing. There are so many businesses where somebody shows up and you just don’t feel like they have your best interest in mind. We want people to know that we want to take care of them, and provide a service [our customers] can rely on every single time,” Jones said.
“Giving back to Waco is huge for us,” said Williams.
These gentlemen carry that responsibility into their daily work and transfer it into the culture that their team executes daily. As novice entrepreneurs they’re eager to succeed and willing to learn valuable lessons. In addition to the local networking Jones and Williams are involved in, they’re also avid listeners of Entrepreneurs On Fire and Bigger Pockets. Jones was particularly interested in Bigger Pockets: Episode 407 which discusses the importance of hiring employees based on aligned values.
In the future, Light Waco hopes to provide outdoor/patio, permanent and event lighting. Typically, in the month of October, Light Waco offers special pricing for early installation. This ensures customers can schedule a spot as Light Waco gets booked up closer to the holidays. There is still time to book Christmas light installations for the 2020 holiday season. To schedule a free in-person estimate, or to learn more about other services and opportunities that Serve Waco, LLC has to offer contact info.servewaco@gmail.com or send a direct message to them on Facebook!
“We hope we can [bring joy] to people, especially in COVID times. Lights make people happy. Having lights up really makes it feel like Christmas,” Jones said.
Katie Dawson works in Marketing and Communications at Baylor University and is content manager for LaunchWaco. She lives in Woodway with her husband Rhett, John the dog and Mildred the cat.
Jeremy Vickers, Ph.D., serves as Associate Vice President of External Affairs at Baylor University where he leads institutional events, community relations, and external affairs. He is passionate about innovation and entrepreneurship and channels that passion to serve organizations where he can support both growth and change. Jeremy lives in Waco, TX with his wife Jackie and four children.