Podcast Summary

Podcast: To The Point – Home Services Podcast
Episode: Why Exterior Illumination Might Be the Most Overlooked Goldmine in Home Services
Host: Chris (RYNO Strategic Solutions)
Guest: Ryan Lee (Majestic Outdoor Lighting, Landscape Lighting Secrets, Light It Up Expo)
Date: February 17, 2026

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Chris sits down with lighting industry expert Ryan Lee to unpack why exterior illumination—encompassing landscape, holiday, and permanent architectural lighting—is an untapped goldmine for home services companies. Going beyond installation tips, they dig into the economics, marketing approaches, upsell opportunities, and integration strategies that owners in HVAC, plumbing, roofing, and electrical spaces can leverage by adding lighting as a service line. Ryan's personal story, sales psychology, and lively banter with Chris keep the episode energetic and loaded with actionable ideas.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Origins and Perceptions of Exterior Illumination

[08:54–14:22]

• Landscape lighting is misunderstood: Most consumers and service pros equate it with ordinary landscaping, overlooking the creativity and business opportunity.
• Ryan Lee describes his journey: After feeling limited in a marketing job, Ryan co-founded Majestic Outdoor Lighting, leveraging the high-ticket nature of lighting projects versus low-return window cleaning.
  • Notable Quote:

    "People, when they see or hear landscape lighting, they think landscaping. I’m even more nerdy than that. It’s just lighting, outdoor lighting." – Ryan Lee (09:00)

• Adoption of exterior lighting is still low, even in affluent neighborhoods, making it a prime area for growth.

2. Business Breakdown: What Falls Under Outdoor Lighting?

[14:22–17:23]

• Three sectors make up “exterior illumination”:
  • Landscape Lighting: In-ground and specialty lighting for trees, architectural features, outdoor kitchens, pools, etc.
  • Holiday Lighting: Seasonal displays, including professional installation and removal, with higher-end décor.
  • Permanent Lighting: Programmable, year-round roofline or façade lighting (e.g., “jellyfish lights”) that blend into the structure, now rapidly gaining traction.
• Smart controls and color-changing features boost customer experience and upsell value.

3. The Economics: Cost, Margins, and Lifetime Value

[19:45–24:44]

• Project Economics:
  • Average landscape lighting ticket: $10,000–$12,000; luxury markets exceed $20,000.
  • Gross margins: ~65%; Net margins: 20–30%.
  • Holiday and permanent lighting tickets can be similarly high.
• Lifetime Value:

  "Once I realized … the average lifetime value isn’t $10,000, it’s actually $30,000, $40,000, $50,000." – Ryan Lee (23:15)

• A single client often leads to multiple projects—front/backyard, secondary homes, and referrals—making the customer pool increasingly valuable.

4. Recurring Revenue via “Protection Plans”

[27:15–29:22]

• Lighting companies are selling maintenance contracts, recently rebranded as "protection plans."
  • Not primarily to drive profit, but to maintain client relationships, generate referrals, and keep their brand top-of-mind in the neighborhood.
  • The value of being “on location” regularly often outweighs the direct profit from maintenance alone.

5. Adding Lighting to Existing Home Services Businesses

[33:10–41:07]

• Entry Points:
  • Established businesses (especially in landscaping, electrical, roofing) can easily cross-sell lighting to their customer base; even sending one email or text can unlock tens of thousands in new business.
    • Memorable Quote:

      "Send an email, a text, a phone call, a voicemail bomb to all your clients… you’re literally a couple of conversations away from bringing in $30K–$40K a month. That’s three or four jobs." – Ryan Lee (34:00)

  • Standalone startups can succeed, but need a dedicated “champion” on staff—cannot be a low-commitment side offering.
• Challenges for HVAC/Plumbing Crossover:
  • While logical, few HVAC or plumbing companies have successfully bolted on lighting; it requires dedicated training and passion, not just technical skills.

6. Sales Strategy and Psychology: Price Marination

[45:28–56:46]

• Ryan’s Proven Sales Process:
  • Lead with a “price marinade”—anchor high, allow the customer to process sticker shock, then present options, including a lower price to induce “sticker relief.”
  • Use triple-option pricing with clearly differentiated good/better/best tiers.
  • The homeowner is asked, “How much were you thinking it was going to be?” to get them to self-disclose budget without asking directly.
    • Quote with Example

      “We give them the sticker shock, allow them to have the seizure... then we go in with a lower price later on... People get the exact opposite of sticker shock, which we call sticker relief.” – Ryan Lee (49:03)

  • Take control: Direct the process (“Do I knock or just come in?”) and embody the role of trusted advisor, not just salesperson.

7. Marketing: Traditional, Digital, and Referral Partnerships

[58:07–60:16]

• Traditional digital tactics: Google Ads, social, email, and direct mail can work but require budget and brand polish.
• Highest ROI is from strategic referral partnerships:
  • Key Partners: Architects, landscape architects, pool builders, home automation pros, interior designers.
  • These partners already have client trust and can open doors to high-ticket projects.
  • Quote:

    "My top clients get these big jobs—$50K, $100K—from referral partners. Interior designers control everything." – Ryan Lee (58:54)

8. Industry Opportunity & Light It Up Expo

[61:16–65:26]

• Less than 5% of homes that could benefit from professional exterior lighting have it.
• Light It Up Expo convenes training, vendors, and business resources for those looking to enter or scale lighting service lines—including hands-on workshops and cross-industry networking.
• Ryan’s mission: Modernize and mainstream the lighting industry for home services businesses and entrepreneurs.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Emotional Power of Lighting:
  • "We actually make people feel awesome... It’s not HVAC or roofing—they have to have it. Lighting is something they want."
    – Ryan Lee [30:05]
• How to Think About Upsell/Lifetime Value:
  • "All of a sudden, the average value goes up... I thought it wasn't a residual business, but it is."
    – Ryan Lee [24:15]
• Direct Advice to Pros:
  • "If you’re gonna do it, you can’t just be like, ‘hey, electricians, see if they want landscape lighting.’ No—you need a champion, or it’ll become a nuisance."
    – Ryan Lee [40:17]
• On Industry Maturity:
  • "We're like the ugly girl in middle school that's about to get hot... Lighting is where it's at."
    – Ryan Lee [38:31]

Key Segments & Timestamps

• [02:52] Introduction to Ryan Lee’s background and transition from marketing to lighting entrepreneur.
• [14:22] Explanation of exterior illumination, holiday, permanent and landscape lighting.
• [19:45] Deep dive into project economics—average ticket, gross/net margins, and big picture on LTV.
• [24:44] The power of customer lifetime value in lighting and the importance of re-engagement.
• [27:15] How recurring revenue (via "protection plans") works in lighting businesses.
• [33:10] Methods for existing home service businesses to bolt on lighting; startup tips and market size.
• [45:28] The "price marinade" sales tactic (with live roleplay example).
• [58:07] Marketing best practices, traditional vs. referral partner strategies.
• [61:16] The Light It Up Expo and Ryan’s mission for the lighting industry.

Actionable Takeaways

• Landscape lighting businesses can yield high average tickets, excellent profit margins, and substantial LTV through repeat business and referrals.
• Maintenance/protection plans shouldn’t just be about recurring revenue, but about customer retention and referral generation.
• Adding (or launching) lighting as a vertical requires real commitment and a leader—don’t treat it as an afterthought.
• Successful marketing is omnichannel, but biggest wins come from nurturing partnerships with architects, builders, and designers.
• Clear, confident, and educational sales processes—anchoring high and offering options—close more high-ticket jobs.
• The industry is still in the early-innings of adoption—forward-thinking home service companies have significant room to grow through lighting.

Closing & Resources

• Connect with Ryan Lee:
  • Instagram: @LandscapeLightingSecrets
  • Facebook: Ryan Lee
  • Podcast: Lighting for Profits
  • Email: support@ryanleecoaching.com
• Learn More about Light It Up Expo:
  • Event for training, networking, and cross-industry learning in the lighting business.
  • Growing rapidly, with a focus on bringing lighting to the home services mainstream.

If you’re an HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, or landscape pro looking to differentiate, add revenue, and build customer loyalty, exterior illumination may be your most overlooked goldmine.

"You don’t got to do everything, but you got to do something. No zero days." – Chris (67:44)