- Chris Voigt started his own Christmas-lights company last September.
- He only did 15 houses last year and is doing 60 this year, including a $68 million home in Bel Air.
- His guys work 16-hour days, and his business is on track to make multiple six figures.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Chris Voigt, the 36-year-old founder and lead installer of Elegant Outdoor Lights, who’s based in Los Angeles, California.
I was sitting on the Pacific Coast Highway with my pregnant wife and mother-in-law when I said, “I can’t work for someone else anymore and have them get rich.” So just like that, I took the leap and started my light-installation company, Elegant Outdoor Lights, in September 2021.
Courtesy of Chris Voigt
At the time, I had a signed letter of employment with a solar company after working in the industry for some time. I majored in business in college, and as soon as I graduated, I moved into the landscape business, selling trees, plants, pavers — anything for outside the home. But I was getting calls from former customers saying they weren’t happy with the customer service they were receiving. So I thought to myself, “I have an opportunity to do something to help other people.”
Courtesy of Elegant Outdoor Lights
Last year was our first Christmas, but this year is our first full season. We did about 15 houses in 2021, with the average expense between $5,500 and $7,000. It was definitely a last-minute thing — we were late to the game and didn’t have everything in order.
This year, we’re doing about 60 houses, with 85% of clients coming from referrals. I work with a lot of estate managers in wealthy areas like Bel Air, Malibu, Calabasas, and Beverly Hills, so they’re able to bring higher-end clients to me.
This year’s season we’re making six figures, north of $250,000. One home we’re working on is a $68 million house in Bel Air, where we’ll be lighting up more than 100 trees and 150 palm trees. It’s going to take about 10 to 15 guys, and they’ll be working every single evening for about four days. It’ll be one of the biggest Christmas installations residentially in the country right now.
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There are currently six full-time employees in my crew, but during the season, we hire upward of 12 to 15 people, and we’re all working 12- to 16-hour days. We’ve been booked out since August/September, so if you ever need light installations for the holidays, make sure you sign up well in advance.
Every house and installation is different, especially architecturally
Courtesy of Elegant Outdoor Lights
If you take Pasadena, for instance, which is northeast of Downtown Los Angeles, you’ll find Spanish revival- and Victorian-style homes. When you compare this to Malibu, which is west of Downtown Los Angeles, we’re decorating many modern coastal-style homes.
Our specialty is wrapping trees, which is something I’ve been doing for years. But it’s harder than it looks, especially in Los Angeles, with many historic areas, like Hancock Park, and therefore very tall trees. We had one place in Wilshire that was just six trees, but it took us three days to get it done. It’s super extensive work.
We have a lot of very high-profile and celebrity clients. Some are involved in the design, whereas others are not.
Courtesy of Elegant Outdoor Lights
I love the ones who want to be involved, as it’s really fun to interact with them and connect with their personalities and tastes.
We have two types of clients, ones who want lights seasonally and those who want lights permanently. Our first client was an estate manager in Studio City who worked for a well-known TV personality in the medical field who wanted the latter.
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We once had an individual in Calabasas request their home to look like a gingerbread house. We decked out the roof with multicolored things to look like gumdrops. There were candy cane twisted poles around the property, and we outlined the windows in a multicolored fashion, too. They’re a repeat customer, and this year they want a candy factory — so it’s going to be even wilder and crazier with different colors, elves, and peppermints.
It was important to run the business as a white-glove service
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We start with the design, provide all the decor and lights, install everything, come out for any repairs, and then take everything down at the end of the season. About 5% to 15% of customers purchase the existing material outright and leave their trunk wraps up all year round. Everything is customized to each client, from style to color to design.
While the holidays are our busy season, we have smaller projects like overheads for cafes and bistros and other significant projects throughout the year. In just the past few weeks for landscape lighting, not concerning Christmas lights, we’ve done four substantial homes ranging from $5 to $25 million.
Having worked in landscaping and outdoor design for many years, I have a lot of experience in the craft. I’ve taken pieces of each job I’ve ever had and implemented the best parts into my own company to make it what it is. And while I love being able to work all year round, yes, Christmas really is the best time of year.
