The people who stop taking risks are the people who stop growing.
Ryan Lee knows that better than most. He started knocking doors to clean windows, built a landscape lighting company in Dallas Fort Worth, ran it for about 12 years, and sold it in 2019. Now he coaches contractors on sales, marketing and leadership through Landscape Lighting Secrets.
He came on the Infinite Income Podcast and walked through how he built it, the expensive mistakes he made, and why playing safe keeps people broke.
Quick answer: Why does playing it safe keep a business owner from growing?
Because the moves that feel safe are the ones that cost you. Ryan Lee underpriced, skipped contracts and did everything himself, and it cost him real money, including about $60,000 a builder never paid. He grew his landscape lighting company by taking risks: chasing bigger jobs up to $135,000, raising prices from $200 to $400 a light, and putting his offer in front of people who could afford it.
- Ryan raised his price from $200 per light to $300, then to $400, after underpricing early.
- A $20,000 magazine ad produced nothing.
- Fronting materials with no contract and no deposit left about $60,000 unpaid.
- Maintenance plans at $600 to $1,500 a year added recurring revenue on top of installs.
- He says the build should have taken three years, not twelve, if he had hired his replacement sooner.
It started in a hot tub
Ryan was the first in his family to get a college degree. In college he was making about $6 an hour at a campus computer lab. The summer after school he lived in his mom’s unfinished basement and knocked doors with his wife cleaning windows. They made about $10,000 that summer.
His brother had a window cleaning business in Texas and Ryan planned to join him. Then, sitting in a hot tub, his brother pitched landscape lighting. He described jobs paying about $4,000 each. Ryan was skeptical, but he bought the domain that night and started the business in 2007.
The logic was simple. His brother’s holiday lighting work did well, but it was seasonal. Landscape lighting could sell all year.
Should you sell what people want or what they need?
Landscape lighting goes mostly to high end homes. It lights up architecture, trees, pools and cabanas.
Ryan’s framing is the key lesson here. Nobody needs it. They want it. That is different from something like HVAC, which people have to buy when it breaks.
When you sell a want, you have to show people what they are missing. Ryan’s pitch was that wealthy homeowners work all day and never get to enjoy their backyards at night. He ran in home demos and used before and after photos. He said even weak salespeople could close once the product was shown in person.
Knock every door and go bigger
About three months in, a friend’s landscaping company handed him a $25,000 job. Ryan did not just do the job. He knocked on every door in that neighborhood and offered free demos. He closed the job and booked another one off it.
Then a mentor from a manufacturer pushed him to go after bigger jobs. Within about two months he landed a $50,000 job, and about four months after that he landed a $135,000 job.
He grew the company into a multi million dollar a year business with install crews, a maintenance truck, two salespeople and office staff. His average ticket grew to over $12,000. He added maintenance plans at about $600 to $1,500 a year, which he compares to oil changes for a car under warranty. That is recurring revenue on top of every install.
He said a healthy business in his space runs 20 to 30 percent margins. His leads cost about $50 each.
What four mistakes cost him money?
Ryan was open about what went wrong.
First, he underpriced. He undercut competitors and did not account for overhead, taxes and equipment. He raised his price from $200 per light to $300, then to $400.
Second, he wasted marketing money. He spent $20,000 on a magazine ad that produced nothing.
Third, he fronted materials to a builder with no contract and no deposit. The builder never paid about $60,000.
Fourth, he did everything himself. He answered the phones and ran service calls. He said it should have been a three year build, not twelve, and he should have hired his replacement much earlier.
That last one hits most owners. Doing it all yourself feels safe. It is actually what keeps you stuck.
Selling, then starting over
By 2019 the partnership with his brother had become toxic. They wanted different things, so Ryan sold. He had a non compete and moved back to Utah.
After the sale he ran a digital marketing agency, but he did not like it. In 2020 he went to Funnel Hacking Live, then joined Sam Ovens’ program, which he credits as the blueprint for his coaching business. Today he runs a small remote team with no cost of goods sold.
Why does playing safe keep you broke?
Ryan’s view is that people who stop taking risks stall at whatever revenue level they are at. He pointed to Alex Becker’s idea that success takes repeated risk, not one big bet.
We also agreed that unique, low competition niches make marketing much easier. I look for unique angles like that in the businesses I work with.
He also said big results come from being intentional. Decide what you want and why, then reverse engineer the path. And protect what matters. Ryan schedules family time first, and his assistant blocks it on his calendar before anything else.
My takeaway
Ryan’s story is a reminder that safe is relative. Underpricing feels safe. Doing everything yourself feels safe. Skipping contracts with a builder you trust feels safe. All of those cost him.
The real risks worth taking are the ones that grow the business: going after bigger jobs, raising prices, hiring your replacement, and putting your offer in front of people who can afford it. Price for profit, protect your deals, and stop being the bottleneck.
Frequently asked questions
How do you sell a product people want but do not need?
Show them what they are missing. Landscape lighting is a want, not a need like HVAC, which gets bought when it breaks. Ryan Lee pitched wealthy homeowners who work all day and never enjoy their backyard at night. He ran in home demos and used before and after photos, and said even weak salespeople could close once buyers saw it in person.
What are the most common pricing mistakes in a home service business?
Underpricing to beat competitors and forgetting overhead, taxes and equipment. Ryan Lee started at $200 per light, then raised to $300 and then $400. He says a healthy business in his space runs 20% to 30% margins. Price for profit first, because undercutting feels safe but leaves you working harder for less.
How do you grow a landscape lighting business?
Go bigger and knock every door. Ryan Lee got a $25,000 job three months in, then offered free demos to every house in that neighborhood and booked another. Within about two months he landed a $50,000 job, then a $135,000 job four months later. His average ticket grew past $12,000, and he added maintenance plans for recurring revenue.
Why should contractors always use contracts and deposits?
Because skipping them feels easy until someone does not pay. Ryan Lee fronted materials to a builder with no contract and no deposit, and the builder never paid, leaving about $60,000 outstanding. Protect every deal with a contract and money down before you buy materials or start work.
When should a business owner hire their replacement?
Much earlier than feels comfortable. Ryan Lee answered phones and ran service calls himself for years. He says building his company should have taken three years, not twelve, and doing everything himself was the reason. Doing it all feels safe, but it makes you the bottleneck that keeps the business stuck.
Want to know what’s capping your business right now? Take my free 90 Day Ceiling Plan. Answer 18 questions and get a written plan, built on your own numbers, that names the one thing holding you back and what to fix first.
