Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Woodward.
Hi Melissa, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My childhood was far from picture-perfect as I am a survivor of domestic human trafficking who, as a young adult without an education or job skills, found myself in the vacuum of the adult entertainment industry and a lifestyle of addiction. In 1999 I became pregnant with my oldest daughter at 20, which temporarily stopped me from working inside the cabaret, but it didn’t stop the bills.
In order to make ends meet, I recruited another person, and together we installed Christmas lights. Little did I know then this would pave the way to what is today the largest Christmas company in Harris and Fort Bend counties. As the owner of Christmas Wonder Lights, I make it my personal mission to shine the true light of the season that has blessed my business beyond anything I could have ever dreamed possible – Christmas miracles do happen; I am living proof!
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Running a business is never smooth sailing, especially when my children were young and I was a single Mom. However, the biggest challenges I face stem from owning a seasonal business, which brings a unique set of challenges. One example is that some businesses may have a bad month and can recover the following, but that’s not the case when it comes to being a Christmas light installer.
Another challenge with the territory is consistently hiring good employees; while I work all year, that’s not the case for our holiday decorators and Christmas light crews. This is one reason in 2021; I began offering permanent and event/wedding lighting.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in creating one-of-a-kind artwork with Christmas lights; one of my favorite parts about being a Christmas light installer is when a homeowner trusts me enough to give me creative freedom. There is so much you can do with Christmas lights and trees rather than choosing the traditional warm white lights that have become somewhat of a staple.
As far as what makes CWL different from the competition… I started out when there was no competition; everyone thought the idea of hanging holiday lights for a profit was laughable, but 20 years later, I am still going strong!
Networking and finding a mentor can have a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Absolutely, one of the best choices I ever made was to find a mentor and implement what he suggested.
Skip is the owner of a lawn and pest company and while vastly different from Christmas lights he’s given me a formal for success that I have been able to adapt to my Christmas store. Skip wisdom and experience have saved me light years of enduring many of the growing pains other business owners struggle with.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.christmaswonderlights.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064102899254
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/christmas-wonder-lights-katy
