Meet Jessica Thompson | Owner & Chief Marketing Officer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessica Thompson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, can you tell us about an impactful book you’ve read and why you liked it or what impact it had on you?
The Go-Giver by Bob Burg reframed the way I approach life and business. The book focuses on basic principles of success that all revolve around vulnerability and generosity. Ultimately, the idea is that the more you give, the more you get. Even though that may feel counterintuitive in business (no one wants to give away things for free), it actually creates a lot of opportunities when you approach everyday life with that mindset. I’ve tried to adopt that concept by giving freely, without the expectation of return, and I’ve found that, when it’s done right, the rewards are always there in the end. To give a simple example, our electricians often won’t charge for a service call that lasts less than 15 minutes. Most other companies would charge a dispatch fee or a one-hour minimum charge (which we technically have a policy for as well), but our mindset is that we are building trust in a customer relationship that will far out-weigh the one hour cost of our time. Sometimes, we never hear from those people again, but other times, those instances become the beginning of a loyal customer who not only uses us for all their electrical services, but refers countless new customers our way. That’s really what the Go-Giver is all about: trusting that the good you put out, comes back ten-fold.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

The Electric Way specializes in high quality residential electrical installations and repairs. Because we offer free, honest estimates, we can customize our services specifically to what the customer needs without the pressure of upselling them or scaring them into services they don’t need.

We started in 2013 when my brother-in-law, David Hopmayer, was frustrated with the way other contractors were running their businesses and treating their customers. He had been a licensed electrician for years and finally decided to create the type of business he wanted to work for: one that valued honesty and quality. And while he ran his two-man operation successfully, it wasn’t until a few years later that the company really expanded as other family members, including myself, became involved. We all saw potential in this company becoming even bigger than David’s original vision.

Since then, our company has grown into an office space, 7 service vehicles, 3 staff members, and 7 technicians, and our schedule is now booking up 6-8 weeks in advance. Even though David’s ideals are the core of who we are as a company, the influence of majority female owners has played a major role in our growth and development.

Because we are a women owned business, we are constantly thinking about how to do things better, with our employees’ well-being at the heart of every decision we make. We’re here to serve our neighbors by being the type of contractor we would invite into our own homes. We are putting people first, in an industry that has traditionally focused on purely profit. Our idea of success is happy customers and happy employees.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

We’d have to see some of the classic attractions like The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (and feed the giraffes, of course), Garden of the Gods, and Pikes Peak. The Springs is so diverse, so I’d love to take little day trips to different areas, including:

1) Walking around Manitou Springs and stopping for lunch at Adams Mountain Cafe and dessert at Rocky Mountain Beignets

2) Shopping in Old Colorado City, especially at Eclectic Co. that features a ton of different local vendors.

3) Downtown Colorado Springs for unique finds at Poor Richards, a delicious margarita at T-Birds and Tequila, and hanging out at COATI. Plus, it’s close to one of my favorite resale boutiques of all time, Ashley’s Attic.

4) Finally, no trip to Colorado Springs is complete without visiting amazing breweries. There are too many great ones to name, but top of my list would be Pikes Peak Brewing Company, Cerberus Brewing Company, Bristol, and Trinity Brewing. Plus, if we can time it out right, we can also catch some local live music and delicious food trucks at the same time!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am just one of the owners of The Electric Way, the others being my sisters and brothers-in-law. It is an understatement to say that we each bring such a vital and unique piece to the business. Because we are all family, we push each other harder and demand more than you would from your average business partner, but that’s what helps us create something unique in an industry that has done things the same way for decades. Having your family alongside you also creates a safety net of support because you know that you are all good people working to create a good, honest company.

Website: www.TheElectricWay.com

Instagram: @Theelectricway

Facebook: @theelectricway

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-electric-way-colorado-springs

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV0HVyOjGgrqpIglmjFebYA

Other: Tik Tok @theelectriciannextdoor