Captain’s Quarters First Class | Lights. Legacy. Living.

Matt Martoccio
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Captain’s Quarters First Class isn’t just another outdoor lighting podcast, it’s my arena. I’m Captain Matt, and here we dive into the big three that move money: landscape lighting, permanent lighting, and Christmas lights. But it’s bigger than fixtures and installs. This show is about leading your crew, building a brand that lasts, and sharpening the mindset to keep you from sinking when the pressure hits. Sponsored by The Lighting Trade School but make no mistake, this is my ship. Sink or Swim.

  1. Can’t Find Good Employees? Stop Paying Like You’re Broke | 29

    1D AGO

    Can’t Find Good Employees? Stop Paying Like You’re Broke | 29

    Fourth quarter is when the phone starts ringing, the installs stack up, and lighting companies either cash in…or completely choke because they waited too long to build a team. In this episode of Captain’s Quarters First Class, Captain Matt talks about training employees before the Christmas lighting rush, preparing crews for permanent lighting installs, and why so many business owners lose good employees, miss profitable jobs, and blame everyone except themselves. Christmas lighting can be trained quickly. Permanent lighting is different. Running data, installing power supplies, drilling into a home, troubleshooting boosts, and representing your company on a permanent installation requires real training, clear processes, and people who are ready before the fourth-quarter insanity begins. Because when the owner is stuck on a ladder training a new hire in October, he is not answering leads correctly. He is not selling at his best. He is not protecting the customer experience. And he is leaving money on the table. Captain Matt also goes straight at one of the biggest problems in the trades: owners who constantly complain that they cannot find good employees while underpaying people, failing to train them, giving them no clear standards, and expecting them to care more about the business than the owner does. In this episode: Why lighting companies need to prepare for Q4 months in advance Training Christmas lighting crews vs. permanent lighting installers Why permanent lighting requires a dedicated, trained crew How owners lose sales when they are stuck installing and training Why hiring before the rush can open up more revenue The real reason many companies cannot keep good employees Paying employees well enough to represent your brand properly Why processes and written standards matter in the field How bad leadership creates bad crews Planning for Christmas lighting, permanent lighting, and landscape lighting demand at the same time If your plan is to wait until October to hire, train, and figure out who is going to handle the work, you are already behind. The money you think you are saving by waiting could cost you far more in missed installs, dropped leads, burned-out crews, and clients who never get the experience your company promised. Build the crew. Train them right. Pay them like they matter. Then hit the season ready to win. --- Lights. Legacy. Living. Captain’s Crew. Sink or Swim. Ready to build a real outdoor lighting business? 🔹 Work with Captain Matt: https://www.captainmattoutdoors.com/   🔹 See Barefoot Lighting projects: https://barefootlighting.com/   🔹 Learn landscape + Christmas + permanent lighting: https://lightingtradeschool.com/

    20 min
  2. The Christmas Light Industry Has a Leadership Problem | 28

    MAY 11

    The Christmas Light Industry Has a Leadership Problem | 28

    The Christmas lighting industry has plenty of people teaching installers how to hang lights. But after that? A lot of guys are left alone, confused, and taking business advice from random Facebook comments, suppliers pushing product, or people who have never actually built what they are pretending to teach. In this episode of Captain’s Quarters First Class, Captain Matt talks about why the Christmas lighting industry lacks real leadership, what most new installers are missing, and why bad advice can wreck your business before you ever get a chance to scale. This is not about attacking specific people. There are great people in the Christmas light industry doing great things. This is about the gap between installation training and actual business mentorship. Captain Matt breaks down why pricing advice, product advice, leasing vs. selling debates, and Facebook group opinions are often useless without understanding the contractor’s actual goals, numbers, market, and life situation. He also shares why hitting big revenue numbers does not automatically mean you built a healthy business. Sometimes $300,000 with control, profit, and sanity is better than chasing $1 million just so strangers on Facebook can clap for thirty seconds. In this episode, Captain Matt talks about: Why the Christmas lighting industry needs stronger leadership The danger of taking advice from random Facebook groups Why pricing advice without context is usually worthless C7 vs. C9 debates, branch wrapping pricing, leasing vs. selling, and other industry arguments Why scaling for the sake of scaling can destroy your business The difference between revenue, profit, freedom, and ego Why your goals matter more than someone else’s business model What real mentorship should look like in the Christmas lighting industry Why contractors need support beyond installation training How to build a Christmas lighting business around your actual life, not someone else’s scoreboard If you are starting or growing a Christmas lighting business, this episode is a wake-up call. Stop chasing random advice. Stop copying someone else’s dream. Figure out what you actually want, build the business around that, and surround yourself with people who will tell you the truth, call you on your b******t, and help you win. --- Lights. Legacy. Living. Captain’s Crew. Sink or Swim. Ready to build a real outdoor lighting business? 🔹 Work with Captain Matt: https://www.captainmattoutdoors.com/   🔹 See Barefoot Lighting projects: https://barefootlighting.com/   🔹 Learn landscape + Christmas + permanent lighting: https://lightingtradeschool.com/

    16 min
  3. How Thunder Lighting Supply Became a Christmas Lighting Industry Powerhouse with Grant Fields | 27

    MAY 8

    How Thunder Lighting Supply Became a Christmas Lighting Industry Powerhouse with Grant Fields | 27

    Grant Fields from Thunder Lighting Supply joins Captain Matt for a behind-the-scenes conversation on the Christmas lighting industry, building a supplier brand contractors actually trust, and why training the next wave of installers is not “ruining the market.” In this episode of Captain’s Quarters First Class, Grant shares how he went from hanging Christmas lights in high school, running crews before most people even start a career, studying diesel mechanics, and eventually becoming one of the most recognizable faces behind Thunder Lighting Supply. Captain Matt and Grant dig into what really matters in the holiday lighting business: speed, systems, branding, customer experience, training, and staying organized before your company outgrows you. They also talk about: How Grant got started in Christmas lighting as a teenager Why Thunder Lighting Supply rebranded from Wholesale Holiday Lighting The power of trade shows, buckets, branding, and being memorable Why contractors should stop blaming new installers and start building better companies Selling vs. leasing Christmas lights Why free training helps elevate the whole industry How systems and SOPs help Christmas lighting companies scale Why outdoor lighting and holiday lighting are emotional services, not just products If you install Christmas lights, landscape lighting, permanent lighting, or you’re trying to grow a seasonal service business, this episode is packed with real-world perspective from someone who has been inside the industry from the ground up. --- Lights. Legacy. Living. Captain’s Crew. Sink or Swim. Ready to build a real outdoor lighting business? 🔹 Work with Captain Matt: https://www.captainmattoutdoors.com/   🔹 See Barefoot Lighting projects: https://barefootlighting.com/   🔹 Learn landscape + Christmas + permanent lighting: https://lightingtradeschool.com/

    49 min
  4. How Josh Trees Scaled a Christmas Lighting Business Without Competing on Price | 26

    MAR 20

    How Josh Trees Scaled a Christmas Lighting Business Without Competing on Price | 26

    Josh Trees doesn’t do a ton of podcasts...and that’s exactly why this one matters. If you’re in Christmas lighting, this is a real conversation with one of the original builders of the industry. Not fluff. Not recycled motivation. Real talk on what it actually takes to build a Christmas light installation business, scale it, keep customers, delegate, and stop racing to the bottom on price. In this episode, Josh and Captain Matt get into business growth, training, retention, systems, commercial work, perception, branding, and the mindset required to stay in the fight long enough to become a legend. Whether you install Christmas lighting, build a landscape lighting company, or sell permanent soffit lighting, this episode hits the real operator side of outdoor lighting business. In this episode: How Josh Trees got started before We Hang Christmas Lights became a known name The truth about growing a Christmas light installation business Why selling on price is a losing game How to sell the experience, not just the lights What delegation really looks like when you want to build a business instead of owning a job Why commercial Christmas lighting can change your numbers fast The role of systems, evaluation, and leadership in long-term growth How bold branding moves can make you unforgettable in your market The tiny house tour story and what it teaches about attention, marketing, and industry authority Josh also shares hard-earned lessons on risk, change, hiring, retention, and why most guys stay stuck doing everything themselves. This one is especially important for operators in the Christmas lighting world...but the principles apply across landscape lighting, outdoor lighting, and permanent roofline / soffit lighting too. If you want to build a stronger lighting business, keep better clients, and stop thinking like a technician only...this episode is worth your time. #ChristmasLighting #OutdoorLighting #LandscapeLighting #PermanentLighting #CaptainMatt #JoshTrees #BusinessGrowth #ChristmasLightInstallation --- Lights. Legacy. Living. Captain’s Crew. Sink or Swim. Ready to build a real outdoor lighting business? 🔹 Work with Captain Matt: https://www.captainmattoutdoors.com/   🔹 See Barefoot Lighting projects: https://barefootlighting.com/   🔹 Learn landscape + Christmas + permanent lighting: https://lightingtradeschool.com/

    49 min
  5. Why You’re Broke Already (Even After a $500K Christmas Season) | 25

    FEB 23

    Why You’re Broke Already (Even After a $500K Christmas Season) | 25

    It’s mid-February. You felt like a king in Q4. So why are you already out of cash? In this episode of Captain’s Quarters First Class, Captain Matt breaks down one of the most common and destructive patterns in the Christmas lighting industry: 💸 Blowing through “Christmas cash” 💸 Using Q4 profit to patch the other 9 months 💸 Mixing service divisions and hiding real losses 💸 Robbing Peter to pay Paul just to survive installs If you’re doing six figures (or more) in Christmas lighting and you’re stressed by February…this is not a slow-season problem. It’s a planning problem. You’ll learn: Why Christmas must be bucketed as its own division How mixing services hides the real financial leak The January–March funding model Captain Matt uses How to set aside payroll + overhead before touching profit Why “bridge loans” and panic selling are red flags How to stop the Q1 collapse permanently This is real operator talk from 17+ years in Christmas lighting and outdoor services. If you don’t own your market, someone else will.And if you don’t own your cash flow, it will own you. 🧠 Core Concepts Covered Separate accounts for each service (Christmas, landscape, soffit/permanent lighting) Funding slow months before they arrive Payroll reserve planning for installs + takedowns Overhead planning (5 months minimum during Christmas cycle) War chest vs. planned slow-season reserves Identifying repeating collapse patterns vs. fluke months Lights. Legacy. Living. Captain’s Crew. Sink or Swim.Ready to join Captain’s Crew? 🔹 Apply to work with Captain Matt or hire him for elite outdoor lighting design: https://www.captainmattoutdoors.com/ 🔹 Explore design + install services at Barefoot Lighting: https://barefootlighting.com/ 🔹 Join the movement at The Lighting Trade School: https://lightingtradeschool.com/

    15 min
  6. How to Break Big Revenue Goals Into Simple Daily Wins | 24

    JAN 26

    How to Break Big Revenue Goals Into Simple Daily Wins | 24

    Most lighting business owners say the same thing every year: “I want to do a million dollars.” And then they wonder why they feel overwhelmed, behind, and defeated by February. In this episode of Captain’s Quarters First Class, Captain Matt breaks down why big, vague revenue goals destroy momentum and how translating those goals into simple daily and weekly numbers changes everything. Instead of chasing a million dollars, what if your only job was to: • Sell 13 lights a day • Close 2 permanent lighting jobs a week • Hit a realistic, seasonal monthly target Same goal. A completely different mental game. Matt dives deep into: Translating top-line revenue into daily production goals Why “break-even” jobs are usually a lie The difference between material cost vs true operating cost How to calculate your real daily minimum Why seasonality matters and pretending it doesn’t will bankrupt you The “Money Game” framework for knowing exactly how long you can survive with zero sales How weekly number tracking allows real-time course correction (instead of year-end regret) If your business feels busy but your bank account doesn’t reflect it… If you’ve ever said “I sold a ton but don’t know where the money went”… If your goals sound good but don’t feel achievable… This episode is for you. 🎯 Stop chasing fantasy numbers. Start winning daily. Lights. Legacy. Living. Captain’s Crew. Sink or Swim.Ready to join Captain’s Crew? 🔹 Apply to work with Captain Matt or hire him for elite outdoor lighting design: https://www.captainmattoutdoors.com/ 🔹 Explore design + install services at Barefoot Lighting: https://barefootlighting.com/ 🔹 Join the movement at The Lighting Trade School: https://lightingtradeschool.com/

    17 min
  7. The Brutal Truth About Why You’re Not Making Money in Lighting | 23

    JAN 20

    The Brutal Truth About Why You’re Not Making Money in Lighting | 23

    Welcome back to Captain’s Quarters First Class. I hear it all the time: “I didn’t make enough money last year in outdoor lighting.” And here’s the uncomfortable truth… Most guys who say that didn’t do the work required to win. In this episode, Captain Matt breaks down why some lighting business owners: Miss their goals Barely scrape by Or completely shatter expectations …even when they all have access to the same mentorship, the same systems, and the same information. We cover: Why focus beats talent every time The danger of splitting your energy across side hustles Why mindset kills more lighting businesses than pricing The simple math behind $100K+ profit (that most people ignore) Why demos still work today (and always will) The non-negotiables: 30 demos, 10 at-cost jobs, 20 fixtures a week Why blaming your market is the fastest way to stay stuck Why Christmas lighting success doesn’t translate automatically to landscape lighting This episode isn’t motivational fluff. It’s a gut check. If you didn’t make enough money last year, the answer isn’t your area, your competition, or the economy. It’s your inputs. And the good news?You can change those starting today. Lights. Legacy. Living. Captain’s Crew. Sink or Swim.Ready to join Captain’s Crew? 🔹 Apply to work with Captain Matt or hire him for elite outdoor lighting design: https://www.captainmattoutdoors.com/ 🔹 Explore design + install services at Barefoot Lighting: https://barefootlighting.com/ 🔹 Join the movement at The Lighting Trade School: https://lightingtradeschool.com/

    16 min
  8. Why Hard Work Isn’t Enough: The Look-Back That Changed My Business | 22

    JAN 12

    Why Hard Work Isn’t Enough: The Look-Back That Changed My Business | 22

    Welcome back to Captain’s Quarters First Class. It’s a new year, and everyone is talking about goals. Revenue goals. Growth goals. “This is my year” goals. But most people skip the most important part of goal-setting entirely. The look-back. In this episode, Captain Matt breaks down a brutally honest review of his own business…where he missed, why he missed, and how easy it is to stay busy, exhausted, and still off-track. We talk about: Why working harder doesn’t fix broken focus How ignoring the look-back keeps you stuck on the same hamster wheel The real cost of doing work you’re no longer meant to do Why staffing, roles, and timing matter more than motivation How excuses sneak in disguised as “logic” Why most marketing “doesn’t work” (and what’s actually broken) How to course-correct weekly instead of burning a year This episode isn’t motivational fluff. It’s about radical honesty, personal responsibility, and building systems so you don’t repeat the same mistakes year after year. If you’ve ever said: “I’m working my ass off but not hitting my goals” “The leads just aren’t there” “Ads don’t work” “I’ll fix it next quarter” This one’s for you. Lights. Legacy. Living. Captain’s Crew. Sink or Swim.Ready to join Captain’s Crew? 🔹 Apply to work with Captain Matt or hire him for elite outdoor lighting design:⁠ https://www.captainmattoutdoors.com/⁠ 🔹 Explore design + install services at Barefoot Lighting:⁠ https://barefootlighting.com/⁠ 🔹 Join the movement at The Lighting Trade School:⁠ https://lightingtradeschool.com/⁠

    17 min
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Captain’s Quarters First Class isn’t just another outdoor lighting podcast, it’s my arena. I’m Captain Matt, and here we dive into the big three that move money: landscape lighting, permanent lighting, and Christmas lights. But it’s bigger than fixtures and installs. This show is about leading your crew, building a brand that lasts, and sharpening the mindset to keep you from sinking when the pressure hits. Sponsored by The Lighting Trade School but make no mistake, this is my ship. Sink or Swim.

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