We recently connected with Rob Jackson and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Rob, thanks for joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
Well, my background is in information technology, which is an industry that I’ve worked in for over 25 years. My current 9-5 is that of an IT Program Manager. Although that role pays the heck out of the bills, it has never been my passion. The old saying that goes “If you don’t build up your own dreams, someone will hire you to build theirs” has always lingered in the back of my mind – for I’ve always wanted to start my own business, and lighting was a product that reminded me of so many family events while growing up in southern Arkansas. Once I decided to make that leap (around 2016), I started to focus on debt elimination, business research, and community outreach.
Funding a small business is a huge challenge for most people venturing into this field. I was no different! However, my main goal – right of the bat – was NOT to take out any loans for the business – at least not in the beginning. I wanted Ujamaa Lighting to be self-funded right out the gate. To accomplish this goal, I started to eliminate all of my debt, and save as much money as I could, with an initial start-up goal of $10,000. Within two years of focus, I was able to pay of most assets, and had saved up around $7,000 for this effort, which was enough to begin! The next stop was to figure out exactly how to start the business, how to develop/manufacture our products, and what it takes to actually run a small business. This led me to the researching/networking phase of our business journey.
“Hustle in silence. They are not your friends!” That saying sounds very harsh, for no one is an island. You’ll need a team of supporters if you want to succeed in business. However, that was one of the best advices one of my mentors gave me as I started my journey in entrepreneurship! It wasn’t about isolation….it was about focus, perseverance, and finding a “tribe” of like-minded people. When I decided to establish a business, I did NOT tell family & friends, for I already had enough doubts in my head and did not need any outside sources telling me what “could” go wrong – even if they meant well. Instead, I spoke to other entrepreneurs, spent countless hours researching startups online, and attended several business conventions. One particular convention, hosted by WeBuyBlack, proved to be the holy grail for our business! Networking at their convention yield contacts in marketing, manufacturing, advertising, and financing! Most importantly, I was able to identify several mentors who assisted me in getting Ujamaa Lighting off the ground! I had finally “found my tribe” – just like my mentor had suggested. Leveraging those connections, Ujamaa Lighting (then known as Umoja Lighting) was born the year after attending (late 2019). We started out with one product – with a goal of getting it in as many homes as possible. To accomplish this, I had to roll up my sleeves and get out into the community!
Equipped with an inventory of our flagship product, our 60w Replacement Bulb, it was up to this southern introvert to get the company brand name out into the community. We started out frequenting the local markets in Austin and Houston, TX. Our first event in Houston was both awkward and rewording! Imagine a market of vendors selling the most beautiful clothing, hair/beauty supplies, handmade trinkets, and some of the best food you’ve ever tasted! Then, in the back corner, there’s this burly guy with a box of light bulbs. Yes, that was me. On the first day, the occasional person would stop by and exchange pleasantries and ask questions, but the majority of people were more confused than intrigued. Towards the end of this event, and sweet, elderly lady came up to me and asked where I bought these lights that I was selling. I informed her that Umoja Lighting was my company and that it manufactured those lights. She was in disbelief, for she (and others, I found out) were under the impression that I just went to the store, purchased the product, and was just reselling. She and I exchanged a few anecdotes and pleasantries and she left to talk to the host. About 5 minutes later on the intercom, the host let the attendees know of my business and my company! That ignited a word-of-mouth, organic, marketing campaign that hasn’t stopped till this day! We credit that, precise moment as the pivoting point in the business. Known as Ujamaa Lighting now, “ujamaa” is Swahili for “extended family” and “cooperative economics” – which means that a community thrives when it works together. True to that name, Ujamaa Lighting would NOT exist if it weren’t for community support similar to what was experienced that weekend in Houston, TX! We are blessed to still get so much support from communities all over the US!
Rob, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I like to tell people that I’m just a big, country boy from the backwoods of Arkansas who’s gotten lost in the big city. Specifically, I was born in a small town called Magnolia, which is in the southern part of the state. My older brother and I grew up in a low-income, single-parent household with our mom. Miss Jackson was a very hard worker and knew how to stretch a dollar. If your readers have ever seen the show “Everybody Hates Chris”, then they can envision my mom with the same demeanor – and frugality – as the father on that show. Let my mom tell it, EVERYTHING we did in the house was costing her too much money – especially leaving on the lights! Her infamous “light bill” (electricity bill) was going to eventually get us kicked out of our home due to me and my brother turning on lights in the daytime! She used to always say, “If you ain’t got no ‘light bill money’, then don’t be leave on all my lights!” Unfortunately, my mom passed away suddenly in 2012, however, that was long after she had inspired me to be a hard worker, independent, self-sufficient, and money conscious!
That upbringing made my decision to go into the lighting industry – once I decided to start a business – an easy one. Ujamaa offers energy-efficient, cost-effective, lighting solutions. We currently focus on residential LED lighting products, but plan on expanding our catalog to encompass multiple forms of lighting in residential, commercial, and industrial.
Our entire brand is a product of organic growth – word-of-mouth. Ujamaa started out with just one box of light bulbs being sold at local farmers’ markets in Texas. Our community helped spread the Ujamaa name across the nation – and we are still using that same process to continue growth of our brand awareness. We are proud to be known as a family-owned lighting company with a grassroots feel.
Any fun sales or marketing stories?
Starting out as a solopreneur, my assumption was that Ujamaa’s marketing strategy and assets had to be of commercial quality! Although I consider myself very thrifty, I knew that I would have to invest a large chunk of money into advertising campaigns in order to expand my brand presence. To this effect, in the beginning I hired several commercial photographers and videographers to do small commercials for the Ujamaa brand. These projects ranged up to several thousand dollars to complete! Mind you, we were a new company, spending money we really did not have! It was a risk – with little return on investment in the beginning. It wasn’t until I brought in my 10 year old son (to teach the basics of business and entrepreneurship) that I had an “Ah-ha” moment.
There’s a saying that says the only honest people in the world are children and drunk people (although I like to add elders to that mix as well). My son proved to be a positive sample to that theory. One night I was showing my son some of our Ujamaa commercials. I was so proud to show these shots to him and was awaiting his obvious approval. However, to my surprise, his reception was lukewarm. Mini me was impressed with the shots, however, he taught me a valuable lesson that night: He said that he lost interested in the commercials right in the middle – his attention span ran out within 10-15 seconds! My young son explained to me that the videos he watch on social media (i.e., TikTok, Instagram, etc) are all SUPER short, and he suggested I try out some “trendy” marketing ideas. THIS WAS COMING FROM A 10 YEAR OLD! He helped me come up with this 10 second clip – using my cellphone – that just showed me slamming down a box of our Ujamaa lightings on random surfaces in random places. We did this to the soundtrack of a trending, comedic audio snippet. That ad generated over 100k views – for FREE! Our previous, commercial ads generated only 100s of views! I was just “schooled” by a child that occasionally puts his phone down to go search his phone.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn as an entrepreneur is: You have to have everything (or most things) figured out before you start your business.
“Build the plane as you’re flying it.”. I’ve always hated that phrase. However, “yes”, I’ve used it several times in the past help paint a picture of a point I’m trying to make – even now. The painful truth is this: You will NEVER know if you can soar if you don’t, first, jump! You have to take that leap! Sure, building your parachute is important. However, after speaking with other successful entrepreneurs, they unanimously agreed that you will NEVER know everything about you business starting out – and some the lessons you need to learn are usually not found in a book. You have to experience it! You have to get your hands dirty! You have to fail – over and over again. THAT’S how you learn how to successfully run a business. Also, here’s another secret that you learn as you go: More times than not – if you continue to do all you can and tackle issues as they come – the universe tends to get out of your way!
When I first started Ujamaa (known as Umoja at the time), I didn’t know much about the lighting industry; I know every little about manufacturing; and I knew almost nothing about running a business on a day to day basis. However, I knew it was time for me to jump! To mitigate risk as I learned, we started off small – with one product…focusing on building the brand in the local community. As we got confortable with our offering – and feedback from our customers – we grew organically. Here at Ujamaa, we are STILL learning on a daily basis, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. I would encourage anyone that’s thinking about pursuing their business goals to make the jump as well. There are so many people out there waiting to assist you in achieving your goal. All you have to do is find your tribe.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ujamaalighting.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ujamaalighting
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ujamaalighting
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/72773888
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ujamaalighting
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnxScesM3ip89zfmcVeT0uQ