Rick Jones:  Boutique Electrical Services At Rick Jones Electric

Rick Jones is a Fredericktonian and proud of it.  He has spent his entire life here, starting out as a kid growing up on Mount Phillip Road.  In those early days, he spent a lot of his time in the woods “running around and building forts.”

He recalls going Downtown as a kid and there wasn’t much there at the time.  “Now, it’s like Georgetown.  There are restaurants and businesses opening all the time and new and interesting people coming in.”

The pride just keeps growing!  “Its been really cool to see this little town of ours blossom into a little city.  It’s a great place to live.”

Today, he’s starting to build forts with Lucy, his two-year-old daughter.  “It’s kind of coming full circle from when I was a kid.”

Rick graduated from Frederick HS, attended FCC and honed his skills in the family-owned electrical business.   He’s the owner/operator of Rick Jones Electric.

“I’m really connected with the community and now I’m thrilled to run a business here and be a part of the community that way.”

Rick Jones Electric delivers courteous, professional electrical services in and around Frederick.

Historic Homes – Residential – Commercial

* Landscape & Security Lighting

* Renovation & Remodeling Projects

* Home Inspection Lists

* Lighting Layout & Design

* Home Rewiring

… and so much more!

“We do a lot of work that other contractors won’t do — either because it’s dirty or they don’t quite understand their systems — like the old knob and tube systems — and things that were done over a hundred years ago.  We love that type of work!”

Rick adds, “Rebuilding old structures and making things shine again – that’s really what we’re about.”

Rick’s Career Training Started At The Age Of Five!

Well, okay, maybe he was six. He’s not sure.  But, he clearly recalls that his Dad, a Master Electrician and the head of his own electrical business, would put him to work anytime that he was left in charge of the kids.

That translated into assigning Rick some tasks like “putting plate covers on at job sites and things like that.  Most anything he could do to keep us productive and busy.”

It also meant that Rick never lacked for a job during the summer months in high school.  “I would do electrical work with my Dad or remodeling jobs with his friends and his contacts.  I grew up learning this stuff and had a lot of different mentors along the way.”

The work experience continued as Rick worked with his Dad right out of college.  Then, there was a falling out and he took his skills to Frederick Electric.

“I got a lot of education there.  That was actually a really good thing that happened in terms of my own growth in my career.”

He tried working with his father again but another disagreement led to another split.  “At that time, I had my own little side business going.  I had some clients I was working with directly.”

Sensing that he had to keep the momentum going, Rick made the decision to go his own way for good.  That was nearly eleven years ago.”

Building The Business With The Right Team

“A lot of the guys working here don’t necessarily have an electrical background.  They have more of an artistic background.  They’re picking up the electrical skills everyday quickly but they’re bringing their own life skills into practice.

“Their ability to work directly with clients in their homes and make the clients feel comfortable and really be able to connect — I think that comes from having that different background.

“The team that we have, at this point, is just amazing.  It’s freed me up to do different parts of the business and grow other parts of the business that maybe needed attention.

“You can’t do that unless you have the right people around you.  That’s been one of the biggest changes, and most postive changes, we’ve had in the last four to five years.”

High Fives & Hands Up For The Frederick Community!

Rick is very aware of  the needs of the members of the community.”You go in and out of people’s houses all the time.  That’s a pretty intimate situation.

“You can tell when people are having hardships. Maybe they don’t have the money to make these repairs that need to happen but they also need heat.  They need lights.  They need things working for their families.”

He confides, “There have been a few times I’ve done those types of projects and just walked away with a handshake.   I think that’s what a community member does.

“We all need to make money.  We all need to make a profit.  That’s why you go into business.  But, there are times when you can give a little extra based on your skill set just to just try to help someone.

“That’s why I love Frederick so much.  It’s a small town.  It’s growing and there are more people coming here but there is still a sense of community where people take care of each other.  I love being a part of that.”

Rick’s Biggest Challenge As An Entrepreneur

“Life balance.  Owning a company is so totally involved.  It’s like a marriage.  It can really take a lot of time and energy to build it correctly and do things correctly.  It takes a lot of thought and it can really take you away from other experiences and even family.

“You’re creating every single piece for yourself,” Rick said.  “You’re creating your retirement; you’re creating your life savings; you’re creating your current stability.  You’re going after all your own employment all the time.

“It can be overwhelming.  It’s important to try to keep that life balance.  Otherwise, doing it is pointless.”

Advice Rick Would Give Himself If He Could Start Over

“To value myself.  At that time, I was literally taking every job that came my way.  In doing so, I didn’t really have a  good filtration system.  I learned a lot of hard lessons by taking on jobs that maybe I shouldn’t have.

“I think if I just would have valued my time a little more or been a little more methodical, I could have avoided some of those mistakes.”

Making A Difference When There’s No Place Like Home

Rick recalls doing a job for a group of clients a few years ago.  “There was a building in Downtown Frederick that actually got shut down temporarily because of carbon monoxide poisoning.  It was right before Christmas.

“The people that got displaced out of this building really didn’t have anywhere to go until we got things situated and got the building back up and running again, essentially.”

They were all very grateful to be able to move back into their homes for the holidays, once the work was completed.

Rick adds, “We did make a difference in their lives.  We made a connection with them.  That felt really good as a business owner, as an electrician and just as a person in the community.”

Rick Relies On A Very Unique App To Help Run His Business

Rick just can’t live without his Lee App. Yes, that’s right.  The Lee App.

Lee is the Project Manager.  “This guy is awesome.  Constantly helping.  Constantly teaching me things because I’m not the most computer/internet savvy.  He really helps keep that end of business constantly in the know.”

The App in second place is Pandora because Rick loves listening to the radio when he’s at work.  “Music is just a huge part of getting in and out of every day.”

Books Are Great But Movies Can Help You Grow, Too!

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown is the last book that Rick read (yes, to his daughter).  “It’s my speed!  I’m actually not a big reader.  I’m more of a hands-on, visual/audio kind of person.”

He loves Wes Anderson films.  He particularly liked one of the characters in The Life Aquatic — Steve Zissou played by Bill Murray.   “I look up to that character in a lot of ways.

He notes, “I think he’s a very human character and I like the way that he handled some of the situations.  Even though that movie is ridiculous, I see some of myself in that character in being responsible for other people and guiding my own ship.

“I like it when characters in movies kind of touch you a little bit or you can see some of your life there.  That can be helpful.  It can help you grow as a person a little bit.

Give Rick Jones a call today to discuss your need for electrical repairs, lighting design, installation, upgrades and all other residential and small commercial projects.

Don’t forget to ask for some tips on designing the perfect fort!

Rick Jones Electric

Mon-Fri: 8am-5pm

6009 Linganore Rd

Frederick, MD

(240) 674-1818

rickjoneselectric.com

facebook.com/rickjoneselectric

Contents Provided by Frederick Advice Givers Podcast Episode #099: Eric Verdi Interviews Rick Jones