Every electrician has a starting point. It could be the joy of helping someone, the pride of doing good work, or a small moment that sparked interest in this trade. From that moment on, the journey begins.
In [Part 1 of this series], we explored what keeps electricians going every day. Now, we turn to where it all started.
We connected with electricians from across the globe: Sweden, Brazil, Spain, Australia, and Argentina. Their paths are different, but their hard work and passion connect them all.
Two electricians, one business, a once-in-a-century moment
Steph and Chris Gee – Australia
Steph and Chris Gee run CM and SM Gee Electrical in Tasmania, and last year marked a decade in business together. They got into the trade for different reasons, and they stay for different reasons – which, they say, is probably why it works.
For Steph, it is the people. “The variety of faces, sites, and crews that make every day feel different.”
For Chris, it is about being the solution. “There’s something really satisfying about giving customers the result they’re after solving a problem they didn’t know how to fix.”
Their specialty is residential work, and they love it. The freedom. The creative input. The conversations with clients who come in thinking they want downlights and leave with a vision for something altogether more considered.
But what strikes them most right now is the scale of what is happening to the industry itself.
“This industry is sitting on top of a massive wave – honestly, it’s probably a once-in-a-century shift,” they say. “Everything is moving toward home automation, renewables, and emerging technologies. EV charging, solar, linking systems together to genuinely save people money. We’re not just electricians anymore – we’re helping people future-proof their homes.”
Every client they have ever had has come through word of mouth. They have never advertised. That, perhaps, says more than any marketing could.
When the light turned on, I thought I want to do that
Tommy Johansson – Sweden
Tommy Johansson was ten years old when it happened. His grandfather had installed a motion sensor on the exterior light at the family home. One night, coming home in the dark, the light switched on automatically.
“It was a real wow moment,” Tommy says. “I remember thinking I wanted to keep doing something like that. That feeling has stayed with me ever since.”
Today, Tommy owns Elektrikern AB in Sweden and serves as a Schneider Electric ambassador. Lighting is still his favourite part of the job – not just the technical side, but the finishing stage, when every element of a carefully planned installation finally comes together.
He works across a wide range of projects, including a recent log cabin – his first – which brought its own set of challenges and discoveries. Planning, he says, is everything. With no wholesaler nearby, he makes it a personal challenge to carry everything he could possibly need in the car. “It becomes a bit of a sport,” he says, with the kind of quiet satisfaction that comes from doing something you genuinely love.
His advice to anyone considering the trade? Simple. Become one.
It’s an incredibly broad industry with many different options and specialisations. We also need more people.
Wiser solutions, smarter homes, and the safety gap no one talks about
Ricardo Abellán – Spain
Ricardo has been a self-employed electrician for almost 14 years, working out of Albacete and running his own company, Domby Domótica. Before going independent, he worked with other companies in the trade and spent time in electronic product development – a background that gives him a distinctive view of what residential installations can and should be.
His most rewarding projects, he says, are the ones where he has helped customers realise that smart home solutions are not out of reach.
“Many customers come to me looking for simple ways to control lighting or blinds without spending too much or completely renovating their homes. A lot of them think it’s not possible,” he explains. “But with the right solutions, I’ve been able to create installations that are practical, affordable, and meet exactly what they need.”
Ricardo is also one of the voices speaking openly about a problem he sees constantly in the field: electrical installations that fall dangerously short of standard. Missing grounding systems. No residual current devices. Work carried out by people without proper training.
“When you work in this field every day and see these homes up close, you can clearly see that there are real safety risks out there today,” he says. “It is a much more serious problem than most people realise.”
He is also a prolific educator on social media, where he shares his knowledge and pushes for greater awareness of electrical safety – a role that reflects how the modern electrician is as much a communicator as a craftsperson.
From a van to a team of 100
Scott Mofflin – Australia
Scott Mofflin did not stumble into running his own business. He planned it or at least, made a deliberate leap.
“Big mortgage, two little kids, and a third on the way – I chucked in my project manager’s job, popped into a van, and started crawling through roofs again,” he says. “Looking back, it sounds mad. But sometimes you just have to go for it.”
That was 19 years ago. Today, Infront Electrical in Adelaide is a team of more than 100 people, delivering complex projects across high-rise apartments, hotels, student accommodation, and freight distribution centres. One of their recent highlights: the Marriott Hotel, where they installed Clipsal’s C-Bus lighting automation throughout the entire building.
“Seeing that project come together – that was a proud moment for the whole team,” Scott says.
He has been working with Clipsal part of Schneider Electric – since he entered the industry as a 17-year-old, and the relationship has only deepened as his business has grown. He is especially passionate about the Iconic range, praising the thoughtfulness behind the product design, from the screw terminals to the face plates.
His message to younger electricians considering the jump to self-employment is clear: “If you’re a good sparky and a good tradesperson, you’ve already got the foundations. The trade gives you something real. Something you can build on.”
What every story has in common
Each story is unique, but they all lead to the same place work that brings meaning.
Because in the end, being an electrician isn’t just about fixing things. It’s about making a difference, one job, one home, one life at a time.
And we celebrate these everyday contributions-the skill, dedication, and pride that electricians bring to their work, and the impact they create in communities across the world.
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