Marli Lira, owner of ABRC Electrical Services in Buda, Texas, studio portrait

Meet Marli Lira of ABRC Electrical Services

July 13, 2026•5 min read

Welcome to Branded, a series celebrating the women building brands worth watching, and the behind-the-scenes story of how they're building it. First up is a woman who runs everything behind one of Central Texas's most trusted family electrical companies.

Meet Marli Lira.

Ask Marli what she does, and she won't reach for a title. "I help run our family's electrical business," she says. "My husband is the Master Electrician, he's the one doing the hands-on work. And I handle everything that keeps the business moving." Then she says it the way only she can: "He keeps the lights on, and I keep the business running."

That one line is the whole story of ABRC Electrical Services, the Buda-based company Marli built alongside her husband, Robert. He is the hands. She is the heartbeat. Together they serve homeowners and businesses across Austin and the surrounding communities, and they do it the way they were raised to, with honesty, care, and a handshake you can trust.

From accounting and an MBA to the family business

Marli didn't stumble into this. She spent years in accounting, earned her MBA, and learned how to run things the right way, how to stay organized, communicate clearly, and take care of people. "I didn't know it at the time," she says, "but all of that was preparing me for exactly what I do now."

The corporate world never quite fit, though. "I felt boxed in, like everything had to be done a certain way, and none of it felt personal," she remembers. There wasn't one dramatic moment. It was a quiet voice that kept getting louder, telling her she was capable of building something that was hers.

The leap of faith

In October 2025, Marli jumped in with both feet. "No backup plan, no safety net. Just trusting that everything would work out."

For her, faith isn't a footnote. It runs through every decision. Her support system, she says, was small but strong. "It was me, my husband, and God. That's it." They figured it out as they went, learning, praying, and pushing through together. "It wasn't always easy, but it felt steady. It felt guided."

What it feels like to work with Marli

Talk to her clients and you hear the same word again and again: relief. "Working with me feels like finally being able to exhale," she says. Most of them come to her stressed and unsure, and they leave feeling safe, informed, and taken care of.

"I'm the calm in the middle of their chaos. I'm the person who answers the phone, listens, explains things in plain English, and makes sure they never feel stupid for asking questions."

The woman she loves serving most is the one who has been carrying the mental load for too long, the one keeping her home safe and her family comfortable while everything lands on her shoulders. "She's smart, capable, and resourceful, but she's tired of being the one who has to figure everything out." Marli becomes the person she can finally hand it to.

The lesson that changed everything

What surprised Marli most about building a business was how much of it depends on people. For someone who would rather put her head down and do great work, learning to step into rooms and build real connections was a stretch. It also changed everything.

"Building relationships isn't extra. It's essential," she says. "It's about surrounding yourself with people who get it, who support you, who help you see things from a different angle."

If she could hand her brand-new-entrepreneur self three words, they'd be Connect, Breathe, and Believe.

Connect, because relationships shape everything.

Breathe, because the early pressure is real.

Believe, because "the hard days don't mean I'm failing. They mean I'm growing."

The women who raised her

The women who shaped Marli are never far from the story. She was raised by her grandparents, her aunts, and her uncles, a village that poured into her when there wasn't much to go around.

Her mother, now in heaven, taught her that giving up was never an option.

"Every experience, good or bad, has something to teach you," Marli says. "They are my heroes. They are my backbone. Everything I do carries a piece of them with me."

Her definition of success

Ask Marli what success looks like now, and she doesn't mention money. She talks about freedom. Freedom to run a business with integrity. Freedom to take a call from a client and then turn around and spend time with her kids.

"That's my win. Not the money. Not the titles. Just the simple, steady peace of knowing I'm doing what I love, staying true to who I am, and building a life that actually feels like mine."

Her and Robert built this. And they are only getting started.

Work with ABRC Electrical Services

ABRC Electrical Services is a family-owned, licensed and insured electrical company based in Buda, Texas, serving homeowners and businesses across Austin and the surrounding communities.

Led by Master Electrician Robert Lira, the team handles panel upgrades and repairs, EV charger installations, troubleshooting, lighting installations, service entrance repairs, grounding and bonding corrections, remodel wiring, dedicated circuits, and general residential and commercial electrical work.

If you're looking for an electrician who treats your home like their own, you can find Marli and Robert here: