That’s Brilliant!

Lighting controls are evolving and creating new opportunities. While the technology can seem daunting, you don’t necessarily need to be an expert to incorporate a control system into your lighting designs. In this episode, Raelle sits down with C. Webster Marsh of Penumbra Controls and host of the Lighting Controls Podcast to discuss what’s new and evolving in lighting controls and how you can tak...

Bridging the gap between technology and design, lighting is an essential element to every space. Understanding style and design, choosing the right products, and ensuring a beautiful and functional layout require time, expertise, and an awareness of personal style. In this episode, Raelle sits down with Traditional Home’s Editor in Chief Jill Waage and Style and Design Editor Krissa Rossbund to di...

From supporting industry networking to giving back to the community, the ALA Women in Lighting Committee is changing the face of the lighting industry.   In honor of Women’s History Month, Raelle Bell sits down with Laura Van Zeyl of Dallas Market Center and Karyn Hayes of Hinkley to discuss their work over the past five years building and growing the ALA Women in Lighting (WIL) Committee. Learn h...

A lot is changing at ALA. As the lighting industry evolves, ALA is committed to providing new, improved benefits to support members’ needs. In this episode, ALA’s President & CEO Larry Lauck and Director of Membership Carrie Kolles join Raelle to discuss ALA’s new member programs and what the future has in store for the association and the lighting industry.   Show notes Learn more about  ALA...

Education is the key to staying ahead in an industry that’s constantly evolving. Long-time ALA educator and professor of design Joe Rey-Barreau, AIA, IESNA, sits down with Liz and Raelle to discuss why he believes education leads to increased sales. Plus, he walks them through what’s new in ALA’s updated Residential Lighting Training Manual, launching February 2024, and the unexpected benefits of...

Between the distributor and vendor are hundreds of reps, facilitating communication, training and feedback.  Their experience working with multiple manufacturers and multiple showrooms gives them a unique perspective on the industry. Melissa Leib will be our guide on the lighting industry through the eyes of a rep.    Show Notes  MAR Lighting has over 28 years of experience in the lighting industr...

Well-designed products proven to provide circadian-friendly lighting are hitting the market. Find out how these products are creating sales opportunities and where the future of the ALA Better Light, Better Sleep program is headed.   Show Notes As of September 2023, 10 ALA-member manufacturers have submitted products for testing by the Light and Health Research Center (LHRC) at Mount Sinai as part...

Is your showroom fine-tuned to be as profitable as it could be? While the idea of overhauling your business might sound daunting, it doesn’t have to be. From your customers’ first touch points to the products you sell, Matt Rowan of Dominion Lighting sits down with Liz and Raelle to share actionable steps you can take, whether one-by-one or all at once, to reimagine your showroom business and impr...

From the “light bulb ban” to changes in overtime pay thresholds, learn how ALA tracks and influences the regulatory process. Liz and Raelle sit down with Michael Weems to get an inside look at ALA’s public policy efforts.   Show notes Michael Weems serves as Vice President, Public Policy for the American Lighting Association. He came to ALA with a decade of experience in constituent services and a...

The more we learn about lighting, the more we realize we still need to learn. Shirley Coyle takes Raelle & Liz through current research and technology to help us understand what’s next, and what is available now.   Show notes   Shirley Coyle is a recognized lighting industry leader with deep experience and connections in the North American lighting community, and Principal of Relevant Light. R...

Merchandising your lighting showroom? Hang something no one has ever seen. Your showroom will be memorable, and a place to discover the new and unusual. Even if your customers end up buying a bread-and-butter piece from the catalog. That’s just a taste of the advice we get from Mary Soeder of PDI Nashville – where lighting sales increased by 120% over the past five years.   Show notes Mary Soeder,...

You may be tempted to avoid “Light & The Aging Eye” topics. But designing a well-lit room for folks with low vision can help those of us with healthy eyes in our 40s and beyond. Tom Butters sits down with Raelle and Liz to tell us all about it. Show notes Further reading: Lighting Your Way to Better Vision is a non-technical document from the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES,) addressing visi...

The color rendering needs in a space vary, so how could one number accurately depict which light source renders colors “best?” While Color Rendering Index (CRI) provides one metric, TM-30 provides a robust suite of metrics that convey much more information than any previous attempt at characterizing color rendering. Jason Livingston, co-chair of the IES Color Committee, explains what TM-30 is (and...

We expect LED lamps to act like incandescent lamps, but they don’t. Why is that, and what do we need to consider to make LED light beautiful? From flicker, to burn out, to the color just seeming “off,” there are reasons why consumers run into issues and report dissatisfaction with their LED light bulbs. Don Peifer joins Raelle and Liz, taking us through the key points to consider as we switch from...

Hear from the executive editor of Lighting magazine on what’s trending as we prepare to release the 2023 issue. Plus, she’ll share some expert insight with Raelle and Liz on the important role lighting and lighting showrooms play in home design. Show notes Samantha Hart is Executive Editor of the Home Design group for Better Homes and Gardens. In that role, she oversees the group’s high-end decora...

Raelle and Liz sit down with ALA’s new President and CEO to find out his plans for ALA. Show notes Larry Lauck was just named American Lighting Association’s new president and chief executive officer. He talks to Raelle and Liz about what will change, and what will stay the same as he develops the ALA’s next five-year plan. Plus, learn how you can get more involved with ALA. To see the full press...

Do you want to use an led light bulb, or use a fixture with the LEDs built in? Raelle and Liz discuss the topic with Chris Primous, who wrote a paper on the subject.   Show notes With over 24 years in product development, sales, and consulting with companies such as Acuity, Progress Lighting, MaxLite, and EPA/ENERGY STAR, Chris Primous has well-rounded industry experience. A 2018 ALA Pillar of the...

You don’t have to be an expert to offer your customers incredible tape light solutions, you just need to know who to ask. Dane Brock of Richard Alan & Associates walks Liz and Raelle through the key considerations when it comes to selling tape light. Plus, he offers some insightful ideas on how you can sell just about any product in your showroom if you have a strong industry network.   Show notes...

When was the last time you thought about the lighting in your closet? Today is the day! Jeff Dross (LightingByJeffery.com) will take us through the many considerations for this small space.   Show notes Jeffrey R Dross has been involved in the residential lighting industry for over 45 years. He has engineered products, managed the development of different lighting types, educated the industry abou...

The market for smart lighting and controls is growing faster than ever. Learn how to step into this crowded arena and take advantage of this billion-dollar market opportunity. Tim Vislay, Director of Sales for Lighting Showrooms at Legrand, joins Raelle and Liz, providing tips for how to bring these products to your showroom and what we can expect to see as smart lighting and controls continue to...

From under-budgeting to poor understanding of the value and importance of proper lighting in a home, we’re discussing what leads to bad lighting and how we can fix it. Hear from Peter Romaniello as he drops some creative solutions and bold ideas on how to better light any home.   Show notes Peter Romaniello, IALD, founded his award-winning lighting design company, Conceptual Lighting, in 1998. He...

Clark Linstone is an example to follow for finding ways to help your industry or your community. He sits down with Liz and Raelle to discuss ways to get involved in the industry and the importance of doing so. This episode is sponsored by HINKLEY  and  Kichler Lighting .     Show Notes    President and COO of  Lamps Plus , Clark Linstone is well known across ALA and the lighting industry for his s...

We're talking best practices for creating a brilliant lighting showroom team that provides great customer service. Director of Training at Progressive/Lee Lighting Michelle Plumley, LS, has more than 29 years of experience working in a lighting retail showroom and currently manages the hiring and training in 11 showroom locations across Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina. She sits down with Liz an...

In this bonus episode, we ask a few folks at Lightovation, the Dallas International Lighting Show, to give us some thoughts about where the industry is headed, and what they’re thinking about now.   Show Notes  Joe Rey Barreau, architect and Professor of Lighting Design at the University of Kentucky, talks about his expanded definition of smart home lighting. Terry McGowan, Director of Engineering...

ALA’s engineer, Terry McGowan, joins Raelle and Liz to talk about simple, easy to use lighting and control technologies. This episode is sponsored by  HINKLEY  and  Kichler Lighting .     Show Notes  Terry is involved in illuminating engineering, lighting design, lighting education and lighting research. His professional career of 60+ years includes GE Lighting at Nela Park where he was Manager of...