Get A Grip On Lighting Podcast

Who owns Lightfair? What new things are coming along? How are exhibitors being vetted? What is the vision for Lightfair? What’s hot right now in the lighting design world? Christopher answers these queries and more in this episode. Get to Lightfair, May 4 - 8, 2025 in Las Vegas. https://lightfair.us.messefrankfurt.com/us/en.html . Christopher Knowlton is the CEO of the International Association of...

Y por fin llegó el día. En este primer capítulo damos inicio a una nueva etapa: Get a Grip on Lighting en Español, la versión en nuestro idioma del podcast en inglés que lleva años iluminando la industria. Exploramos el fascinante mundo de la iluminación desde dos perspectivas únicas: el diseño y la astronomía. Acompaña a nuestros conductores Alex Carrillo, un diseñador de iluminación y Fernando Á...

If Nikola Tesla only knew… Philip Gotthelf has run with Tesla’s invention and made it “the most advanced sustainable commercial lighting on the planet.” In this episode, you’ll learn about induction lighting, but Philip is also pretty knowledgeable about LED, flicker, and blue light effects on the pineal gland. And don’t get him started on road lighting! Philip Gotthelf is a world renowned authori...

John comes onto GAGOL to explain how ESCO’s are serving MUSH. Okay. You know what GAGOL is. You probably know what an ESCO is. You’ll have to listen to this podcast to find out what MUSH stands for. John breaks down what it is to be an ESCO, who they serve, and how they make money.   John Hamilton is an accomplished sales executive with over a decade of experience leading growth and driving profit...

Integrity. Is it in short supply? Michael thinks there is a lot of it in the lighting distribution business. People pay their bills on time, honor handshake deals, and trust one another. But it may not be so in other businesses. Lighting Distribution is a good business to be in! 

If you missed the live stream, here is a recording of Michael’s chat with Eric Teacher at Canada Light Expo. Michael and Eric talk about what it is to be a lighting agent, how STL has survived the chaotic agency world of Toronto, and how the US market seems unaware of how enormous the Ontario and Toronto economy is. Working in the lighting industry since 1993, Eric has been with STL Lighting Group...

Dr. Shelley James is back with a little preview of her new podcast, “Thinking Differently About Lighting.” Dr. James has pulled together her “dream team” of scientists to discuss the latest research and findings, and how that is transforming the way we think about lighting. Watch out for the launch on the Get a Grip network. Dr. Shelley James is an international expert on light and well-being, TED...

Is the LED boom over? Maybe so, but not in sports lighting. The energy savings and cost reductions with LED, and the advancements in controls now means you can get that NFL “look” for your local high school field. As Royce says, it can make participants feel like they are part of something bigger. Royce Banuelos is the marketing manager for SLG Lighting, an LED lighting manufacturer known for thei...

Yes, there is a market north of the border! The Toronto area is huge and deserves its own lighting show. Gaurav saw the opportunity and jumped on it all the way from India. With his company, MEX Exhibitions, he plans to “provide a platform for the lighting community to engage in meaningful dialogue and explore the future of smart lighting, LED technology, and design.” And he’s getting help from Th...

You or your contractor are installing lights in a retail store with a scissor lift. Suddenly, a few tiles crack under the weight. Who’s to blame? It might not be who you think. Cory joined his father at Lighting Unlimited in 2008. He took on a leadership role in 2014 as well as receiving his LC from the NCQLP in 2017.  He was the president of NAILD in 2018 and the VP of the Phoenix chapter of the...

Michael recently had a customer call to fix some blinking lights in his parking lot. Brian joins Michael and Greg to discuss how a distributor could handle this situation when some other company did the installation. THe boys discuss everything from selling them new fixtures, to advising them to call the installers to find out the warranty situation. What would you do? Brian began his career in th...

CEOs of publicly traded lighting companies, you are invited to be a guest on Get A Grip On Lighting. Michael, Greg, and Spencer Miles discuss the pros and the cons for you. And we have concluded the pros outweigh the cons. If you’re up for it, email us at getagrippodcasts@gmail.com . Spencer Miles first appeared on Get a Grip On Lighting way back in 2017 on episode #4. He is the President of Pacif...

Devin and Louvers International have a new UVC air sanitizer product called Cluvaire. But while we have Devin, we go into the “deep state” of the lighting industry, outdoor lighting, bulb bans, dark sky compliance… But yeah, he has a new UV product called Cluvaire. Check it out: https://louversintl.com/uvc-air-sanitizers/ Devin, along with his brother Derek, heads up Louvers International which wa...

Michael presents a document from the Canadian government outlining the coming ban on CFL bulbs. Brian Huff joins Michael and Greg to tackle this misguided and needlessly complicated plan. Hey Governments - want to get rid of Mercury containing bulbs? A NAILD committee will figure it out in 15 minutes. Brian Huff, President of Adventure Lighting in Des Moines, IA, has been in the lighting industry...

Jake Watters reached out to us after listening to episode #356 with Paolo Cordovado and how difficult it has become, as a building manager, to simply replace light bulbs. Even as Jake’s company attempts to mitigate the waste with their modular system, even he admits that the only path to sustainability is probably form factor standards. Michael gets hotter than usual on this one. Born and raised i...

It was another very successful NAILD Convention. Michael and Greg give us their take on the event, from the seating plan to the presentations to the first pitch at the baseball game by Brian Huff. Greg considers the boxed lunch sandwich possibly one of the best he’s ever had!

Mel Jacobson started selling light bulbs out of a van in 1951 and in 1955, Paul’s Grandfather Don McLellan joined Mel, then bought the company in 1982 when Mel retired. When the internet arrived, teenage Paul built a website and started selling light bulbs online. But vanolite.com just wasn’t going to cut it. And so LightBulbs.com was born. Paul and his brother-in-law Jason tell us how they built...

Special Release! It’s almost September and that means the Archlight Summit is almost upon us. Lea and Cindy update Michael on what to expect this year at The Dallas Market Centre in Dallas Texas. Educational and enjoyable. Catch up with friends and colleagues you haven’t seen for a while. September 17 and 18. Lea is a seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience in Trade Show Sales, Atte...

We get back to basics with lighting distributor Brian Amundson, President of Pacific Lamp Wholesale. We start off with a video of possibly the most hellish room you could ever experience. Brian discusses with Michael and Greg, how to handle a situation like that, and sticking up for the customer in general. Brian began his career in the lighting industry with Pacific Lamp Wholesale, in 2009. Befor...

Alex and Paulina are our first guests from Mexico. And they seem to have many of the same challenges as in the rest of North America - problems with Chinese products and standards and certifications, for example. They are making headway on light pollution however, starting with some dark sky compliant areas in the Baja Peninsula and working its way through Mexico. Alex is an Architect and Lighting...

We’re a little off-topic here, but it’s for a good cause. Instead of the usual black tie event to raise money to fight cancer, founders of the H Foundation decided to create an uplifting event with The Goombay Bash. So grab your Hawaiian shirt and get yourself to the Navy Pier in Chicago on July 27th and help fight cancer ( https://www.goombaybash.com/ ). While you’re there, order yourself a Goomb...

Let’s go back to the time when people accepted that light bulbs would burn out. Michael calls it a “pseudo subscription model.” You could sell light bulbs to customers on a pretty regular schedule. We don’t need to tell you how that changed with the advent of LED. Michael and Greg discuss how distributors should react to the change.

Deborah Gottesman is a lighting Designer in Michael’s neck of the woods. Gottesman Associates has been designing lights since 1999. Deborah stresses, as a lighting designer, to consider what’s best for the client. For instance, one client who was visually impaired, needed to see everything. So a design with contrast and shadows, which would be pleasing for most of us, just wouldn’t work for this p...

Sure, Jon sells light bulbs, but he also sells safety and risk mitigation. First, by installing the right bulb in the right position, safety is increased, and second, by installing a longer lasting bulb and requiring someone to climb up and change it less often, he is mitigating risk. If you're doing it right, you’ll NEVER have OSHA involved. Jon Rud is an accomplished sales executive with over a...

If you want to REALLY become technically proficient about lighting, get on grow lighting. Taylor Schaberg has been in the business for quite awhile and he tells us he’s still learning. You want to light a warehouse, throw up some high bays. You want to light a cannabis greenhouse? Wait a minute, what strain of cannabis is it? How strong do you want it to be? Then there are the controls that you ne...