Get A Grip On Lighting Podcast

Michael has noticed, over the years, that vendor members who have quit NAILD, have experienced “the kiss of death.” In this short-form Get A Grip, Michael and Greg riff on private equity take-overs, change of ownership, ROI, education, and giving back. If you want to have a better chance at success and staying in business, join NAILD!

You must check out some videos of Michal’s LED Tron Dance Suits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVt2OwMKiM8 . You’ll be mesmerized. Michal explains to Michael and Greg how his company continues to address the challenges of controlling the lights, maintenance of the LED diodes and trying to keep the dancers from beating up the suits! As Michael points out, if Michal and his company can figure out...

If you don’t know Sid Phillips, you should. His experience and longevity in the business makes him a go-to for information and advice. Lucky for us, he gives some here on the Get A Grip On Lighting podcast. As Sid likes to say, he “kick’s the cans” and tries to fix what’s wrong. So listen up manufacturers call Sid and he’ll look at your latest product. Mostly, you’ll want to listen to this one to...

“The human centric workplace.” That subject will always spark debate, especially the lighting part of it. Simone explained to Michael and Greg how she goes about it in her profession. She avoids the fluff and the trendiness of the subject and… Just. Makes. Sense. If she wasn’t across the pond in England, we’d have her over to shake up our workplaces. You could say Simone is a workplace thought-lea...

In this special edition of Get A Grip On Lighting, super-fan Peter Ma drops in the studio to chat with Michael. Peter, a long time listener, came by to meet Michael and to see the studio. But Peter is in the business, so he and Michael talk about how his parents went from manufacturing flash drives to manufacturing LED’s in Taiwan, starting Vyvyd Lighting in Toronto, and how he learned lighting de...

Who knew that chemists would be working on light bulbs. Well, Jakoah and Shruti explain their research into different phosphors to find the most efficient ways to create colors - other than blue. Fifteen years in the business and we learned something new about LED’s: They don’t fade, the phosphor decomposes. Prof. Jakoah Brgoch is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and a Princip...

Light is a spectrum and our eyes see a thin slice of it. But that doesn’t mean the light outside of our visual perception doesn’t affect us. Dr. Krames and Dr. Berends talk with Michael and Greg about the research they have conducted and the conclusion they have reached on the effects of near-infrared light on human health. To put it bluntly, it’s good stuff, when used in the right dosages. You’re...

Come celebrate 300 with us! Okay, it didn’t quite fall on the actual 300th episode, but it doesn’t take away from the achievement. This group of misfits got together with Michael and Greg to talk about how the Get A Grip On Lighting Podcast got started. But they also talk about sustainability and mercury and drivers and… well, it seems there’ll be enough to talk about to make at least another 300...

Nothing can beat real sunlight for an indoor environment. But sometimes, getting daylight into an interior space is difficult or impossible. Benjamin says he’s got the next best thing. Michael and Greg do their best to be skeptical, but Benjamin might have won them over with LIGHTGLASS Simulated Windows & Skylights. Let Get A Grip On Lighting shed some light on the subject for you. Benjamin is...

Randy Reid is back and he’s here to clear up some confusion with his publication, The Edison Report. Accusations were leveled, mistakes were made and Randy gives his side of the story. Randy Reid is the editor of designing lighting (dl) magazine . He also publishes and edits the EdisonReport. Reid is president of LumEfficient, a company focused on industrial and hazardous lighting, and he also ser...

Come on… you know you love it when Michael gets worked up! In this new short-form Get A Grip On Lighting podcast episode - he beefs to Greg about misguided incentive programs, purple lights, the state of rebate programs, and the leaderless lighting industry… heads need to come out of the sand and get their sh*t together.

Winner of the L-Prize, Don Peifer lets us in on some of his designs and the principles that guide him in his design concepts. He’s adamant that some fixtures need to be made out of paper. We’re sure he’ll do it and probably win another L-Prize in the process. Don Peifer is an entrepreneur, lighting product designer, and sustainability expert.  He received his Masters of Architectural Sciences in L...

Is skipping a tradeshow treason?   Probably not, but large presences backing out of a LightFair is a capitulation to foreign players in the industry. The industry as a whole needs to admit that there’s more to learn every year by going to the biggest show, and the manufacturers and vendors need to be visible there.

You’ll wish you thought of this first. Jean-Côme, discusses with Michael and Greg, how Guardtex has developed Kanvaslight technology. Simply put, they weave fibre optics into fabric to create textiles that light up. They can even make the entire floor of your pool into a light source. This one is fun! Jean-Côme Mazière is a Mechanical Industrial Engineer with a diverse background in various fields...

Camilla has an interesting way of looking at lighting design. Rather than a lighting designer, she calls herself a “darkness designer.” Camilla explains to Michael and John her philosophy on darkness, and how it is revealed with the use of light. Camilla leaves you with a little exercise on how to embrace darkness. Camilla has a bachelor’s degree in Design Culture and a master’s degree in Lighting...

Al’s back! He’s got 11 predictions for 2023. First Michael and Greg review Al’s 2022 predictions, from such experts as Christopher Knowlton, Kraig Kasler, Bernadette Boudreau, and Tom Benton to name a few. Give this podcast a listen and see if you agree. Al Uszynski is an experienced executive with over 25 years of experience in the lighting industry. He is Principal of inside.lighting, an online...

In this special year-end episode, Michael and John discuss issues that have come up over the past year in the Darkness Restoration and Preservation movement. Have things improved? Are we getting there? 2023 is upon us, let’s get it done! 

He’s back! Tony gives us an update on his quantum technology. It’ll blow your mind if you can even understand it. The “Quantum Demon” is the quantum computers that nefarious entities are working on. Those will be able to get into any system in a matter of seconds - except ones that are using Tony’s quantum LiFi. You’re going to have to get on board eventually, so get a head start by listening to t...

Matthew talks with Webster and Ron about “getting grandma to not click on bad things,” how to keep networks secure, and how to avoid a “spear-phishing” attack (as opposed to a just plain “phishing”). Matthew has been in the cybersecurity world for 24 years and he and Morphisec know how to make it EXTREMELY difficult to mount a successful cyber attack. Matthew encompasses a rare combination of qual...

This one’s a little different. Brooke is a recruiter for the electrical and lighting industry. Brooke lets us in on some of the trends like the growing demand for lighting designers (there’s your career path, kids!) and the traits and work history that she looks for in a candidate, which might surprise you. Brooke Ziolo is the President of Egret Consulting, an executive search firm exclusive in th...

We’ve had some brainiacs on this podcast before, but the products Pathway Connectivity has engineered around switching, PoE and networking… well, suffice to say, you’ve probably used something they have or his team has built. Robert discusses, with Webster and Ron, how switches, designed for entertainment, are making their way into architectural lighting and “architainment.” Robert Bell a Consulti...

Sabine is a full time Dark Sky Officer for the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sternenpark Rhön. Sabine explains to Michael how she has become an expert on laws regarding light and light pollution. While she can’t issue tickets (yet), she can use her authority and expertise to improve bad light and advise on development plans. If you’re in lighting, listen to Sabine in this episode! Since childhood, S...

Many researchers have focused on the effects of light on elderly people. Dr. James was drawn to the health effects of light on young people. She discusses with Michael and Greg, how light affects depression, sleep, eyesight and memory. Want your teen to do better on a test, give them some quality light. Your Dad was right - get outside! Dr Shelley James is an international expert on light and well...

Sean lives in California, so he is immersed in the code requirements that the rest of the country will eventually see. As Sean says, dimming is a requirement in California code, and isn’t that a fundamental part of lighting controls? Webster and Ron discuss with Sean how relationships with manufacturers, agents, engineers, and architects help drive towards those requirements while still satisfying...

Michael Colligan was inspired to be a Dark Sky advocate by William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night's Dream.” The stars have inspired countless poets. Kerem considers the night to be a “realm” and he specializes in dark sky friendly lighting design for what he likes to call, “the urban and rural public realm.” Kerem Asfuroglu is the founder of Dark Source, a London-based lighting design studio dri...