LytePod

What happens when a lighting designer who's built her life around betting on herself sits down and reveals why everything she once believed about success was completely wrong—and what came next changed everything? In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel sits down with Golsana Heshmati, founder of Seed, a boutique lighting design studio in New York City, for a conversation about what it really...

What happens when a lighting designer who's built a thriving practice around education sits down and reveals why he's giving away all his secrets—and why that terrifying decision might be the only way to change an industry that's been failing homeowners for decades? In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel sits down with David Warfel, founder of Light Can Help You, for a rare, unfiltered conve...

What happens when a lighting designer with four decades of experience sits down and reveals the uncomfortable truth about what creative professionals get wrong about money—and why that misunderstanding quietly undermines everything else they're trying to build? In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel sits down with Charles Stone, Past President of the International Association of Lighting Des...

What happens when custom integrators stop dabbling in lighting and start building entire divisions around it—and why is this the fastest-growing category in luxury residential technology today? In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel sits down with Rob Doherty Listen now to discover why lighting isn't just another subsystem—it's the experience that brings everything else to life. ❤️ Big appre...

What happens when two lighting designers and two manufacturers sit down in the same room and get brutally honest about spec swaps, value engineering, custom details, and what really breaks when a project goes sideways on site? In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel brings together voices from London, Florence, and Dubai for a rare, unfiltered conversation about the real friction points betwe...

What does it take to build a career shaped by deep listening, quiet confidence, and the courage to lead without losing yourself in the process? In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel sits down with Teal Brogden, co-leader of HLB Lighting Design, one of the world's most influential architectural lighting design firms, to unpack what it really means to lead with empathy, curiosity, and panache...

What does it take to build a culture that outlives the people who shaped it? In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel sits down with Carrie Hawley and Teal Brogden, co-leaders of HLB Lighting Design — one of the world's most influential architectural lighting design firms — to unpack the business of building, scaling, and leading a design firm that's built to last. This is a candid, deeply hum...

Tom Doherty has spent 40 years in consumer electronics and two decades arguing for one quietly subversive idea: that the lighting industry has spent decades failing homeowners — and the custom integration channel is finally the one fixing it. He's the Director of New Technology Initiatives at HTSA, the international trade consortium of premium residential integrators. He was inducted into the inau...

The IALD Enlighten America's conference filled up the keynote hall - 200+ lighting designers were on edge, as soon as the conversation was over, we recorded this podcast. Sam Koerbel sits down with Emad and Ketty, two lighting designers navigating the seismic shift that artificial intelligence is bringing to the design world. This isn't a conversation about hype or fear. It's a candid, deeply huma...

What happens when you sit down with an architect who's spent decades designing the custom homes of billionaires in one of the world's most demanding environments—and ask her what it really takes to turn a house into a legacy? In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel travels to Aspen, Colorado, to sit down with Sarah Broughton, a world-renowned architect and designer whose work has redefined wh...

What happens when you sit down with an interior designer who's spent years shaping the energy of some of the country's most ambitious sports venues—and ask her how light transforms hospitality into emotion? In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel travels to Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego to sit down with Edith Ponciano, an elite interior designer whose work has redefined what it means to exp...

What happens when you sit down with a lighting designer who's saving 90% of his time using AI—and ask him to show you exactly how he does it? In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel travels to Dubai to sit down with Faraz Izhar, a lighting designer who has transformed his entire workflow using artificial intelligence—not as a replacement for creativity, but as a power tool that amplifies it....

What happens when you sit down with someone who's built one of the world's most successful lighting design practices—and ask him what it really takes to turn creativity into a sustainable business without losing the soul of the work? In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel sits down with Paul Miles, founder of a global lighting design practice spanning nine studios across four continents, to...

In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel sits down with Chip Israel and Kelly Jones, co-CEOs of Lighting Design Alliance (LDA), to unpack the philosophy, process, and people-first culture that transformed a small firm into one of the industry's most respected design teams—and what happened when they recently merged with a larger technology-focused company to unlock the next chapter of growth....

What happens when you sit down with a lighting designer who's spent decades crafting immersive luxury experiences across the Middle East—and ask him what it really takes to turn a journey into an emotion? In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel travels to Dubai to sit down with Paul Miles, a veteran lighting designer who has shaped some of the region's most ambitious hospitality projects—from...

What happens when you sit down with a lighting designer who's spent two decades navigating one of the world's most dynamic, culturally complex markets—and ask him how culture, design, and architecture really intersect? In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel travels to Dubai to sit down with Siddharth (Sid) Mathur, a veteran lighting designer who has witnessed firsthand the transformation of...

What happens when someone who's spent decades inside the lighting industry's machinery gets straight to it? In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel sits down with Geoff Marlow, a veteran consultant and industry strategist who has witnessed firsthand the seismic shifts reshaping architectural lighting—from the rise of LED technology to the relentless wave of consolidation, private equity takeo...

What happens when you pull back the curtain on how architectural lighting actually gets made—from whiteboard sketch to installation—and discover the hidden complexity, creative tension, and human ingenuity behind every luminaire? In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel sits down with two veterans from opposite ends of the manufacturing spectrum: Gary Trott from Acuity Brands (one of the large...

What happens when three of New York City's most accomplished lighting designers sit down to talk about the state of their profession, with the Empire State Building and JP Morgan Tower framed in the window behind them? In this special episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel brings together a powerhouse roundtable of lighting design leaders to unpack the evolution, challenges, and future of architectu...

What happens when the people who control your home's technology realize most homes are getting lighting fundamentally wrong? In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel sits down with Richard Millson, a master integrator with nearly 30 years of experience creating seamless smart home experiences for luxury residences. Together, they unpack why most homes — even $30 million estates — fail at light...

What do billion-dollar developers really think about design — and where does lighting fit in? In this episode, LytePOD host Sam Koerbel sits down with the COO of a luxury real-estate developer in New York City responsible for billions of dollars in projects. Together they unpack the owner’s perspective on budgets, design ambition, and risk — and what happens when lighting becomes the most misunder...

In this episode of the LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel sits down with master lighting designer and educator Pete Romaniello live at Lightapalooza, the premier event for custom home integrators learning to adopt lighting as a new design category. With over 30 years of experience, Pete breaks down the fundamentals of great lighting design — from placement and purpose to ethics and education. He shares why...

Do details still serve design, or have they taken over? In this episode, Dan and Srushti of Lam Partners trace the history of lighting details — from Versailles to tape lights — and reveal how we arrived at today’s identity crisis in design. They cover: Why don’t more products mean better work How culture and politics shape design choices The rise (and overuse) of “non-details” like slots, coves,...

What makes a space feel truly luxurious? It’s not more fixtures or bigger budgets — it’s intentional lighting design . In this episode of the LytePOD, host Sam sits down with Garrett Neal of NEAL Lighting to unpack why good lighting doesn’t have to be expensive, how to plan with furniture and architecture first, and why integrators should think like designers to deliver better results. You’ll lear...

LEDs were supposed to last forever. But what happens when they don’t? Host Sam Koerbel talks with Rachel Fitzgerald (Stantec) and Andrea Wilkerson (PNNL) about a growing crisis: the lack of replaceable components in LED systems. From failing fixtures in schools and offices to flickering tubular LEDs and the fluorescent phase-out, this conversation calls for real accountability from manufacturers,...