The Lighting Trade School Podcast

In this episode, we keep the questions coming, diving deeper into our list of the Top 40 Questions to Ask a Landscape Lighting Coach so you can grow faster, avoid costly mistakes, and build a lighting business with serious legs. But this episode’s not just talk we also go behind the scenes of our first live lighting trainings in our home states. 🎤 Captain Matt breaks down what went down in New Yo...

Every legacy has a beginning. This is mine. Long before The Lighting Trade School. Before the podcast. Before the coaching. Before the mentoring. Before the installs that made millionaires and billionaires say “damn.” There was a broke dad in upstate New York hanging lights to buy his kid Christmas presents. In this premiere episode of Captain’s Quarters First Class, I take you back - back to the...

The China tariffs just hit. Prices are rising. Most manufacturers are scrambling, or quietly passing the pain onto you. But not us. In this episode, we bring in Nate Mullen, founder of Lifetime Lighting Systems , to lay it all out. He’s spent millions of dollars and years of relentless work to bring manufacturing back to America. While the rest of the industry is panicking, we’re already built for...

Think your lighting coach knows their stuff? Time to find out. In this follow-up to our hit episode, Captain Matt and Shane Duffy dive back into the Top 40 Questions Every Lighting Coach Should Be Able to Answer, and this time, we go deeper. From supply house sales reps acting like pros to Facebook group “experts” giving garbage advice… We’re calling out the BS and handing you the questions that e...

🔥 The lighting industry is under fire... and we’re naming names.   In this no-holds-barred episode, we pull back the curtain on the industry BS being thrown at Lifetime Lighting Systems—and the man behind it all, Nate “The Illuminator” Mullen , sets the record straight. From inventing the multi-tap transformer to getting sued for being right , Nate has a history of shaking up the industry… and be...

Who’s really guiding your lighting journey? In this episode, we drop the Top 40 Questions you should be asking anyone who claims they can help you grow your lighting business—whether it's a “coach,” someone behind a supply house counter, or a smooth-talking sales rep. Because if they’ve never walked the walk...Why are you listening to their talk? We’re pulling back the curtain and giving you t...

Controlling when your lights turn on and off might seem simple, but with so many choices out there it can be very confusing to pick how to control your landscape lighting projects. In this episode, we break down the pros and cons of every major control method and help you figure out what’s best for each job...and each client. We cover: 🕹️ Dusk-to-dawn dongles - cheap, easy, but are they reliable?...

We’re back with another deadly sin that could kill your lighting design and dive into the silent killer of landscape lighting systems: voltage drop and volt amps (VA). Many know that there is a thing called ‘VA’ when it comes to landscape lighting, but what is it? Why does it matter? Can we get rid of VA all together? In this episode we discuss: ⚡ What voltage drop really is and how to handle it....

Ever struggled to sell landscape lighting during the day? Homeowners just nod along, unsure if they really need it? There’s a better way. On this podcast, we break down the game-changing strategy of using battery-operated lights to create stunning, real-time night demos. When homeowners see their property come to life after dark, the sale practically closes itself. We’ll cover: 🔦 Why night demos...

🎙️ New Episode Alert: Lessons, Laughs & $2 Million Mistakes! Ever lost $2 million in one day ? Nate has—and he's sharing the wild story so you don’t have to make the same mistakes. Recorded live from the TransWorld Christmas and Halloween Show in St. Louis , this episode is packed with real talk from the field s haring losses and funny stories from the field in landscape lighting. From cli...

Want to know one of the biggest mistakes we see in outdoor lighting? Not planning ahead. In this episode of The Lighting Trade School Podcast , we’re diving into Future Considerations —one of the most common (and costly) sins in outdoor lighting design. A great lighting system isn’t just about what works today—it’s about what continues to work years down the road. That means leaving extra wire at...

We’ve seen it time and time again—bad connections ruining an entire lighting system. In this episode of The Lighting Trade School Podcast , we’re diving into one of the most overlooked yet devastating killers of outdoor lighting: wicking and corrosion . Let’s be clear— wire nuts and electrical tape have no place in outdoor lighting . The connection is always the weakest link, and when done imprope...

In this episode, we continue our series on The Seven Deadly Sins of Outdoor Lighting by tackling one of the most critical aspects of landscape lighting design— fixture placement . Lighting design is a vast subject, but when it comes to placement, understanding the fundamentals can solve nearly every challenge. You don’t need a dozen different beam spreads and wattages— we only use two . The reason...

Welcome to the very first episode of The Lighting Trade School Podcast ! In this series, we’re diving into The Seven Deadly Sins of Outdoor Lighting , and we’re kicking things off with the biggest offender of them all— glare . Glare is the number one killer of a lighting job, ruining aesthetics, functionality, and even safety. In this episode, we break down the different types of glare, including...

Does this National Franchise teach these horrible methods? This is what you are up against folks! You can be great in your market, you can be the best lighting designer, and the best installer. The bar is set awfully low for the landscape lighting industry. Be different and watch your bank accounts grow! Come get trained! Lighting Trade School podcast launches February 24th 2025 on your favorite p...

What do you think of Shanes Nick Names? Dip Sh*t millionaires all hanging together on their new podcast about all things outdoor lighting...and of course Shanes nick names for everyone. The three lighting amigos are Shane Duffy, Nate Mullen, and Captain Matt. Lighting Trade School Podcast drops February 24th 2025! Get ready landscape lighting world! #nicknames #texas #lighting

The 7 Deadly Sins of landscape Lighting... Do you deal with wicking and corrosion? The connection is always the weakest part of any electrical system! How do you prevent this? Captain Matt, Shane Duffy, and Nate Mullen with The Lighting Trade School Podcast launches February 24th 2025! Get ready for some fun while learning how to earn more in outdoor lighting! #connections #lighting #outdoors

Wire nuts should never be used for landscape lighting! If you're using wire nuts just stop, your hurting yourself and the systems you install. You can do better! The Lighting Trade School Podcast launches February 24th 2025 with Nate Mullen, Captain Matt, and Shane Glo-Daddy Duffy! Get ready for some fun while learning how to earn more in outdoor lighting! #outdoorlighting #trades #school

You only need 2 beam spreads! Do you agree? Stop making it so difficult for yourself, your team, and your future self. In landscape lighting so many use a host of different beam spreads and wattages, when the truth of the matter is 99% of the time if you understood placement you would only need to keep 2 main beam spreads (and one wattage) in inventory! The Lighting Trade School Podcast launches F...

Get ready landscape lighting world for The Lighting Trade School Podcast! We are thrilled to finally be releasing our podcast with Glo Daddy Shane Duffy, Nate The God Father of Landscape Lighting Mullen, and Captain Matt! February 24th official launch date! Get ready to join them as the discuss the 7 deadly sins of lighting, stories, talk to manufacturers and more all helping you learn and earn mo...

Get ready landscape lighting world for The Lighting Trade School Podcast! We are thrilled to finally be releasing our podcast with Glo Daddy Shane Duffy, Nate The God Father of Landscape Lighting Mullen, and Captain Matt! February 24th official launch date! Get ready to join them as the discuss the 7 deadly sins of lighting, stories, talk to manufacturers and more all helping you learn and earn mo...

The #1 sin on an outdoor lighting job! Have you ever seen this on one of your jobs and cringed and hoped the client didn’t notice? How did you fix it? Glare will kill a lighting job. 1 fixture out of 100 and bam, job ruined. This is another reason pacement and hex louvers are so important on EVERY fixture. The Lighting Trade School Podcast launches February 24th 2025! Get ready for some fun while...

The #1 sin on an outdoor lighting job! Have you ever seen this on one of your jobs and cringed and hoped the client didn’t notice? How did you fix it? Glare will kill a lighting job. 1 fixture out of 100 and bam, job ruined. This is another reason placement and hex louvers are so important on EVERY fixture. The Lighting Trade School Podcast launches February 24th 2025! Get ready for some fun while...