There's a new sales channel in town...and it's got exciting possibilities for the lighting design community. Trent Mulligan and David Thomas, the President and the Executive Director of Momentum Group and Rio Grande Reps, explain to us how great lighting is not only a natural fit in the AV and integration channels, but is a vital piece of the puzzle when it comes to high-end residential lighting. In this fascinating conversation, they talk to us about why lighting designers, integrators, and the end users are set up for a triple-win, and share their perspectives on how this strategy can position manufacturers for new levels of sales success.

Walking the walk isn't easy, but when it comes to rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty, lighting design firm Clanton & Associates and their President, Dane Sanders, make it look natural. Dane isn’t just a theorist, he and his colleagues have a passion for pushing lighting progress: putting into practice advanced ideas and technologies, and bringing stakeholders together to work through the detailed challenges of real-world applications. Listen in as we chat with Dane about the "smartest" way to tackle "smart cities," some of the strategies his firm uses to support meaningful collaboration, and what it's like to help lead a team to bring about real change in our industry.

What a year 2022 was for lighting. From new technology to exciting trends and research, the LytePOD featured a lot of great new episodes (27 to be exact). Sam recaps the top five most listened-to episodes of the year. If your taste is anything like the rest of the listeners, we hope you like them, too.

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In the last edition of our Enlighten Americas 2022 chronicles, Co-CEO and President of Lighting Design Alliance, Kelly Jones, shares why she says "everything is a phase" and shares some of the wisdom she's gathered in the different phases of her life so far. From starting off as a driven designer to co-leading one of the industry's most renowned lighting firms to another kind of co-leading on the parenting front, Kelly's found a way to juggle it all and keep a smile on her face. In this episode, she talks to Sam about how she's learned to encourage curiosity and collaboration] and the importance of staying flexible and keeping perspective as you take on challenges in life. 

It's always inspiring to see someone speak with authority and passion – two traits Catherine Leskowat, Senior Lighting Designer at Hartranft Lighting Design, has in spades! As anyone who's been to Enlighten Americas or Lightfair recently knows, Catherine is an advocate through and through. Whether it's advocating for designing more holistically for a wider cross-section of body types, abilities, and preferences (what her talk at Lightfair focused on), or for finding the right kind of support to grow and develop to the next level as a professional (the topic of her co-hosted session at Enlighten), Catherine applies her skill at thinking deeply about problems and analyzing solutions. She sat with us during this year's IALD Enlighten Americas and shared her thoughts on how we can continue to do better by prioritizing community. 

With so many bright stars in the constellation of the lighting industry, it takes a little something extra to stand out. Ben Cantu, regional sales manager at LumenWerx, definitely has the secret sauce when it comes to owning his personal brand. Never without his meticulously matching eyeglasses and footwear, Ben's presence is often felt across the room before he can even say "hi!" In this episode, Ben talks us through part of his journey in light and life and how his bold personal style came to be — how being himself helps him make authentic connections with his customers and clients.

Lighting that's felt but not seen: many lighting designers say that's the holy grail. The notion isn't new, but that doesn't make the lofty challenge any simpler. Brazilian-born Claudio Ramos, acclaimed director of Electrolight in San Francisco, phrases the idea a little differently. He says: "Designing lighting is like a Disneyland ride: if you see what's happening in the background, the magic is over." But seamlessly integrated design magic doesn't just happen. Join us as Claudio breaks down the essence of successful collaboration and explains his people-focused, emotionally tuned approach to bringing award-winning design ideas from lines on paper to light in real life.

How do you build a company with sustainability at its roots? You start from the ground up and let every possible decision be guided by a foundation of principles that keep the holistic, big-picture view in mind. That's exactly what Karen Jess-Lindsley, CEO of Lindsley Lighting, set out to do when she teamed up with her partner to start Lindsley Lighting. From leveraging minimalism and timeless design to using tactical decision-making—like building around RoHS-compliant components—Karen outlines some practical steps that both lighting designers and manufacturers can take to boost the sustainable practices of the entire industry.

"Filling the pipeline" is an ever-present hot topic in the lighting community. No matter where you get your lighting news, you're likely to see a focus on the challenge of engaging and retaining the next generation of lighting lovers — with an emphasis on diversifying the ranks of our industry and reaching new audiences. Sometimes, out of big problems — like social unrest and global pandemics — come big ideas and actionable solutions. The story of the LA Lighting Speakers Bureau is a story of one such solution, with its success stemming from the collective action of the Los Angeles lighting community. Lauren Dandridge, founding principal of Chromatic, and Colleen Peach, senior lighting sesigner at Arup, tell us why the Speaker's Bureau got started and how the model can be a beacon for similar community action.

Design is a dance - and in this week's episode, Addie Smith, Senior Lighting Designer at AE Design, explains why. Whether it be leading or following, the give and take of expertise and creativity in the dynamic process of design mimics the exchange of energy in dance. Learning to lead with heart and grace and cultivating an open-minded, curious mindset as a follower can yield beautiful results — both in a career in design and in the dance of life.