In this eye-opening and unscripted episode, Mike and Greg peel back the curtain on one of the most underappreciated parts of the lighting industry— customer service . From misfit lightbulbs and warranty nightmares to dremel-happy customers and failing retrofits in century-old churches, no story is too strange and no frustration is off-limits. Whether it’s juggling returns, handling broken bulbs, or chasing down elusive manufacturer answers, these two veterans tackle it all with grit, humor, and ...
Jun 23, 2025•10 min•Ep. 501
🚀 On the latest episode of Get a Grip on Lighting, Matt Honson, President of NAILD, dives into the evolution of lighting distribution, industry education, and the urgent need for transparency in product labeling and eco-fee schemes. - Why collaboration among independent distributors strengthens the industry - Why integrity comes natural when you are living in the light - There shouldn’t be anything to hide when you are working in the non-profit sector and charging the lighting industry for prod...
Jun 16, 2025•23 min•Ep. 500
Join Michael Colligan and Greg Ehrich on Get a Grip on Lighting as they dive into the evolving lighting industry in 2025. With rebates disappearing and competition tightening, distributors must rethink their approach. Michael highlights a unique opportunity in repairable fixtures—bringing back the distributor's original role of providing lighting components instead of simply selling new fixtures. Greg shares real-world examples of retrofitting LED purpose-built fixtures with socketed solutions, ...
Jun 02, 2025•17 min•Ep. 499
In this episode, we sit down with Taresh Grover, co-founder and COO of Pullogic, an AI-powered platform transforming supply chains. From predicting demand to optimizing inventory, AI is revolutionizing distribution—especially in the lighting industry. Taresh shares insights on how AI helps manufacturers and distributors reduce lost sales by forecasting demand and making smarter replenishment decisions in real time. He also dives into common challenges lighting businesses face and how Pullogic’s ...
May 27, 2025•26 min•Ep. 498
The podcast features Elizabeth Chamberlain, Director of Sustainability at iFixit, discussing the Right to Repair movement and its impact on the lighting industry. Traditionally, lighting was designed with standardized, replaceable components, ensuring easy repairs. However, modern LED fixtures often have non-repairable parts, leading to more electronic waste. Liz explains iFixit's mission to provide free repair guides and advocate for laws requiring manufacturers to support independent repairs. ...
May 19, 2025•33 min•Ep. 497
Lighting controls are no longer a nice-to-have—they’re fast becoming the backbone of smart, energy-efficient buildings. In this episode, Michael Colligan and Greg Ehrich sit down with Scott Metker, COO of Autani, to explore how the convergence of lighting, HVAC, and data is transforming the built environment. From the rise of wireless and hybrid systems to the untapped potential of demand reduction and data-driven decision-making, this conversation sheds light on what’s next for building intelli...
May 05, 2025•34 min•Ep. 496
In this explosive discussion, Devin Wall returns to break down the deep-state influence in the lighting industry—focusing on tariffs, accreditation agencies, and the power dynamics shaping the market. 🔦 Key Topics Covered: - Why Devin supports tariffs & U.S.-based manufacturing - The real role of accreditation agencies (like DLC) - How non-player characters are controlling lighting policies - Is the DLC helping or hurting lighting innovation? - Why rebates dictate product choices—and who pr...
Apr 30, 2025•28 min•Ep. 495
In this episode of Get a Grip on Lighting, we sit down with Webster Marsh, host of the Lighting Controls Podcast, and Lighting Specialist in Controls instructor, to talk about the exciting future of lighting controls certification and why the industry desperately needs certified professionals. 💡 Key Topics Discussed: - Why the demand for lighting controls expertise is growing now more than ever. - How rebate programs are shaping the market and driving controls adoption. - The LC-C Lighting Cont...
Apr 28, 2025•20 min•Ep. 494
In this compelling episode of Get a Grip on Lighting , Spencer Myles and Brian Amundson dive deep into the complexities of the lighting industry, exposing the challenges posed by rebate programs, direct install initiatives, and shifting market dynamics. ✨ Key Topics Discussed: The unintended consequences of rebate programs and how they can harm distributors. The rise of direct install programs—who benefits and who loses out? "Deep State" analogies in the lighting world and their impact on market...
Apr 23, 2025•27 min•Ep. 493
Our old friend Mark Jewell joins us to talk about selling in the lighting industry—especially as rebates begin to dry up. A lot of people are worried about what the end of rebate programs will mean for project sales. Mark says we shouldn’t be. Michael and Greg aren’t so sure. In this episode, Mark talks us down off the “rebate ledge” with some sensible math. Rebates are great, but they’re not the only reason to upgrade. With real-world examples, he explains how energy savings, increased building...
Apr 14, 2025•26 min•Ep. 492
For this episode, we hoped to welcome Brian Bastien of Product Care Recycling to discuss Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Programs and their impact on the lighting industry. The President of NAILD reached out—non-profit to non-profit—to open a conversation about how these programs support sustainability and what they mean for lighting distributors. Surprisingly, every expert we invited declined the opportunity to join us. That’s a first for us, as the lighting industry has always been gene...
Apr 07, 2025•26 min•Ep. 491
Jason knows so much about lighting that he wrote 2 books on the subject (see below). Jason chats with Michael and Greg about his books, wasteful lighting fixtures, the circular economy, and wired and wireless controls. And for pete's sake, don’t go with flat panels if there are better choices. Jason Livingston LC, IES, IALD is the principal of Studio T+L, a lighting design and theatre planning firm in Brooklyn, NY. His lighting design portfolio ranges from offices to churches and from theatres t...
Apr 01, 2025•31 min•Ep. 490
You’ve seen Dr. Motta on Restoring Darkness ( https://restoringdarkness.com/episode/120-blue-light-leds-are-an-immune-suppressor-proven-to-cause-cancer-dr-mario-motta ) now he’s on Get a Grip on Lighting to tell you about the hazards of blue-rich LED’s. No matter how some might push back, the evidence is irrefutable: blue light LED’s suppress melatonin which can lead to cancer. When Dr. Motta’s and the American Medical Association’s report was released in 2016, the Lighting Deep State was “not p...
Mar 25, 2025•24 min•Ep. 489
Put your preconceptions and biases aside, Mark baker is going to point the finger a little in this episode. LED’s can be harmful to humans - Mark being one of them - and the industry needs to recognize this, step up, and address the problem. Admittedly, as Michael says, the lighting industry got steamrolled by the LED revolution, but now it’s time to get back up on our feet and to be a part of the solution. Mark Baker is the President of The Soft Light Foundation, a non-profit organization that ...
Mar 17, 2025•30 min•Ep. 488
Jeffrey brings a lot of experience to his position as Divisional Vice President in the NEMRA Lighting Division. This division was formed recently when AAILA, the American Association of Independent Lighting Agencies, was integrated into NEMRA. Michael points out that in the past, he has seen lighting nonprofits absorbed into electrical associations where they have become very secondary. Jeffrey points out that NEMRA’s goal is to strengthen that division. So everybody wins. Jeff Bristol is the Di...
Mar 10, 2025•40 min•Ep. 487
Hey distributors. Are you selling emergency lighting? If not, this episode with Heather McCune might change your mind. Barron has seen ROI of under a year with their Exitronix Guardian G3 on all their retrofit jobs. This system reduces maintenance, labor hours, and interruptions to building power during testing. It can even self-test and back up the data so you’ll have proof of testing for those surprise safety inspections. Heather McCune is a dynamic and experienced leader in the lighting indus...
Mar 03, 2025•28 min•Ep. 486
Jason wants it all - now. But he also says, be careful what you wish for. In this competitive environment, don’t just take any job. Jason is competitive and doesn’t like to lose but, as he says, you don’t want to win a race to the bottom. Then the only way you’re going to make money is if all the stars align and nothing goes wrong on the project. So despite the title, there are some things you don’t want. Over the last 19 years Jason has been a leader in providing turn-key retrofits amounting to...
Feb 24, 2025•27 min•Ep. 485
As of this recording, the US has backed off on tariffs, for now. But they still loom as a possibility sometime in the future. Michael gives his perspective from the viewpoint of Canada, while Greg and Spencer look at it from a “what’s best for America” standpoint. Can’t we all just get along? Spencer Miles first appeared on Get a Grip On Lighting way back in 2017 on episode #4. He is the President of Pacific Lamp and Supply Company where he has worked for 24 years of Pacific Lamp’s over 100 year...
Feb 10, 2025•25 min•Ep. 484
You’ve heard him on Monday mornings. You’ve seen his work quarterly. We pull back the curtain on Scott Wachter to take a look behind the scenes at his work on the Lighting Industry News Brief, Today’s Lighting Distributor, and The Darkness News Update (on RestoringDarkness.com). Beyond his work as the best-informed person in the lighting industry, he’s part of the content management team; keeping the social feeds up to date, co-authoring Today’s Lighting Distributor, developing courses for LS Ev...
Feb 03, 2025•18 min•Ep. 483
Fear. Is that a sales strategy? Michael thinks so. If you have a “perversely commissioned sensor” that suddenly makes the lights go off in a machine room while someone is under the HVAC equipment, the urgency level to fix that for safety is high. Make sure the lights serve their purpose–to see! Sponsor: Barron Lighting Group www.barronltg.com
Jan 27, 2025•9 min•Ep. 482
Retrofitting a troffer? Impossible! Or is it? Greg presents a case where maybe, just maybe, it’s possible to save the old fixture. Even Michael thinks this one has a chance to not end up in a landfill. Sponsor: Griplock www.griplocksystems.com
Jan 20, 2025•15 min•Ep. 481
This one is short but important. Michael and Greg discuss the recent Restoring Darkness podcast featuring Dr. Mario Motta ( https://youtu.be/tEbcyBf-2Ug ). Michael and Greg want to get to the bottom of the conflict between Dr. Motta and the IES. They’d love to hear the IES’s side of the story.
Jan 13, 2025•12 min•Ep. 480
Al brings along some predictions from some movers and shakers in the industry. He, along with Michael and Greg, assesses the predictions for 2025 from people like Colleen Harper at the IES, Cory Schneider at Lighting Unlimited, and Rob Duncan from Bell & McCoy. Will controls take off? Can the circular economy be strengthened? Is consolidation in the industry going to grow? Let us know about your own predictions for the coming year. Al Uszynski is a seasoned lighting industry professional wit...
Jan 06, 2025•46 min•Ep. 479
Leon and Brenda tell you how it’s done! Two years ago, FSG acquired West-Lite Supply Company in California and they’ll tell you in this podcast, that it was a complete success. Brenda stayed on with FSG to become VP of California Sales and no one lost their job. In fact, Leon always looks forward, in an acquisition scenario, to finding a gem among the new employees. Leon has been in the lighting industry for over 24 years. Leon entered the industry out of college, joining his family's New Jersey...
Dec 30, 2024•35 min•Ep. 478
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 Lighting Designers (IALD), leading strategic initiatives to support and grow the global architectur...
Dec 16, 2024•29 min•Ep. 477
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 Ávila, un astrónomo experto en contaminación lumínica, mientras discuten qué es la luz, cómo nos afec...
Dec 12, 2024•43 min•Ep. 476
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 authority on energy markets and technologies. His expertise dates back to the original formation of energy ...
Dec 09, 2024•39 min•Ep. 475
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 profitability in the energy services and lighting industries. Currently serving as Vice President of ESCO Sa...
Dec 02, 2024•30 min•Ep. 474
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!
Nov 25, 2024•15 min•Ep. 473
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 for 4 years as a lighting system specification consultant. Eric is Past President of the Toronto IE...
Nov 19, 2024•16 min•Ep. 472
