Episodes
Tuesday Nov 29, 2022
Black, Brown or Navy?
Tuesday Nov 29, 2022
Tuesday Nov 29, 2022
When was the last time you thought about the lighting in your closet? Today is the day! Jeff Dross (LightingByJeffery.com) will take us through the many considerations for this small space.
Show notes
Jeffrey R Dross has been involved in the residential lighting industry for over 45 years. He has engineered products, managed the development of different lighting types, educated the industry about lighting and its use, helped designers comprehend the power of lighting and designed lighting installation in a variety of residential spaces.
Visit his site for a great blog, and more about his design services.
Jeffrey talks about CRI. Terry McGowan, ALA’s resident engineer, says:
Color Rendering Index is a measure of how well people or things look when lighted by a particular light source compared to how they look when lighted by incandescent bulbs.
The scale used for CRI is 0-100 where 100 is a perfect color match.
The higher the CRI; the better (more natural) people and things will look.
For residential lighting, use LED light sources with CRI ratings of 90 and above.
From a practical standpoint, most LEDs (even the ones with poor color rendering) usually have a CRI of 70 or more.
If you want to really geek out about CRI, you can do that, too.
Visit ALAMembers.com for more information about the American Lighting Association and membership.
ALALighting.com has lighting tips and inspiration, and a listing of ALA-member showrooms.
Contest for folks who read the show notes: Be one of the first three respondents to give a coherent summary of CRI, and you’ll win a prize. Mostly bragging rights, but also a little prize. Enter at Podcast@ALALighting.com.
Raelle Bell – Host
Liz Ware – Host
Association Briefings - Producer
Wednesday Oct 26, 2022
Selling Smart
Wednesday Oct 26, 2022
Wednesday Oct 26, 2022
The market for smart lighting and controls is growing faster than ever. Learn how to step into this crowded arena and take advantage of this billion-dollar market opportunity. Tim Vislay, Director of Sales for Lighting Showrooms at Legrand, joins Raelle and Liz, providing tips for how to bring these products to your showroom and what we can expect to see as smart lighting and controls continue to evolve.
Show notes
Tim began his lighting career in 1986, when he took a job with Lamps Plus as a sales associate. He ultimately became a store manager, managing several locations within Lamps Plus. In 1999 he moved to the Expo Design Center and spent 5 years as the Lighting manager as well as several other management positions in the store.
In 2004 he joined the Minka Group, first as a product manager, then became the sales manager for Minka Lavery in the Eastern Region.
After leaving Minka, Tim worked as a Western Region sales manager with WAC, and then the Director of Sales for Maxim Lighting.
After working as a sales manager for Minka Lavery, then WAC, then sales director for Maxim, in 2013 Tim was approached by Legrand to develop the Western Region in the showroom channel of distribution. In 2018 Tim became the Director of Sales responsible for the US and Canadian markets.
Terry McGowan, ALA’s resident engineer, says “ There are so many control offerings and options today. It’s a wild market so that both consumers, as well as retailers, designers, reps and distributors are confused. What should they be reading, for example? [Note: I follow Craig DiLouie who writes for the Lighting Controls Association. “
Visit ALAMembers.com for more information about the American Lighting Association and membership.
ALALighting.com has lighting tips and inspiration, and a listing of ALA-member showrooms.
Contest for folks who read the show notes: Be one of the first three respondents to tell us when the cat meows in this episode, and we’ll send you a t-shirt when we get some printed. Enter at Podcast@ALALighting.com.
Raelle Bell – Host
Liz Ware – Host
Association Briefings - Producer
Wednesday Sep 28, 2022
The Sin of a Bad Lighting Layout
Wednesday Sep 28, 2022
Wednesday Sep 28, 2022
From under-budgeting to poor understanding of the value and importance of proper lighting in a home, we’re discussing what leads to bad lighting and how we can fix it. Hear from Peter Romaniello as he drops some creative solutions and bold ideas on how to better light any home.
Show notes
Peter Romaniello, IALD, founded his award-winning lighting design company, Conceptual Lighting, in 1998. He has designed lighting systems for more than 2,000 residences, along with many restaurants, retail spaces, health care facilities, and houses of worship. He has served as a regional vice president and member of the board of directors for the Illuminating Engineering Society. Peter has taught many seminars over the years for organizations including ALA, AIA, ASID, NKBA, and IES, and has been an adjunct professor at the University of New Haven and Fairfield University.
Visit ALAMembers.com for more information about the American Lighting Association and membership.
ALALighting.com has lighting tips and inspiration, and a listing of ALA-member showrooms.
Send questions, comments & suggestions to Podcast@ALALighting.com.
Raelle Bell – Host
Liz Ware – Host
Association Briefings - Producer
Monday Aug 29, 2022
Why Your Voice Matters
Monday Aug 29, 2022
Monday Aug 29, 2022
Clark Linstone is an example to follow for finding ways to help your industry or your community. He sits down with Liz and Raelle to discuss ways to get involved in the industry and the importance of doing so. This episode is sponsored by HINKLEY and Kichler Lighting.
Show Notes
President and COO of Lamps Plus, Clark Linstone is well known across ALA and the lighting industry for his successful leadership and dedication to the betterment of the industry. Over the years, Clark has worked closely with ALA staff and committee member volunteers to support association efforts. He served on the ALA Board of Governors from 2009 to 2015, including as chairman in 2014. Some of his most notable impacts on the industry and ALA have been through his role in supporting ALA’s government engagement efforts. He currently serves as chair of the Government Engagement Committee. He has also served as chair of the ALA Political Action Committee, treasurer on the Board of Governors, chair of the Membership Campaign Committee, and is a member of the Electronic Technology Committee. Clark has twice been honored as an ALA Pillar of the Industry (2000 and 2008) and received Residential Lighting’s Industry Leadership Award in 2013.
Get Involved! See the full list of ALA Committees.
Clark mentioned circadian rhythms, which we covered in our first episode.
Join us at the ALA Conference September 11 – 13, 2022. See the full schedule of events, including Clark’s induction into the ALA Hall of Fame.
Visit ALAMembers.com for more information about the American Lighting Association and membership.
ALALighting.com has lighting tips and inspiration, and a listing of ALA-member showrooms.
Send questions, comments & suggestions to Podcast@ALALighting.com.
Raelle Bell – Host
Liz Ware – Host
Association Briefings - Producer
Monday Jul 25, 2022
Hiring, Training, Retaining
Monday Jul 25, 2022
Monday Jul 25, 2022
We're talking best practices for creating a brilliant lighting showroom team that provides great customer service. Director of Training at Progressive/Lee Lighting Michelle Plumley, LS, has more than 29 years of experience working in a lighting retail showroom and currently manages the hiring and training in 11 showroom locations across Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina. She sits down with Liz and Raelle to discuss her team’s philosophy on how they create a successful showroom team. This episode is sponsored by HINKLEY and Kichler Lighting.
Show notes
Start your lighting training with ALA’s library of courses at ALAEducation.com
The only place to be in September is Austin, Texas. ALAConference.com
Visit ALAMembers.com for more information about the American Lighting Association and membership.
ALALighting.com has lighting tips and inspiration, and a listing of ALA-member showrooms.
Send questions, comments & suggestions to Podcast@ALALighting.com.
Raelle Bell – Host
Liz Ware – Host
Association Briefings - Producer
Tuesday Jul 19, 2022
Bonus Episode – Lightovation 2022
Tuesday Jul 19, 2022
Tuesday Jul 19, 2022
In this bonus episode, we ask a few folks at Lightovation, the Dallas International Lighting Show, to give us some thoughts about where the industry is headed, and what they’re thinking about now.
Show Notes
Joe Rey Barreau, architect and Professor of Lighting Design at the University of Kentucky, talks about his expanded definition of smart home lighting.
Terry McGowan, Director of Engineering and Technology for ALA talks about a dark sky-friendly light design at a retirement community.
Liz Townsend, Marketing Director of Capital Lighting Fixture Company explains the ALA product data standard.
Jennifer Brons, Research Program Director at Light and Health Research Center, Mount Sinai, updates us on the work to create lighting that supports circadian entrainment.
Special thanks to ALA members Jack Fleischer, President of Hermitage Design Center & Susan Irie, President of Kilohana Lighting.
ALAEducation.com has a wide variety of programs for people in the lighting industry.
The only place to be in September is Austin, Texas. ALAConference.com
Visit ALAMembers.com for more information about the American Lighting Association and membership.
ALALighting.com has lighting tips and inspiration, and a listing of ALA-member showrooms.
Send questions, comments & suggestions to Podcast@ALALighting.com.
Raelle Bell – Host
Liz Ware – Host
Association Briefings - Producer
Monday Jun 27, 2022
New Market Opportunities
Monday Jun 27, 2022
Monday Jun 27, 2022
ALA’s engineer, Terry McGowan, joins Raelle and Liz to talk about simple, easy to use lighting and control technologies.
This episode is sponsored by HINKLEY and Kichler Lighting.
Show Notes
Terry is involved in illuminating engineering, lighting design, lighting education and lighting research. His professional career of 60+ years includes GE Lighting at Nela Park where he was Manager of the GE Lighting Institute. In 1998, he started his own consulting company, Lighting Ideas, Inc and became involved in lighting research as Director of the Lighting Research Office for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). He is now the American Lighting Association’s Director of Engineering & Technology and is the Executive VP of the J.H. McClung Lighting Research Foundation.
Terry talked about his career and lighting interests at length in another great lighting podcast, Get A Grip on Lighting.
Find out more about germicidal ultraviolet lighting at ALALighting.com.
Listen to episode one of this podcast for more about circadian lighting.
We talked about outdoor lighting and light pollution in this episode. [Note from Liz: This is a great episode about good outdoor lighting. Not just for tree-huggers.]
Integrated smart controls are getting smarter and more integrated.
ALAEducation.com has a wide variety of programs for people in the lighting industry.
The only place to be in September is Austin, Texas. ALAConference.com
Visit ALAMembers.com for more information about the American Lighting Association and membership.
ALALighting.com has lighting tips and inspiration, and a listing of ALA-member showrooms.
Send questions, comments & suggestions to Podcast@ALALighting.com.
Raelle Bell – Host
Liz Ware – Host
Association Briefings - Producer
Monday May 23, 2022
Better Outdoor Lighting
Monday May 23, 2022
Monday May 23, 2022
Light is good. But too much at night causes problems for human sight, wildlife, and our connection with nature. Ruskin Hartley of the International Dark-Sky Association joins Raelle and Liz to help us understand outdoor lighting that is not wasteful or harmful.
This episode is sponsored by HINKLEY and Kichler Lighting.
Show Notes
Ruskin Hartley is the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director at The International Dark-Sky Association. In this role, he champions equitable access to dark skies and quality lighting for all through IDA’s award-winning programs. Ruskin works closely with volunteer leaders and donors to secure increased support for our priorities around the world. Ruskin believes that experiencing a dark sky, and appreciating quality lighting, are essential to IDA’s mission.
Before this position, Ruskin directed and managed conservation programs that protect land, water, and ocean resources. He served as executive director of Save the Redwoods League, a non-profit dedicated to protecting and restoring the redwood forest. He also served as the president and CEO of Heal the Bay in Los Angeles and as vice president of resource development at Fair Trade USA, an award-winning social enterprise seeking to alleviate poverty worldwide.
Originally from the United Kingdom, Ruskin holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Cambridge and a master’s degree from The University of East Anglia. Ruskin loves to head out on the trail with his wife and kids or cook under the stars.
Evaluate your home’s lighting.
Learn more about light pollution.
Do an evaluation of the lighting outside your home, like Raelle and her neighbors did.
Manufacturers, submit your products for the International Dark-Sky Association’s Fixture Seal of Approval.
Shop for products that have the Fixture Seal of Approval.
ALAEducation.com has a wide variety of programs for people in the lighting industry.
The only place to be in September is Austin, Texas. ALAConference.com
Visit ALAMembers.com for more information about the American Lighting Association and membership.
ALALighting.com has lighting tips and inspiration, and a listing of ALA-member showrooms.
Send questions, comments & suggestions to Podcast@ALALighting.com.
Raelle Bell – Host
Liz Ware – Host
Association Briefings - Producer
About the Show
The American Lighting Association is proud to produce its new podcast ”That’s Brilliant!” Join Raelle Bell and Liz Ware as they talk to experts about new lighting technology, design and business, tackling topics that are changing the lighting industry and the way we live our lives. It's all about cool things about lighting you'll want to know!