PEOPLE
Women in Lighting:
UNIQUELY EQUIPPED TO SHINE
A
s in many career fields, gender matters less and less these days. There are women and men operating successfully in fields once associated with more men than women or vice versa. The Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals (AOLP) is fortunate to have many female members who bring their knowledge, passion and well-rounded perspectives to the table and to their clients’ projects. We asked four AOLP members representing different segments of the lighting industry the same six questions about their personal journey into the industry and how, if at all, being a woman has enhanced or impacted their work, their relationships and their success.
Michelle Mueller MANUFACTURER FOR GARDEN LIGHT LED What got you interested in the field of lighting? I got interested in this field 21 years ago when meeting my life partner. Reto was installing landscape lighting after losing everything. In a three-year period, he designed and installed more than 2,000 landscape lighting systems here in the Tampa/Clearwater, Florida area. With his success for this unexploited concept, the passion for helping others learn about lighting and the business model surfaced. I was in sales most of my life, and at the time
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we met I was in advertising sales. He asked me if I’d like to come work with him, and I said yes. We decided to take his grassroots approach and seek individuals with whom we could share the idea of owning their own landscape lighting design and installation business, and teach them what we discovered. I was hooked! What unique perspectives and skill set do you think women bring to the lighting industry? I believe, regardless of gender, lighting design is a form of art and is about serving others. Lighting scares away the darkness; it is scientifically proven to positively enhance lives and experiences, enrich environments and architectural features. With every good lighting design, the outcome is tangible and offers dramatic results. The unique perspective lighting designers have is the knowledge and understanding of what needs to be lit and what does not, and how to use light and equipment properly. As lighting designers, the more we practice using light and garner experience, the greater our ability to create beautiful environments that better our skill sets. Can you give an example of a project you worked on where you felt your eye or vision from a female point of view brought value that otherwise may have been missed? On residential lighting design projects, I really appreciate the opportunity to work with both the husband and wife or couples. As a woman and mother of four, I have perspective on running a household and I am sensitive to what stands out as important to both—whether it be value, design, landscape, statues, cost or timing. As a lighting designer, the key ingredient is to listen and take interest in each one’s perspective and then apply our knowledge to guarantee the lighting design
and fixture section will deliver more than expected. When doing so, everyone is happy with the results. Are women readily accepted in the lighting industry, in your opinion? I believe lighting designers and landscape lighting contractors are represented by both male and female perspectives. As a woman, I encourage each and every one to learn all aspects of lighting design and installation, regardless of gender. You cannot design or sell a lighting system without having the understanding of how it goes into the ground and how the technology works. Regardless of gender, lighting design begins by walking the site with the client to understand how they utilize the space, what equipment will be selected to achieve desired goals, proper power distribution (how to make it work for decades), fixture placement, making the gas-tight wire connections and focusing and aiming fixtures properly. Honing this knowledge overtime will further anyone’s opportunities to be successful. Are clients often surprised that you’re a woman? Do you ever feel you have to work harder or smarter to gain their respect? The big question is … Is the individual hired for the job capable and do they have the ability to deliver the best outcome? I do not believe clients are surprised when meeting me that I am a woman; in fact, in the past, most interior designers were women, and today that is not the case. We are experiencing more men entering the commonly known field where women hold rank. What matters is experience and talent. What’s one way AOLP can better support women in the lighting industry? Go to the places and find the people one is seeking to attract. Continue education
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