Good morning, everyone. Cameron here from the WOFB podcast. You know from yesterday and from all week that I am here at LightOvation in Dallas. This is where lighting lives. And I am over excited even more. Today, I am in one of my most favorite iconic showrooms at the Dallas Market that I've loved since I've been in lighting, and that is Vera Lou's. Before we hop into Verilou's lighting though, welcome to the WOFB podcast. I'm Cameron, your host, principal, and founder of Cameo Studio Designs, where I merge all things lighting with tile. Through this podcast, this is a platform that we use for women in stone, tile, lighting, architect, design, you name it. This is a platform for women to stand kind of in their power, but to amplify your voice more so. So today I am super excited, again, to be at the podcast here with Vera Luz. I am with Kelly. We're going to jump into that in just a moment. But I want to thank my sponsors, the W.O.F.B., also my company, Cameo Studio Designs and Ladecree for sponsoring, for believing in us to really push the stage here. I want to talk about one of the things for lighting and one of the things that has inspired me. Again, it is all about having camaraderie, having community. And if it wasn't for Kelly, which I'm going to dive into this with her, you guys, you're going to love her. She's amazing. But she was the co-founder of Women in Lighting, I believe, six years ago. She'll probably correct me on that. She's shaking her head. Yeah, she's sitting across from me. So I'm good. She's the co-founder of Women in Lighting. Yesterday we had the event at Women in Lighting where they gave the award for the Women of Leadership with Maria Mullen. It was super exciting to watch a community grow. So Kelly has really been a huge push for that. So one of the things too, she has been in lighting for over 25 years. She is the vice president of sales for Vera Luz. And there's so much more that we could dive into her, dive into with her personally. Amazing, amazing. So welcome to the stage, Kelly. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here. I love it. You are using the cameo, the tiny microphone. I'm having my Madonna moment. Yeah, you are. You are definitely having your Madonna moment. So you were the co-founder of Women in Lighting. How did that become like a thing for you in this industry? You've been here for 25 years. We could have a whole podcast about your stories, about everything that kind of brings you into this moment. But how did you know there was a place that needed to be for women in life? Can you talk about that? Sure, I'm happy to. So I will tell you, and you have known me for a long time now, I am not everyone's cup of tea sometimes. Much like yourself, I can be very uber direct. And sometimes I don't have a filter from my brain to my mouth. And I have been very fortunate to be surrounded by some amazingly strong women who I have tried to emulate the best parts of their personalities. And I obviously had some thoughts and feelings about the American Lighting Association and how it operated and ran. And I thought that there were a lot of amazing opportunities for women that were maybe not being presented to us or we weren't feeling empowered enough to reach out and go for. So one of those amazing women was my friend Laura Van Zyl. And she has... We love Laura. We do. She is a powerhouse. And she was an editor of a magazine. And now she works for the Dallas Market Center. And she just is very graceful and very professional. And I have always admired that about her. But one of the things is Laura and I always used to run together. We still try to do that every time that we are at an industry event. And so I was doing my typical... venting to Laura and telling her my ideas. And sometimes they're great and sometimes they're wild. And she's been so gracious and lets me just, you know, use her as a sounding board. And she finally stopped me in my tracks and said, if you feel this strongly about something, let's do something about it. And so we got together and we started very small and thought about what we could do as an event for the women in lighting. And it has just grown over the past five and a half years. I know. I've seen it. And you're on a committee, so you're very well aware of how it works. And yesterday was amazing. I think it was the most widely attended Women in Lighting event that we have ever had at the Dallas Market Center. The ALA conference always has a big crowd. But at this particular event in June, we recognized Maria Mullen from Hubbard and Forge. She was on yesterday. Oh, great. So she is a powerhouse and she just has touched so many lives inside and outside of this industry. And she made me cry three seconds into her speech when she said that she just never imagined that she would be standing here at a Women in Lighting event in the lighting industry. And so it's just an amazing thing to behold. And I know that the people coming up behind me are going to turn it into something even greater than I could have ever imagined all those days ago at the conference when Laura and I were talking. Yeah. Yeah. Maria, I tell you what, I was super intimidated because of her position being a CEO. And I'm like, as soon as I meet her, I'm like, you know, I'm unemployable and I'm an HR knight. I hope you're okay with this. And she was like, girl, you're going to be fine. I love it. She was amazing to talk with. So be sure to listen to that episode yesterday, too. It's really, really good. So Kelly, I've known you since you were, I believe, a rep for... So I was the national sales manager of the Hudson Valley Lighting Group. Right. So you've seen a lot of really cool lighting. But now where you are today, like I said in my intro... They're a lose for me since I first came to market. I always tell people the lighting industry and coming to the market when I'm comparing to like the tile industry and I'm going to those trade shows. I always tell people that they're a lose reminds me of something that's in fashion industry. Like Ron, all the showrooms, everything about it is so edgy. And I connect with it, I think, because I'm edgy. But tell me, how does Vera Luz resonate with you personally? And do you have a favorite piece in here or a memorable piece that really resonated with you when you're like, I want to work for them? or with them? Yeah. So, you know, I have had the distinct honor of working for some very prestigious companies over the years and they all are wonderful. And I've learned so many lessons from each and every one of them. But it's interesting because, you know, when you meet somebody and you just immediately click. So a lot of people know this, some don't. But for the past probably 15 years, I have had a group text in my phone called My Lighting Guys. And oh I love it four guys that we just clicked and we were always hanging out together and spending time together at conferences and at the markets and we always get together and take pictures and so ron was one of those guys and so over the last 15 years he and I just became friends and um we sometimes joke that we are uh siblings separated at birth because we have a lot of similarities uh we also have a lot of things that make us each unique and different but we just really understand each other and work really well together from a collaborative standpoint. Ron is very funky and he has a very distinctive style. Yes, he does. I had been very kind of conservative and embracing my own unique funky style. And so, uh, we talked about it several times and we finally decided that it would be great to work with one another. And I can tell you that I have never felt more in my own skin as a vice president, um, of a company as I have been here at Veriluz. A funny story. So a couple of markets ago, I, um, gave myself a hair color and I ended up with almost ronald mcdonald orange hair and I walked into the showroom and I said I'm so sorry this looks so terrible I hate it I'll like try to wear a hat and he was like kelly you are in exactly the right place first of all that color looks fabulous on you it's completely on trend you can show up with oh my gosh of course we did Did he go color his? Exactly. So, you know, Veriluz is just a place where you can feel free to express who you are, be who you are, be your own authentic self. And it's been a really amazing experience. I've never had more sales reps and customers tell me that I look different, feel freer, look freer than I have since I've been at this company. All of your cells have been turned on with this creative energy yes emulate yourself absolutely I feel that yes and I essentially just love to look the light and you know buy the fixtures and send clients here so I can't imagine the intensity of being in the role that you are yes it's really fun it's really you when I grow up Well, thank you. Ron's given me a great opportunity to be really involved in the marketing side of the business and the product development side of the business. You know, obviously sales is my first priority, but it's nice being at a small company with a small team. You get to wear a lot of different hats. Sure. And you asked about my favorite fixture. So my favorite fixture is actually the Lafayette family. It is a little New Orleans. Bear loses claim to fame. And the thing that really separates us from our peers in the industry is that we try to be as sustainable as humanly possible. So we always use 77% recycled steel, 100% recycled glass. We use all water-soluble paints. Ron is the type of human being, I don't know if many people know this, but he actually was an aerospace engineer. and designed airplanes for Boeing. Of course he was. Yes. So he has a very unique perspective in this industry. And I have actually witnessed him with a fully completed fixture. And he lights it. Welcome to the show. This is what we do, guys. Oh my goodness. This is what we do. I did that. luckily I can I can edit this part okay so I'll do it I don't even think I pulled it this see guys this is why we need sponsorship so that I can have a whole production development team here we can edit that okay that looks amazing okay how is that there does it feel steady again I think it's steady hold on So anyway, I've seen him take something that is fully in production, light it and see the shadow that it casts on the ceiling or the floor and not be happy with the way that it looks. And he totally has the production team take apart all of the crystal and restring it in a particular fashion. So that it creates exactly the look that he's going for. So having said that. That photometric. Yes. What do they call the, what is the actual reflection on the wall? It is a photometric, isn't it? I believe it is, yes. And there's something else too that's added to it. Anyway, I'm going to ask him later. Yeah, you should definitely ask him about that because that's a little above my pay grade. But anyway, with the Lafayette family, he loves to look for things that are not being utilized. We have ceramics in the line that are made from volcanic ash from a volcano that erupted in the Philippines and just left trash all around the Philippines. And so he likes to look for things that he can upcycle. So in this particular case, he took decommissioned pallet boards. And cut them down into quarter inch strips. And then he used an owling tool like you would use in leather work to put some texture on these pieces. And he whitewashed them and gold leafed them. And then he strung these beautiful crystal recycled glass strands on them. And it is the most amazing piece that has a little bit of glam. But it also has a little bit of that French country vibe to it. And I live in Georgia. And unfortunately my house looks like Joanna Gaines threw up in it. So it was just the right mix of glam and farmhouse and a little contemporary feel. And it's just amazing. And it's done very well for us. Yes. Well, we will capture that later today. So I'll make sure to go by and find this piece that you're speaking of. Kelly is so popular, you guys. And here we are in the middle of the market. And we are in the middle of the studio doing this recording. So we have just a little bit of time left. But Kelly, I want to dive into, I mean, I love this. Again, we're going into that edgy, wild. Yes. The Matrix Collection. Okay. So it features so much really cool design from Studio 54, I gather. And so I see so much of the boundaries being pushed with that. Yep. Just even with the iconic era. Speak to me about The Matrix and just how that all came to fruition. The Havana Gold. the Rainy Night, the Matte Black, all of this, these names in general. Talk to me about this collection. So Ron is really great with pop culture and he loves to follow fashion and pop cultural influences in all aspects of life. And so he also will tell you that he is kind of a child of this 70s meets 90s. He loves everything 70s meets 90s, he loves a little bit of Art Deco, of mid-century modern. And so with The Matrix, he wanted to make sure to capture the glam of Studio 54, but make it a place where everybody feels comfortable. So although Matrix is probably one of our biggest and blingiest families, it also is a family that can live in every single environment. So, you know, I talked about my farmhouse house. I actually have two matrix pendants hanging over my navy blue cabinet island in my kitchen. And it just totally elevated that space. And it just brings a little bit of that Studio 54 glamour. But it's a place where everybody feels comfortable and they're always invited. And it has just this amazing vibe that makes you want to dance a little bit. So for those of you too who have been watching the Instagram reels, I recently posted the golden ticket that is available through Vera Lynn. Kelly, is there a golden ticket for the Matrix? Because if so, I need it. We can certainly make that happen for you. Absolutely, we can make that happen. And so Matrix first came out in the Havana gold because when you're doing Studio 54 and you're doing glam, you want that to be gold. And then we got so many requests for this fixture to be made custom because that is something that Veriloo's is very known for. We will do one of something. We can make all of your custom dreams come true, but we were getting so many requests for a silver finish and a black finish that we decided to add the rainy night and the matte black with a little bit of a gold ombre feel to it in the line. And it has far surpassed our expectations. I kind of call the matrix barely loses ATM machine because it just keeps pumping out the sales. And as a sales manager, it's really important that's super important I see it in so many you know tile spaces are my jams yes this isn't like a beautiful iconic bathroom yes I just came from miami last weekend and did the tour of all the art deco houses I live in an art deco okay that Murray Dixon actually designed 30% of the hotels down in Miami. And so I think you guys need a hospitality sales rep. I think we do. We absolutely do. That would be amazing. I love it. And it's so beautiful. I cannot wait to show you guys later. So as far as future trends, as a leader in the lighting design, what future trends do you see emerging in the industry? And how is Vera Luz planning to stay ahead of that? So, you know, everybody you ask has a different answer about what the trends are going to be. You know, obviously we have a really strong pull towards this whole 70s meets 90s. We feel that that is a trend that is going to continue to be a very big part of where we're going in the next two years. We just are waiting on 16 containers of furniture to come into the line that we've added. have product from the ceiling to the wall to the floor. So, um, you know, this is a really great trend that we are continuing to embrace. Veriluz is also known for using crystal in a very unexpected way. So taking the crystal trend, which is still very important, um, but being able to bring it into more traditional environments and places, even more contemporary environments without it feeling like, um, a more traditional chandelier, which The Matrix is such a great example of. So we do think that Crystal will still be important, but it's going to be a little bit streamlined. You know, our sustainable materials are still very important. Right. That's going on. Ron also just recently asked the Smithsonian to send him everything that they have from their archives from the War of 1812. Oh, my gosh. So, again, one of the things that makes him unique is he likes to follow things all the way from politics to pop culture. And so... You know, he feels like kind of the world that we're living in right now is very reminiscent to what was happening after the War of 1812. Absolutely. And so you're going to see things that people, I think, feel safer when they have more traditional shapes and forms in their homes. But how can we continue to make those things unique and different for today's culture and how people are feeling today? And I think that honestly, like it's a timeless thing as well. People love to be able to embrace past. psychologically, like we just all people stay in the past so much, but to be able to bring that element into design, like he has, bring it into now what is trending, I mean, Verilou is a trend. He is, you know, one of the, one of the hardest things about working for Verilou is I will tell you is that because of ron's unique perspective on all things design he actually I feel has the best grasp of trends so if you go back and look at our catalog from three years ago you're gonna see things in that that are being introduced today by other manufacturers in this industry And unfortunately, Ron is typically two to three years ahead of most trends. That's great. That's where he needs to be. That is where he needs to be. But I wish more people would embrace those when we come out with them and let us be the trendsetter instead of other people coming out and then following those trends 70 years later. And, you know, you always hear, well, we're the Midwest and our people aren't there yet. And it's just because we're not educating them on where they should be. This is something you are speaking to the choir. When we started doing tons of linear lighting and showers and even fusing the dynamic of lighting with time and in these spaces all over Chicago and also being a festival-making city, it was like, oh, we're not there yet. Yes, you are. Why do you have to wait? Yeah, the architecture is there. That's right. It absolutely is. So you bring up such a great point about that. But Ron truly is a trendsetter. He is. The last thing that I'm going to ask you is being a sales BDP, the position that you roll from a customer's perspective, when they bring up a piece of tone from Bariluz, what is that feeling or that, what is it that you can tell them that they would get by bringing a Bariluz picture? So that is the most fun part about working here, whether it is a customer, a designer that's working on a project, or even a salesperson in a showroom that wants to have a piece of Baraloo's in their own home. They get an immediate... dopamine rush from having that fixture there. It makes them feel good about their space. It makes them feel good about their environment. Just turning on that light gives them a rush of happiness. And so, you know, that's what lighting is supposed to do. It's not supposed to be some utilitarian thing that you just use from a functional standpoint. You know, we've all heard the cliche that lighting is jewelry for your home. But for Veriluz, you know, first of all, you can feel good about this product because of how naturally sustainable it is and how most of it is made from recycled goods. So it feels like you're taking care of the earth and your environment. But it also should make you just feel amazing and that you're happy and you're getting this dopamine rush when you're walking into your room every day. That's right. And so today my goal and what I'm going to do with all of my followers is, you know, that I created the CEU for design So art is what gives me dopamine and art is what all my design is about. So being able to use lighting, being able to use tile and enticing dopamine. So I am using Veriluce today's space and I'm going to show you pictures that will enhance dopamine in the setting that you apply them to. So super exciting. Thank you so much for bringing up the D word. We love the D word. Kelly, I appreciate you for being here today. I appreciate all that you are doing in the industry for women in lighting. I appreciate everything that you continue to do to push women to a higher place, but also like being the sales of Veriluce, like, oh my gosh, I want to be you when I'm right here. Well, thank you. The feeling is mutual. I have long admired your style and your tenacity and you're doing great things. And thank you so much for being so supportive of all of the women around you as well. Absolutely. So Vera Luz, the channel you can find or the platform is veraluz.com. And then what is the Instagram? It is Instagram forward slash Veriluce. Perfect. Okay. So find Veriluce there and you guys all drop lots of at tags. So Kelly, thank you so much. And we will see you next time. Those of you that were just joining me, you really missed out. So be sure to rewind, watch the whole edition of Kelly here at Vera Luz. And if you are interested in offering a CEU at your showroom or design center, please reach out to me at cameostudios.com for designer dopamine. It is worth one CEU credit. Also, if you are interested in becoming a sponsor, you can reach out to podcast.com flooring.com or women flooring.com. And we will send you all the information that you need to jump on board with W. O. F. B. My company and also Latakri for interviews that are coming up for later this month. Um Natalie Salazar from B. P. I. Architectural sales rep powerhouse. We love her. Also Julie Ireland from Los Angeles architect and designer. So I am so looking forward to the rest of this week and I will catch up with you guys later. Thank you so much for joining me and we will see you next time.
