Page 38 - Lighting Magazine April 2019

How did you enTer THe liGHTinG business?
When I was in college in Alabama, I hadn’t decided what I wanted to do as a career, but I had a friend who worked at [retailer] Progressive Lighting in Georgia. They had an opening for a re- ceptionist and my sister lived in Georgia, so I moved there to try it out. A er two months, [CEO] Troy Lee asked me what I wanted to do. He saw a drive in me and encouraged me to try sales. I loved working with people and I stayed at Progressive for the next 20 years doing everything from sales to purchasing to assistant manager at their largest store. Then I joined the team at [sister company lighting manufacturer] Savoy House. That’s when I really fell in love with lighting.
In 2012, I came to PDI [which primarily sold plumbing and was starting to carry lighting] as the lighting buyer on the showroom side. They wanted someone who could help with showroom growth, renovation, and merchandising. Over the past two years, I’ve also been handling the plumbing side and seeing how the two categories really t together well in kitchens and baths. [Krista is the merchandising manager for all 8 showrooms — 6 PDI and 2 Kohler showcases.]
wHaT are THe biGGesT cHanGes you’ve seen?
De nitely technology and LED, which just continues to evolve. I’ve also observed how interior designers buy and what their pro- cess is with their clients. It seems that everyone wants something unique to them and it can be a challenge to keep the design as- sortment fresh and di erent. I think interior designers are driving a lot of showroom business today; there are a lot more people hiring designers and being inspired by them [on social media].
Another change has been the number of female leaders
holding executive positions and who in uence and mentor the next generation. Being a woman in the lighting industry has come a long way from when I rst entered the industry as a receptionist in 1993. We are leaders in our industry! We have our own group, Women in the Lighting Industry, who support each other and who are paving the roads for the next generation of women to aspire and succeed in top executive roles such as Kellee Hollenback Hammond, VP/Sales at Li man Brands; Karyn Hayes, Hinkley’s Showroom Sales Manager/North America; Irene Tasi, President of Kichler Lighting; and Cathy Choi, President of Bulbrite, just to name a few. And I can’t leave out the entrepreneurial women who have been successful in owning and building a powerhouse rep agency such as Martha Graham, of Martha Graham & Associ- ates, who has won the prestigious ARTS Award twice!
These ladies – along with all of the other female lighting indus- try leaders – are an inspiration for the younger generation, who may be just starting out in their rst job as a receptionist, not knowing that job could eventually turn into a lifetime career. By being ambitious, having a strong work ethic, and the drive, and a passion for loving what they do, they may have the opportunity to be an executive leader in our industry just like the generation who opened the doors before them.
wHaT do you THink Has been THe key To your success?
I’m a good listener. I listen to what people say, what they’re look- ing for and what they need. My career is a huge part of who I am and it’s pushing me to be the best I can be for myself and for the company. I don’t want just PDI to be successful, but also every person on the showroom oor. I share that passion with
34 enLIGHTenment Magazine | april 2019
www.enlightenmentmag.com
WINNERS
LEADER RETAILER
KRISTA SWISS
Merchandising Manager of Showrooms, PDI | Lawrenceville, Ga.