Page 54 - Lighting Magazine March 2019

of the challenges; however, it’s important to be hon- est about the situation and be willing to make the changes necessary to stay in business and/or map out a succession plan.”
Hayes’ keen interest in others is another a ri- bute that has helped her stand out. “I read a lot of autobiographies,” she admits, naming Queen Noor of Jordan, journalist Barbara Walters, and Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, among them. “I want to know what makes people the way they are. What challenges did they face? How did they get to where they are today? I want to understand them be er as it shows that anything is possible for anyone willing to do the work.”
She likens her management style to that of her father’s, which is what she calls Quiet Leadership. “I try to lay low and stay under the radar. I’d rather be helping behind the scenes than front and center,” she explains.
“I want to know what makes people the way they are. What challenges did they face? How did they get to where they are today?”
Her participation in the American Lighting As- sociation (ALA) group Women in Lighting is a relatively new undertaking that Hayes enjoys. The lighting world today “is not so much about women in the industry, as they have always been a primary in uence in the consumer purchasing decision, but more about evolving in the industry to be er serve the needs of our customers and paving the way for the next generation. I appreciate seeing more involvement in the entire path to purchase with the up-front decision-making and design process.”
What Hayes is most proud of are her two daughters and her husband. “They’ve watched me navigate through career di culties. I’ve tried to teach my daughters not to get hung up on [road blocks] and to just plow through and move on. I tell them that there’s always going to be challenges in the world. Don’t dwell on it, just x it, and focus on making a di erence.” 
For Hinkley's rst time exhibiting at KBIS, Karyn Hayes helped construct the booth.
hall of femme
50 enLIGHTenment Magazine | March 2019
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