Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Lighting is the subtle shift. That spark of brilliance. The element that transforms a space from ordinary to extraordinary.
The Reveal is where lighting professionals, residential experts, and designers come together to explore the art and business of outdoor design. From the intricacies of running a design company to the transformative power of lighting itself, this channel gives you the insight, inspiration, and tools to bring every project to life.
Andy Schwindler (00:10):
Welcome back, Andy, Michelle with The Reveal. Today we're in the studio, talking about 2025. We wanted to kind of reflect on that today.
Michelle Schwindler (00:20):
Yeah. Well, in our world, we're just winding down from a very busy holiday season. We are anticipating bringing a lot of product back in the new year. So it kind of forces us to do a lot of organization and reflecting on our processes, what went right, what went wrong, what could go better. So this is a fun time of year. Also, this is kind of that promised downtime for our entire team. We've all been working weekends and long hours. And so it's exciting to start thinking about having some chill times, family time, some days where we just don't have a lot going on, which haven't experienced that in a while.
Andy Schwindler (01:03):
Yeah, I agree. You know, that's top of mind, but really this was a long year. We did a lot of things. We crammed a lot of graham this year. So I kind of want to talk about that too, right? Because we're getting ready to do it all over again. So before we go there, let's just talk about some of the fun things that came not only our way, Sandy Beach's way, but our way together.
Michelle Schwindler (01:23):
Yeah. You're so right. And I'm glad you brought that up because I think sometimes we are just in the moment and we're just going through the daily, but we really do have to take some time to think about what we accomplished in the last year, which has been a lot now that I think about it. What's something that you accomplished that you're super proud of or just want to put out there?
Andy Schwindler (01:46):
Well, honestly, I'm proud of a lot of things. So I want this to be really about the reflection and gratitude, right? Because I'm really grateful that I even had the opportunity to do some of the things. As far as project standpoint, I got a chance to do some things that were on my list. We've talked about this in the past. We've got a list of things we'd like to accomplish. One of them this year for me was a historic building. We had the opportunity to do a historic building on State Street. It posed a lot of challenges, but it gave me a canvas that I hadn't had before. So that was a lot of fun for me. So as far as projects go, I'm really truly grateful for that opportunity.
Michelle Schwindler (02:27):
So what's different about lighting a historic home versus a more modern home or a more recent build?
Andy Schwindler (02:35):
Well, in this case, the architecture, it was the star. So I couldn't take away from that, but I had to use a lot of light in shadows because you can't get lights in all the little nooks and crannies. So you had to kind of play with what you were able to do with the constraints that you had, which in our case, it was no drilling. We didn't want to drill into anything. We didn't want to drill through anything. So hiding wires, we brought in kind of a little copper tubing system that elevated it. We had custom flower pots made with molds that were true to the period, right? They were historic molds that we had made for that property.
Michelle Schwindler (03:17):
That was a nice touch. That was such a nice touch.
Andy Schwindler (03:20):
Yeah.
Michelle Schwindler (03:20):
Yeah. Well, I think that really speaks to just kind of the customization that goes into every project.
Andy Schwindler (03:25):
Yeah. So it's that journey, right? The ability to do the projects that give you the experience to build your confidence. And you and I have just really stacked a bunch of those over the years, right?
Michelle Schwindler (03:37):
Yeah.
Andy Schwindler (03:37):
To be able to do it. So gratitude. I'm really grateful for the opportunity to do that. What projects that you were a part of are you probably most grateful for?
Michelle Schwindler (03:46):
I tend to live a little more on the holiday side of things. Not that I'm not involved in the architectural and the landscape lighting, but that does tend to be more your area. So I'm obviously so proud of the project that we did with Purdue, the relationship we've been able to build with them, and I'm just excited about the future with that one. That's one of those relationships that's long-term and that does it for me.
Andy Schwindler (04:16):
Yeah. I'm really proud of you. You set your sights on that, that particular account, and you did all the work to get there. And I'm just super proud of you. One of the things that you accomplished this year that I'd like to talk more about is you're a certified outdoor lighting designer now with the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals. Tell us a little bit about that. I'm super excited about it. I obviously know, but not everybody out there knows about it. Tell us about your experience there.
Michelle Schwindler (04:46):
Yeah. So well, kind of rewinding back, obviously you obtained your certification, what was it in 2020?
Andy Schwindler (04:54):
Two.
Michelle Schwindler (04:55):
Two? Yeah. Okay. And then you went on to become a mentor of the program. I obviously noticed a growth in you when you went through that process. And just being a part of the business and really my area has always been in the marketing portion of it. I like to tell the story. I like to tell your story.
Andy Schwindler (05:17):
Yeah.
Michelle Schwindler (05:17):
I like to tell people about something that they may not know about. And in this case, it's outdoor lighting and it's what a difference it can make in your life. But to do a deeper dive and learning the craft of lighting design was huge for me. So I tend to, when I go out and do an outdoor lighting design, lean very heavily on you because you're the expert, this is your craft. And to be able to learn the ins and outs of it and to go through all of these projects and to have a mentor of my own and to develop a style of my own, not that you don't have a great style, but I got style too. Yeah. There are certain things that I like that may not be in your toolbox or that you may not grab out of your toolbox instinctually that I might.
(06:07):
And so it kind of just adds to the depth of, I think, our offerings here at Sandy Beach, but it definitely added to my understanding of our business and gave me a lot more confidence as a designer and just going out there and telling more people about what we do.
Andy Schwindler (06:26):
Yeah, that's great. I couldn't agree more. And that's really why I decided to be a mentor for the program because after I completed it, I realized what an impact it had on me and just my perspective, right? My confidence, my perspective, and then my ability to tell a story and to be able to document it all. That was a lot of fun and it was fun to see you go through that process.
Michelle Schwindler (06:49):
Yeah. So I mean, essentially it was a three project. Was it a three-project process?
Andy Schwindler (06:56):
Two year. Two years. So you have your initial kind of intro course where you are mentor taught about the projects, about lighting history, things along those lines. And then you have three projects done throughout the year with additional webinars, mentor-led study groups and things along those lines. And then you have your capstone project at the conference the second year. So you present in front of all of your peers. I think that's the part that I like the most is the people in that room are the best in the business or want to be. So you get to be together in a class and ultimately graduate with your class. And it's fun because you guys push each other. You get to see what other designers across the country are doing as well. And that's the fun of it. So I get to see all that stuff as well.
Michelle Schwindler (07:46):
So just to kind of cap it off too, that final project was actually my favorite because I feel like I was able to showcase my strongest asset, which I feel like sometimes is storytelling, right? And believe it or not, in even construction documents, there's a level of storytelling involved. Absolutely. And that's something that I want to work on more as a business going into 2026. So just to kind of like talk to you about how I grew from that, is that taking our construction documents that we're getting from the builders, putting a plan together, and then being able to hand that off to our team and they have a solid understanding of the product that's going in, how it's being installed, documenting the wire runs, the power that controls all of that just from a construction document, it's going to be a big deal going into 2026 with our relationships.
(08:42):
And I'm so happy I went through it. I would definitely recommend going through that process if you are a young lighting designer like myself.
Andy Schwindler (08:52):
I know, no doubt about it. And I recommend it too. I can't recommend the AOLP any more. That being said, one of the things I'm also grateful for is the opportunity to serve on the board for the AOLP. It's an opportunity that I didn't see coming, but when I was nominated and given the opportunity to lead where this industry is kind of going to go, right? I wanted it to be designed forward. I wanted it to be certification forward, right? The certified technician, the certified designer. So I'm glad that you were a part of it. I'm glad to be a part of it. I'm grateful for those things.
Michelle Schwindler (09:30):
Yeah. What's in it for you as far as being on the board? Because I know it's demanding. I mean, you've already had to travel a couple of times just four months into your term. It's constant board meetings. There's things that go on in associations that need dealt with. So why are you giving your time to this, this cause?
Andy Schwindler (09:55):
I think that it's because I know that this industry is bigger than just me, right? It's in its infancy for the most part in the sense that all of us are practicing to become great designers, right? Some of us are better than others, but it's through that confidence and through that practice that we all become great at it, right? We've got to get those repetitions in. And the only way that we can do that is if we have strong businesses, right? So we have to have somewhere that we can rely on to give us best business practices, show us the standard that's set for our industry. And the AOLP does that. And if I can be part of that and be part of the people that teach the people coming in or that are in how to hold themselves and their business to a higher standard, I want to be a part of that.
(10:47):
And it forces me to hold my business to a higher standard, right? Because I get to see what best practices are at a national level. I like being a part of that. And you know me. I like to be in the room when all the things are happening. So it's been really good. The camaraderie amongst the board is great. The whole association is actually amazing for the technician type guys, right? The guys that are installing the systems, I mean, those guys are best in the business. The designers are best in the business and the way that we're able to collaborate to be a strong organization as good as it can get. I'm just really proud of not only the association, but us being a big part of it.
Michelle Schwindler (11:28):
Yeah, definitely. Well, I mean, we've talked a lot about kind of reflection, and so I think that that leads me into where are we going with this in 2026?
Andy Schwindler (11:40):
Well, 2026, in my mind, it looks a little bit different. As you know, one of our goals this year was to start the podcast, right? To be a little bit more forward in documenting and creating relationships through our projects, right? Lighting was going to be not only our ability to express ourselves creatively, but to create additional relationships through storytelling and just communicating with people out there that are wondering what we're doing, how we're doing it. So 2026 is going to have a lot of that. So we want to be super intentional, I think, about the kind of projects we do. I know you have some bucket list things that are still on your list that you want to accomplish this year. I think the only way you can really make things happen is to actually just put it out there. So I'm going to challenge you today to kind of put it out there what it is that you want to do this year in 2026, and I'll do the same. And let's just check back this time next year, you want to?
Michelle Schwindler (12:47):
All right, so we're manifesting here.
Andy Schwindler (12:49):
This is manifesting. This is us putting it out into the universe, 2026. What would you like to accomplish?
Michelle Schwindler (12:57):
Okay. So you know that I've always wanted to light a bridge. I know it sounds weird, but a bridge can be such a fantastic vessel for light and play and color and a moment of surprise.
Andy Schwindler (13:18):
Like a big bridge, a small bridge, a bridge in the forest, a bridge in the-
Michelle Schwindler (13:23):
I mean, I'm not talking about the London bridge or anything like that, but a fairly large bridge, but I also want to light a downtown area, right? So this is kind of a bridge-downtown combination.
Andy Schwindler (13:41):
We've talked about this, I think.
Michelle Schwindler (13:42):
Yeah. Yeah. So I'm going to be pretty vague on this. It could be a lot of different places, but if this is speaking to you and you've got a downtown and a bridge that needs lit, you know who you are.
Andy Schwindler (13:56):
Yeah. No, I like that. I like the idea that it could be any town in USA, right?
Michelle Schwindler (14:02):
Yeah.
Andy Schwindler (14:02):
It could be someone or somewhere that has a town square that has a bridge that's leading to somewhere else, like a cover bridge or something along those lines. And you would like to create a cohesive scene for Christmas?
Michelle Schwindler (14:17):
Yeah. Yeah. I'm really thinking Christmas. Again, I apologize. It's just heavy on my mind this time of year and you know I'm going to be doing my reach outs right here in the new year. So I'm putting that one out there. I want-
Andy Schwindler (14:30):
I love it.
Michelle Schwindler (14:30):
To light a downtown area. And I know some downtown areas that could really use the Sandy Beach touch.
Andy Schwindler (14:37):
I love it. I love it. And we have taken the time to look into what it looks like, not just from a decor standpoint, but from an ROI standpoint, right? For a town that invests in these types of things. So we're going to put that out there. We think that we can make a huge impact for somewhere, somehow, some way, next Christmas, right? Yeah. Okay. I love it. I love it.
(15:03):
For me, mine is going to be a little bit more on the architectural landscape lighting side of things. I've had the opportunity to light some amazing things. We talked about the State Street house. I've had some great properties along the way, but I'm looking at an opportunity to do a large estate. I want to do a large estate where the architecture is... The lighting needs to be baked into the architecture. It has mature landscape. It's got multiple focal points. So I'm looking at something pretty grand. I'd like to put that not just in my portfolio because that is what it is. I wouldn't have to even take a picture, to be honest with you, if I'd have the opportunity to do something like that. I just want the challenge to get in and create something from scratch, not just from a lighting standpoint, but from the control standpoint, right?
(16:00):
The zoning, the dimming. So that's something that's on my list of things to do in 2026.
Michelle Schwindler (16:07):
So what's the difference in it for you between lighting your traditional project, which sometimes is done in phases or a whole estate-type project? What's the difference?
Andy Schwindler (16:22):
Don't get me wrong. I like both of them. Building in phases I think is a great way to go about it, but it would be fun to also have kind of the ability to have my design not be rendered or hampered in any way, I think is what I'm going for. So the goal would be to have creative freedom to do the things on that particular state, right? To be able to almost have a blank canvas and bring it all to life is just something I'd like to be immersed in because it's not just a one or two day project. This is a project that could take planning of a couple months, right? The installation could potentially go on over a certain period of time as you build it out. So I would like to be a part of something like that. We've had some good ones very similar to that in the past, but I'd like it to be maybe even just a little bit bigger.
Michelle Schwindler (17:21):
Yeah. And I agree. We're due for a couple of grand projects like that. Not only because honestly, that is where you tend to shine. I've noticed a lot of guys and gals, myself included. It's overwhelming for me to put together an entire estate design where you're talking about several hundreds of fixtures, right? Yeah. And where do you stop? What do you like? What do you not like? It goes on and on and on. And then powering a system like that can be more complicated than anyone knows, but you tend to really rock those out. And I love seeing that. I want that for you.
Andy Schwindler (18:03):
I love when a property has its own stars, right? It has its own stars of the show, whether it's a tree, a specimen tree, a fountain, a pond, a pool, those kinds of things to have them all on the same palette, I think would be a lot of fun. And not just bigger for bigger sake, just to have a bigger playground per se.
Michelle Schwindler (18:26):
Well, think of it like this. You go to the art store and you buy your art set and you've got a budget.
Andy Schwindler (18:34):
That's right.
Michelle Schwindler (18:35):
And so you stick with your main palette, your foundational colors, right? But if you go to the art store and you get all the supplies you need, everything you need, right? That end project is going to reflect, right? And so that's kind of how we look at some of our lighting designs is when you get to go in there and use all the tools, no questions asked. It's kind of amazing what we come up with.
Andy Schwindler (19:00):
I love it. Yeah. No, thanks for pulling that out of me because obviously I have a lot of things that I want to accomplish this year and I like both of ours. Those are fun.
Michelle Schwindler (19:08):
Yeah. I think I did have another one. We've only kind of just started resurrecting this idea again.
Andy Schwindler (19:15):
Oh, wow.
Michelle Schwindler (19:16):
I'm going to put it out there.
Andy Schwindler (19:17):
Here it goes.
Michelle Schwindler (19:17):
Well, we talked about it last year, and I think that there were a lot of things that were going on at that time with the economy and other people's businesses. And so we decided to put it on the back burner, but I am thinking that 2026 may be the year of a dedicated Lafayette-based holiday show.
Andy Schwindler (19:41):
Wow.
Michelle Schwindler (19:42):
And I'm talking about like a 45-day walkthrough holiday lighting experience.
Andy Schwindler (19:50):
Wow. Immersive.
Michelle Schwindler (19:53):
Immersive.
Andy Schwindler (19:53):
Okay.
Michelle Schwindler (19:55):
Sandy Beach style, using nature and really just transporting our guest to another space. And again, I get so just fired up in the holiday season because we're in it and I see our ability and I know what we can do. And you and I just went to New Fields last night. That always just lights me up and I know our team has the ability to do something like that.
Andy Schwindler (20:24):
No, I love it. So I'm glad you put it out there. I wasn't sure if you were. Listen, these things kind of happen as we're sitting here, but I'm glad you put it out there. We did put it out last year. We actually went on a handful of meetings, right? We saw the feasibility was there.
Michelle Schwindler (20:39):
Actually, there were a lot of people that were excited about.
Andy Schwindler (20:41):
They were excited about it. I was excited about it. I'm still excited about it. There are some things to overcome, so we'll talk about that, I assume, in the upcoming weeks. But yeah, using something that's already existing that has a beautiful palette, like we talked about, right? The trees, the space, the ability to be a star of the show. They just need somebody to kind of come show it a little bit of TLC. So we've got kind of a space in mind too, right? We do. Is that too fast?
Michelle Schwindler (21:11):
We've got a lot of work to do.
Andy Schwindler (21:13):
We have a lot of work to do. We're not going to put the space out there.
Michelle Schwindler (21:15):
We have a lot of catching up to do. We do. We're just manifesting and yes.
Andy Schwindler (21:18):
All right. So real quick, what are the top two or three things that would need to happen for this process to get started? For example, this would have to be a sponsored event. Am I right?
Michelle Schwindler (21:34):
Yes, because it's more than us just going to put up product. If it was, it would be so easy. We've got that. We have to build something that everyone knows about. That's right. And that means marketing of every sort. We want to bring other people in. We want to bring the local community in. We want other people to benefit and flourish because of this movement. We're going to be bringing a lot of people into one space. Wow. And I think we can get people to travel to Lafayette. It's proximity right off of 65 makes it the perfect stop between Chicago and Indianapolis.
Andy Schwindler (22:15):
Love it.
Michelle Schwindler (22:16):
And you'll have your Lafayette holiday stop. It's so natural.
Andy Schwindler (22:21):
Okay. Yeah. So we're putting it out there. We're looking for title sponsors for something like this.
Michelle Schwindler (22:26):
Yes.
Andy Schwindler (22:26):
Okay.
Michelle Schwindler (22:27):
Yeah.
Andy Schwindler (22:27):
Just a preliminary talk to see what we can do.
Michelle Schwindler (22:30):
Yeah.
Andy Schwindler (22:30):
I think that's where it starts. I think that we've already made the connections with city officials and whatnot. I think that our next step is probably to just put our pen to paper again because we came up with a pretty big concept last year. So let's refine that a little bit. And what do you think about putting that out again? I'm here in just next couple of weeks.
Michelle Schwindler (22:52):
Yeah. I mean, I've already kind of gotten started putting some ideas down. I'm interested too, just because I know that this is a situation where other people are going to be watching this.
Andy Schwindler (23:02):
Yeah.
Michelle Schwindler (23:02):
Would love to hear some feedback.
Andy Schwindler (23:04):
Yeah.
Michelle Schwindler (23:05):
So if anyone has any thoughts or ideas or would like to be a part of something like this, I'd love to hear from you.
Andy Schwindler (23:13):
Yeah. Comment here, right. Just comment on this particular post and we'd love to talk about it more.
Michelle Schwindler (23:20):
Yeah. I also have goals for this podcast too. Why are we doing this? What's our goals? I hope people get from this, from us. And I know for me, a lot of it stems from these kind of conversations that I have with friends or colleagues. I mean, these kind of conversations and with you. I mean, they light me up, right? We get really motivated talking about some of these things, these projects, the kind of clients we get to work with. They're inspiring people. They're successful in their own right. They've acquired beautiful things.
Andy Schwindler (23:58):
I know.
Michelle Schwindler (23:58):
From that success, they've all got interesting stories to tell. So I'm really excited to share that with everyone. And I think that that's my biggest goal for this podcast is to share these experiences that we get to have with our business, with other people, and hopefully it's inspiring to them.
Andy Schwindler (24:15):
No, you're right. I couldn't end this without showing gratitude and how thankful I am for the people that we do get to work with. We have some of the best clients, some of the best people in the industry that we get to work with on a daily basis, our team here, each other, so extremely grateful. I think that 2026 has so much in store for us. I'm super proud of us. I'm proud of our team here at Sandy Beach and I'm proud of The Reveal.
Michelle Schwindler (24:45):
Yeah. I'm super proud of us too. I know that it was a big step and it's uncomfortable putting yourself out there and doing new things and stretching yourself. But I do know one thing for sure is that when I am uncomfortable, that's typically when the change is happening and the growth. I mean, not that I need to change, but there's constant growth, right?
Andy Schwindler (25:07):
Constant growth.
Michelle Schwindler (25:08):
You have to.
Andy Schwindler (25:09):
Nope. I love that about you. You're all in. You always have been, and it's something I'm truly thankful for.
Michelle Schwindler (25:15):
Well, thanks for joining us with our conversation and our reflection and sharing some of our goals. And I'm hoping that we sit down here in a year and we can kind of revisit this conversation and have some more successes.
Andy Schwindler (25:33):
Absolutely. This has been Andy and Michelle. This has been the reveal. If you've enjoyed this show, let us know, subscribe, be a part of what we're doing. We'd love to have you come along.