Female Disruptors: Dayna Bradley and Nawleen Kaur of TPL Lighting On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Dayna: Work hard, not long: What others can accomplish in eight hours, I can complete in three. Now I have five hours to focus on myself, my goals and looking forward to the next challenge.
Nawleen: Think with a cool head: Words can’t be taken back and it is always better to think before you speak.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dayna Bradley, President, TPL Lighting and Nawleen Kaur, Creative Lighting Specialist, The Adelaide Project by TPL Lighting.
Dayna Bradley serves as the president of TPL Lighting. She has over 25 years of experience in the furniture industry.
Nawleen Kaur serves as the Creative Lighting Specialist for The Adelaide Project. The Adelaide Project, a revolutionary studio concept conceived, curated, and designed by TPL Lighting, was born out of the belief that, as partners to the architecture and design community, lighting plays a collaborative role in working to elevate the overall design aesthetic.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
Dayna Bradley: Prior to joining TPL Lighting, I worked at my previous company for 20 years and aspired to one day serve as President. When the company’s timeline did not align with my career goals, I knew I had to make some difficult decisions. A friend of mine introduced me to the owners of TPL Lighting, Jennifer and Karolyn Pott, and almost immediately after meeting them I knew TPL Lighting was the perfect fit for me. A few things that stood out to me were that they were women running their own business who also happened to be sisters. I knew that with this team we would be able to shake up the old school nature of the lighting industry and really make a change. I also knew that the ones who could make this change were going to be women.
Nawleen Kaur: I started my career as an interior designer and served in that role for 15 years; most recently as a design firm’s workplace studio lead before taking on a role in consultative lighting sales. In 2020, I took on my first sales role, which, to be honest, fell into my lap, BUT has quickly proven to be the best decision I’ve made. As an interior designer and being on construction sites, I have an intimate understanding of what it is to be a woman in a predominantly male environment and quickly learned how to be a strong and respected voice. Dayna and I have known each other professionally and eventually as friends, since 2007. She has always served as a source of inspiration on how to lead with kindness and strength; so when TPL approached me for this role, I was introduced to Jennifer and Karolyn Pott and felt a natural connection to TPL’s predominantly female leadership.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
DB: The lighting industry is very rigid and since starting at TPL and chatting with my network, there is a huge interest in shaking things up. Historically, lighting has followed a commodity based approach to sales. It can often lack transparency and therefore trust. It is TPL Lighting’s goal to evolve this very old school narrative around lighting through adding transparency and move the conversation from a commodity approach to selling and focus on the human experience of lighting. This human approach not only includes the person who sits under the light but also the experience of each human who touches each part of the process in the path to market. We are creating a conversation to help people understand how people experience light, how light can affect happiness and wellness, and how space can be changed with light.
NK: When working as an interior designer, there seemed to be an endless battle with suppliers and we were often at the mercy of what we were told when it came to pricing, timing, and availability. When we asked for more transparency, we were often told that this is just the way it is. Through the creation of The Adelaide Project, a revolutionary studio concept conceived, curated, and designed by TPL Lighting, we are able to educate and collaborate within the community and be a true resource with the clients’ best interests at heart. Under the guidance of Dayna and her experience selling furniture and my understanding of everything it takes to put together a furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) package, we can deliver that full FF&E package with transparency and trust.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
DB: I had some unique challenges as a woman and lesbian in the furniture industry. Since starting my career, every time I would walk into a room I would instantly be judged and my suggestions were second guessed or ignored. At my first job, I worked for a wholesale company flipping furniture. For years, there was a client that no one could get to make a deal. My boss decided to let me have a shot at making a sale because he figured he had nothing to lose at that point. He sold me the entire lot of furniture for $1 and said whatever I sold it for was my profit to keep. I borrowed money to buy a new blazer to look more professional and walked into this client’s office. With confidence, I asked him what it would take for him to do a deal and after some negotiating, he bought the whole lot! I had never been so proud and learned to never let anyone tell me I am not capable just because of my gender. At that moment I knew I was born for sales.
NK: On one of my first projects, I made the terrible mistake of swapping the finishes of two identical rooms. I remember being on site and walking into the nearly completed room only to find I had been looking at my very symmetrical plan upside down when completing the finishes schedule (!). I kept my composure and explained to the flooring contractor on site, my mistake. They were quick to help and were able to correct my error in order to finish the project without incident. At the end of the day, we were all a team with the same goal and by owning up to my mistake, the rest of the crew respected me and helped me fix it. Even though I was panicking inside, I knew that worrying would not fix the actual issue at hand. This project helped me develop my leadership style and I learned how to carry myself during stressful times– while always double checking my drawings!
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
DB: I have a personal “Board of Directors” that supports me in all decisions both personal and professional. They come from all different backgrounds and I have a deep respect for their opinions. I have always been a risk taker but I am a calculated risk taker. These individuals provide me with guidance and knowledge that I may not personally possess and help me make informed decisions. When I make decisions I am always conscious about how my actions will impact others and they provide this insight, keep me grounded, and educate me.
NK: I will always be grateful for Gloria and David Freeman and the incredible experience they gave me. Working at a small family run design firm, the Freeman’s allowed me to have full control of my projects from start to finish. If I had begun my career at a large firm, I likely wouldn’t have had the opportunity to gain the wide range of experience I did so early on in my career. They taught kindly and pragmatically, which made me realize I wasn’t suited to work for a large corporation. David and Gloria took a very human approach to leadership and I looked for that same friendly and supportive environment in every career change moving forward. Thank you, Freeman + Freeman!
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
DB: I was raised to question everything and challenge what I see and hear. From my mother telling me at a young age to question authority, including hers as a parent, to studying feminist theory, I have spent my life never accepting the status quo. I have learned that we cannot stand by systems that “have stood the test of time” knowing that someone is getting hurt by them. Disruption is only beneficial if it helps one person. If disruption doesn’t present a win somewhere else, then it’s just disruption for disruption’s sake.
NK: I define disruption as giving something else a chance. As a woman of colour, I am very aware that this current position I hold would not have been possible had others not disrupted the path for me. We are disrupting the way the lighting industry operates because it is necessary to move forward. Time and time again “trusted” old systems have oppressed specific groups, so clearly these systems can no longer be trusted.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
DB:
Work hard, not long: What others can accomplish in eight hours, I can complete in three. Now I have five hours to focus on myself, my goals and looking forward to the next challenge.
The best people give the benefit of the doubt: If someone is coming to you and they’re prickly, step back and remember it’s not about you. You don’t know what their life is like or what’s happening with them in that moment: give them the benefit of the doubt and know that nothing is ever about you — not even the good stuff.
Hope is not a strategy: You either will do something or you won’t. Hoping for success is not going to be successful in the end.
NK:
Think with a cool head: Words can’t be taken back and it is always better to think before you speak.
“Punch him if you have to”: My mum taught me to stand up for myself and gave me these words in response to my running home crying when a neighbourhood boy hit me at aged 10. She told me to come home only after I stood up to him!
Always lead with kindness and positivity but, as a woman, if someone speaks down to you, you have to have the confidence to stand up for yourself and not step aside.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
DB: As President, it was important to me to shake everything up. We implemented a 2030 strategy for TPL that not only outlines company goals but also considers industry goals. At the center of everything we do, we guide with the Human Experience. We are building a working environment that drives collaboration, energy, excitement, and engagement.
NK: Through everything we do, we are bringing back conversations to the Human Experience. The Adelaide Project is shifting the traditional commodity sales approach to lighting to one that understands how people interact. Through shifting our sales model, we are focusing on community, education and collaboration. We are emphasizing how people experience light; how light can affect happiness and wellness; and how space is impacted and changed with lighting.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
DB: When men and women enter their careers, men are looked at for their “potential” and women are looked at for their “proficiency.” A man will be promoted because of potential, whereas a woman will have to prove she can do something before she is promoted. This typically results in a five year promotion gap between men and women. Women can always do it but they are forced to prove it first. And invariably, the uterus becomes part of the conversation and women are judged on how it is, or isn’t used. No one goes to a man who is up for a promotion and asks him who is going to take care of his kids. It is automatically assumed that the woman will have to take time out of her career to focus on raising children. Conversely, if a woman decides not to have children, there’s a perception about who she is because she didn’t procreate. We have to evolve as a society to understand that gender should never be part of the discussion about capabilities at work. However you identify yourself has no place in determining value of work.
NK: The pandemic opened the eyes of many to acknowledge how much work women actually do in regard to career, childcare and home life. With many being at home, balancing these aspects of life can be possible but only if employers support their staff and offer flexibility. At TPL Lighting, the team is very flexible and supportive. If we (all people), are open with our employers about our personal needs for child care and time flexibility, companies can foster a supportive culture that builds trust and commitment amongst everyone. Not having support prevents women from thriving.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
DB: Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené Brown. This book has taught me to lead with compassion. I also love Ariana Huffington and her teachings about mindfulness and slowing down. I am also personally passionate about news and history around sex trafficking and am currently developing a podcast to discuss the topic.
NK: Boundary Boss by Terri Cole has taught me to be an intentional leader and to put others’ needs at the forefront of decisions without foregoing my own boundaries. I also follow The Financial Diet on Instagram and listen to their podcast: The Financial Confessions — catered specifically towards women and money.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
DB: Two things that I am very passionate about are women’s equal rights and addressing the hunger crisis. Because of this, I am a supporter of the Canadian Women’s Foundation and The Daily Bread Food Bank. These two organizations are making such a difference for the people they impact.
NK: As a mother, I would never want anything to happen to my child or any other child. Through this passion, I support Second Harvest, a Toronto based food rescue charity and SickKids hospital, also in Toronto.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
DB: Stand in your light: You shouldn’t be distracted by people who can’t see your vision. Stay away from the shade of other people that try to throw their negativity on you and move back into your own light.
NK: Don’t be shy to relate to people as humans: We need to be comfortable with approaching business with a human touch. Through personally relating to people and showing vulnerability, business successes can go much further than with a cold “business” interaction.
How can our readers follow you online?
@tpl_lighting
https://theadelaideproject.com/
@theadelaideproject
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
Female Disruptors: Dayna Bradley and Nawleen Kaur of TPL Lighting On The Three Things You Need To… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.