"I've always been about time management and efficiencies and finding ways to do the right thing quickly. ~Greg

"In your career, there's 5% of your time in service to your industry. Period. End of the story. And people need to hear that. ~Mike

How do two affable guys with several successful businesses between them find time to record three podcasts a week and run a leading trade organization?

For Michael Colligan and Greg Ehrich, the duo behind Get A Grip On Lighting podcast, their secret sauce is a commitment to serving the lighting industry. It’s been a while since I appeared as guest number one on their show; now, Mike and Greg are here to return the favor, shedding light on how they keep these interconnected parts running smoothly.

“I have a couple of different angles. I love distribution, I love contracting, and all these things dovetail together,” says Mike of the businesses he runs when not behind the mic - although he’s often managing business even while recording. The show he created and that he and Greg now co-host, is the official podcast of The National Association of Innovative Lighting Distributors (NAILD). It’s a great fit, not least because Mike and Greg embody what it means to innovate in all areas.

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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.

http://www.distributionteam.com

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason Bader on LinkedIn.

Connect with Michael Colligan on LinkedIn.

Connect with Greg Ehrich on LinkedIn.

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Through their individual companies, each had championed advanced lighting technologies like CFL and LED, getting on board when cool lighting was just getting hot, paving the way for their collectively bright future endeavors. “It's kind of like your card in the door everywhere because everybody needs lighting,” Greg says.

Even during the pandemic, the pair continue to innovate. Connection is key for both men. Separately, each is driven to find the best fit for their customers and the planet. Together, Mike and Greg have committed to giving back to an industry that has provided an abundance of opportunity to forge relationships.

Podcasting and live streaming trade show events (remember those?) are two of their activities. The other is participation in the industry’s trade organization. Participation is probably too soft a word for what Mike and Greg do. Rather than stopping at board participation, they signed on to oversee the organization’s interests and advance its standing. And they created an entire management company to tackle the job.

“We wanted to bring it to the next level,” Greg says, and they’ve done just that, with enhanced education options and a fresh appeal to the next generation of industry leaders.

With all they’ve accomplished to date, it’s hard to believe that Mike and Greg have the same twenty-four hours in a day as the rest of us. It’s not magic; it’s time-management.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Distribution Talk e17 - Commodity vs Consultation w/ Brenda Puckett

Get A Grip On Lighting e1 - w/ Jason Bader

Get A Grip On Lighting e45 - Women In Lighting w/ Brenda Puckett

Get A Grip On Lighting e132 - Disrupt Or Die w/ Brenda Pucket

CONNECT WITH MICHAEL COLLIGAN & GREG EHRICH:

Get A Grip On Lighting

NAILD

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.