Lessons From 10 Years Building an Australian Lighting Company - James Zagari

James Zagari is the co-founder of EST Lighting, an Australian lighting company he established in 2016 after a career that began almost by accident with a sales role at Philips Lighting.In this episode, James talks about the unexpected path that led him into lighting, why lighting can be difficult to explain until you experience it, and what gets lost when it is brought into a project too late. He also shares what it was like moving from employee to founder, building EST with former colleagues, growing a team, and creating a showroom designed as an experience rather than simply a place to display products.We explore the relationship between lighting, architecture and interiors, the role of procurement and relationships in bringing projects to life, Australian-made lighting, the impact of AI on the industry, and the career lessons James has picked up over 10 years of running EST.