We had the good fortune of connecting with Martin Sunday and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Martin, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
The complexity of lighting design has changed dramatically in the past 5 years with the switch to LED Lighting. Where there used to be a standard of recess can, trim and bulb, recent developments have changed the standards to recess cans and trims that have the light source incorporated into the trim.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Martin Sunday Lighting Designs is a lighting design company that creates custom lighting for both commercial and residential clients across the United States. What sets us apart is that we sculpt with light. Layering different varieties of light creates a rich, 3-dimensional space and enhances any environment. It’s not just about the lighting of homes and commercial environments, we also strive to light up the lives of our clients. My philosophy is that lighting should inspire and enhance the life that it illuminates. We carry this philosophy forward in all that we do.

Our Mission Statement is: “We illuminate lives through the artistic use of light technology”. We also have a unique set of principles that our company lives by. You can read more about these principles here: https://martinsundaydesigns.com/about/

Starting your own company requires that you wear a lot of different hats and make many mistakes along the way – meaning that it is not always easy. Some of the biggest struggles I’ve faced over the years were finding the right employees and figuring out the best pricing to charge our clients. I’m so happy to say that I’ve finally found a great group of individuals to help me run this company! Most of them were hired within the last year and have helped grow the company tremendously so far. As for the pricing, choosing to hire someone as the Chief Operating Officer was one of the best business decisions I’ve made thus far. Our COO has really helped me to understand the importance of pricing our work in a way that both allows us to profit but also stays within reason, meaning that we don’t overcharge or undercharge our clients.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m vegetarian so I’d definitely be taking my friends to some of the best vegetarian-friendly restaurants in town! These include Govinda’s Vegetarian Cuisine, Verdine, Shiv Sagar and Houston Sauce Pit. I enjoy bowling so I’d take them to my favorite bowling alley – Del Mar Lanes. We’d also probably end up at Joystix or Cidercade to play some arcade games. For coffee, we’d head on over to Anonymous café.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So the story starts all the way back into my teens where my parents sent me to a course in Transcendental Meditation (TM) when I was 15. This coupled with some early reading started me on a path of internal questing for a deeper understanding of myself. Along the way I experienced EST, now called the Forum by Landmark. In my 40’s I was to experience the Mankind Project – New Warrior Training Adventure. This led me to experience MKP’s leadership program. If I was to say that there was an author that I was strongly affected by, it would be Brene Brown. I’ve read all of her books. Last but not least, my recovery program has afforded me everything.

Website: https://martinsundaydesigns.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martinsundaylighting/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/martin-sunday-lighting-design

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/martinsundaylighting

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/martin-sunday-lighting-design-houston-6

Other: Houzz: https://www.houzz.com/pro/martinsundaylightingdesign/martin-sunday-lighting-design

Image Credits
Sharon Ferranti

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