Even as a student, John Kirstein knew he wanted to run his own business rather than work in a traditional engineering role.
That vision led the 2012 materials engineering grad to launch an energy consulting company during his third-year studies, and a decade later, sees him heading up his own commercial lighting agency.
“I’ve always been somewhat of a jack-of-all-trades with an entrepreneurial streak,” he admits.
As the owner and operator of Metrix Lighting and Controls Inc., Kirstein provides lighting products to be installed in industrial, commercial and institutional construction projects.
“Commercial lighting is a very technical field, and there’s a lot of safety requirements for a project to meet electrical, building and municipal codes,” he says.
“But lighting is also very emotional, since it’s something people have to live with every day, so a lot of thought goes into it from a design standpoint, as well.”
In the design phase, Kirstein works with electrical engineers to find the right lighting products and use them in a safe, effective and cost-efficient way. At the construction stage, he works with electrical contractors to ensure they have what they need for a complete installation.
His company has supplied lighting for a large range of projects like parking lots, manufacturing facilities, warehouses and recreation centres, but he says his favourite part of the job is helping customers find innovative solutions.
“I love nothing more than when a client comes to me with a lighting challenge and I can help them solve it,” he says. “I like showing people how they can spend less money and get a better result – maybe through clever spacing or more effective controls or easier installations.
“Relationships are everything in business, and there’s nothing more satisfying than when a client keeps coming back because they like your service.”
His advice to students looking to follow their own entrepreneurial streaks?
“Learn to sell and get comfortable with failing,” he says.
“Most people who get into sales or business give up quickly because they can’t handle the rejection – and in the beginning, that’s pretty much all you’re going to get. You have to figure out what you’re good at and what your position is in the market – and that takes time.
Rather than becoming discouraged when potential customers, or even employers, reject you, he suggests listening closely to their reasons and adapting your offering.
“Eventually you will discover something that the market wants which you’re also good at, and that’s when things start to take off,” he says. “Be patient, persistent and consistent.”
