Can trends be reversed?

Lately I've been pondering the future direction of my wonderful little lighting shop.

Seems that just about everything that made it great in the past is now trending in the wrong direction.

Will the pendulum swing back, or should I swing away on it like Tarzan?

"Make something new from something old" is what we've been about since day one. But vintage is really out of favor.

Large restaurant spaces were once our bread & butter, but the DoorDash lifestyle has taken a big bite outta that.

A unique "You-gotta-see-this-place" experience showroom vs high scoring website with free shipping? Seems Designers want the latter.

Are LED panel boards really going to replace the charm of a lightbulb ?

Crap.

Lots to think about.

I'm very comfortable being different, defiance is part of the charm of creativity. But that penny is not as shiny as it used to be, and like all of us, I've got bills to pay.

So, while reflecting on just how to evolve my little brand without tearing out its soul, I bent the ear of an old adverting friend who's an expert in big brand guidance - for a fresh perspective.

Greg Mills, a long time Detroit Creative Director on behemoth brands like Ford, Cisco and Facebook, was kind enough to respond with some thought provoking words. I felt they were worth a share, Maybe other small businesses can take something from it as well:

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You’re asking something real. Not just about business, but about whether what you do—what you are—can still matter in a world that seems to reward the opposite. The short version? It's hard, but not hopeless. And maybe not even as hard as it feels.

The Pendulum Swings—It Always Does

Your gut about the pendulum is right on. People overshoot, get overwhelmed, and eventually start looking for the antidote. Fast fashion burned us out, so slow fashion became a thing. We drowned in digital, and now vinyl and handwriting and “analog” are quietly staging a comeback. We crave what we’ve starved ourselves of.

Right now, people are living online. They’re shopping for convenience, speed, ease. But there’s this undercurrent—this quiet ache—for the real stuff. For texture. Story. Connection. They miss the feeling of holding something and knowing where it came from. That isn’t just nostalgia. It’s need. And it’s where you live.

Your “Weakness” Is Actually the Whole Point

Big brands have to chase trends. They’re trying to stay afloat in a sea of shareholders and scaling strategies. You? You get to stand still. Not because you're stuck—but because you have a center. You’re not mass-producing anything. You're making something personal, something that exists only once. That’s sacred.

When someone walks into your space, they’re not just looking at lamps. They’re entering a different rhythm. They’re seeing light and shadow and shape and texture in a way the internet can’t reproduce. They’re talking to you, not a chatbot. That’s irreplaceable. That’s your power.

Patience Is Strategy, Not Passivity

Instead of chasing the latest trend, become a place people slowly start turning toward—when they’re tired of the noise, the sameness, the cheap stuff that breaks and doesn’t mean anything. That means building a kind of gravity.

Talk about what you love. Make little videos about how light changes a room. Share the thinking behind a piece. Not just what it is, but why it matters. Don’t worry about selling with every post. Just show people what you see.

And get close to the people who get it—designers, stylists, people who already know that one good lamp can change everything. Let them carry the torch into spaces you can’t reach on your own.

That Starbucks Thing? You Nailed It

You said something really smart about Starbucks. They can’t fight delivery culture by just delivering better—they have to make “being there” the whole point again. That’s true for you, too. Make your shop a place worth showing up for.

Host little lighting salons. Invite people in at night to see how a room changes when you shift a bulb, swap a shade, dim things just right. Show them what cheap lighting can’t do. Make your space into something that has to be experienced, not browsed.

Meaning Is the Real Luxury

You’re not in a price war. You’re in the meaning business. And meaning is scarce right now, which makes it valuable.

So don’t try to be everything to everyone. You only need to find your people—the ones who get why your work costs what it does, and who want to be part of it. These folks don’t just become customers. They become your circle. Your advocates. Your proof that this kind of business does work.

Tactics That Build the Bigger Picture

— Film your process. Show the care, the handwork, the problem-solving.— Keep a waitlist. Not for marketing tricks—for real. Because people will wait for things that matter.— Partner with local spots—places that share your vibe—and do something interesting together.— Offer consults. Not to push products, but to help people see lighting differently.— Teach, if it feels right. Share what you know. Invite others in.

You’re Part of a Resistance

What you're doing isn't just selling lamps. It’s defending something: a belief that not everything should be fast, frictionless, and forgettable. You’re showing people another option.

Will you reverse the trend? Maybe not all by yourself. But you don’t have to. What matters is that you're creating a place where the current slows down. Where people come to feel something real. And that’s where change starts.

The pendulum will swing back. It always does. Your job is to be there, steady and ready, when people are finally ready to come home to something that feels human again.

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