The Future of Business Is AI: Why Lighting Companies Must Adapt Now

Last week, I attended a 3-day AI mastery class.

The ticket alone cost $5,500.

Twelve-hour days. Locked in a room from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. No distractions. Just learning, building, and understanding where business is heading next.

And honestly? It completely shifted how I see the future of business.

At first, I thought we were simply in the lighting business.

Then I realized we were really in the customer service business that installs lighting.

Later, I evolved again and understood that we were actually a marketing and sales company that installs lighting.

But after this past week, I believe the next evolution is this:

The best companies will become AI companies that just happen to install lighting.

That shift is bigger than most people realize.

What used to be considered a “large” lighting company — businesses doing $3 million or even $5 million annually — may soon look small compared to what’s coming next.

We’re about to see $25 million companies in this space powered heavily by AI.

Not massive corporations.

Not franchises with huge overhead.

But lean, efficient, fast-moving businesses using AI to scale in ways we’ve never seen before.

And before dismissing this as “tech stuff” that only applies to Silicon Valley, consider this:

I built an app and a website in under an hour simply by talking to AI tools.

This isn’t science fiction anymore.

It’s happening right now.

Most People Are Focusing on the Wrong Thing

The biggest mistake people make with AI is obsessing over the tools themselves.

“What AI platform should I use?”
“What’s the best software?”
“What tool is everyone using?”

That’s not the real game.

The real advantage comes from how you think about AI and how you communicate with it.

1. Context Is Everything

Most people ask AI vague questions like:

“How do I grow my business?”

That’s like asking a stranger for life advice without telling them anything about your situation.

AI performs best when you provide context.

Share details like:

• Your revenue

• Team size

• Current struggles

• Strengths

• Goals

The quality of your input determines the quality of your output.

2. AI Is Powerful — But It’s Not Magic

AI doesn’t truly “think.”

It recognizes patterns based on the information you provide.

If you give poor instructions or incomplete information, it fills in the blanks — often incorrectly.

That means critical thinking still matters.

AI is a multiplier, not a replacement for good leadership and decision-making.

3. Stop Treating AI Like a Tool — Start Treating It Like a Partner

Most people command AI like this:

“Build me an SOP.”

But a better approach is:

“Ask me any questions you need before building this so nothing gets missed.”

That simple shift changes everything.

Now AI becomes a collaborator instead of just a machine producing generic answers.

Every Business Will Need an AI Leader

One of the biggest realizations I had during this experience is that every company will eventually need someone dedicated to AI implementation.

In fact, I’m already hiring for that role.

Someone whose job is to analyze every part of the business and ask:

• Where can AI make this faster?

• Where can AI make this better?

• Where can AI replace or enhance repetitive work?

Because as a business owner, you simply can’t manage all of it yourself.

The Companies That Move First Will Win

You can ignore AI.

You can wait and hope things slow down.

You can tell yourself you’ll figure it out later.

But the same principle applies here as it does in marketing, sales, and pricing:

The people who move first usually win.

So here’s the challenge:

Where can you start using AI this week?

What would happen if you actually dedicated time to learning it?

Because the future isn’t coming anymore.

It’s already here.

The real question is:

Will you use it?

Or get left behind?

Keep Moving Forward,
Ryan Lee

# AI in business, lighting business, artificial intelligence, AI automation, business growth, AI leadership, AI marketing, sales automation, AI tools, business innovation, future of business, lighting company growth, AI strategy, entrepreneurship, scaling business #