We Are Made of Light, but We Must Shine and Also Want to Shine

Answers to questions from Pražský magazín, November 2024.

How does a person come to producing lighting?

The real reason was helping the family business when we bought a historic farmstead near Prague, but even earlier I had helped my husband and supported his work with knowledge from various fields. Today I know that business requires creativity, organisational ability and courage, and that what you do business in, or with, is actually somewhat beside the point.

Do you have a personal motto?

Light is probably my destiny by now. We are made of light, but we must shine, and also want to shine.

As far as I know, you were originally a teacher. Do you manage to carry something from your teaching practice over into business and leading people?

I think teaching is good preparation. One has to manage several activities at once, and I admit that even as a child I liked inventing things for others. At school, too, I held a position of responsibility in leadership. I certainly draw on valuable experience of working with people, on empathy, and also on specialist knowledge of psychology, law and philosophy. And sometimes, almost amusingly, thanks to my experience with languages I can tell whom I have the honour of dealing with.

How many people do you actually employ?

We have 65 permanent employees and then, of course, seasonal workers as needed, 150–200.

How do you divide the work with your son, and how does the mother–son tandem work in business at all?

I think that despite the occasional exchange of views we are surprisingly good partners, and at important moments we can rely on each other. Sometimes, even when we think the same thing, we express it differently, but then we realise it. Discussion and a certain trembling belong to every partnership and to life. I devote myself more to content and design and to sales, and gradually I try to delegate some activities to our colleagues. Geographically, I look after the Czech Republic and, abroad, only some commissions, while my son works on developing our presence in the world. Naturally, by the nature of his age, he is developing the company's technical, logistical and media background.

What problems do you run into in your business?

At present, like everyone, we are struggling with a shortage of quality workers, and the unfavourable global situation, for example in transport from China, weighs on us too. Since covid and the crises that have followed, we have been trying to cope with their negative economic impacts as well. On top of that, the state compensates for the impacts that concern it by passing them on to companies, especially small and medium-sized ones like us. We are also harmed in general by the inflexibility of Czech administration, for example in building proceedings. We also perceive that a subsidy policy that was presumably well intended originally not only distorts the market, but the practical inaccessibility of subsidies for small and medium-sized firms weakens their natural life and development. And that is quite a problem, because small and medium-sized firms make up 62 % of our whole economy.

Do you think you and your work receive greater recognition here or abroad?

Probably abroad. Last year, for instance, Prague won an award in a poll by the American news site U.S. News as the most beautiful Christmas destination in the world, and three years ago, according to the American Forbes, the Old Town Christmas tree found itself in excellent company among the 20 most beautiful Christmas trees in the world. In general it seems to me that abroad we meet with greater support for public space than here. We have just opened another light park in Budapest, about Empress Sisi, and I observed how the local people know how to enjoy a certain pride of their own and shared joy.

How did you manage that?

We know that our decorations must of course take into account cultural needs, or a different discourse – that is, a different conception of the theme. It differs from country to country in theme, design, colour and so on. And we must also bear in mind that some countries, out of political correctness, no longer even prefer to speak of Christmas, only of winter holidays, and Christmas decoration is not called Christmas decoration, but special decoration for the winter season. Surprisingly, even in such a Christian-oriented country as Bavaria. In France, meanwhile, supporters of other cultures have, it seems, "uninstalled" our angels.

This year, too, you are running the light park Světla vyprávějí (Lights Tell Stories) in Žluté lázně. What novelties are you bringing?

This year's 3rd edition in Žluté lázně will be devoted thematically to the universe. With our exhibition we would like to both teach and entertain and, thanks to new technologies and a fairy-tale character, invite the public, including younger visitors, to take a glimpse into a cosmic adventure. On the expert side, we are collaborating with astronomers and with the Prague Planetarium.

I read comments on Facebook about your light park last year. Some find it a wonderful idea, others complain about the high price of admission and refreshments. Do you read comments on social media? And if so, do you work with them in any way?

This year we have also prepared an interactive space trail so that visitors can take part directly in the park or through social media, which is in fact a response to some of the comments from social media. On the other hand, the fact is that the admission price is not rising, and we do not pass our growing costs on to it. I do not want to relativise the questions around admission, but I think it is comparable with similar cultural experiences.

Lights are beautiful, but many people think they consume a lot of electricity, and so they perhaps will not even buy them for home, because they want to save. Is that really so?

I would like to dispel this myth. LEDs are economical, and the electricity demands of our light park do not even reach what a single food stall consumes in its ordinary operation anywhere on a square. If one is considering light decoration in public space, which is moreover temporary, it would be good first to compare its cost with other costs in this area. You will find that they are negligible.

What Christmas lighting do you have at home yourself?

I think I confirm the truth of some proverbs, for instance the one about the cobbler's children going barefoot, but personally I like minimalism and a clean style, and besides I do not have much time before Christmas to devote to anything other than the subject of my business. So at home I have simple decoration. I like it when it is unusual and original, for example a combination of glass, stainless steel and light.

What does Christmas mean to you personally? How will you spend it this year?

I have always loved Christmas and, surprisingly, I still do. It is not just a certain time of year for me; Christmas is, I think, also a state of mind. I have merely exchanged several kinds of Christmas biscuits for several illuminated trees, villages, towns, parks…, and so my Christmas is only a short pause in my whole Christmas journey.

And your Christmas wish?

Only health and enough strength to manage it all. This year I would also like to deepen our light stories with a drawing together and connecting of joy between people in general, regardless of place and culture. I would like, for a moment, to turn attention to the source of light, so that we might mirror it more to one another.