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

Hi Aaron, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Customer service and product quality are the two biggest reasons for the success of our brand. From day 1 we put an emphasis on making sure that every single customer was happy with their experience. That was not an easy task in the early days as there were often many mistakes that would happen. We learned that people were not as critical of a mistake so long as the way we handled it was appropriate. That included regularly shipping out replacements, refunding money when there were product defects and expedited orders when that was necessary.

Obviously customer service can only be a part of the story. The other huge factor behind our success was our attention to detail with the quality of our product. We never compromised on the materials or packaging even when that meant smaller margins. It was always important for us to try to be the best and the fastest while also not being the most expensive.

What should our readers know about your business?
I have always been an entrepreneur which was starting to become synonymous with failure. There were numerous businesses that I started before finding the right formula with Steel Lighting Co. The thing I am most proud of is the belief I had in myself to continue trying. It would have been so easy to just stop pursuing this dream of running a business and work a desk job somewhere. I do not find it to be coincidental that my success with this business coincided with getting married. I think that the combination of a partner who believes in you and a resilience to remain steadfast with your dreams is why we have had the success that we’ve had.

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.
Los Angeles has been my home since birth so I have had many opportunities to show off the city I love. There are a few spots that I put on my “must” list. First off there is my favorite Mexican food Baja Buds in West LA. I’ve been going there since I was a kid in the 80’s and I still love going. Next would be the Hollywood Bowl for a show. There is just something so LA about the venue and just being nestled into the Hollywood hills watching your favorite band cannot be beat. Some other places I would go would be Abbott Kinney in Venice for a drink and some shopping or Highland Park for the best donuts in town at Donut Friend. I would be crazy to not mention catching a Lakers game at Staples or a Dodger game at Chavez Ravine. Truth be told a day or a week is simply not enough time to visit the best city in the world!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people that deserve a shoutout for the success of Steel Lighting Co. It starts with my father who taught me everything I know about the lighting business and my mother who taught me how to create personal bonds with the people that I rely on every single day. Then there are the numerous employees and staff who have been with us over the years that have brought true meaning to the idea of running a family business.

However, none of this happens without the person that deserves the biggest shoutout, my wife. We spent many long days and nights working on the business when it was just a dream. She and I together packed boxes, called customers, unloaded freight trucks and so much more.

It really does take a village!

Website: www.steellightingco.com

Instagram: @steellightingco

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

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/steel-lighting-north-hollywood

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1HPQt0gt9WRCmaoZvWnWVA

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