Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Yorgey.
Jennifer, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born in the South of France. Young and fearless, I moved to London, UK when I was 18 to complete my International Business Degree and start building my work career. When I first arrived in London, I could barely speak English. I struggled to find a job, but eventually, I found one working at a bagel shop, then at a theater, and later a telecommunication company, IDT, in customer service. After a few years, I changed jobs to go work at Lutron Electronics in customer service. Three years into my role at Lutron, I transitioned to a marketing role. Over the course of the next seven years, I worked my way up from an assistant to heading the Marketing and Communication department covering Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. While in that role, I met my future husband, who also worked for the company. He was able to get an assignment in the UK, working out of the same office as me. During that time, we decided we wanted to get married and move to the US, where a new role was waiting for him in Southern California.
In the fall of 2015, I left the UK, a country I had, at that time, known as my home for over 14 years, to begin a new adventure in the US. Shortly after arriving in the US, I had an opportunity to meet with Matt Sedlock and Jimm Reifsnyder, the Principals of Western Lighting and Energy Controls. Western is the manufacturer’s representative for Lutron in Southern California and had heard about my experience working for Lutron in the UK. Coming out of that meeting, they graciously offered me a role in specification sales, which I excitedly took.
I was drawn to the company because they impressed me with the manufacturers that they represented. Not only Lutron but some of the most well-known names in the lighting industry. It was an opportunity for me to expand my knowledge and acquire new skills by taking on a sales role. Talking with Matt and Jimm, I could tell that Western was a progressive company that valued their employees. To that end, on January 1st, 2019, we became an employee-owned company and were elected as one of the best companies to work for in both San Diego and Orange County by the Orange County and San Diego Business Journal.
When I joined the company, the marketing activities were outsourced. But as the company grew, the marketing needs of the company were also expanding. It became evident that a full-time person was required to manage all the marketing and communication for our team of over 50 staff. My years of experience in managing marketing and communication teams in Europe made me a natural fit to fill that need.
Today, I am working as the Marketing Manager for Western Lighting and Energy Controls. My role involves working closely with our teams in the field and helping them execute campaigns to facilitate communication with their customers. Communication that spreads across a variety of media including email, social media, print, and press. In addition, I am always staying informed on the latest news from our 75 manufacturers and making sure our customers and teams in the field are up to date on the most recent products and solutions. The skills required for the job are broad. On any given day, I could be working with merchandising companies to develop branded merchandise and then, an hour later, I could be working on our website’s backend to update content.
My day doesn’t end when I shut down my laptop. I have two young daughters, Juliette- 1 and Sophia-3, that demand my attention from the moment they get home from daycare. As a working mom, I’m not able to spend time with them during the day, so I try to make the most of the time we have together at the end of the day and on weekends. It’s always a struggle when you are so passionate about two areas of your life that are so important. Work and family. Unfortunately, there is no book or recipe for finding the perfect balance between the two. So, I throw myself fully into my work during working hours and focus all my energy on the girls when I am with them.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Western Lighting and Energy Controls story. Tell us more about the business.
Western Lighting and Energy Controls is one of the leading Lighting, Controls, and Energy Management manufacturers’ representative agency in Southern California. In business for over two decades, and employee-owned since January 2019, Western offers an unparalleled level of service and support through its dedicated teams. Our teams work to ensure that project requirements and unique business needs are delivered on time and within budget. With our uniquely proactive approach, we can serve customers in a way that achieved maximum growth and success.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
When I left the UK, I left a comfortable job that I knew inside and out to move to a new country, with a new culture, and without any job prospects. Luck came when I had the opportunity to meet with Matt Sedlock and Jimm Reifsnyder from Western Lighting and Energy Controls. I discovered not only a great camaraderie but also an opportunity to put all my knowledge and experience to use, pursuing a career in sales. That put me in a very fortunate position; having a job offer waiting for me the moment I landed in the U.S. to begin my new life.
Luck would arrive again a few years later, in the form of the opportunity to make my way back into marketing. An area I love and which gives me great satisfaction.
Contact Info:
- Address: Western Lighting and Energy Controls
6630 Flanders Drive
San Diego, CA 92121 - Website: www.westernlightingandenergycontrols.com
- Phone: 858.564.0233
- Email: jennifer@westernecs.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/westernlec/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Westernlightingandenergy/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/westernlec
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2630757
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