Konstantin Tsepelev Biography

And also - the founder of the school of the same name for designers and architects and the host of the popular thematic blog. Konstantin spoke about his professional path - and believe me, it is worthwhile to equal to his determination and attitude to work! We present to your attention an interview with him. Tell me how it all started? Konstantin Tsepelev K. was engaged in things completely unrelated - sales of alcoholic beverages, for example.

After graduating from the institute, I worked in an electrical company for a year, which also had nothing to do with the design, but there I received the first experience with lighting. I learned the rules of work, subtleties, nuances - in fact, I gathered a lot for myself there. For what thanks to my then teachers, in particular, Natalia Albitskaya and Alexander Tolkachev, who, by the way, work to this day in the field of lighting, though in a very narrow - industrial and sea light.

It was they who laid the first knowledge of technical light. In general, immediately after the first higher, I went to study the economy and honestly wanted to connect my fate with finances, I had banking specialization, "finance and credit". And finally, I had to go to work in the bank, and then recruiters call me and offer a vacancy in the company for the sale of lighting, in which I later worked for the next 10 years.

I was voiced by the salary, it was significantly higher than in that initial position in the bank. I was young, you know, the money was needed, and I agreed. I decided that this is a temporary option, and later I would arrange a bank to build a career, but for now I will use a little more money. But suddenly a new job dragged me, a wild interest appeared. It began to turn out, and the interest increased.

WL: And this was the beginning of a big journey? I read a lot, studied, went to exhibitions and attended all possible courses. Then he began to write articles in magazines, then a blog appeared. What is now was not immediately. But now this is no longer stopped. WL: What happened six months ago? What kind of thoughts did you move you? You just wanted to make this project - a company that makes a turnkey lighting design - or did you see that there is a request for this on the market?

I worked for 10 years in that very first company, I believe that I did a lot for them and to some extent brought them to a new level on the market, objectively. And when I went to the open world, starting everything from scratch, I still had no idea to open my own business. I just went on vacation. And after that there was a meeting with my current partners, and it was they who finally moved me to the idea of ​​organizing a business for a specific, specialized niche, whose needs, as a specialist, can satisfy qualitatively.

These people work in the field of automation, this is a cool incled company - Intelliger, which is engaged in complex automation, and as you know, automation and light are very connected with each other. Now we are uniting a large holding, I do not know such examples in the market. Something like this, if the story of my business has begun very briefly. WL: This is an indicative example: take and from scratch to make business in Russia.

I can hardly imagine myself in the automotive business, for example. I guess that if you have a lot of money, you can hire financiers, analysts and other specialists and make business, but with fairly large investments, and it will most likely work. But in my case, the main asset is knowledge. Although financial investments were large enough. Already from the first day there is a growth, and this is normal to start a business.

But I do not treat this as a business, and not quite as a businessman. This is a matter of my life, I do what I like, and not set the goal of just making money. The money is great, and I will be happy when I become infinitely rich. But I have more important goals of another level. I want to create a new generation company, I want to show an example of a completely different approach to work in this industry.

I want to move away from the model of a company engaged only in sale. Now most companies that exist on the market simply "sell chandeliers". At the level: “Do you have such a chandelier? I'm not interested.

WL: What is interesting? I want to make its value to be more significant than the sale of specific products. I do not want to sell just units of goods, I want to sell knowledge, services, service - so that the client is satisfied with what he is acquiring, already at the time of choice. WL: What does it look like in practice? Many things are taken into account.

I set myself a goal to do without such moments when I sell what is more profitable for me. I am building a company of such a level when it is beneficial to me only when it is beneficial to the client. This is the right deal. And then this is the right business. Sincerity with the client. Interested attitude to the client, defending the interests of the client.

I want the seller to earn on the fact that he defends the interest of the client. WL: This is the mission that you broadcast to your employees?Each of them has a lot of their more specific goals, but the main task is to make the client a quality service with minimal costs. WL: Choosing lamps, which you will then offer your customers, what do you pay attention to first?

Then, of course, we look at the design. WL: Can you allocate some Russian companies producing lamps? I do not see further development for them. In principle, this is not close to me, I welcome more rethinking or unique creative solutions. I can distinguish several companies that are pretty to me, however, they mainly engage in just decorative lighting. For example, Handl Studio or Bezhko.

In a technical light, you can recall STELLANOVA or Bosm. I also know a lot of craft studios, but it is precisely the studios, and it is crazy, because they do not reach the level of the company. WL: What world manufacturers inspire you? I could talk about this for hours ... But, perhaps, I will just call those who first come to my head. WL: What are you seeing the main trends in the world lighting design now?

Firstly, it is mobility, the possibility of transformation, modifications. Flexibility of control. Secondly, environmental friendliness. And finally, minimalism is very popular, which is perfectly consistent with modern trends in interior design and in architecture, and indeed in design. Also, such concepts as atmospheric light or emotional lighting are what is now at the peak of popularity.

And all because we want to live in the moment, we want to be able to create the atmosphere we need and manage it. This is a school of lighting design, in which we conduct a kind of educational program on a variety of issues related to lighting and designing lighting. As well as at the request of the listeners, by the way, we go on quite serious and deep topics, which involve even more professional study of lighting issues, as well as the practical application of skills in real projects.

WL: What are you talking about at the meetings? We will talk about how to design lighting at all, where to start, without which the project will be incomplete, how to calculate the technical parameters, how to work with the supplier, what to demand from it and expect. For architects and designers, by the way, we make the entrance free. And the next lesson will be about how to combine design and functionality in one project and choose the optimal lighting for a specific object.

WL: Does the school still work in St. Petersburg? But we are thinking about Moscow. Moreover, this, let's say, is a special course. We conduct the basic course as part of training programs in the MSD. WL: You have very interesting projects. How do you manage to do everything? The company gets to your feet, you have to work just day and night. I understand that the day has already begun when I find myself in the middle of the day in the middle of a huge amount of affairs.

Everyone is in full swing, they call from everywhere and write everywhere. The only thing that brings some certainty to my routine is sport. My sport club works until 12 in the morning, and at about night I get home and put an alarm of 7. It seems to me that my neighbors hate me, because I can’t hear a call at all. I dream of at least one free day: 76 WL: What does it have to devote the most efforts?