Kate Fosberg
Kate Fosberg has been a dedicated professional in the lighting industry since 1998, bringing over two decades of expertise to her role at The Lighting Group in Seattle. With 22 years at her current company, she specializes in Quick Quotes and customer service, helping clients navigate lighting solutions with precision and care. Kate’s career path was unconventional—prior experience in food service and office roles did not prepare her for the impact this work would have, yet she found a profession that she genuinely enjoys and values. Throughout her career, Kate has focused on building strong relationships both with clients and colleagues. She emphasizes service- and customer-care-oriented approaches, valuing patience, empathy, and understanding in every interaction. She credits much of her professional success to the supportive company culture and the dedicated coworkers around her, highlighting that meaningful work thrives in a collaborative and compassionate environment. Kate’s approach to her work is grounded in practicality and joy: she believes that work should not cause emotional or physical strain and seeks roles that fit naturally between data management and client engagement. A graduate of Paul Smith’s College with an Associate of Arts and Sciences in Culinary Arts, she honed her skills on the job through hands-on learning and repetition. Today, she continues to bring her expertise, dedication, and authentic passion for her role to every project she undertakes.
• Paul Smith's College - AAS
• In her off time, she runs a Parrot Rescue with her Husband David.
What do you attribute your success to?
My success has been based on the company that I've worked for and the company that I keep at my job. My coworkers, the strength and caring of my coworkers, I couldn't do it without them. It's very important for me that the company I work for takes care of their people, and you don't need to feel like a slave to your job.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received is to do what you love, do what brings you joy. Work is something you have to do in this life, but it shouldn't be a chore. It shouldn't be something that hurts you emotionally and mentally, because it's the one life we have. You really should do something that doesn't make you sick. There are so many people who just suffer so much having to work, they hate it, and it just brings them emotional and physical pain. Do something that you love, do something that doesn't make you sick.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Your worth is as good as any man's. It's so hard because I've never considered myself to be influential at all. When I got selected for this, I was like, you don't want to be talking to me, I'm not influential at all. But the truth is, your worth is equal to any man's in this industry.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges are just the economy and what's happening in the industry right now because of the building sector, the tariffs, and everything that's going on. It's just difficult. I think there's a lot of young people that just want more than what they're ready to take on, because they haven't learned it yet. The opportunity is there, but you have to be willing to get your foot in and just start at the lowest level if that's where you need to start, and just keep learning and keep doing, and you'll get far. That's the main thing, I suppose.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Patience and just trying to understand where the other person's coming from. It's so easy to just be cold and say that's the way it is, but I try to understand that the other person is just trying to do their job, and that they may have somebody pushing them too hard. So it's just trying to do what I do based on truly caring about the situation the other person is in.