Introduction
Discover how Kenny transformed his passion for Lego into Light My Bricks, a thriving Lego lighting business generating $12 million in yearly revenue. This interview explores Kenny’s journey from identifying a niche market to scaling globally, his unique mindset for business growth, and how he plans to double revenue in the coming year.
Founder Success Story QnA
What are the key moments in your childhood that made you who you are today?
Growing up for me was, I’ve always felt like a somewhat a minority. When I say that because I grew up in being like the only Asian in school or the only Asian in class. I had severe eczema and that just had an effect. And I think growing up because I felt somewhat you know a minority or other, I was kind of I naturally gravitated towards doing things that were I guess not so the normal. Like if I was to think about what I wanted to be when I grow up was a when I was a kid it wasn’t your policeman or fireman or I don’t know office worker, it would be like a magician or a crossing guard or something out of the ordinary.
How did your eczema affect your personality and confidence growing up?
It wouldn’t say it was great for my confidence because it’s always you’re looking at yourself you got like you know all these kind of rashes all over and people you know kids are cruel they’ll be like oh what’s wrong with your skin there and all that kind of thing. And so I’d always be like what’s what’s wrong with me like why am I not like them? On top of that being Asian I’m like I wish I was white. I used to think that all the time.
How did those childhood experiences set you up for the business world?
I think it’s it’s a in a way a bit of a survival thing. It’s always like my mind just goes I’m not going to always just follow the norm, I want to be something more than that. And it’s always to I guess speak to myself as a kid having eczema and feeling like the minority, that I’ve I’m always trying to prove myself to be better and not just like everybody else but better. And I think that’s what’s always pushed me to never kind of settle I guess.
Is that need to prove yourself still a struggle you deal with today?
I wouldn’t say I draw the line anywhere, it’s just a constant thing for me. It never really stops and I think as you live life it’s not like oh you’ve achieved so much you’re done. For me it’s never, that’s not the outcome and that’s not the goal. It’s just to constantly be better and better each day that passes as you get older. So that when you have lived life and you’re 50, 60 years old, you’re like you’re smashing it because you’ve achieved the most at that point. It’s like your Peak just gets being pushed more and more higher.
What is Light My Bricks and what are your current business numbers?
This last Financial year we finished on a total revenue of just under 12 mil. We started in 2016 so it’s our eighth year and we’ve just been fortunate enough to go from strength to strength each year, growth, growth. We’ve expanded, we have a team of about 30 staff. We are very much Global. Australia only makes up a probably about 20, 25% of our overall business. I would say half of it is in in the US and the others is you know scattered around Europe, Canada, UK. What Light My Bricks is for the people who don’t know, it’s actually lighting and lighting accessories for Lego.
What was the leap between wanting to be an entrepreneur and starting this specific business?
I’ve always wanted to do something different. I grew up and I didn’t mention this but I my first Passion was music. Like growing up when I was a teenager I discovered music and I picked up the guitar and I was playing bands writing music and touring with my band. I was doing that for a big part of my teenage years to young adult years. The band eventually folded and when I was about 24ish and I had an IT certificate. When the band folded I could have done the whole nine to five but I wasn’t ready to do that yet. But then you know naturally that that sparks some some heated debates with the wife because you’re spending all this money on Lego when you have a single income mortgage kids all that kind of thing. But there was a light bulb moment, pun intended, where I thought hey there’s a business opportunity here.
How has your role in creativity evolved as the business has grown?
I think it definitely has evolved. When you start the business you’re right in there you’re creating stuff and you know you’re doing everything. But where the business is at now I’m fortunate to have not have to be involved the day to day. I’ve got a team of designers I’ve got a general manager I’ve got a team a machine that’s that’s running well. But I think for me it’s like I can’t not create something. If it’s not within the business it’s always to do with some some kind of thing whether it’s content creation or being creative with where I want to head to Next in terms of like finding a new audience or even new products. My brain’s always thinking about the next thing.
What are your core focuses to double revenue in the next 12 months?
The goal is to double our revenue for the next 12 months. I’ve gone through this journey of not limiting what can be. If you asked me years ago be like look my bricks can only do so much, we’re a lighting company and you need Lego. But there’s been a bit of a journey of challenging my mindset and unlocking this ceiling. The new way of thinking is to get to your revenue numbers you’re not going to be so reliant on just Lego. It’s thinking outside the box. I’m so passionate about Lego and that’s what made me start this business, but there is so many other passions out there. Everything can be lit up, everything can be brought to life, so why stop there?
How did you decide to expand beyond Lego into other markets?
With Lego I still we’ve got a long way to go because I’ve been privy to information that adult consumers of Lego it’s a new thing. And the research that we’ve been privy to is that the number of the percentage of adult consumers of Lego that are aware of lighting opportunities is in the single digit in terms of percentage. So you can think of the potential there for Lego. But then you look at like say for example Warhammer, right, Warhammer is massive. It’s crazy. D&D, you know, dungeon roleplay, it’s a whole new thing. And lighting opportunities is just like when you put lights in anything, everything just looks 10 times better. These are all unique passions but there’s so many different ones. It doesn’t stop there, there’s like models, there’s like Gundams, you know Japanese robots, it’s a whole new thing.
What other strategies beyond product development are you focusing on?
Product is a massive thing. You know reach is a huge one, awareness and reach. I’m a huge believer in content. Content is I believe is a huge part of how what has helped us get to where we are. It’s something that I’ve always believed in from the very start. It’s what’s really helped us not just get through COVID but triumph through that COVID period. And so our content strategy is something that we’re going to really dial in. The other thing is partnerships, you know distribution, major retail. We’ve put all our eggs or we have put all our eggs into just Australia but it’s crazy because half our markets in US. US is such a massive place compared to Australia.
What does your paid advertising strategy look like to achieve your growth goals?
I have learned a lot about paid. A lot of I think a lot of businesses just allocate a certain amount and really just dwell on that like they’ll say 10% of our revenue is for marketing, that’s it. But it’s scaling through what is working and dialing that in because if it’s working why not pump in more? For us the strategy is to really dial that in and be real experts in how we are running paid ads and if it’s working just continue to scale it, especially during campaign periods. Don’t limit yourself to just spending X amount when you can be spending more and achieving more.
How much are you currently spending on paid ads monthly?
At the moment we’re probably spending about close to 200 Grand a month. We’re about to head into our busiest time of the year which is Black Friday, a lot of Ecom it’s like that’s where they make all their profit in that one month. For November we’re looking to spend like a million dollars but we have massive targets. But the way we look at it is we need to spend that to make that target.
How do you decide which new markets to enter for business growth?
All these ideas we’re still yet to validate. There’s always a test, there’s always a validation period. For us it’s all about getting like a small suite of products, small run, and seeing how that goes, advertising that, paid out ads both, and just seeing how it runs. If it runs that’s when we dial it up. With all of our products and from even from the very start, that’s how you validate, that’s how you scale up and that’s how you test.
When did your mindset shift from limiting beliefs to expansive thinking?
The biggest unlock for me was overcoming this mindset from the very beginning was just starting this Lego business. And over time I’ve been able to develop a way of thinking, a philosophy that I feel like I’ve developed and I live by. It’s called Create Way. It’s a fluffy way of saying make it happen. Having this passion or a unique passion that’s not your normal passion, identifying what that is, and then also kind of stopping and asking yourself what’s stopping you from doing that. Combining the two together, leaning into that passion and breaking out of this way of thinking and starting.
How can others apply this expansive thinking to their businesses?
The default position is why not. Why not me? And then also when you’re thinking about a new product idea, marketing idea, if you can change the way you think from a linear direction. You shrink the thinking and you expand the thinking and the magic will happen in between. If you change the way how you think from you shrink the thinking and you expand the thinking, and by having this expansion mindset and having that in at the starting position, it’s like expanding the way you think and will help you get your outcomes will be so much more possible.
What have you learned from being a dad that has applied to your business?
For me it’s prioritizing. You’ve got the business and you want all you want to do is work all the time because work isn’t work, you love what you do. But for me having that family, I already had at the time two kids when I started the business, it was still ensuring why are you doing it all at the end of the day and ensuring that you have can find that balance. I’m always trying to teach my kids because I want them to be the best kids and grow up to be good independent thoughtful resilient grateful kids. So I include them a lot in my learnings, in business, in my content journey.
What are the most critical values you want to instill in your kids?
Being grateful. Nothing shits me more than people that feel privileged and people that are spoiled and people that do not value what they have. I don’t want my kids to grow up to be like that. We are fortunate to have nice things, we’re fortunate to go on holidays, so it’s a constant thing that my wife and I are instilling in our kids, be grateful. People don’t have this, I want you to know that this is may not be the normal for some. You have to value that, you have to be grateful that you wake up every day and you may not be starving, as simple as that.
Do you spend enough time being grateful for your own success?
It’s something that I still challenge myself on. I woke up this morning and I was like oh I had a, I didn’t have a great sleep, but then I looked out, I’m in Sydney right, I am traveling, I have the privilege of traveling and meeting people and networking with people like this. I’m living the dream and I had to pinch myself and be like I’m doing this because I followed my my passion for Lego. I am doing this because my built a company through my passion as opposed to what I was doing before, that and a nine to five hating it and not having that fulfillment. I’m still constantly challenging myself and reminding myself that yeah I’m I’m super lucky.
What’s the one thing you want to teach listeners from your journey?
It’s Create Way. Think about what you want to achieve, think about what’s stopping you from achieving that because a lot of people are subconscious to that. I don’t think they realize that there is something stopping them. Identifying you know what it is that’s stopping you and leaning into what you’re passionate about, leaning into why you love to do it and don’t look to Society for validation, don’t look to YouTube for validation, get out there, combine them two, break out your box, start.
Kenny Business Stats
Kenny has built Light My Bricks into an impressive global business with remarkable growth since its founding in 2016. The company has achieved significant success in a niche market by identifying a unique opportunity to enhance Lego creations with specialized lighting solutions. Below are key statistics that highlight the company’s current position and impressive trajectory.
- Annual revenue of $12 million with plans to double in the next 12 months
- Team of 30 employees managing global operations
- Global presence with Australia representing only 20-25% of total business
- United States accounts for approximately 50% of their customer base
- Remaining business distributed across Europe, Canada, and UK markets
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Annual Revenue | $12,000,000 |
| Monthly Revenue | $1,000,000 |
| Team Size | 30 employees |
| Primary Market | USA (50%) |
Kenny Method
Kenny’s approach to building Light My Bricks combines passion with strategic business thinking. His method focuses on identifying unique market opportunities, validating products before scaling, and maintaining a growth mindset that challenges conventional limitations. Below are the key elements of his business method that have driven success.
- Following unique passions and identifying business opportunities within niche interests
- Developing a “Create Way” philosophy that challenges limiting beliefs and societal expectations
- Validating new products and markets with small test runs before full investment
- Scaling paid advertising aggressively when positive ROI is demonstrated
- Continuously expanding beyond initial markets to maintain growth momentum
Kenny Tools
Kenny leverages various tools and strategies to build and scale Light My Bricks effectively. His tool stack focuses on content creation, paid advertising, and market validation to drive business growth. By prioritizing platforms and methods that deliver measurable results, he has been able to scale the business efficiently while maintaining the creative foundation that makes the company unique.
- Content marketing as a primary driver of organic reach and brand awareness
- Paid advertising platforms with monthly spend of approximately $200,000
- Small batch product testing to validate new markets before full-scale launches
- E-commerce platform to serve global customers efficiently
- Partnership development for retail distribution and market expansion
Key Notes
The conversation with Kenny reveals several critical insights for entrepreneurs looking to build successful businesses in niche markets. His journey demonstrates the power of combining passion with strategic thinking and the importance of challenging limiting beliefs to achieve extraordinary growth. These key takeaways highlight the most valuable lessons from his experience building Light My Bricks.
- Unique passions can become thriving businesses when properly monetized and scaled
- Childhood experiences and challenges can shape entrepreneurial drive and resilience
- Limiting beliefs about market potential often restrict business growth more than actual market constraints
- Aggressive scaling of successful marketing channels can accelerate business growth significantly
- Expanding beyond initial markets is essential for continued growth in niche businesses
Get Started in Just 5 Steps
Aspiring entrepreneurs can learn from Kenny’s journey and apply similar principles to build their own successful businesses. By following these five key steps, you can identify opportunities, validate your ideas, and build a foundation for sustainable growth. Kenny’s approach shows that with the right mindset and methodology, it’s possible to turn niche passions into profitable businesses.
- Identify a unique passion or interest that has potential commercial applications
- Challenge limiting beliefs and ask “what’s stopping me” to uncover mental barriers
- Develop a minimum viable product or small batch test to validate market demand
- Scale marketing efforts aggressively when positive ROI is demonstrated
- Continuously explore adjacent markets to expand beyond initial success
Conclusion
Kenny’s journey with Light My Bricks demonstrates the incredible potential of niche businesses when built on passion and strategic thinking. His $12 million Lego lighting business shows that entrepreneurs can find success in unexpected markets by identifying unique opportunities and challenging conventional limitations. As Kenny plans to double revenue in the coming year by expanding into new markets like Warhammer and D&D, his “Create Way” philosophy serves as an inspiration for entrepreneurs to pursue their passions, question limiting beliefs, and build businesses that bring their unique visions to life.