An Australian businessman has revealed the story line that inspired his $12 million business, marking the “only time” his wife was wrong.
Kenny Lee quit his 9-5 job to pursue his dream business, Light My Bricks, in 2018.
Specializing in LED lighting for Lego sets, the 39-year-old from Ferntree Gully, in Melbourne’s east, said the idea came from his own obsession with Lego.
“The idea came purely out of an argument with my wife when she was questioning my excessive spending on Lego,” Mr Lee said.
‘At the time we had children, we had a mortgage to pay, a single income and I was going a little crazy with my new passion.
“So I thought ‘how can I win this argument by making these purchases guilt-free?’ Start my own business.’
Lee said he knew there was a gap in the market after seeing adults spend as much, if not more, than he did on Lego.
“I thought if I could make these Lego purchases a tax deduction for business purposes, then that would be another win,” Mr. Lee joked.
Kenny Lee is the founder and CEO of Light My Bricks. Image: NewsWire/Aaron Francis
“It’s safe to say I won that argument, and if you asked my wife, she’d probably say that was the only time she was wrong.”
The first Lego piece Mr. Lee lit was a barber pole in a detective’s office.
“I’ll never forget turning on the little barber’s pole; the moment I put flashing lights on it to bring it to life was a crazy moment for me. I knew straight away I was onto something,” Mr Lee said.
He said the Covid pandemic was a turning point for his business and described it as “a scary time” for him and other businesses.
“For me it was a scary moment thinking I would have to close the business,” he said.
Faced with lockdowns, he and his team focused on digital advertising, and Lego, like many other indoor hobbies, gained traction.
“Because of all the content they (Lego fans) were seeing online, they naturally saw my bricks and before I knew it, my business went completely crazy,” he said.
“Uncertainty became one of our greatest triumphs that helped us reach those eight figures.”
Mr. Lee’s obsession with Lego led him to start his own business. Image: NewsWire/Aaron Francis
Consumers can install the lights while building Lego kits or add them to sets they have already built.
“It teaches people about electronics and adds a whole new dimension to it – many of our customers can’t look at Lego in the same way anymore,” Mr Lee said.
The market for Lego and Light My Bricks among adults is huge, with Matt Nardella, from Melbourne’s north-east, revealing he spent up to $70,000 on Lego sets complete with Mr Lee’s lighting kits.
The Doncaster man said a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-themed Lego set caught his eye about 11 years ago while shopping for a gift for his niece.
“I had always played with Lego as a kid, but I hadn’t given it any thought or attention since,” Nardella said, adding that he bought a set “on a whim.”
“I came home, built that set and from there I was just hooked.”
However, things changed when he discovered Light My Bricks after seeing pictures online, with all of his own sets now illuminated.
‘Since discovering lighting kits I haven’t looked back. It really brings everything to life!’ Mr. Nardella said.
“I think the difference between playing with Lego as a child and collecting it as an adult is that you really get to appreciate the display that you have left once you’ve built the Lego set, and the lights just take the display to the next level.
“I like to try to build everything, but whether it’s a scene from Star Wars or Batman, or Lego City, part of the appeal is being immersed in the world you’re creating and the lights are just that magical bridge that makes it come true. It all feels so real.’
Light My Bricks has generated over $12 million in revenue. Image: NewsWire/Aaron Francis
Reflecting on his business’s rise to success, Lee said he had no idea it would take off as well as it had.
“One of the biggest challenges for me was overcoming that mindset… ‘How much money can you really make with this unique passion?'” Mr. Lee said.
He said he had developed his own philosophy called “create”, urging aspiring entrepreneurs to think outside the box.
“My advice is don’t look for validation and lean on what’s unique, because the more unique it is, the better it is,” Lee said.
“I’m very passionate about sharing that message and inspiring people with that whole ‘create’ message of not limiting yourself because, again, if you had asked me all those years ago how much money you can make selling Lego lights… it’s been a job constant improvement and thinking outside the box.’
Lee revealed that the next step was to expand outside of Lego and told fans to “stay tuned.”
“All this time we have based our success on Lego-related lights, but now we are branching out and looking beyond that,” Mr Lee said.
‘I’m so grateful for what I’ve been able to build and it’s really been able to give me a life that I love to live. I call it my ultimate life and it’s just the beginning.
