On this episode of “Simplifying Life Through Technology,” Mark and Michelle sit down with Justin and Jessica Carter of Elite Automation & Technology.
Elite Automation & Technology is a prominent force in residential and commercial automation based in Houston, Texas. Established in 2016 and with over 20 years of industry experience, Elite Automation has been transforming living and working environments by designing, installing, and supporting smart home technology. Their clients across the globe enjoy seamless control of light, temperature, music, video, security, and communications with ease.
During their recent visit to SoundVision's experience center, Justin and Jessica gained valuable insights and collaborated with our leadership team to bring new ideas back to their business. They share their journey into luxury automation systems, emphasizing their expertise in automated shades, AV, voice control, lighting design, and more. We also dive into their personal experiences and the invaluable insights they've gained from exploring new techniques and using these products in their own home.
What if even your youngest child could control your entire home environment with just their voice? Justin and Jessica discuss their use of the Josh AI platform for secure and effortless home automation and their innovative approach to integrated lighting design.
Join us to discover how Elite Automation's cutting-edge solutions are enhancing client lifestyles and setting new standards in the industry. Don’t miss this episode to hear how their use of voice control is revolutionizing the integration industry in Texas. Tune in for an engaging conversation filled with practical tips and industry-leading insights!
On this episode of “Simplifying Life Through Technology,” Mark and Michelle sit down with Justin and Jessica Carter of Elite Automation & Technology.
Elite Automation & Technology is a prominent force in residential and commercial automation based in Houston, Texas. Established in 2016 and with over 20 years of industry experience, Elite Automation has been transforming living and working environments by designing, installing, and supporting smart home technology. Their clients across the globe enjoy seamless control of light, temperature, music, video, security, and communications with ease.
During their recent visit to SoundVision's experience center, Justin and Jessica gained valuable insights and collaborated with our leadership team to bring new ideas back to their business. They share their journey into luxury automation systems, emphasizing their expertise in automated shades, AV, voice control, lighting design, and more. We also dive into their personal experiences and the invaluable insights they've gained from exploring new techniques and using these products in their own home.
What if even your youngest child could control your entire home environment with just their voice? Justin and Jessica discuss their use of the Josh AI platform for secure and effortless home automation and their innovative approach to integrated lighting design.
Join us to discover how Elite Automation's cutting-edge solutions are enhancing client lifestyles and setting new standards in the industry. Don’t miss this episode to hear how their use of voice control is revolutionizing the integration industry in Texas. Tune in for an engaging conversation filled with practical tips and industry-leading insights!
With us today is the team from Elite Automation out of Houston, Texas.
Speaker 2:
Welcome, Justin and Jessica. How are you guys doing today? We?
Speaker 4:
are great.
Speaker 3:
Thanks for having us. Thank you so much for having us.
Speaker 2:
Are you going to talk in stereo like that the whole time?
Speaker 3:
Hopefully. That's pretty awesome.
Speaker 2:
So you guys, you're from Houstonston, texas, obviously nowhere around here. What brings you to this part of the country?
Speaker 3:
the beautiful weather we were just out here happened to see you. That's very nice. No, yeah, we came out specifically to learn uh, how uh, sound vision uh does what they do. So we are a v AV integrator also in Houston, texas. We've been at this for 20 years, but there's a saying that you can't teach old dogs new tricks, and I don't believe that's true. So we're here to learn some new tricks and I will say we definitely learned quite a few. So thank you so much for bringing us out.
Speaker 2:
No, that's cool. And, jess, how did we meet? How did we meet you guys?
Speaker 4:
Let's see we met in 2021, I believe, I think so.
Speaker 2:
At.
Speaker 4:
ProSource Summit, we both won dealer of the year and was able to take the opportunity to get to know each other, and we are in a group together that meets monthly and goes over, you know, shares best business practices and, um, you know, have gotten friendships because we are all going through the same thing, since we run similar companies, sure, so we like to help each other out in in houston.
Speaker 2:
um, so what kind of systems do you typically do? I mean, what's the garden variety kind of thing that you guys do?
Speaker 3:
We're similar, but yeah, so very much. The majority of our business is in the luxury automation systems. Now that encompasses so much more than it used to. It used to be the TVs. It used to be the TVs. It used to be the speakers it used to be, you know, add some cameras and some Wi-Fi and now it's so much more.
Speaker 3:
Right now it's automated shades, it's voice control of the whole home, it's the lighting which you know has been a huge huge movement from interior designers so we can light up their stuff the way that they intended it to be in the home and show off the beautiful home that all these homeowners just spent all their investments and also time pouring into making it a welcoming space for them so it's easy to use. The bigger your house gets, the harder it is to use. The more doors to close, the more lights to turn off. So we try and make it as simple as possible for those clients.
Speaker 2:
And what's your favorite technology?
Speaker 3:
That is hard. That is very, very hard. The, I would have to say, voice control. And that is because it can literally change your entire home with just speaking to your home. It feels like you're living in the Jetsons nowadays. So it changes your lights, your audio, your video and welcomes your guests and make announcements to the kids like come home for dinner or come downstairs or whatever you're looking to do, but it allows you to control it hands-free while you're, you know, doing other things what platform do you use for voice control?
Speaker 3:
so we exclusively use josh ai for voice control, 100% privacy inside of it. That is their biggest staple. You know, unlike the google or alexa home or gosh all the other ones.
Speaker 2:
Please don't sue us, cause we know you're listening, right.
Speaker 3:
Right that are constantly listening at reporting back to probation and you wonder why you just got an advertisement for pizza on your TV screen Whenever you said pizza 10 seconds ago. I'm sure it'll be on that one in just a minute, and so the that is literally so freaky it's terrifying.
Speaker 2:
It's crazy.
Speaker 3:
You're scrolling social media.
Speaker 2:
And it, you know, it's interesting because, because we actually have not adopted as as readily voice control for for things you just you just mentioned, and so we certainly know the Josh AI platform, but but we haven't kind of jumped into it. What, what makes you comfortable with it? Uh, you know, selling it to your customers and deploying it in their homes and that kind of thing.
Speaker 3:
So a lot of clients are skeptical, first because they're like well, isn't it just like the all the major platforms out there, right? Isn't it just like those? And then they come in to our, to our showroom, and they experience it and, ironically, the wife, 100% of the time, will not leave without it. They are the one that says you can get anything you want, as long as I can tell Josh to do it, because so many times nowadays there can be fumbling of remotes or fumbling of different things, or how does this app work, or all the other things, things, or how does this app work, or all the other things.
Speaker 3:
But in just simple, simple language, you could say watch Netflix and everything happens. Or, my favorite part, whenever we come home it's close the garage door, turn on the lights. It knows what room I'm in, so I'm in the kitchen, and then it also, you know, uh, and I say watch um for my kids, you know. And I say watch for my kids, you know. Say watch bubble guppies or whatnot, and it comes on TV and it's all in one fluid sentence. I didn't pre-program anything. Whenever their likes and tastes changes and I'm watching my little ponies, it doesn't matter. No one had to program anything, it all just works.
Speaker 2:
Jessica, do you use voice control in your home?
Speaker 4:
Yeah, I can chime in on this. Even our children are using it. Our girls are five and eight years old and specifically our oldest is able to. You know, ask Josh to turn the TV on, to choose the program that she wants to watch, control the volume. They'll also use it for the lighting control. Hey, josh, turn the patio light on, and it's great. You know, I can be working in the kitchen and cooking dinner and they can control the TV on their own without me having to stop. So it's definitely beneficial.
Speaker 2:
I think we need to reach out to Alex and Josh because currently they're not sponsoring this podcast, but you're welcome to.
Speaker 1:
It might be a good opportunity for us to maybe send somebody out to your place to experience how you guys are integrating it and programming it, and best practices, if we, you know, it is on our list to embrace, but once we get to that point, we've had a fantastic success with it, with clients that never, ever thought that they would want or need voice control in their home.
Speaker 3:
And even the app works fantastic. It's so beautiful Pictures of each room you can put in your own scenes in natural language, like your good morning scene could be open, the shades turn on the music, adjust the bathroom lights to whatever at a certain time, and that's how you wake up and that's how easy it is to make that fast in your uh, in your app.
Speaker 2:
So you said you were in the business 20 years, correct, yep. So how did you? How did you get involved? What happened in the beginning?
Speaker 3:
so, uh, this was a lot of happenstance but a lot of uh coincidences that all came together to create a perfect storm of uh, of what we do Uh, since I was growing up, my father was in commercial AV.
Speaker 4:
uh my entire life.
Speaker 3:
So we would set up like ballrooms and slide projectors and, um, you know, you know microphones and all that kind of stuff, uh, inside of, uh, commercial spaces. And then I went to work at a big box retailer that's still around and, uh, they've got the, the yellow and blue uh symbols. If you've ever seen them before, maybe a few hundred times- I think it's circuit city.
Speaker 2:
Oh, no one that listens to this will know what circuit city is. Anyways, go ahead.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, they went away quite a while ago, the, so I worked there. Someone asked for some very custom, special things that weren't a part of the repertoire that they did at that time and that store said, hey, why don't?
Speaker 3:
you do it for them, and we did so. We got a uh, a huge following from, actually, the housewife of the homes because we were a program, one remote that worked the entire house. Oh yes, in natural easy controls. Now you got to keep in mind this is dated right. So watch vcr was the favorite button, you know. Record on TiVo was the favorite button and video cassette recorder right, thumbs up, thumbs down.
Speaker 3:
Did you like the show? Did you not back whatever it was around? But we were enabling people to take all this super complicated technology and hundreds of remotes, it felt like, and put it into one simple thing that anyone could use. And so ever since then it's been word of mouth and they literally call us now. They're like what printer should I get? Like a printer, what our printers are like. I just want to make sure it works on the network.
Speaker 2:
You can set it up so you guys in houston, you're arguably either the third of the fourth largest city in us. I don't know where you in Chicago fall exactly, but we in Charlotte find that we lag behind New York, la. You guys, on whatever the newest trend is. I don't know if you know what the newest trend is, but I'd love to have our listeners know what we're going to be doing six months or a year from now. What's what's like the hot thing?
Speaker 3:
I think you're already doing it, are we, you are, you are I think you're the forefront of this area for doing it and it's the lighting uh, not just lighting control because that's been done for a long time, but the linear lighting that now outlines every cove, every cabinet, every fireplace, every niche, every place you could put a linear light into your designers are asking for it and also in game rooms, where you can make it fun and add some color to it. Uh, the circadian rhythm for the health and wellness benefits and also helping our bodies wake up and naturally go to sleep. You're already doing it and I think that you're at the forefront and I just cannot wait for everyone else to catch up.
Speaker 1:
I can take as long as you want.
Speaker 2:
Oh, my goodness, jess, is it common in Houston, when someone's building a new home, to have a lighting designer? Is that a thing there? It's not here. It's pretty rare, but is that a thing there?
Speaker 4:
No, not a lighting designer. We often work with the interior designers.
Speaker 3:
And.
Speaker 4:
I think with the lighting maybe sometimes it's an afterthought or just the decorative lighting is what comes into play. Whereas now we're trying to get in at the beginning of the project and plan for the linear lighting and other architectural lighting to go in to really accentuate what the designers are trying to do. Sure, from wallpaper to art, we want to make sure that we enhance their designs, and so I think we see a lot of that. We work with lighting design companies that can help spec the lighting on the projects.
Speaker 2:
And that's basically what we're seeing here too, right, Michelle?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, certainly an increase in lighting design in this area.
Speaker 3:
And that's basically what we're seeing here too, right, Michelle? Yeah, certainly an increase in lighting design in this area. And it's so funny that most homeowners until you introduce them to lighting design, and I mean real lighting design, not four recessed lights in the ceiling and a fan.
Speaker 3:
We call it four cans and a fan. Four cans and a fan and they think that they just got the best package ever. Because the builder whomever the electrician decided to put in led fixtures. And once they see the true, actual, you know, adjustable led recess fixtures without the glare in the ceiling we love to call it the quiet ceiling, right, the ceiling that you don't get the glare from. It is such a beautiful experience. It's that one that we all get whenever we go to our favorite restaurant or we go to a resort or we go to a beautiful hotel and we walk into a space and you have no idea why it feels so good. Maybe it's just the smell, but the lighting plays the entire part of it.
Speaker 2:
You know, I don't know that we bring that up. That's a really good point when you go into, like, a high end hotel, a Marriott, marquis, ritz Carlton, a Waldorf, astoria, something like that or you go into a high end steak restaurant somewhere you know, and, and lighting is a major part of it. Smell is also a major part of it, but lighting is a major part of it, and it they do it for a lot of reasons, for that mood. Uh, clearly, they want you to spend more money and they want you to feel a certain way when you're there. But it works. And I think it's funny how, up until now, we really in our homes, for the lion's share homes have not taken advantage of that all of them, uh, where the electrician sometimes gets paid by the recess fixture.
Speaker 3:
So they're like oh, you don't want four recess fixtures, how about eight? We'll put in as many as you want, and by the end of it it looks like a gas station or a walmart that's right, everything's lit. It's so bright you couldn't sleep in there and it's that white, blue light.
Speaker 3:
Oh my god, bright, it's the task, lighting bright, oh it's the daylight color temperature in the middle of the night whenever you're trying to restfully go to sleep, and it's just something that is not. Uh, homeowners need to be more aware about it. It's something that's not brought. Homeowners need to be more aware about it. It's something that's not brought up enough, in my opinion, in the builder or design community, and not because they're not trying to. They just may not know.
Speaker 1:
Well, you'll notice a lot of homes on the higher end that have architect designs. Lighting also plays a powerful feature in those homes because they understand they're trying to hallmark and point out all of the additional details that have been put into the house and it just really helps set it apart versus a lighting design is not just adding more lights.
Speaker 3:
A lot of people don't understand that.
Speaker 3:
Oh, you are a hundred percent right. I just I wish that there was some way to just have everyone experience it, like here at your showroom, your experience center. You do a fantastic job and I feel, like anyone that has ever come in here and experienced your lighting design, how it makes you feel good. I just feel like you can't, unexperienced, that you're not going to go back to the four cans and a fan after they walk in here and see all the intricate lighting and the recessed and the LEDs and the adjustable and the wall wash and all these things that make up an amazing space and then they go to their house and don't have it.
Speaker 2:
I don't know, I don't. I think Justin should go into sales, just a. It's just an off-the-cuff thought that came to me, but but, by the way, we do, we do thank you for the. Uh, thank you for that. We do have all that on display in the experience center and we do actually have the four cans and a fan so you can see the difference in good and bad lighting. Uh, these guys get need to catch a plane, so we can't keep them forever. But we always ask our customers, our customers, excuse me, our guests, the same, uh, same question, and that is favorite band, music, a concert, a musical, whatever memory, something like that.
Speaker 4:
You want me to go first? Okay, don't laugh, but I am from Texas and I am a huge George Strait fan.
Speaker 2:
Oh, I thought you were going Taylor Swift, so we're good there, okay, no no, no, no, George Strait, pure country, real country, all the way. Oh, randy Travis is from down, is from here, he's not George Strait. Yeah, okay, gotcha Okay cool. So have you ever seen him in concert? Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4:
I've had a couple opportunities to see him. I actually saw him in Shreveport. It was amazing a small venue concert and it was incredible. He's such a legend. Yeah, and I I think country music has changed and is a little more pop geared towards pop artists these days and he is the real deal for country and I wish we could bring more. I mean, I guess Chris Stapleton's probably a more recent- country artist to stay true to it and them together would be awesome.
Speaker 2:
Chris Stapleton's incredible, incredible. How about you, justin Stapleton's incredible, incredible. How about you, justin?
Speaker 3:
So that's a hard choice. Uh, my favorite genre music happens to be country. So you know, uh, garth Brooks would be my favorite uh concert, but uh, I went to a Nickelback concert a while back and it was just insane. All right, there was fire everywhere and it didn't make sense, but it was just great. So sort of kiss ask, he had the pyrotechnics. People from kiss as his pyrotechnics people.
Speaker 3:
That's how it happened. It was just fire everywhere. So, uh, very cool, but uh, yes, uh. So garth brooks is my favorite, you know, country artist and he's just excelled over multiple generations of time. So it's been a long long career.
Speaker 4:
We saw him tour as well, and it was an awesome show.
Speaker 2:
Have you seen the I think it's Netflix, where the Garth Brooks they do like a three-part series. Have you seen that?
Speaker 4:
I don't think I have, but I'm going to look for it now. Yes, we're searching it tonight. I don't think I have, but I'm gonna look for it now?
Speaker 3:
yes, we're searching it tonight it's, it's either.
Speaker 2:
I don't know if it's netflix or hbo. I can't do.
Speaker 1:
You know, michelle which one it's on, I don't.
Speaker 2:
I'm still boycotting netflix oh, you're sorry, netflix, don't sue us either. Um, there, it is awesome, and there's this, there's this part. When he comes back where he's in, uh, he's in's in New York city and they're doing, uh, the concert at um um.
Speaker 4:
Madison Square Garden.
Speaker 2:
No, no, no, Uh, the park uh.
Speaker 4:
Central Park.
Speaker 2:
Central Park in New York and he's in a. He's in a hotel room by himself and he doesn't want to see anything. So he's all like, uh, and he doesn't know how many people are going to be there, and so he's got all the shades drawn and everything. He's sitting in the dark by himself and he's got a producer that comes in every once in a while with a flash card that's showing him how many people are out there. And it was a million people, wow, a million, literally. And they show it. It's unbelievable. I can't remember who opened for him, but it's something. Somebody super famous I mean super famous, somebody like Billy Joel I think it may have been Billy Joel like opens for him, and if it, whoever it is goes, the interviewer goes. Man, I was nervous as hell, like, and it was crazy. So it's really good.
Speaker 3:
I'm very, very good, that's very good.
Speaker 2:
So well, thank you guys. I know it come in here. You have two little girls that we we didn't talk about shout out to iowa, and ellie and uh, and we really appreciate you guys spending time with us the last couple days and we we hope that we we got to give you guys something too, so you absolutely did.
Speaker 4:
Thank you for the opportunity to come out here. It was great uh to visit, to see a little bit of the town and to see what you do on a daily basis. Thank you for sharing that with us.
Speaker 3:
Yes, we learned so many tips and tricks that we're taking back to our team and helping our client experience. Just excel that much more and give them the sound vision care that they all deserve.
Speaker 2:
Cool. Well, thank you again, Michelle. Are you going to take us out?
Speaker 1:
Yes, Thank you for joining us on Simplifying Life Through Technology. One last quick question, Jessica and Justin, if listeners wanted to learn about Elite Automations how could they get in touch with you?
Speaker 3:
That's fantastic. So I'd say the easiest way is probably through our website it's just elite-atcom which will lead you to all of our socials and other fun things that can follow us or find us through.
Speaker 1:
Okay, We'll.
Speaker 2:
We'll put that link on the show notes and if you have a second home in Houston, look these guys up.
