Photo: Luminii
With a background in Electrical Engineering and over eight years of experience in the residential new construction and renovation market, Sarah Dresher is redefining how technology is integrated into design-driven spaces. As Founder and Principal of Luxury Integrated Technologies (LIT), Sarah leads with a rare blend of technical expertise, design sensitivity, and entrepreneurial vision. We recently sat down to talk about her life experiences that have taken her from higher education to innovative business experiences to becoming a leading manufacturer’s representative in the world of luxury technology design.
Doug: You have an impressive CV to say the least. Tell us about your incredible journey.
Sarah: I started my college education as a math major up at UMass Amherst. And then when I wanted to journey back to my home state of New Jersey, my mom said, “you better get a good degree to come home with.”
So, I switched over to engineering. And four years later, in 2016, I graduated with an electrical engineering degree from The College of New Jersey. I went to work for ASCO Power Technologies that ended up getting bought by Schneider Electric, where I was an Applications Engineer designing high-voltage and medium-voltage systems for hospitals and backup facilities. I sat behind a desk in a cubicle, and I just really didn’t get to engage with the customers that were utilizing the products. And I saw that everybody in the back office had these three magical letters at the end of their name, MBA.
And I decided I should probably do that right out of college to not lose that educational fire. So, I got my MBA in a year and a half from Rutgers University in 2018. And that’s when I was fortunate enough to be hired by Lutron Electronics.
Lutron took me in and I entered their sales leadership development program. I started in shading development, launching Budget Blinds and helping generate Serena Shade sales, prior to the program start. Then in summer of 2017, I dove headfirst into their amazing sales program. Following the completion of the program, they deployed me to Texas, where I got firsthand experience managing all seven channels of the residential business for Lutron. This is when I naturally navigated to the luxury residential space.
From there, I saw a need to get back to my roots with power management and energy automation. So, I joined fellow Lutronites and moved over to a company called sonnen to help integrators automate energy and create back-up battery solutions for all residences. They had a CEO training program and I was the first candidate to go through it. This exposed me to bridging the gap between all the different internal departments within the manufacturer, while guiding product development for the integrator and end-user needs. I gained so much valuable knowledge throughout this experience, and I am truly grateful I had this unique opportunity.
After my time at sonnen, I became an Independent Representative in the Southeast, continuing my passion for the luxury residential construction market. That’s when I realized my true passion, and I decided to start Luxury Integrated Technologies in 2022.
Doug: Talk about LIT’s guiding principles, education and design services.
Sarah: Our guiding principles are founded in the passion of taking care of our customers and the level of performance we hope to set with all of our employees as LIT continues to grow. An appetite for knowledge, playing as a team, and paying attention to detail are at the core of the company philosophy. Technology is constantly evolving and our team is expected to also be constantly staying informed and working together to deliver the best experience for the homeowner utilizing the technology, the contractor installing the technology and the specifier designing the space for the technology. This allows LIT to always strive for excellence in meeting customer expectations.
Ultimately, we are a place for learning, beginning with our website where you can find technology resources including lighting guides, window treatment resources, controls implementation planning, power one-lines, as well as our CEU menu that offers the latest courses for specifiers.
LIT Studio is our in-house education platform, another example of commitment to keep our customers informed. We are offering quarterly trainings to the market where we host a plethora of our brands and encourage trades to come learn why each one is special.
We offer lighting design services that are available for homeowners, architects, builders, designers and system integrators based on square footage. What’s nice about our package is that we do not force clients to design for the entire property if they are only doing a kitchen remodel. We can offer a more bespoke service for what’s in the client’s best interest and means the most to them. We also offer controls layered into the design, so everyone can understand how to engage with the lighting system.
We can also integrate audio video design services, like speaker selection and locations, being cognizant that we don’t want to have round speakers with square downlights, just little details like that. Finding a designer centric solution as opposed to the inevitable TV above the fireplace.
LIT Studio continues to grow. We offer quarterly trainings to the market where we have introductory to advanced classes on brand specific technology and best practices in system design, integration and implementation. Importantly, we’re rigorously training our integrator partners to make sure that they’re equipped to sell successfully, install successfully, and then service successfully.
Another resource we have is the budget tool, from one of our good partners, Josh Christian, from Home Technology Association (HTA). They certify many of the premier system integrators in the country who have been thoroughly vetted and meet those same principles that we have about high performance and delivering a perfect finished project along with great service.
These integrators are a great resource for the design community and architects so that they can get a budget to their clients for some of the things we’re talking about before the walls are closed and it’s too late to make major changes. HTA and their integration partners have a free preliminary budget calculator that can immediately give homeowners a ballpark figure based on some technologies they might be interested in, and it’s all accessible on LIT’s website.
Doug: What’s the key, in your opinion, on how the trades can become better collaborators, especially as technology impacts each of the trades in various manners?
Sarah: One of the things that I’ve seen and think is successful is when integrators and all partners, including the design partners, are able to park their egos at the door and say, “listen, let’s start with an open conversation about the value that each trade is going to bring to the project and the experiences they’ve all had.”
The other important, and often overlooked, aspect of design and build, is the underlying sciences that are involved in a performance home. One example is the IES, the Illuminating Engineering Society where I’ve been a member since my days at Lutron. They help set the standards of what is required in a home. Exposing and explaining the science behind lighting, energy usage, climate control, and other disciplines allows the design and build community to understand what needs to be done by all of the trades, collaboratively, to deliver a finished project that meets and exceeds the vision of the stakeholders.
I have always believed that better communication is a must on any group initiative. The problem the system integrator always faces is we’re usually the last trade to get onto the job. So, they become this catch all bucket for everybody to fix everyone’s problems a lot of the time. And sometimes the architect and sometimes the designer feels that way as well.
I think if we continue to utilize the resources that, again, HTA has created with their budget calculator tools and project assessment forms, then we have a little bit better of an understanding up front on the full scope of the project. And then we can all begin to collaborate on where people will see and create real value.
Finding out what’s most important to your clients and everybody around the table starts with listening, which is back to the communication thing, is probably where we can see a lot more success.
Doug: Final thoughts?
Sarah: We believe LIT is trying to do something uniquely different in the industry. Don’t be afraid to look us up and give us a call. We’re always happy to help.
I think I’d like to also share that the projects I see the design-build community doing and what each trade is individually doing are stunning. And they deserve to have the enhancements of modern technology, especially intelligent and intentional lighting.
So, when you’re planning your new home, or working on your next project, a great place to begin talking about technology is at the beginning. And LIT can be there as a friendly resource.
