Today we’d like to introduce you to Tim Hohenstein.
Hi Tim, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
About 4 years ago, I started A Smarter Home. It started as a passion and hobby, and I was installing quite a few smart home products in my own home – smart light bulbs, doorbell, and Nest thermostat to name a few. Friends and family would ask me about products as they were doing things in their own homes and I would get really energized by talking to them about it. My wife and I had a conversation about what we would do if we could make a career out of doing something we were really passionate about and mine was helping others learn about and install smart products. That discussion led to the start of A Smarter Home and me helping others make their homes more automated, efficient, and exciting through all of the smart products that can be installed and integrated into your home and life.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
There were several struggles I faced, especially in the beginning. I never ran my own business before (I was in parks and recreation at Clayton and Brentwood prior to starting my company) so even knowing where to start and what to focus on first was a challenge at the beginning. I also struggled with putting myself out there and sharing what I was doing and promoting my company, uncertain of how it would be received or if it was something people would be interested in. I didn’t know what I didn’t know at this point. I formed an advisory board that helped me bounce ideas off them and gave input and feedback on everything from my business model to marketing and promotions. They continue to be a group of trusted advisors for me to this day.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about A Smarter Home?
As a smart home automation company in the St. Louis area, we strive to truly understand the needs of our clients and those we serve. We believe that all of our customers deserve a home that is comfortable and caters to their everyday lifestyle, and we are committed to providing just that. We work across a variety of brands and products, including Nest, Ring, Amazon Echo, Google Home, Ecobee, and Lifx. We’re a certified Nest Professional and Ring Authorized Partner, which means we receive the latest product updates and training, as well as a discount for our customers.
I am most proud of the exceptional service we provide to our clients. We take the time to truly listen and understand what they are trying to do before jumping into a solution. We also take time to walk them through how to use the products and apps on their phone to ensure they feel confident and comfortable using the smart functionality. We want these products to fit seamlessly in our clients’ lives to provide the best experience.
I’m also proud of the number of repeat clients and referrals I receive. We’re truly building a community and network of people that are interested in this and/or have a need to have this in their home, and it’s really been an amazing journey to see it evolve and grow.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
There are so many things to love about our city. As someone who was born and raised in St. Louis, I can’t imagine living anywhere else. It is a small big city where the connections are tight and the chances of running into someone you know or have somewhat of a connection to happens frequently. The people are super supportive and encourage and promote local businesses and organizations. I enjoy the local restaurants and microbreweries in St. Louis, as well as supporting the local sports teams. I can’t wait for the St. Louis City SC games to start to add to the events and energy of the city.
While having so many different municipalities can be a benefit, I think it can sometimes lead to not being as united as we could possibly be and leads to a lack of a cohesive infrastructure and public transportation. We can learn from what has worked in other cities to collaborate together and make improvements. Our city has enormous potential if we all work together.
Contact Info:
- Email: smarterhomestl@gmail.com
- Website: www.smarterhomestl.com
- Instagram: @smarterhomestl
- Facebook: @smarterhomestl
- Twitter: @smarterhomestl
Image Credits
Jessica Ebeler Photography
