Musings on how to find clarity in marketing and life* ✨
*Let’s get your story straight.
The Latest
The New Language of Luxury
Luxury today is about curation, refinement, and sensory engagement. It is not about the overuse of the word “luxury”—it’s about the subtle signals embedded in your branding and marketing that show how much attention, curation, and refinement goes into your work.
If you want to build a brand that truly holds people's attention—one that feels like an experience, not just a service—design for perception. Design for the senses.
🐾 Jaguar’s Great Leap…
Instead of a year-end roundup or lookback, I thought I'd use a juicy recent branding headline as the topic of this month's post on one of my favorite marketing topics—positioning!
How Do You Master the Art of Selling…Without Selling Out?
Marketing feels overwhelming for many creatives because it’s rarely taught alongside the craft of making in art and design schools. And yet marketing is an act of making in itself…of making connections, making a point someone might not have thought of before, of making ideas visible and irresistible, of making an emotional bridge between your work and the people who will cherish it, of making your unique perspective shine in a crowded world.
Is there a secret network of tunnels under downtown High Point…?
✨ From paint with crystals to whole-home integration, here’s what made HPMKT unforgettable. Whether we crossed paths at Market Square or in one of the many bustling showrooms, I hope you were just as enchanted by High Point Market’s magic this past October as I was!
Why Positioning is Great for Plants and Brands Alike
Positioning your brand is like moving your plants around your home or office so they thrive in the right environment (do they need direct, indirect, or low-light? Exactly how much water is the perfect amount?). And this is essentially the way you should think about your brand.
What I learned speaking French with my grandfather 30 years after he passed
Sidelined by house arrest for a few weeks thanks to a positive Covid test in the summer of 2022, I found myself immersed in my past; packing up 40 years of house history from my grandparents and unpacking a new life from boxes I recently moved from California to North Carolina.
Inconsistent Marketing Leads to Inconsistent Income
⏰ Inspiration for your annual marketing budget planning. I couldn’t have said it any better, so before I say anything more I first want to say, thanks GAIL!
Are you selling the sizzle?
Sizzle theory and the evolution of the modern sales pitch. Like most people obsessed with emerging technologies through the years like film and video, my grandfather became a meticulous record keeper.
Unreasonable Hospitality*
Is it reasonable to expect—throughout your months to years-long client engagement process—that every touchpoint of their experience with your brand might not just be well-considered, but unreasonably well-considered?
Ordinary isn’t profitable.
If you’ve ever been the underdog trying to vie for the attention of well, all the eyeballs, then you’ll understand this story.
![[WARNING]…this post was not written by AI 🤖](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6777df7d80265554e1139434/1738676038520-JZ70MNRA42EOTZB1D3LH/4A3Txkkdez7bKTxzBzMkpQ.png)
[WARNING]…this post was not written by AI 🤖
It’s a choose-your-own-adventure kind of post today! Ever get that feeling like something just isn’t quite right, but you can’t put your finger on it exactly?
☞ Get to know *le Haute Pointe*!
In the mid-1800’s the unimaginatively-named-yet-newly-incorporated city of High Point was quickly establishing itself as a city of industry that would change the fate of home furnishings and interior design in landmark ways. Little did anyone imagine what might become of this haute pointe over the next century and a half!
The Ultimate (Updated!) Guide to High Point Market
Heading to High Point Market? Whether it’s your first trip or 10th, there’s always something new to discover. Consider this updated guide your resource for my favorite brands and experiences to check out while you’re in town!
What I learned being a guest on 20+ podcasts this year.
Be your own algorithm. In a world where algorithms dictate trends and social media seems to shape our creative expression, it's crucial to remember one important thing: the essence of true creativity lies not in perfection, but consistent, fearless expression!
Agents of change
A few weekends back, it was chilly and rainy (and dark by 5pm), so I snuggled up on my sofa with some delivery and started watching the Steven-Spielberg-produced series Life on Our Planet on Netlix.
What do you learn when you travel?
I’ve spent most of my adult life traveling—for school, for work, for love even—a fortune of experiences, perspectives, exposures. But what stands out to me amidst this twenty-year cache of experiences are the feelings, the emotions I had in each place that I remember most. And that’s exactly how you should think about your brand.
The Real Secret to Killing it on Instagram…
It isn’t what you think! Here’s the deal tho. If you’re uncomfortable posting on social media, let me offer you a little tip: Your social media is actually not about you at all.
Why a Rebrand Feels Like the First Day of School After a Long Summer Vacation
It’s more than just a makeover, it’s a total transformation! Have you ever experienced a transformation in your own life? Maybe it happened early for you, in high school or college. Maybe after you met your person and settled into a life together. Maybe when you went back to school for design, or started your own business, or started working in a company where you truly felt like you belonged.
The Emergence of a *New* Type of Interior Design
In the spring of 2023, on the eve of the spring High Point Market, I was part of something big. Really big. But before we get to that, walk with me for a moment back in time to the decadent days of the early 20th century.
Creative Leverage: You’ve either got it, or you don’t…
Creative leverage is what allows Marie Kondo to sell not just services that help you “tidy up”, but multiple product accessory lines to help you stay organized and in a joy state, TV shows and endorsements that influence people around the world, and even the ability to train over 10K consultants in her specific process.