Ordinary isn’t profitable.
I’ve just returned from a remarkable few weeks in le Haute Pointe (my fancy name for High Point), and I have to say it was one of the best spring market seasons ever.
Here’s why:
If you’ve ever been the underdog trying to vie for the attention of well, all the eyeballs, then you’ll understand this story.
Over the last two years, I’ve worked with a team of industry rockstars—most notably Jane Dagmi and Jessica Duce—to conceive, plan, organize, and execute the Vacation Rental Design Summit in the three days before High Point Market.
The funny thing is, we didn’t know, or realize how much of an impact we were creating in those three short days.
We just knew it was important for designers and brands to get together in the perfect place to talk about how to uplevel everything about their business.
And after last year’s Summit, I had so many thoughts about how the practice of interior design was evolving too, and what it meant for our industry.
How radically our lifestyles—how and where we can live and work now—has changed post-Covid, and what this means for investors, hosts, home furnishings manufacturers, and designers creating short term and vacation rental design properties.
How important it is now, more than ever, to really be extraordinary.
Especially when it comes to design.
Because, friends, ordinary isn’t profitable.
When designing this year’s event identity, I created a bright, scroll-stopping experience—a fun color palette and typography for the logo as well as a provocative tagline and descriptive copy.
There’s really no better way to say it.
This bold statement served not just as our mantra for this year’s Summit but as a call to action for our industry as a whole.
When our scrolls are overwhelmed with options, only the extraordinary truly resonate.
But we aren’t just talking about style, as you know.
Building a strong design business extends beyond just image—beyond the informative website, the visually arresting logo, the compellingly shot portfolio, the impeccable styling.
The truly extraordinary—be they spaces, places, events, or people—lean into their brand’s power.
They’ve crafted a narrative so original and a value proposition so clear that they naturally attract the perfect fit of guests, clients, attendees, or followers who see no viable alternative.
Through my journey working closely with visionaries in both design and hospitality, I’ve observed a pattern we all share in marketing our businesses: the struggle to break through the noise, to distinguish ourselves amidst the competition.
And therein lies the greatest potential for our work as designers—the ability to transform what is ordinary into the extraordinary.
So tell me.
Are you ordinary or are you profitable? Send me an email and let me know, I read all your responses!
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️🎯 Let’s work together on your brand. Book a call here to see if we’re a good fit >>
*About the author
Ericka Saurit (enchanté in case we haven’t met! 👋) is a designer and brand strategist, obsessed with how our built environment shapes the human experience.
Through this blog and her popular newsletter, she shares stories and insights about marketing, branding, and the home industry’s creative pulse.
*My hope is to spark ideas that help you grow your business and build a brand that truly shines.✨
