Hard Knocks for Hard Chargers

June 2019 marked a very important milestone in my journey to transition to meaningful work in tech startups (SaaS/Fintech). I made a full shift in my mindset from the involuntary fear that grips me when I feel out of my depth, to the visible confidence of someone who is prepared for the long haul. It took six months, but Edmund is back! Yes – that Edmund.

I’ve heard it said that the best time to look for a job is when you have one. I think that is utter BS, because it assumes you should be constantly hopping from job to job, maintaining a #Busy status so you can have a lifestyle that impresses people that don’t matter. If you have the wherewithal and financial reserves to #SlowDown and #DoNothingOnPurpose, it’s a big advantage. The introspection alone pays in spades.

I’ve been #FillingMyFishBowl (networking) with #EcosystemBuilders, entrepreneurs, and VC pros intent on #CraftingTheFuture because they believe #ThereHasToBeABetterWay. Along the way I’ve built up a lot of insight into the comfort level and grit needed in #StartupLife. The hardest issue with this transition (luxury goods to tech) has been explaining/translating the skills I gained managing a $MM alcohol business to working in a small startup. I’ve learned some amazing things that I wouldn’t have understood if I still had a full time job. Here’s a list…..

TEAMWORK & CULTURE

After working remotely (alone, then in small teams), I’m reminded about how much I enjoy working in collaborative teams, especially where transparency, experimentation, and empathy are a part of the #culture. I still enjoy remote work because technology allows us to be just as productive working from a couch – even if your computer is taken over by a Bullmastiff and Maine Coon, who prefer you idle.

What would it take to give this up for an open office plan with foosball and snacks? Alot!

HAVE PRIORITIES – FIND YOUR TRIBE

To everything, there is a season – friends, mentors, and even jobs. I never even thought I would ever I quit my last #TourOfDuty, but the universe used some special people, a medical miracle, and the USCIS to send me a profound message: “It’s been a great run Edmund, but you need to #FindYourTribe”. It was very gutsy to quit (some say risky and stupid) in order to #DoThingsThatMatter. It was also scary, but I’ve always been risk-taker who cuts his own path. Honestly, I have no regrets, and if I had a #DoOver, I wouldn’t change a thing. Today, that decision is paying great dividends. In your attempt to #FindYourTribe, you’ve got to be honest in #DefiningYourPriorities and the features of your ideal life (work culture, space, coworkers, etc). You’ve also got to be honestly thankful for the good and bad experiences you had along the way. They all have lessons to impart, but you’ll only learn the lesson when you are truly ready. 

SELF-AWARENESS + HIGHEST AND BEST USE

Self-awareness is the ultimate prophylactic (@ScottGalloway’s favorite word next to WOOF and BOOM) in a world that is constantly changing and bombarding you with excessive stimuli. Change is especially good when you know its always a few steps away, even if you are not totally ready for it. If you know who you are, you will rise to the occasion with your highest and best use (skills optimization). In my time off, I was able to break my skull open and pour all my wisdom and experience in a proverbial glass. That was a tall glass of water. I devised an acronym that summarizes my life strategy – #FAIL. FAIL is an acronym for #FillTheGap, #AlwaysAddValue, #Intention, and
#LeverageYourHighest&BestUse. So whether you are:

  • An eager MBA, who wants to “Give people access to the best that life has to offer”;
  • A consummate bus. dev. pro looking to work in SaaS/Fintech startups;
  • An aspiring podcaster interested in the stories of female and underrepresented founders; or
  • An investor with dreams of starting a VC firm focused on #BCorps addressing #ExtinctionLevelEvent problems with consideration for #ESG and #SocialImpact, all you have to do is FAIL – as much as you can. Pun intended.

PERSEVERANCE – KEEP PUTTING GAS IN YOUR MENTAL TANK

For the most part, battles are won because one side is technically superior or has a more disciplined approach. However, I think wars are won by teams and people with more #GasInTheTank (grit and determination). Cultivating quality relationships and experiences that give you more situational versatility and mental staying power is the ultimate move to ensure your dreams will be fulfilled. For me, this has translated into a level of comfort with loneliness on the path to success. Whenever it wears me down, I focus on a passage from one of my favorite speeches:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

– Theodore Roosevelt in “Citizenship In A Republic”; Delivered at the Sorbonne, in Paris, France on 23 April, 1910

#FringesToTheFront #weekendwisdom #storytellers #growthmindset #LifeIsATeamSport #4thofJuly #WOOF #BOOM

Reflecting on Points in Your Life/Career – 1

Here’s a picture from my first week at LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. In 2012, I started as an intern. When I left, I ran a sizable piece of the US business driving the most complex markets. I earned a reputation for working in challenging environments turning “deserts into gardens”; and being a gregarious nerd, who always had deep questions.

#FirstWeekOnTheJob

Here is an entry from that first week at LVMH in 2012:

“I started the week with tutorials in business intelligence. I definitely think I will get the hang of this after a few tries generating my own reports. On my first day, I came to work at around 730am or so, but there was no one to let me in the office. I did some walking and then came back at around 8am. I love NY so much. I feel so comfortable that it’s weird. A guy from Facilities let me in the building when he came in. I was sitting outside the main entrance reading one of the NY metro. People here seem very hospitable.”

It’s been a little over five months since I quit working for LVMH. I learned so many valuable lessons there and generated a lot of value. However, I can’t overstate how great life became once I had the courage (and financial cushion) to quit. Realizing when it’s time to move on is a hard thing for a lot of professionals – especially when financial security, lifestyle and status are considered. Luckily for me, lifestyle and status have never been internal drivers for me.

For years, I focused on developing financial security and looking around corners for situations that would let me continue carving my own path. The catalyst for my decision to quit arrived when I prioritized self actualization over pursuing power and influence. There is an immense freedom (and hefty responsibility) in being able to choose where you work, who you work with/for, and what you do.

Curious in 2011 >> Passionate 2012 to 2016 >> Reflective 2019

What was even harder for me, was finding the space to be vulnerable enough to review what had happened over the past seven years; accept my mistakes; and be thankful for the people and circumstances that led me to quit a job I loved. The best advice I can give is keep a diary. It comes in handy when you need the introspection and safe space to #RedesignYourLife. It helps you understand your strengths and challenges -especially when working in startups.

What will I be doing in 2019?

As us usual, I’m always influenced by the current zeitgeist. Today’s inspiration comes from a Vox video attempting to answer the question: Does expensive wine taste better?

I’ve always told my clients that wine is a sensory experience that requires the use of all senses, but I’ve learned that what makes me more successful than my competitors are the stories I tell; and how I empower my clients with enough knowledge to “try something new” the next time they go to the store. That’s an investment that yields infinite returns no matter what products you represent. #AlwaysAddValue

Yes, it is true that awesomely well-trained, data savvy, wine professionals like myself can manipulate clients to buy whatever we want to sell (see the research), but my satisfaction has always come from surprising clients with profound and pleasurable discoveries.

That’s why I love treating curious customers to some of my rarest or more expensive wines in the first meeting. Sometimes, they can’t even afford the wines I present – so why do I take this counterintuitive approach? Well, aside from the fact that it fosters desire, it’s also because what my clients value most – above ownership and consumption – is a journey. So, setting them up with a view of what they “could be” drinking is more important than someone telling them what they “should be” drinking. My clients don’t just want me to help them make memories – they want me to inspire dreams. Doing this the right way always requires more work that most professionals are willing to put in, but it is the most sustainable strategy to truly winning hearts and minds. 

Customers and friends still contact me every time they find something new. The most gratifying aspect of this is that they want me to share their new discoveries with them. I go from being a consultant to a partner. #SoThankful #KnowYourCustomer #KnowYourCompetition.

Here is my recipe for the work I’ll be undertaking in 2019:

  • Take my unique CX approach to #MakingMemories #InspiringDreams; and
  • Marry that with my purpose to “give clients access to the best that life has to offer”; and
  • Add my love of #Datasets and #GeospatialModelling; then
  • Throw in a sprinkle of data science with a dash of #SeeingAroundCorners; and
  • Add a continuous stream of confidence and perseverance.

2018 has already come to an end in some parts of the world and is only a couple hours away from my comfortable perch. I sincerely want to thank every person who has been part of my #Superstory thus far. I am especially thankful for the obstacles I overcame and all the experiences that have led up to this exact moment. Most of all, I am thankful for my wife and family. I couldn’t have made it this far without their support.

In 2019 and beyond, I believe there will be a lot more stories wanting to be told, and more memories to facilitate. I’ll be focused on the consumer frontline – bringing the fringes to the front by empowering makers (a word borrowed from a company I admire) and consumers with the tools to unlock hidden value.

#TurningDesertsIntoGardens

#HappyNewYear

#NextBigThing

#StartedFromTheBottom

#REPOST – #ChampagneCampaign in Knoxville TN

The #ChampagneCampaign tour stopped in Knoxville TN for another pleasurable event hosted by yours truly. Here’s a repost to a gracious article written about the event at The Tennessean Personal Luxury Hotel.

http://bluestreak.moxleycarmichael.com/2018/02/20/a-very-veuve-venture/

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#REPOST – Yoga, Champagne, and Pleasure

It’s always fun to help discerning clients on their wine journey. It’s all about the pleasure, and memories you make with your #ChampagneChoices.

Here is a repost link to a nice blog post written about a Champagne event I hosted. #ChampagneCampaign

http://www.chattanoogabrunches.com/namaste-bubbly/

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Advice: Don’t Take Things Personal

One Thing#Newsflash: You can’t make all your stakeholders, friends, colleagues (all the people you know or don’t know) happy all the time.

As professionals, we talk a lot about listening and looking at issues from multiple angles. Those are really important lessons that keep coming up in my career, but lately, there’s a bigger lesson I have learned:

Try not to take all that happens to you as a personal indication of your value or potential. 

If you dig deep enough you will be able to connect the dots in your past and realize that everything that happens to you is for your own good. You are exactly where you need to be right now. All the things that have happened to you HAVE HAPPENED. You can’t change the past and you do not know the future – but you have NOW.

What is the next thing you can do to move your goals forward? Have a big dream, but just focus on doing one little thing that gets you closer. Do that one little thing – that if left undone, you would regret not trying at all. Do one little thing for yourself.

#ChooseYourself #WhosLookingOutForYou #IfNotNowWhen

One Thing Well

Study, Reflect, Copy, Express….

It may he hard for anyone to reconcile the context and content of this post with the name of my blog, but sometimes you just have to go with the things that move you.

I’ve written before about my admiration for speeches and writings of certain figures in history. I may never know everything about the people I so admire, but the some of the things they say have had a profound effect on making me a better version of myself.

This speech by Oprah at the 2018 Golden Globes is no exception. It speaks to much of what’s happening in the current zeitgeist, but also addresses many issues we deal with on a personal level. It speaks volumes to me about leadership and speaking truth to power.

I hope it inspires you to be more.

Thanks go to NBC for posting this video to Youtube.

Why We Hardly Take The Road Less Travelled – An Easy Primer on Collecting Wine.

I’ve taken a long time away from writing on this blog because I thought I couldn’t say what I wanted without going really deep into what I do for a living. Someone smart told me that doesn’t matter if I add value to the people in my network. If you don’t know what I do, I am sure you can dig up enough research online. My purpose remains the same: I give people access to the best that life has to offer – particularly wines and spirits.

As a luxury professional specializing in the wine & spirits vertical, I have a strong talent for helping clients procure very expensive wines, which they don’t typically desire until they get to try them with me. Well, I can humbly tell you it’s not because of my looks and charm (that only worked on my wife… thank God she liked what I was selling). It’s because I have a very unique way of presenting rare wines and spirits – I tell stories and help my clients make memories.

My approach stems from a belief that most, if not all people, hate disappointment and failure. Think about it! Who wakes up in the morning and says “today I’m looking forward to failing?” Probably only the rare few that understand that failure is a pit stop on the way to success. However, most of us (even myself at times) dread failure, and its hard to coax ourselves out of those mental prisons that prevent us from fulfilling our potential, expressing true affection or a fashion sense, and even drinking good wine.

In the same way, many collectors hate failing when it comes to selecting wine for their palates and cellars. That’s why most consumers rarely “roll the dice” on a bottle of wine from an unknown producer, even if the wine is made from a varietal they like. They would rather buy the wine recommended by someone else (whose palate and preferences may sometimes differ from theirs).

So most often than not, they rely on the advice and selections from wine professionals like me. It’s unfortunate that I have to say this, but I think many wine pros focus so much on selling the brands that we represent, without any real consideration for where our clients are in their wine journey. We should be working on selling an experience and creating a memory they can remember and associate with our brands for the rest of their lives.

A better way to think about this is real estate.

So imagine you are an agent for a client looking for a three bedroom – two bath home on a half acre plot. Your client knows exactly what they want and probably how much they would like to pay (they might not know how much they will have to pay). Most agents would try their best to find exactly what the client wants.

I take a different approach.

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I peel back the client’s expressed needs and expectations to identify their unexpressed desires. I “walk the block” with the client from where they are to show them where “they might want to be in the future.” As a result, I will show my client the five bedroom – three bath home on 10 acres with a little woodshed for him/her to make that custom furniture piece they’ve been trying to produce in their spare time. I don’t do that because I think they should buy a more expensive property. I do it because I want them to have a glimpse of an alternate future. I want to give them something to look forward to, so I capture them with a possible expression of their innate dreams. I may end up selling the customer exactly what they wanted to begin with – but guess who they rely on when they want to fulfil their ultimate vision…me!

We aren’t just chasing the status and social confirmation that our bank accounts and material possessions afford us. We are chasing the memories that make our lives rich and meaningful. Give your clients more than they ask for… give them all they could possibly want and help them build a vision for the future. I guarantee they’ll stick with you because you help them make memories.

I’ve ranted and gone around the block a couple times, but that’s consultative selling in a nutshell.

PS: I had a lot of fun writing this post. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Drink some good wine with someone you admire after this and I’m sure you’ll understand why I do my job so well. Today, someone whose mind I greatly admire received the Nobel Prize for his work in the field of Behavioral Economics. Irrational behavior and animal spirits are everywhere…. even in luxury and the business of alcohol.

Confidence = Arrogance?

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Cover Picture: Gone But Not Forgotten by Damian Hirst – Installation at The Faena Hotel, Miami. @FaenaMiami

A while back, my wife and I were talking about how people can have mistaken perceptions of others. Specifically, our conversations circled around health, veganism, and humanitarian causes (I’ll save that post for a future date). Being the only Edmund Amoye I know, I had to personalize the topic of perception (inspired by this post’s cover picture).

In my line of work, I get to meet a lot of people, and make impressions. I’ve found that there are usually two camps on people with views of us: they either like us or they don’t. 

Seriously that’s it. The descriptors people use to remember us are either positive or negative. However, sometimes people make mistakes. Most folks have told me I am very passionate about my work; and they love my approach to customer service. There’s another group that will see passion as being snobby; or service as pandering. Confidence can easily be mistaken for arrogance.

The feedback we receive from others can substantially affect how we act. Just read this article on confidence. If you need help differentiating between a true perception (people have of you) and a mistake (bias), consider the hidden agenda(s) of the person giving feedback. Think about the layers of the onion, not the surface.

I am comfortable with people having differing opinions about me. I can’t (and don’t intend to) make everyone happy. That would require way too much energy and would make for a very boring world.

You don’t have to respond, but I would like to know how you handle the perceptions people have of you.

Cover Picture: Gone But Not Forgotten by Damian Hirst – Installation at The Faena Hotel, Miami. @FaenaMiami

Alex Atala Says This is Luxury

It is not necessary to use expensive ingredients. The luxury is in your hands, in your ability. This is luxury …. the human capacity to transform something into emotions. 

– Alex Atala on Season 2 of Chef’s Table

On Being Different

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

― Ralph Waldo Emerson

I read this while watching “River” on Netflix. Just had to know who said such a profound thought. #GladISawThis

UPDATE: Transactional Integrity and Luxury

I updated my last post on Transactional Integrity  with a new post on Linkedin Pulse. Check it out. I’m so glad to be blogging again. I also updated my visuals using free high-res images . Thanks to Kirby Ferguson (@remixeverything) for mentioning.

Personal Mission Statements

Companies have mission statements. So should you. 

Create your own mission statement and see how much easier it is to get out of bed in the morning. Here’s mine:

I’m “giving people access to the best that life has to offer”. 





Failure is A Milestone on The Road to Success

I read something from Theodore Roosevelt today that profoundly inspires me. I know it will do the same for any professional in luxury, or any industry at all. I’m going to keep this one close to the chest.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

– Excerpt from the speech “Citizenship In A Republic”
Delivered at the Sorbonne, in Paris, France on 23 April, 1910

My Very #UberAwesome Experience with @UberConference

To sum it all up, here is what happened:

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Continue reading →

Transactional Integrity… and Luxury

As a brand guardian, every time I get to introduce consumers to a brand I consider to be “true luxury”, it is nothing less than a privilege.

However, there is one rule: I never advocate brands, with which I haven’t had some reasonable interaction (as a consumer, loyalist, or enthusiast). To do otherwise would be disingenuous and represses Transactional Integrity. Continue reading →

The Enemies of Creativity and Innovation

In luxury, it’s easy for practicing professionals to make the mistake of focusing too heavily on commercial success.

Maximilian Büsser, founder of MB&F has some wise words to bring the focus back on creativity and innovation.

The three biggest enemies of creativity and innovation are usually growth, market research (one rarely has an innovative idea asking the public what they want) and shareholder value.

Growth is extremely dangerous for creativity. Because the more your company grows, the more overheads you accumulate, the more you need to create products which will appeal to a broader audience. It is indeed very difficult to invest in real innovation and highly risky creativity when you are obsessed by double digit growth every quarter.

Read the rest of the article from Luxury Society here.

A Hotelier’s Challenge

I’m a big fan of The Economist and I want to share these articles on luxury hotels.

Be my guest: A short history of hotels
http://www.economist.com/news/christmas-specials/21591743-be-my-guest

Hotels in Myanmar
http://www.economist.com/news/christmas-specials/21591744-generals-general-managers-among-lettuce-smugglers

My Professional Manifesto

Someone once asked me why I’m where I am today.

At first I really thought the question was rhetorical because I couldn’t find the words to explain what was so simple to me. Here is my attempt to use words to describe why I’m still working when most of my competition are asleep or idle.

There is no other way to get better at what you do than simply doing it with the same passion a fish has for water. In your ignorance you will find opportunity; in your failures, more chances to defy the naysayers; and in your successes, the encouragement to do even better.

Am I satisfied with my progress so far?

My answer is a resounding NO.

Am I appreciative for what I have achieved?

Lets just say I’m respectfully pleased because I really don’t know how far I can go in my goal to:

give people access to the ‘best’ that life has to offer.

However I continue to work towards knowing how far my purpose and passion will take me. There’s a remarkable journey for each person that relentlessly pursues the unknown. Success may not be as hard to achieve if you have the correct definition. I believe success lies in simply trying.

Stay hungry my friends.

Are you the target?

I came home this evening a very disappointed consumer. I had just seen “Man of Steel” and “The Wolverine“. I know it seems so off-message to start my post on luxury with talk of comic book heroes, but read on to see where this leads.  Continue reading →

Embrace the Shake

That title sums up much of what I have to say for today.

It sums up much of what I truly live and breathe every single second of my life. This is a perspective that will help anyone reap great rewards in the workplace, and as you can see, in life.

I’m in the process of making some big career decisions and this has been a good reminder and emphasis of my personal values. I hope you enjoy it too.

New Design – Why?

LIL Post on Redesign

Don’t be alarmed with the new design.

I just changed my WordPress theme. I simply wanted a site with a visual appearance that didn’t emphasize any particular brands.

I want the blog to be about learning through valuable content, rather than visual “bells and whistles”.

Sorry if you missed the old design… hope you can appreciate the change.

I’d love to hear your comments.

Premium vs. Luxury

How companies like Audi are redefining product classes at the expense of long time brands, who are now trying to get back into the premium game.

Lately, I have been thinking of a couple luxury themes I’d like to explore in my posts. They center around a couple main questions: Continue reading →

Ahead of the Curve

Referenced Article: Debt to Pleasure
Source: The Economist Magazine

This article bears a profound message on how the increased knowledge of choice architecture could turn traditional economic models upside down. Continue reading →

Doing your homework

I like this opinion on working outside of the office. In my world, working out of the office does not equate with “working from home” or “hardly working”. My business is greatly based on relationships and face-to-face interaction. Sitting behind a computer screen building models and decks is not the only way to turn revenue.

LHR - JFK the blog of Mark Izatt

Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo (PS I don’t think I’ve been near a Yahoo product in over 5 years – what do they do / make ?), started the home working debate this week when she announced to her employees that the option to “work from home” was being withdrawn.    Others jumped on the band wagon including Alexandra Shulman from Vogue UK all ready to pillory the notion of working away from the office.

But let’s back up.

In the case of Yahoo it looks like “working from home” had become a licence to do NOTHING for the employer who paid their salaries and instead work on personal projects.   It’s important to put Mayer’s pronouncements on working from home into the context of the systemic issues which have conspired to make Yahoo as relevant to digital needs today as dial-up modems.

Shulman weights her remarks to the…

View original post 315 more words

International Women’s Day 2013: Stop to celebrate women all over the globe

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Today is INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY – Support a woman! http://on.fb.me/x9xcKW  #womensday

Learn about International Women’s Day

Why Local Commerce MAY OR MAY NOT Be Larger Than E-Commerce in The Next Decade

Why Local Commerce Will Be Larger Than E-Commerce For The Next Decade, An Analysis | TechCrunch.

My View: This article makes subjective arguments that could simply be what Mike Ghaffary wants. In my view, the consideration for the power of technology could change the answer to this constant question in retail. If the right relational models are developed for technology to translate the current reality, I think it is highly possible to see a greater attrition in brick and mortar stores.

I also think this move will occur faster in the highest end of the luxury segment, where brand equity with consumers may not require them to go through the the prevalent thought processes (price comparisons, show rooming, etc) associated with buying other commoditized goods and services.

I Love The Business of Luxury Like A Fish Loves Water

So, the HBS Retail and Luxury Goods Conference is over and I’m wondering why I go to this conference every year.

Well, its simple.

The Dream Team (and yours truly) - Members of the LuxRe Club from The College of William and Mary at the HBS Retail and Luxury Goods Conference

The Dream Team (and yours truly) – Members of the LuxRe Club from The College of William and Mary at the HBS Retail and Luxury Goods Conference

I like to listen to the array of views on what’s going on in the luxury industry. I also enjoy meeting new minds, and reuniting with old friends. However, the real reason I go to the conference is simply because it makes me feel good. It fires up my creative neurons and allows me to think about things in different ways. The best way to describe it is that I feel comfortable – like a fish in water.

Reimagining the In-Store Experience: One of the panels at the HBS Retail and Luxury Goods Conference

Re-imagining the In-Store Experience: One of the panels at the HBS Retail and Luxury Goods Conference

Key Idea: Find those environments and business cultures that make you feel good about who you are. Find the people and places that excite your true passions. You won’t go far if you fail to be honest with yourself about who you are and what you believe in. Act like a luxury brand and stand for something.

My View: The main reason I joined the industry is because it stands for something that is important to me. Though there are opposing opinions out there, I believe that the luxury segment benefits a vast array of stakeholders in different geographic, cultural, and socio-economic segments – governments, companies, the environment, and of course, consumers. The industry doesn’t just provide beautiful products and valuable services for consumers – it also provides jobs and supports economic development.

BOLD Customer Experience Management, Blogging, @doubletree… I need more than 140 characters

I need more than just 140 characters

As soon as I tweeted it, I felt like I had to say more. Have you ever met someone, read a book, or watched a movie that contained ideas or dreams that you’ve always had? Thoughts that, prior to the encounter, you couldn’t concisely express?

I’ve been having those moments as I’ve been reading this book about companies that adopt a customer-first culture.

BoldThe book has been the breath of fresh air I needed to fill my lungs of passion for the customer. After going through some of my past posts, it dawned on me that I agreed with the authors (Shaun Smith and Andy Milligan) long before I received the book as a graduation present in 2012. Since starting the book, I have ordered four more copies for my friends across the US (and even in Japan). I think you should read it too.

Heck I might just send a free copy to the first person to send me a message via the comment box. 
 
Past Posts

As I was looking through my old posts, I felt so proud for having a point of view of my own, before being introduced to someone else’s. I couldn’t have begun to formulate my perspective if I hadn’t had a cathartic outlet like blogging. It never really mattered if I sounded stupid, smart, or experienced, I just wanted to put my thoughts out there. All that mattered was for me to develop my own point of view. Finding this book was such a proud moment for me because it lets me know that I’m not crazy. I’m just saying what I think. So its really important to blog.

If you need to develop a point of view on something that’s important to you, start putting your thoughts out there. Start a blog…. do something.

On to the next piece.

I’m in Boston, MA for the Retail and Luxury Goods Conference held by Harvard Business School. I’ve been coming since 2011 because its such a comfortable zone, being around luxury industry professionals. It’s especially relevant for me because of my personal mission in life and business:

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Whenever I come to the conference, I stay with the same hotel brand – DoubleTree by Hilton Worldwide. I have to say it is such a wonderful customer experience because I always get what I expect – the feeling of a home away from home. More to come sooner than you think.

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