The fly-over from New York to Los Angeles lifts my mind to soar among big ideas; what’s next, what’s possible. Even after landing, my imagination becomes further inspired by life galore in LA.
Friends celebrated Cinco de Mayo, Mexico’s holiday of heritage and pride, with all the spice and sangria necessary to flavor any cultural festival. We were: Suzanne Furst ASID, Fernando Diaz ASID, Connie McCreight ASID, Ronit Navarro of Kravet, Linda Brenner of PDC and Laury Barnes of Elizabeth Bennifield. Suzanne’s frequent trips to Italy inspired her Tuscanesque villa in the Beverly Hills overlooking the lights of the city and the Hollywood Hills. Culture galore in LA -- yes, I said it.
Here’s why. Dinner conversation revolved around several trends in LA and elsewhere. There are more inner-directed people, and fewer narcissists bathed in gloss. Talk is cheaper than ever before. Now, character is measured by what one actually does, rather than by image or shallow intent. Even LA has adjusted (somewhat) to conspicuous consumption. Today, even luxury is more about the experience of acquiring and owning quality, not just accumulating things. Quality galore in LA.
I was there again to spread the word about innovations for those in the design business determined to delight their clients -- and earn all the rewards from doing so. The workshop for twelve designers was an interactive exchange of successful business practices that got them thinking ‘out of the box’ about getting better clients and pricing their fees more valuably. One said, “this experience inspired me at just the right time. I have a new appreciation for my worth and how to get paid for it.” Design galore in LA. How about for you?
Next day, designers from San Diego, Pasadena, Beverly Hills, Palos Verdes and throughout the LA market attended my lecture on “Aiming at Affluence: Marketing and Managing Interior Design.” The topic probably touched a raw nerve because attendance was twice as large as other seminars like it.
Here’s what the audience and others like them throughout the country seem to have in common: the aim of inspiring each client's desire to live well. Whether they are current, new or prospective clients (and there are indeed many of those), their essential motive is to live well - and who better than you to guide them, teach them and design for them. Inspired galore? Let us hear from you.
Steve Nobel
Founder and principal of NOBELINKS, a consulting practice specializing in the luxury markets for home furnishings and interior design, worldwide.
