Blog
I've spent my career turning ideas into brands, hotels, experiences and stories. This is where I think out loud.
The writing here is about what I see, what I believe, and occasionally what annoys me. Brand, culture, design, hospitality. And wherever those things collide.
Scroll down and you'll also find “The Intake,” an annual log of everything I've read, watched and seen on stage. No rankings, no ratings. Just the record. Steven Soderbergh does this and I stole the idea from him. The pattern of what you consume says more about how you think than anything you put on a resume.
The Intake
The Intake of the films, TV, books and theater that shaped my 2025
Please Stand By
This is a test. “Please stand by” for further instructions. As we wait in expectation. As we wait to make ready to go back.
The Nature of Design
There’s an R&D lab that’s been churning out astonishing design ideas for 23 billion years. It’s called nature.
Don’t Just Stand Up, Stand Out
Why aren’t more brands showing the courage to actually stand out? To stand for something that isn’t identical to everyone else’s message?
Two Years From Failure
Consider this: There were 500 companies on the Fortune 500 in 1985 (advanced mathematical skills not required here).
Wrap Rage: A post-Christmas package design opportunity
It was frustrating waiting for Christmas. I confess to harboring that pre-adolescent excitement that attends the approach of the holidays.
Flight Not Fancy
Technology is transforming the world and that transformation is nowhere greater than in the design world.
The Science of Design
Everybody loves science. Let me correct that. Everybody loves the way science can be used to justify what you feel in your gut in the first place.
Indifference Sucks
Welcome to comfortable mediocrity. Three cheers for the middle ground. Let’s hear it for going through the motions.
What Hospitality Really Means
What does it really mean to be hospitable? My answer hasn't changed: "Hospitality is sharing the best of yourself with one customer at a time; each and every interaction."