No Second Chances.

What do trail running in bear country, and leading a luxury customer transformation, have in common?

You don’t get a second chance to get it right.

Last week, I was deep in the Montana backcountry leading a C-suite retreat. No cell signal. No distractions. Just thoughtful leaders, big questions, and a few very real bear encounters.

In between mountain goat sightings and strategy sessions, we had an honest conversation about luxury - specifically, everything they’ve been told lately. I just don’t buy into:

*The future of luxury is about “taking things away.”

*It is about absence, soft edges, and obvious minimalism.

*It’s about re-using long-standing luxury principles because they are “classic”.

The next era of luxury is high frequency. Unfiltered. Intentional. Alive.

It’s about knowing exactly what matters to your customer and your brand and then showing up in a way that feels precise, cinematic, and instinctively personal. It’s definitely not a bland mainstream hospitality retread.

It’s the kind of CX that spikes like a heart monitor and stays with you like a love letter. It’s alive in the moment and unforgettable after. Those are the brands we love.

Whether you're building a $200M loyalty engine or delivering a single unforgettable moment:

⟶ You’re crafting stories that turn into memories

⟶ You’re earning trust in real time

⟶ And your customer is watching - hoping to feel something real, rare, and remarkable.

So yes: bears and boardrooms have something in common:

Every moment is a test.