Introduction

In this episode of Selling Luxury, I'm joined by international luxury marketing consultant Antonio Paraíso, known for his work on emotional branding and "the art of making people dream." Together, we explore how desire, not need, drives luxury buying, and how brands can create longing through beauty, storytelling, symbolism, scarcity, and mystique.

Episode Summary

We unpack why affluent clients buy with their emotions and "need of the soul," not practicality. We discuss how luxury brands use extreme quality, aesthetics, story, and scarcity to spark desire, and how that's evolving with younger generations. Antonio shares vivid examples from Hermès and Patek Philippe to a bold move by Bottega Veneta. He also introduces a true highlight for me in our conversation— Porsche's subscription model as a powerful sign that experiences now matter more than ownership. We close with Antonio's "make them dream" formula and why resolving imperfections quickly can deepen loyalty more than perfection itself.

Key Takeaways

• Desire over need: Luxury buyers are buying happiness, emotion, and meaning, not functional products.

• Porsche Passport: Experience over ownership. Porsche's subscription model lets clients drive the dream without owning the car, reflecting a generational shift toward access and experience.

• Scarcity still matters, just differently: Exclusivity still drives desire, but queues and overexposure mostly attract aspirational buyers, not true high-net-worth clients.

• Fascination leads to desire: Magic, wonder, and myth, like the Kelly bag's origin or Marilyn Monroe's Chanel No. 5 story, create fascination that converts into desire.

• How to maintain mystery in an over-exposed world: Luxury is a constant paradox: visibility vs. mystique. Brands must be intentional about what they reveal and what they hold back to preserve allure.

Spotlight Guest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonioparaiso/

Website: http://antonioparaiso.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@121Paradise

Contact Host

Website- www.jeffreyshaw.com

Speaking- www.jeffreyshawspeaks.com

Books- www.jeffreyshaw.com/books

LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyshawauthor/

Introduction

In this episode of Selling Luxury, I have a delightful conversation with Gaëlle Devins, Chief Customer Officer and Executive Board Member at Breitling, executive coach, consultant, and author of Flow Leadership: Unleash the Power of People, Purpose and Performance. Known for her warm, human approach to leadership, Gaelle shares how vulnerability, purpose, and genuine care can elevate performance, especially necessary in luxury, where expectations are sky-high and every detail matters.

Episode Summary

I have been following and admiring Gaëlle on LinkedIn for quite some time, moved by her inspiring and heartfelt posts. What struck me most in this conversation was how naturally she leads from the heart. Her philosophy of "flow leadership" isn't about pressure or performance metrics. It's about caring deeply for people and creating alignment between who they are and what they do. She reminds us that in luxury, leadership carries a special responsibility to ensure that the beauty and care extended to customers are mirrored inside the company. Gaëlle's openness about vulnerability, trust, and even healing in the workplace offers a refreshing vision of leadership, where humanity and high standards coexist. It's a powerful reminder that the luxury experience begins not with the product, but with the people who bring it to life.

Key Takeaways

• Flow over force: Peak performance comes from aligning skills and challenge, not from top-down pressure.

• Mirror the client journey internally: Design the employee journey with the same care as the customer journey.

• Train empathy and understanding with experience: Encourage teams to live the luxury they sell.

• Lead with humanity: Adopt healing strategies for major life transitions; treat people as whole humans to sustain performance.

• One standard, inside and out: The environment you create for employees should reflect the same luxury standard you promise customers.

Spotlight Guest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaelle-devins/

Website: https://www.gaelledevins.com/

Book: Flow Leadership: Unleash the Power of People, Purpose and Performance

Contact Host

Website- www.jeffreyshaw.com

Speaking- www.jeffreyshawspeaks.com

Books- www.jeffreyshaw.com/books

LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyshawauthor/

Introduction

In this episode of Selling Luxury, we explore the psychology of affluent buyers through a research-based lens with behavioral scientist Professor Ben Voyer, chairholder of the Cartier Turning Points Research Chair at ESCP Business School and the London School of Economics. Ben offers a rare blend of academic understanding and real-world insight into how identity, self-perception, and culture influence luxury buying behavior. Our conversation bridges the worlds of experiential understanding and scientific research to reveal what truly drives luxury consumers today.

Episode Summary

Ultra-wealthy consumers are hard to study, so qualitative interviews can reveal the most insight. Status signals are giving way to authenticity, craft, and sincere experiences. "Exclusivity" now means rarity and intimacy, not elitism, especially for Gen Z. Self-perception, humility in sales, and brand passion/storytelling shape purchase decisions, while the best luxury brands act as role models that bring calm and transformation.

Key Takeaways

• Authenticity is the new prestige. The modern affluent buyer values truth, craftsmanship, and emotional resonance more than price or status.

• Exclusivity must evolve. Younger generations interpret exclusivity as intimacy, rarity, or experience, not elitism.

• Belonging vs. uniqueness is a constant tension. Luxury buyers want to feel part of a community while maintaining individuality. Successful brands honor both.

• Self-perception drives behavior. Understanding how clients see themselves is essential to serving them well. Luxury service begins with self-awareness and humility.

• Passion and storytelling sustain luxury. When brands lose touch with their founding stories or genuine enthusiasm, they risk becoming hollow.

Spotlight Guest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prof-ben-voyer

Website: benvoyer.com

Contact Host

Website- www.jeffreyshaw.com

Speaking- www.jeffreyshawspeaks.com

Books- www.jeffreyshaw.com/books

LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyshawauthor/

Introduction

In this episode of Selling Luxury, I sit down in person with Jonathan Siboni, Founder and CEO of Luxurynsight, at their Paris-based offices, to explore how data and emotion coexist in shaping today's most successful luxury brands. While my work centers on emotional behavior and human insight, Jonathan's focus is on using data for brand direction, helping luxury companies navigate uncertainty, predict trends, and turn intuition into action. We discuss how data enhances creativity, the balance between confidence and consumer feedback, and why France remains the beating heart of the global luxury industry.

Episode Summary

Jonathan explains that data acts like a GPS for brands, helping them navigate change, anticipate trends, and make faster, smarter decisions. Luxury, he says, isn't about asking customers what they want but knowing their desires before they do. Far from limiting creativity, data enhances it, giving brands clarity and confidence. Perhaps my favorite part of our conversation, we also explore why French luxury endures as well as the tension between timelessness and trendiness, and Jonathan's belief that true luxury is the freedom of time.

Key Takeaways

• Data brings agility and foresight to luxury brands.

• The goal isn't to ask customers—it's to know them.

• Data fuels, rather than limits, creativity.

• The strongest brands today are either timeless or boldly of-the-moment.

• How luxury and lifestyle became entire industries in Paris.

Spotlight Guest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathansiboni/

Website: https://www.luxurynsight.com/

Contact Host

Website- www.jeffreyshaw.com

Speaking- www.jeffreyshawspeaks.com

Books- www.jeffreyshaw.com/books

LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyshawauthor/

Introduction

In this episode of Selling Luxury, I welcome Elizabeth Solaru, CEO of Elizabeth's Cake Emporium and founder of the Diversity in Luxury Awards. With more than 20 years of experience across industries, Elizabeth has become a powerful voice for inclusivity in an industry long defined by exclusivity. Together, we explore what diversity really means in luxury today, from cultural nuances to language, from large global brands to small independent businesses.

Episode Summary

Elizabeth and I explore what diversity truly means for luxury businesses, large and small. Our conversation goes beyond surface-level ideas, touching on culture, client behavior, language, and the evolving relationship between exclusivity and inclusivity. Elizabeth shares insights from her own journey and from her work championing diversity across the global luxury sector, offering a perspective that is both thought-provoking and hopeful.

Key Takeaways

• The Bigger Picture of Diversity: Diversity in luxury extends far beyond representation and includes culture, geography, psychographics, and innovation.

• Reconciling Exclusivity and Inclusivity: Brands can remain exclusive in delivery while being inclusive in vision.

• The Importance of Words: Language carries energy; rethinking words like "exclusive" helps luxury evolve.

• Redemption Arc: Brands can recover from mistakes through recalibration and genuine change.

• What Makes Her Hopeful: The rise of diverse leaders, social initiatives by luxury houses, and new opportunities for entrants into the industry.

Spotlight Guest

Websites:
https://elizabethsolaru.com/
https://luxurybusinessemporium.com/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-solaru-1ba901

Book: The LUXPreneur: How to start and build a successful luxury brand

Contact Host

Website- www.jeffreyshaw.com

Speaking- www.jeffreyshawspeaks.com

Books- www.jeffreyshaw.com/books

LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyshawauthor/

Introduction

ABASK has achieved what most considered impossible: a truly luxurious experience, entirely online. In this episode, I speak with co-founder Tom Chapman to unpack how ABASK blends craftsmanship storytelling, meticulous curation, and UX discipline to deliver experience, trust, and delight online, offering lessons any brand can apply to elevate their digital (and in-person) experience.

Episode Summary

Tom traces ABASK's origin to a real-life need: outfitting a newly designed home with pieces that felt personal, interesting, and well-traveled without months of delays or "showroom sameness." That insight became ABASK's north star. Respect the customer's time and taste while offering immediate availability, intelligent curation, and depth of story.

We explore how ABASK recreates the tactile qualities luxury buyers expect through excellent photography, maker videos, and rich product narratives that speak to an educated clientele. Tom explains the retailer's role as a curator and advocate for artisans, using content to justify price via demonstrated craft, provenance, and process.

On the operational side, ABASK relentlessly studies customer journeys—conversion, repeat rates, and where the experience breaks, to refine navigation, category design, and recommendations. Yet data never overrides taste. The buying team prioritizes beauty, future heirlooms, and inspiration over sheer volume. Throughout, Tom argues that true luxury is every touchpoint, from first impression to the unboxing and always organized around one thing: the customer.

Key Takeaways

• The intersection of magic and logic: ABASK succeeds by balancing creative "magic" (buying, storytelling, photography, video) with operational "logic" (UX discipline, funnel analysis, retention). Data informs decisions, but craft and taste set the standard.

• Challenge culture: A company-wide habit of asking, "What broke? How do we make it better next time?", owning mistakes, solving logistics and continually improving every touchpoint so a customer with unlimited choices keeps choosing you.

• Storytelling that justifies price and builds trust: Maker videos and rich product narratives turn "objects" into heirlooms, letting customers see (and value) the craftsmanship they're paying for.

• Curation that respects time and taste: ABASK's multi-brand edit (with immediate availability) enables a layered, "collected over time" aesthetic—cohesive without showroom sameness—serving luxury buyers' twin needs: time and choice.

Spotlight Guest

Website- https://www.abask.com/en-us

Contact Host

Website- www.jeffreyshaw.com

Speaking- www.jeffreyshawspeaks.com

Books- www.jeffreyshaw.com/books

LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreys