I’m the first to admit it’s time to come home because worrisalldis 🇬🇧
Pop-up: the brand left home to find you.
Shopping party: the brand stayed home and threw a party.
Activation: the brand crashed someone else’s party.
Installation: the brand built a whole world and said nothing about money.
It’s not grammar, it’s not quite etiquette. It’s definitely #languageofretail so I made this so you never have to wonder again. 🖤
Candid moments can sound controversial but there’s a nugget of truth here.
I still heard a complaint about a retail associate telling a client to “have it” this morning so the work continues…
The real reason for more evolved tourism is the infrastructure I jokingly refer to as “light”.
I am a firm believer in ordered steps and this clip from 2024 is me connecting the dots that led me to develop the #languageofretail; a culturally competent approach to consumer behavior and sales excellence.
Customers lie. Communities are biased. Trust your instincts.
All true. Henry Ford said it. Steve Jobs lived it.
But ask yourself — are you truly trusting your instincts? Or are you just going somewhere the criticism can’t find you?
Glossier found out. Peloton found out. OpenAI is still finding out. Red Lobster nearly collapsed giving the community exactly what they asked for — unlimited shrimp.
Instincts need a destination. And they need data.
Without both, you’re not leading. You’re just leaving.
Excerpts from Language of Retail 1 (2023)
You can get away with a bad attitude for a while.
People will still buy—
because they need what you’re selling,
or because you’re convenient,
or because there’s no better option yet.
But pay attention to what they’re not doing.
They’re not mentioning you to anyone.
They’re not bringing people with them.
They’re not advocating for you in rooms you’re not in.
That’s the signal.
That gap between sales and loyalty?
That’s where most businesses leak.
We’re building on this in the 2026 edition.
Nobody says “I’ll Bing it.”
The default doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built — through clarity, consistency, and knowing exactly what you stand for. That’s the work.
Business isn’t a democracy. The cap table decides. Shareholders have the final say — and if you did a raise, that includes your friends and family too.
But a lot of brands aren’t built on equity. They’re built on belief. Early supporters who rallied, referred, defended, and normalised the brand in their circles. They didn’t get shares. They got language. “We’re building this together.” “Our community.” “You helped build this.”
And when the business evolves — as it must — that language becomes a liability.
We’ve seen it with OpenAI. With savings apps. With fintech portals that grew on the backs of early believers. The community showed up. The cap table decided.
This tension plays out in schools, with online creators, in every business built around the energy of its people. I don’t have the answers. But you know I’m going to think out loud.
Clarity of purpose should support this process — and reduce the friction.
Your team needs to talk about pricing in a way that is clear.
That clarity will ensure the client understands what you are really selling and why it costs what it does.
We have a really great resource that you can run as a group exercise on what you are really selling and why it’s the price it is.
Whether it’s made by hand, imported at great cost, plucked from high mountains underneath a full moon…
Comment “price” and I’ll share a link to purchase
