Introduction

In this episode of Selling Luxury, I have an opportunity to speak with Stefan Stešević, Founder and CEO of the Montenegro Luxury Association, whose bold mission is to elevate an entire country into a premier luxury travel destination. Beyond tourism, Stefan's work offers a live case study in how any luxury business can use intention, sustainability, emotional resonance, and excellence to reposition itself for the future of luxury.

Episode Summary

Throughout much of the conversation, we use Montenegro as a lens to explore how luxury is evolving everywhere.

The themes we discuss apply far beyond travel: building infrastructure before demand, uniting everyone around shared standards, and treating excellence not as a slogan but as a system.

We also unpack today's luxury buyer mindset: a shift from ownership to experience, from status to transformation, from volume to depth. Wellness, emotional connection, and identity-shaping experiences are now central drivers, whether you're selling destinations, design, hospitality, or high-end products.

Our conversation touches on the paradoxical role of technology, where digital tools and AI can support personalization, but as Stefan points out, ultra-luxury still depends on trust, privacy, and human touch. We also talk about sustainability, not as a marketing angle but as a long-term strategy to protect the environment, prevent over-tourism and preserve the very qualities that make something feel luxurious.

Key Takeaways

• Leverage Your "Hidden Gem" Status: There is real power in being the discovery.

• Design for Transformation, Not Just Enjoyment: Ask: How does this experience transform them?

• Sustainability as Long-Term Luxury Insurance: Sustainable choices—environmental, cultural, and operational—protect your long-term positioning and desirability.

• Use Technology Carefully, Protect Humanity Fiercely: Ultra-luxury still runs on privacy, discretion, and human connection. Tech should support the relationship, not replace it.

• Trust Is the Currency: In the luxury world, trust is the asset that keeps your best buyers coming back and sending others.

Spotlight Guest

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

Website: https://mnelux.com/

Contact Host

Website- www.jeffreyshaw.com

Speaking- www.jeffreyshawspeaks.com

Books- www.jeffreyshaw.com/books

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

Introduction

It's gifting season, but are those year-end gift boxes really doing what you think they're doing? In this episode, I speak with premium gifting strategist Kade Kimber, founder of Kimber and Oak, about transforming gifting from a December habit into a powerful, year-round luxury business strategy. From "authenticity at scale" to measuring the performance of a gift, we explore how thoughtful gifting can deepen relationships, drive revenue, and humanize luxury in a noisy world.

Episode Summary

Kade explains why December is the least strategic time to gift. Clients are overwhelmed, unavailable, and not making decisions. Instead, he advocates for off-cycle gifting. Planned touchpoints aligned with business goals and ad hoc gifting tied to meaningful life moments. Together, these create deeper emotional connection and higher impact.

We discuss why branded swag fails, how thoughtful messaging can elevate even simple gifts, and how value alignment (sustainability, community, inclusion) drives loyalty. Kade also shares how digital personalization is shaping the future of luxury gifting and why even small-budget gifts can yield extraordinary returns when treated as a true marketing asset.

Key Takeaways

• Year-end gifting is often ineffective and how off-cycle gifts perform far better.

• A gifting strategy should align with business goals, timing, and measurable outcomes.

• Surprise and personalization create the strongest emotional impact.

• Avoid promotional items; luxury gifting should feel relational, not transactional.

• Digital elements can enhance personalization and connection at scale.

Spotlight Guest

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

Website: https://kimberandoak.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'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/