A Brand is a House.

NOTE: This essay was previously published a few days ago on my Instagram and LinkedIn, but I’ve made some new edits.

My family stayed in an AirBnB over the holidays that might have been the nicest rental we’ve ever had. It wasn’t furnished with the finest things, expensive or lavish. But you could tell that the 3-bedroom home was well-maintained and cared for. There wasn’t a towel fiber out of place, a comforter unbuttoned. The shower door was spotless, the hosts had even perfumed the entry way with pumpkin scents and left warm lights on to welcome us. Although we were total strangers, they gifted us gingerbread house kits for the children and answered our questions after hours.

I’ve never been so considerate with an AirBnB. I treated that house as if it was my own, conserving paper towels, using coasters to preserve the wood, and making sure we didn’t leave the water running for too long. I followed the check-out instructions meticulously, laundering the linens, emptying the dishwasher. We left the house exactly as we’d entered it several days before. Picture frames straightened.

Because the home owners had gone the extra mile to ensure that we were comfortable, we reciprocated the gesture, leaving a glowing review and promising to return. I’m sure you’ve stayed in some rundown AirBnBs and have minded them accordingly, slamming doors and dragging chairs across the hardwood floor. But the cleaner a rental is, the harder you work to keep it that way. When people feel respected and considered, they respond in kind.

Your brand is a house. How you tend to it — how you love it — not only speaks to what you think of your work, but it says a lot about how you think of your guests. And when it comes time to hand them the keys to your home, they will show you exactly how you made them feel.

For years, we have done our best to treat The Hundreds with the highest regard. Although we’ve fallen short on many occasions, the objective has been to listen to the brand and give it whatever it needs. When we offer the brand its due respect, then the customer believes they are appreciated. In turn, they lend The Hundreds the same reverence. I think that’s one of the many reasons why the house still stands. We’ve made this place a home for any and all — for you — and you've cared for the brand as if it’s yours, with thoughts of preservation and legacy.

Respecting the home. Minding the guests.
Entrusting them to take care of it and make it theirs.

That’s how you build a forever brand.