The Wedding Business and Me

As we roll through the various passages of our lives, I write about them!  Ha, bet you thought I was going to say something philosophical or wise!  No, just my observations and personal travails, for all of us to share. And of course, how these relate to our business, the business of superb development of attractions, retail, culture and other fun kinds of projects.

Like so many Baby Boomers, I have Generation Y children in their late 20’s.  Now is their decade of weddings.  Weddings of their friends.  Weddings of old lovers.  Weddings of cousins.  And on my god yes, their own weddings!  We tend to see our children as children.  But as they near 30, a little voice kicks us in the pants and says “snap out of it girl, they are all grown up and it’s time to see them as the adults into which they have blossomed.  You did good girl, now enjoy!”  Ha!  Easier said than done.  These are still our babies, the little boys and girls who loved us so, who saw us as their heroes, who couldn’t wait to get home from school to tell us about their day, who begged for toys and games, who kicked that greatest soccer goal, who wrote those corny birthday and mother’s day cards, who filled our hearts with joy for almost three decades.  And now they are getting married?  Geeze.  Transferring all the adoration and joy to a new heart, it is the good and righteous path.  Just somebody, get me a couch, I think I may fall over!

Along with all this emotional tsuris, comes a whole litany of pomp and circumstance, a great deal of expense, and a satchelful of time and compromise.  And that’s just for the mother of the groom, which is my role.  For the mother of the bride, I can only imagine.  When I got married, the second time, we did it in our backyard, with a justice of the peace and about 10 friends.  I wore a lovely whiteish dress that was in my closet for years, someone got the cake for us, and we had a little ceremony with a small party afterwards:

Can you tell when this was?  My hair was in cornrows, just after the successful launch of “10” with Bo Derek, who had her hair in cornrows!!  This marriage has lasted quite a while!  Not bad for a wedding that cost maybe $250!!

THE AVERAGE WEDDING TODAY COSTS IN $25,630 AND ABOUT 2.1 MILLION WEDDINGS TOOK PLACE IN 2010, FOR A WHOPPING INDUSTRY TOTAL OF $53 BILLION! 

Here’s an accounting of the number and cost of weddings in the United States, from 1945 to 2011:

                       1945 – 2010 Source: US Census, CDC

                       1945 Source: Saturday Evening Post – 5/26/1945. Vol. 217 Issue  48, p11-46, 4p/1990-1999 Source: Christian Science Monitor – 6/4/2001, Vol. 93 Issue 132, p12/2002 Source: Fairchild Bridal Group The American Wedding/ 2005-2011 Source: The Wedding Report, Inc. Proprietary Surveys

That’s bigger than the combined U.S. revenue for the theme park industry at $11.0 billion, the motion picture exhibition industry at $11.0 billion, and the video gaming industry at $10.5.0 billion  - $32.5 billion total.  So shouldn’t we get smart about how to capture just a piece of this pie?

The breakout of the average cost is as follows:

• The reception accounts for a bit more than one third of the total cost
• The other largest expenditures are for photography/videography (13%), wedding rings (6%) and flowers (5%).
• The average wedding cake costs about $500
• The average cost of an engagement ring is $4,647!
• The average wedding dress cost is about $1,300.
• The average bridesmaid dress, just over $130.
• And destination weddings, now 15% of the 2.1 million, last six days for the wedding couple and three days for the guests

Just for fun, I italicized the expenditures that are included in our industries:  retail, hospitality, and travel.  Total for our industries, $34.7 billion. Maybe we should be paying more attention!

Here are 5 rules to follow to get these young soon-to-be married Gen-Y’ers into your projects:

1. Connect with them well in advance of their nuptials.  Whether you are a resort, retailer, or restaurant, become part of their aspirational head-space, first through excellence in your product, then through social networking, and third through print and media advertising.
2. Always be creative in your marketing.  Give them something unexpected, memorable, without peer in your industry.
3. No matter what your price-point, even with the highest end products, offer value.  These consumers are the most educated and savvy ever, with the ability to compare prices all over the world.
4. Destination weddings are BIG, so if you can, get in on the windfall!  With an estimated $16 billion going to this format, build this into your project with relevant facilities and services fulfilling the full range of wedding needs from retail shops to rehearsal dinner planning and venues to the most beautiful wedding spot ever imagined!  Be sure to have a wedding planner/coordinator on staff, and if this business grows, increase the staff!  (Some of my clients in Hawaii already have these spots and don’t know it!  They just need to market them and reach their affluent target audiences.)
5. Finally, use staff that looks like them. These are young consumers.  They don’t want an old out-of-touch consultant assisting them.  But no matter the age, make sure this staff is well educated about their product and/or service.  The protocol for weddings is long and complicated, dating back centuries. Make sure they know what came before so they can forge the road to the future!

And  four more trends from the 2012 U.S. Wedding Insight Report:

• June and September are the most in demand months
• Bright, Bold, or Vibrant tones are still in
• Couples want fun, romantic, and simple events with a touch of formal and tradition
• Rustic and vintage continue with high demand

Some other expenditures, and one year increases from the 2012 Wedding Insight Report:

Category	Item	2010	2011	Chg %
Total Average Spending	Total	$26,542	$25,631	-3.4%
Attire & Accessories	Dress Accessories	$144	$148	2.8%
	Headpiece and/or Veil	$119	$107	-10.1%
	Tuxedo/suit/other Accessories	$111	$99	-10.8%
	Tuxedo/suit/other Rent/purchase	$271	$200	-26.2%
	Wedding Dress/es	$1,053	$1,166	10.7%
Beauty & Spa	Hair Service	$71	$66	-7.0%
	Makeup Service	$60	$52	-13.3%
	Manicure & Pedicure	$47	$43	-8.5%
Entertainment	DJ	$748	$699	-6.6%
	Live Band	$1,751	$1,542	-11.9%
	Musician/s, Soloist, or Ensemble	$559	$538	-3.8%
Flowers & Decorations	Boutonnieres, Corsages	$134	$123	-8.2%
	Bridal Bouquet	$139	$132	-5.0%
	Bridesmaid Bouquets	$180	$161	-10.6%
	Ceremony Decorations	$235	$247	5.1%
	Ceremony Flower Arrangements	$298	$277	-7.0%
	Flower Girl Flowers	$86	$79	-8.1%
	Flower Petals	$88	$84	-4.5%
	Reception Decorations	$287	$294	2.4%
	Reception Flower Arrangements	$348	$310	-10.9%
	Reception Table Centerpieces	$366	$323	-11.7%
Gifts & Favors	Gift/s for Attendants	$196	$100	-49.0%
	Gift/s for Parents	$148	$103	-30.4%
	Tips (for all services)	$374	$362	-3.2%
	Wedding Favors	$262	$206	-21.4%
Invitations	Ceremony Programs	$110	$99	-10.0%
	Engagement Announcements	$150	$96	-36.0%
	Guest Book	$59	$55	-6.8%
	Invitations & Reply Cards	$255	$231	-9.4%
	Postage	$85	$100	17.6%
	Reception Menus	$119	$104	-12.6%
	Save the Date Cards	$125	$105	-16.0%
	Table Name and Escort/place Cards	$84	$71	-15.5%
	Thank You Cards	$94	$84	-10.6%
Jewelry	Engagement Ring	$3,465	$3,231	-6.8%
	Wedding Bands	$1,862	$1,179	-36.7%
Photography & Video	Digital or Photo cd/dvd	$296	$335	13.2%
	Engagement Session	$335	$422	26.0%
	Prints and/or Enlargements	$224	$230	2.7%
	Traditional Leather Bound Album	$459	$476	3.7%
	Wedding Photographer	$1,777	$1,668	-6.1%
	Wedding Videographer	$1,152	$1,054	-8.5%
Planner/Consultant	A La Carte Services	$1,123	$987	-12.1%
	Day of Coordinator	$845	$857	1.4%
	For Getting Started	$880	$844	-4.1%
	Full Service	$2,491	$3,482	39.8%
Transportation	Limo Rental	$487	$472	-3.1%
	Other Transportation	$420	$469	11.7%
Venue, Catering & Rentals	Ceremony Accessories	$206	$202	-1.9%
	Ceremony Location	$937	$1,179	25.8%
	Ceremony Officiator	$219	$196	-10.5%
	Hotel Room for After Reception	$281	$301	7.1%
	Reception Accessories	$203	$196	-3.4%
	Reception Bar Service	$2,207	$2,463	11.6%
	Reception Food Service	$4,339	$4,772	10.0%
	Reception Location	$2,672	$3,228	20.8%
	Reception Rentals	$1,385	$1,708	23.3%
	Rehearsal Dinner	$865	$548	-36.6%
	Wedding Cake/dessert	$386	$423	9.6%

Looks like the destination/location-based wedding business is booming!

10 Steps to a Successful Project

People are always coming up to me and asking, “How do you develop a successful project?”  As my mentor Buzz Price would say, “you are asking how to play the violin!”  Whether you have an idea for a new attraction, museum, performing art center or shopping center,  it  needs to be tested for market and financial viability.

Here are the 10 essential steps to follow  when planning a new project:

1.  Evaluate your site(s) in terms of access, location, visibility, surrounding land  uses, physical constraints and other factors.

2.  Study and know your market in terms of:   a.  Demographics/psychographics b. current sales history (retail/attendance)  c.  close-in populations   d.  current visitors (if applicable)  e.  other market parameters.

3.  Know your competition inside and out – Survey local, regional and national analogues and competition gaining as much real data and insight as possible.  Know their sales, customer base, market area reach, split between local and regional visitors, years to ramp-up, etc.

4.  Conduct consumer research – This may  include telephone interviews, intercept interviews, internet research, focus groups and other forms of customer input.  Many clients skip this step.  They should not!  This type of research can develop market consensus or advocacy for your project and lead to market success or failure.

5.  Project stabilized year attendance/sales etc., based on research conducted in steps one  through  four.  Build attendance leading up to that year.  You are predicting your piece of the pie.

6.  Project design day attendance and peak on-site attendance.  These parameters will determine how large your attraction, museum, or even shopping center must be, at a minimum.  Design day attendance is the number of people visiting the project on any of the 15 busiest days of the year.  This is the number you will build to, not the busiest day of the year.

7.  Based on market comps and knowledge of the industry , project per capita expenditure for gate, food and beverage, merchandise, rentals, membership, and other revenue.  Identify and quantify elements of expense.

8.  Construct an operating pro forma including all sources of income and elements of expense with resultant with bottom line EBDITA  (Earnings Before Depreciation, Interest Taxes and Amortization.)

9.  Using order-of-magnitude comparables or assumptions from consulting engineers and architects,  determine development cost including site construction hard and soft costs.

10.  Slot in financing assumptions and resultant return on investment.  From the EBDITA,  any financial parameter can easily be developed including current value,  internal rate of return,  return on cost, and return on investment.

Of course,  this is just the beginning of an iterative process that will be ongoing until you open the doors,  hopefully not too long after you complete the initial feasibility analysis.

The Happiest Quarter

I have never been happier!   First, we sold the house!!! Hooray and whoopedeedo,  we moved to the Channel Islands Marina (in California, for those of you non-locals) and now live in a fabulous condo on the waterfront. Here is the view out our window!

The development is a real master planned community, and I must say I am a bit surprised at all the rules and regulations, quite a bit different from what I expected (what did I expect, having done these kind of studies all these years?)  Anyway, this place is deserted, entered the market at the beginning of the recession and things just didn’t sell. So we have our own little private space with gorgeous views on the waterfront. I have to walk the dog about six times a day, but hey, that’s the price of living in paradise………

Next, my oldest son, Eric got engaged to his wonderful and charming girlfriend and the wedding plans are in full swing. Now, when we got married, we slapped on a pretty dress and hired a justice of the peace, ran into the backyard, and had a little party afterwards. Things have changed!  Custom, pomp and circumstance, rules (old and new), the guest list, these are all points to be negotiated at eight months out. Shopping for the wedding dress was a high point though. We flew to San Francisco and spent the day shopping and what?  at the first shop, Shelley found the dress:

Mike, my youngest, went to Peru for a glorious summer trip to visit his fabulous, talented, brilliant girlfriend Katie who was there for a summer program to immerse herself in Spanish. They climbed Machu Picchu, toured the country side, went on a billion hikes, and wore themselves out. It was a blast for both of them and I am so happy they got to do this!

Then JB Research Company got very, very busy. Just as I was finishing a great ULI Panel in Buffalo, five new contracts came in! Geeze, that’s never happened before, five at once. And a ULI Panel does not allow any down time. It was a wonderful experience and I made a bunch of new friends (Well, maybe not. I don’t know if I was very easy to be with for that week of stress!) We have been crazy busy since then. This is a very positive sign for the economy because before, we preceded the uptick by about 18 months! So get ready ya’all, you are in for a big climb upward!

So here is the BIG NEWS, and this is what my news reporter brother and sister-in-law would call BURYING THE LEAD. We are thrilled to announce that two museums we have been working on for more than five years each will open in the next 24 months. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will locate in the May Company building, dubbed LACMA West in the Mid-Wilshire area of Los Angeles.  Additionally,  the South Carolina State Museum expansion will begin construction in March 2012 and open in the summer of 2013.

The Academy Museum

After many years of planning, fits and stops, the Academy has decided to co-locate with the top art museum in Los Angeles, in a 1939 department store just west of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum on the LACMA campus.  The Academy hoped to build a much more ambitious project on land amassed near the intersection of Vine and Fountain. This project had a price tag that was torn apart by the recession, so the Academy decided to pursue a plan with a more tempered cost. The new plan, at approximately 150,000 square feet, is expected to open within the next 36 months.

The South Carolina State Museum

This $23 million expansion will include a 55-foot digital dome planetarium, an observatory, and 4-D theater, now called Windows to the New World. The project has been in planning for over 15 years. The planetarium will have a glass front, and the observatory will be on the roof above the current entrance. An existing auditorium will be turned into a 4-D theater with vibrating seats, blasts of air and mists of water. The front lobby and office space will also be expanded.

So what do you say when your real life exceeds your expectations by miles?  As Albert Brooks says in his brilliant film, Broadcast News, “You keep it to yourself!”  Not so, you tell the world!

GENERATION Y AND THE RECESSION

The recession is affecting us all.  In some sectors like housing, it is a certain double dip.  In others, such as retail, it appears to be a strong and steady climb up.  Regardless of where we’re going, Generation Y has been hit, hard.

The Echo Boomers, Gen Y, The Millennium generation, the roughly 80 million people born between 1980 and 2000, and make up approximately 30% of U.S. population. Those aged 20-24 are unemployed at 14.7-percent.  High unemployment, layered with easy credit, student loans, no formal education on money management, and the most competitive employment environment in recent history, the recession has given this highly sociable group a handful of challenges.

In a world where the NASA space shuttle program and planned parenthood are having their funding threatened, and thousands of young workers are fighting with resumes and charm to get jobs paying minimum wage, what’s in store for our young workers?

It’s no secret, Generation Y has a debt problem. Gen Y has had the largest number of job losses since the onset of the recession, and unfortunately they maintained their spending habits.  On average, 20% of Gen Y have credit card debt above $10,000.  Millennials are graduating from college with an average of $23,200 in student debt, according to the Project on Student Debt, that’s a 24% increase from 2004.

Mommy! 12% of Generation Y depend on financial support from their families, including 14% of them who have full-time jobs.  More than one in three young workers are currently living at home with their parents, and one in three cannot pay their bills.  But many of those not fortunate to receive financial support, have had to lower their expectations. Many recent graduates, who cannot afford to take the time off to take an internship, cannot find entry-level jobs in their fields, and many seek better-paying, undesirable jobs.

Many Generation Yers take numerous odd jobs, seek freelance gigs, sell things on eBay, and do whatever is needed to get by when times are tough.  Generally, if one thing doesn’t work, they have many skills, and ideas waiting in the dugout.

They have been raised by parents who, more than ever, want to be friends with their kids rather than be authorities.  They have seen numerous examples of things NOT working out.  They have watched as their parents worked stressful jobs with long hours in their scramble for money and status, and how their loyalty to their employers paid off: layoffs, unfulfilled pension plans, pitiful severance packages, etc.   It has given them a shift of ideals, and possibly made them want to find meaning alternatively.  Personal development and a sense of meaning have a place in the conversation.  Adapting to the instability, and safeguarding themselves against the confines of the state of the national economy, they have become an incredibly flexible, multi talented (multi-tasking), hard-working group with strong ideals.

This generation doesn’t live for work, they work to live. They’ll make their own way through the rubble of the economy, and as we have already seen, come out stronger and better people for it.

It has been said that this generation is much more like their grandparents, THE GREATEST GENERATION, than their parents.  Oh yes, in so many ways!

THE NAKED TRUTH – CREATING OUR ULTIMATE GUEST EXPERIENCE

Like many Boomers our age, we are downsizing from the large home in which we raised our two boys.  Just saying those words brings tears to my eyes.  I guess I am emotional because yesterday was my birthday, a reminder that each day you are older, and each day you are the youngest you will ever be as life moves on!

Lots of momentous things happened this year.  Buzz Price died, the economy was still bad, my eldest son moved across the country and I well, got older……..  So we decided, my husband and I, that it is time, time to move on, time to change the kids’ rooms that have been the same since they left for college about eight years ago, time to get rid of the big sturdy furniture that could withstand ball games, jumping, dogs and spilled drinks, time to leave the small town in which we live, time to move back to the city, time for a change!  How do you do that, just pull up stakes from the place that carries 21 years of memories, the absurd and ridiculous events of raising children, leave the place where we buried seven pets (two dogs, three rats, a hamster, and a turtle), say goodbye to the longest and possibly most productive time of your life?

First thing, you de-clutter.  Well, my husband is a saver, polite word for what he does.  So over the summer he cleared out a whole lot of rooms, garages, bookshelves, etc. etc.  And the house really did look denuded. Then the roofs needed to be redone, four, to be exact, because we have multiple buildings on our property.  Next, the outside needed work, landscaping on 1.2 acres is not an easy or cheap job.  And after that, choose a realtor.  What a mischegas!  Interview this one, she is prickly and tells you all the things wrong with your house.  Okay, don’t like her, try another.  She is nice and funny, recommended by a friend, knows our town well, been here forever, so we chose her.

The house was on the market for about 60 days, in the summer, very few showings, and no offers!  In September, our neighbor to the immediate north put their house on the market.  The house is an “architectural gem” but I don’t like it.  Too much of a sore thumb in our very ranch-house Arbolada neighborhood.  But someone did.  The house sold in nine days!!  So we asked ourselves, and our realtor, what are we doing wrong?  And she gave us the objections she was hearing.  No place to park in front, the house is situated the wrong way on the property (OMG, what do you do about that?), it needs landscaping, it feels “cold” inside, THE NAKED TRUTH.  But this is the house we love, the house where we gave birth to so much love and attention, where two wonderful, productive, caring boys were raised, where we lived our eventful, cherished child rearing years.  And it’s not good enough?  Wow, let’s take a while to absorb that!

So we took the house off the market to think about it.  By now it was winter, Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, my older son getting engaged, so much to do, so much travel, my work picking up, let’s just forget the house for a while.  And we did.  But the holidays passed, and here we were with the problem again.  What to do?

Call a home stager!  Do you know what that is?  I had heard about it, it had been suggested to us and we laughed.   What, someone to come in and tell us how to do our house.  Ha, what a joke!  We know what to do!  Put on a new roof, de-clutter, paint a room or two and you are ready.  Oh, what we didn’t know!  We had one stager come in and though they had great ideas, they presented them in a very unprofessional (read unpleasant) way.  So in the middle of buying new appliances, having the bathrooms glazed, taking up all the rugs and moving things out, we had to find and another home stager. And what luck, because we found the BEST STAGER IN THE WORLD!

Here are the results:

The Living Room

The Master Bedroom

The Family Room

The Guest House

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here’s a link to a before and after video:  http://bit.ly/fvAjJN

This isn’t our house anymore, it is a fabulous, clean, sleek, “done” place, ready for someone new!  I am a complete fan!  In our business we talk a lot about the guest experience. And now I understand it in a completely personal way.  We have made our house into the ultimate, guest experience, hospitable, environment ever!  Feels like you could just sit down, click on the TV,  have a margarita, throw a party or move in!

I’m guessin’ our house sells within the month!  See you in the city, real soon!

 

THE NAKED TRUTH –

CREATING OUR ULTIMATE GUEST EXPERIENCE

 

 

Like many Boomers our age, we are downsizing from the large home in which we raised our two boys.  Just saying those words brings tears to my eyes.  I guess I am emotional because yesterday was my birthday, a reminder that each day you are older, and each day you are the youngest you will ever be as life moves on!

 

Lots of momentous things happened this year.  Buzz Price died, the economy was still bad, my eldest son moved across the country and I well, got older……..  So we decided, my husband and I, that it is time, time to move on, time to change the kids’ rooms that have been the same since they left for college about eight years ago, time to get rid of the big sturdy furniture that could withstand ball games, jumping, dogs and spilled drinks, time to leave the small town in which we live, time to move back to the city, time for a change!  How do you do that, just pull up stakes from the place that carries 21 years of memories, the absurd and ridiculous events of raising children, leave the place where we buried seven pets (two dogs, three rats, a hamster, and a turtle), say goodbye to the longest and possibly most productive time of your life?

 

First thing, you de-clutter.  Well, my husband is a saver, polite word for what he does.  So over the summer he cleared out a whole lot of rooms, garages, bookshelves, etc. etc.  And the house really did look denuded. Then the roofs needed to be redone, four, to be exact, because we have multiple buildings on our property.  Next, the outside needed work, landscaping on 1.2 acres is not an easy or cheap job.  And after that, choose a realtor.  What a mischegas!  Interview this one, she is prickly and tells you all the things wrong with your house.  Okay, don’t like her, try another.  She is nice and funny, recommended by a friend, knows our town well, been here forever, so we chose her.

 

The house was on the market for about 60 days, in the summer, very few showings, and no offers!  In September, our neighbor to the immediate north put their house on the market.  The house is an “architectural gem” but I don’t like it.  Too much of a sore thumb in our very ranch-house Arbolada neighborhood.  But someone did.  The house sold in nine days!!  So we asked ourselves, and our realtor, what are we doing wrong?  And she gave us the objections she was hearing.  No place to park in front, the house is situated the wrong way on the property (OMG, what do you do about that?), it needs landscaping, it feels “cold” inside, THE NAKED TRUTH.  But this is the house we love, the house where we gave birth to so much love and attention, where two wonderful, productive, caring boys were raised, where we lived our eventful, cherished childrearing years.  And it’s not good enough?  Wow, let’s take a while to absorb that!

 

So we took the house off the market to think about it.  By now it was winter, Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, my older son getting engaged, so much to do, so much travel, my work picking up, let’s just forget the house for a while.  And we did.  But the holidays passed, and here we were with the problem again.  What to do?

 

Call a home stager!  Do you know what that is?  I had heard about it, it had been suggested to us and we laughed.   What, someone to come in and tell us how to do our house.  Ha, what a joke!  We know what to do!  Put on a new roof, de-clutter, paint a room or two and you are ready.  Oh, what we didn’t know!  We had one stager come in and though they had great ideas, they presented them in a very unprofessional (read unpleasant) way.  So in the middle of buying new appliances, having the bathrooms glazed, taking up all the rugs and moving things out, we had to find and another home stager. And what luck, because we found the BEST STAGER IN THE WORLD!

Here are the results:

The Living Room                                                  The Master

The Family Room                                The Guesthouse Upstairs

The Guesthouse Downstairs                                                Kids’ Bedroom

 

And here’s a link to a before and after video:  http://bit.ly/fvAjJN

www.deliciousdecors.com

 

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THE NAKED TRUTH –

CREATING OUR ULTIMATE GUEST EXPERIENCE

 

 

Like many Boomers our age, we are downsizing from the large home in which we raised our two boys.  Just saying those words brings tears to my eyes.  I guess I am emotional because yesterday was my birthday, a reminder that each day you are older, and each day you are the youngest you will ever be as life moves on!

 

Lots of momentous things happened this year.  Buzz Price died, the economy was still bad, my eldest son moved across the country and I well, got older……..  So we decided, my husband and I, that it is time, time to move on, time to change the kids’ rooms that have been the same since they left for college about eight years ago, time to get rid of the big sturdy furniture that could withstand ball games, jumping, dogs and spilled drinks, time to leave the small town in which we live, time to move back to the city, time for a change!  How do you do that, just pull up stakes from the place that carries 21 years of memories, the absurd and ridiculous events of raising children, leave the place where we buried seven pets (two dogs, three rats, a hamster, and a turtle), say goodbye to the longest and possibly most productive time of your life?

 

First thing, you de-clutter.  Well, my husband is a saver, polite word for what he does.  So over the summer he cleared out a whole lot of rooms, garages, bookshelves, etc. etc.  And the house really did look denuded. Then the roofs needed to be redone, four, to be exact, because we have multiple buildings on our property.  Next, the outside needed work, landscaping on 1.2 acres is not an easy or cheap job.  And after that, choose a realtor.  What a mischegas!  Interview this one, she is prickly and tells you all the things wrong with your house.  Okay, don’t like her, try another.  She is nice and funny, recommended by a friend, knows our town well, been here forever, so we chose her.

 

The house was on the market for about 60 days, in the summer, very few showings, and no offers!  In September, our neighbor to the immediate north put their house on the market.  The house is an “architectural gem” but I don’t like it.  Too much of a sore thumb in our very ranch-house Arbolada neighborhood.  But someone did.  The house sold in nine days!!  So we asked ourselves, and our realtor, what are we doing wrong?  And she gave us the objections she was hearing.  No place to park in front, the house is situated the wrong way on the property (OMG, what do you do about that?), it needs landscaping, it feels “cold” inside, THE NAKED TRUTH.  But this is the house we love, the house where we gave birth to so much love and attention, where two wonderful, productive, caring boys were raised, where we lived our eventful, cherished childrearing years.  And it’s not good enough?  Wow, let’s take a while to absorb that!

 

So we took the house off the market to think about it.  By now it was winter, Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, my older son getting engaged, so much to do, so much travel, my work picking up, let’s just forget the house for a while.  And we did.  But the holidays passed, and here we were with the problem again.  What to do?

 

Call a home stager!  Do you know what that is?  I had heard about it, it had been suggested to us and we laughed.   What, someone to come in and tell us how to do our house.  Ha, what a joke!  We know what to do!  Put on a new roof, de-clutter, paint a room or two and you are ready.  Oh, what we didn’t know!  We had one stager come in and though they had great ideas, they presented them in a very unprofessional (read unpleasant) way.  So in the middle of buying new appliances, having the bathrooms glazed, taking up all the rugs and moving things out, we had to find and another home stager. And what luck, because we found the BEST STAGER IN THE WORLD!

Here are the results:

The Living Room                                                  The Master

The Family Room                                The Guesthouse Upstairs

The Guesthouse Downstairs                                                Kids’ Bedroom

 

And here’s a link to a before and after video:  http://bit.ly/fvAjJN

www.deliciousdecors.com

 

This isn’t our house anymore, it is a fabulous, clean, sleek, “done” place, ready for someone new!  I am a complete fan!  In our business we talk a lot about the guest experience. And now I understand it in a completely personal way.  We have made our house into the ultimate, guest experience, hospitable, environment ever!  Feels like you could just sit down, click on the TV,  have a margarita, throw a party or move in!

 

I’m guessin’ our house sells within the month!  See you in the city, real soon!

This isn’t our house anymore, it is a fabulous, clean, sleek, “done” place, ready for someone new!  I am a complete fan!  In our business we talk a lot about the guest experience. And now I understand it in a completely personal way.  We have made our house into the ultimate, guest experience, hospitable, environment ever!  Feels like you could just sit down, click on the TV,  have a margarita, throw a party or move in!

 

I’m guessin’ our house sells within the month!  See you in the city, real soon!

Just Published In New Article

Hey, I was interviewed for a new article, “Back to the Basics,” by Mike Sheridan which was just published by the Urban Land Institute. You can read the article here.

Happy, Happy Holidays to You All!

This being the holiday season and all, I wanted to take a moment to share my joy with all of my friends. After a very long six months of planning and secret conversations, my 27-year old son got engaged to his lovely and brilliant girlfriend, Shelley.

(I could be prejudiced and just the happy mom, but come on, isn’t she gorgeous?)

He proposed in a very romantic, old-school way at the Top of the Mark restaurant in San Francisco.  After the proposal, our family, friends and the bride’s family converged on the couple, as planned by Eric.  Shelley was totally surprised.  She screamed and cried when she saw all nine of us.

Then a sumptuous and gorgeous small/personal/memorable party began that included many kisses and hugs with the new families getting to know each other.  All in all, a magical night!

The next day we had a rollicking dinner at a kitsch Tiki  restaurant.  Shelley’s parents and two younger sisters (13 & 14),  brother (10), mom and dad were in attendance, as well as my other son (25), his girlfriend Katie, my brother and his wife and, of course, my husband Charley and I and Eric and Shelley.  The food was yummy, the band festive, the dancing energetic and the company celebratory!

This has been a difficult year for most of us.  So an event such as this is made even more memorable by the sharing of love, joy and promise.

Maybe the difficult times make us all more cognizant of what we really need to remember, what keeps us all going, what we will all remember after the work, fame, fortune and money is gone.  Family, friends, love, attachments, good times;  let’s keep each other close in the new year as things improve.

And on a business note, Christmas season retail sales were up 5.5 percent according to SpendingPulse, the largest rise since 2005.  Let us all give thanks for our friends, family and better times in 2011!

First Boomers Turning 65 in 2011 – Are You Ready?

The oldest Baby Boomers are turning 65 next year.  Yes, those of us born between 1946 and 1964, now range in age from 46 to 64!  Consumer product companies, designers and real estate developers are ill equipped for the surge of these newly “don’t ever call me elderly” Boomers!  In recent blogs, I have written about some of the sexy new cohorts such as Gen Z, kids under 15 years of age.  But by 2020, 55 million Americans are projected to be over 65 and part of the medicare group.  Every developer, research and development department and any marketer worth his salt should be trying to figure out what is in the hearts and minds of this affluent group.

So, in no particular order, here are my top 10 predictions about these Beatles Generation revolutionaries:

1.  First and foremost, they have a wicked sense of humor.  Just look at the viral internet jokes being circulated about aging and you will see the dark and hilarious way this group relates.

2.  They are accustomed to calling the shots.  This will not change as they age.

3.  Unlike their parents, they have mostly excellent relationships with their kids.  Multigenerational images and stories will reel them in.  Think Thanksgiving table images and Caribbean cruises with a strange or ridiculous twist.

4.  They have the resources necessary to buy the finest plastic surgery and dental care available.  Those who want to remain beautiful WILL!  (Have you noticed the dazzling smiles  and other attributes on Americans of all ages lately?)

5.  They will be in the workforce, of necessity, 5 to 10 years longer than the preceding generation.  Gen Y’s coming up now will still have to compete with these people with years of experience.

6.  Rest homes 10 years from now will have The Doors and The Rolling Stones on Musak!

7.  Since the most likely demographic to vote is White women over 65, and since this cohort tends to hold a strong Democratic block, we may see some interesting political sparring in the next 10 years.

8.  Boomers will need to find extra income from sources other than home appreciation.  Probably a major shift in investment strategy and a booming enterprise for anyone who can figure it out now!

9.  Leisure providers in both the real and virtual worlds need to tap into the “always young” mindset with the aging real time body.  Perhaps a hip or knee replacement that allows the recipient to run a marathon again.

10.  And most important, this group is extremely discriminating and loyal.  Please them and they will be yours until they die, for at least the next quarter century or longer!

The New Face of Retail

Can you smell it?  Fall is in the air!  It may still be 85 degrees in sunny California, but the kids have returned to school, a crispness is the order of the day, and last weekend, I did my annual fall shopping.  The trip this year was much more measured than other years, as I suppose it is for most in the developed world.  The recession is alive, growth from the last few quarters has slowed, and there is still rampant uncertainty in all of our daily lives.

But that is not what I want to blog about today.  On my trip, I did my usual “people watching”  noting a subtle but noticeable shift in the gestalt of the crowd.  We visited our local mall which is owned by Macerich.  The shopping center was renovated in 2007 and a huge Target took over a vacated Robinson’s-May as one of the anchors.  Still, the mall floundered and felt like an unhappy place to me.  And then voila!  In the midst of the downturn, with unemployment still above 9 percent nationally and American companies holding on to more than $1.8 trillion in cash ( not investing, not hiring), a new sense of hope and purpose is in the air.  Unscientific you say?  Yes, but after so many years in the business I am a reader of attitudes, unspoken  intentions, a focus group unto myself.

What has caused this shift in outlook, turned the gray glasses to rose-colored?  I believe it is the retailers, some of whom are doing an excellent job of reading their markets.  With my husband in tow, we were given free treats at Cinnabun, Wetzels Pretzels, and See’s Candy while waiting in line to buy a low-cal coffee at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.  I smelled popcorn and saw several happy families with brightly colored red-and-white boxes.  Where did they get these cheery delicious snacks?  Target!  (Sears, you lose again, even though this was your idea in the first place!) And while waiting in line, I saw the Giant Surprise that H & M, one of my favorites, will be opening in our mall in less than two weeks.  The fast-fashion Swedish retailer made the excellent choice not to locate in a struggling new “upscale” lifestyle center in Oxnard (oxymoron, lifestyle center: Oxnard) which would have been a huge mistake!

As a very wise presidential candidate once said, “it’s the economy stupid!” and retailers that have learned to provide VALUE and fun in the shopping experience and in the goods and services they offer are faring well.  TJX, Ross, Forever 21 and now Bloomingdale’s Outlets are giving consumers what they want and need in today’s difficult world.  Free stuff, fun stuff, inexpensive stuff, value for the money!

So while the economic indicators continue to stump the experts, the American consumer is not giving up!  They will continue to shop (less and cheaper), eat sugar and popcorn, and hope for the much badly needed turnaround.  And this, my friends, is a self-fulfilling prophecy for a better year in 2012!

This is a an Amazing Tribute to the Body of Work by Buzz Price – He Passed Away August 15

Goodbye Buzz!

I have been trying to think of stories about Buzz that can be told in mixed company and in front of more than four people, but I can’t think of any.  He often made me laugh until my cheeks hurt and at times, made me cry, although there was no crying at work.

He hired me fresh out of Berkeley at a time when there were few professional women in the industry.   He was my mentor, a champion, a taskmaster, a perfectionist, a father, a brilliant, lovable and charismatic man.  His joie de vivre was infectious and you couldn’t help standing taller because of him.  His encouragement made me a professional and his departure leaves a big gap in the world.  Buzz goodbye, I love you and I will miss you.

Goodbye from Sharon Dalrymple

Where to begin?  I worked for Buzz longer than anyone else, dating back to 1967 at ERA, moving later to HPC, and continuing through his retirement in 2000.  Those 33 years were an adventure like no other.  Our professional travels took us all across this country and to foreign locales as disparate as Cairo and Melbourne.  Together, we gingerly walked the land-mined beaches of the Red Sea under military escort, got temporarily stranded in the north woods of Minnesota on a frigid winter night when our rental car broke down, and spent eight hours staked out in the crowded, grimy baggage claim at Mexico City International waiting for our misrouted luggage to show up.  And those were the fun times (just kidding!).

Demanding, cantankerous, bawdy, cagey, witty, genial, smart as a whip, lovable–Buzz was all of those things and more.  Most of all, he was a gold-standard mentor and, ultimately, a very dear friend.  When we returned from a business trip and parted company at the airport, our traditional farewell was, “Vaya con Dios.”  So I say this one last time with heavy heart, “Vaya con Dios, amigo.”  And by the way, Buzz, you still owe me a double martini for sweet-talking the airport cops in Jacksonville into letting me park in the red zone long enough to deliver the wallet you accidentally left in your hotel room.  Stoli, very cold, two olives.

Shari Dalrymple

Former Senior VP, HPC