Brandy or Mimosa?

"Honey, we need to talk branding!"

"Um, it's only ten o'clock, isn't that a bit early for hard liquor? Wouldn't you like a Mimosa instead?"

"How silly you are! I didn't say Brandy, I'm talking about Branding, things you sell, baby. Hey! Wake up! Let's wake up!"

"Ah? You mean customer traffic?"

Those who know me a little won't be surprised by this slightly surreal exchange. For the others, you should know that my marketing coach is an unlikely mix between Kristina Cordula and Cyril Lignac. Lately, I've suspected her of using Anglicisms to mask her accent and her Occitan origins.

"Exactly, baby! We need to talk about your shop and your products. What do you sell?"

"Huh? Carpets?"

"Pffft! Bullshit! That's why you need me. After seven years in the business, you still haven't figured it out. You don't sell rugs. You offer the hope of an Instagram-worthy life in a chic, bohemian interior."

"So?"

"So if you're promising a gypsy chic interior, you can't just stop at rugs and kilims. You have to offer a whole world: a bohemian chic sofa, a bohemian chic table, bohemian chic shower curtains. You stage all of that and recreate your world. You add a Hamilton-style blur filter, a big cashmere sweater, and some matcha tea, then you drop it on TikiTok."

"I understand what you're saying, but that's not me. I don't want to impose my world. I want my clients to find their own. By browsing here and there. If it's with one of my precious rugs, then I'm happy. And besides, Hamilton is definitely not for me!"

"Stop! Stop it! Not to me. We both know you're not Mother Teresa. You have to sell. So stop your cheap, feel-good nonsense and start making co-products, for God's sake!"

When Occitan expressions and a southwestern accent start coming back to my coach, I know she's right. That it's not just an act anymore and that I should probably follow her advice.

So there you have it, I've given in. If you go to the home decor section, you'll now find some of my favorites that aren't rugs. These are things I love that you can choose in addition to a rug, or simply because you like them too.