What makes a place unforgettable

April 7th, 2025

read time 4 minutes

Welcome to Experiential Hospitality, a weekly newsletter where I share stories and insights to help you craft unforgettable spaces and experiences through design & hospitality. Forwarded this email? Sign up here

Today’s newsletter at a glance: Why the most unforgettable guest experiences share DNA with museum masterpieces, and how to apply these timeless principles in your own spaces.

craft matters?

As I mentioned last week, I visited NYC. It was an experience!

A highlight of the trip was seeing The Met. Being in the presence of so much beauty—so many intricate details and magnificent compositions—was awe-inspiring. I spent three deeply engrossing hours there, and by the end, my brain hurt and I felt dizzy. Five thousand years of some of the world’s finest craftsmanship and artistry, all in one place. Wow.

One of the countless handmade pieces that stopped me in my tracks

I know I sound like a broken record about craftsmanship as of late, but I can't help it. It feels more and more like a piece of my own heart, a reason why I’m on this earth. And I can’t take credit for it. My parents and grandparents instilled this in me.

Growing up homeschooled in a traditional faith community, my siblings and I were always making things with our hands: woodworking, drawing, blacksmithing, carpentry, gardening, land improvement, learning instruments—you name it.

But it wasn’t just our hands. Over time, our hearts followed, too. My parents never forced these things; they simply nurtured a deep curiosity and a responsibility to care about what we did and to see it through with character.

Summer evenings in the garden with family & neighbors

We were raised to glorify God—the giver of all good gifts—in everything. Seen and the unseen, big and small. Helen was raised much the same way, and together we aim to pass these values to our children.

everyone is an artist

Jim Simmons, the legendary investor and mathematician, once said:

"Be guided by beauty. I really mean that. I think pretty much everything I've done has had an aesthetic component — at least to me. Now, you might think, "Building a company that's trading bonds? What's so aesthetic about that?" What's aesthetic about it is doing it right. Getting the right kind of people, and approaching the problem, and doing it right. And if you feel that you're the first one to do it right, that's a terrific feeling. It's a beautiful thing to do something right."

This captures my belief that artistry transcends traditional “creative” work, personality types, and gifting. Some of us may feel more naturally inclined toward artistry, but I believe all of us can choose to approach our work as art. How? By caring. By investing ourselves wholeheartedly into whatever is in front of us.

As Elbert Hubbard put it: “Art is not a thing—it is a way.”

My time at The Met left me a with a quiet sadness. So much meaning, care, and craftsmanship have been sacrificed by our modern world in the name of efficiency and progress.

But we can change that, and the remedy starts small: each of us committing to care more about the little details in our daily lives.

To make the world better, start with one small thing. Plant a tree, build a window box, sweep the street, clean the closet, have a real conversation with your neighbor. These small acts compound, and momentum builds.

paying off credit cards (and other small victories)

Just yesterday I sat down to help a friend buried in credit card debt. In researching different options (consolidation loans, settlements, etc), I came across Dave Ramsay’s counterintuitive but firm advice—the “snowball method”: start with your smallest debt first, regardless of interest rates.

Then with that win, attack the next smallest, and so on.

Seemed illogical to me. Why not target the highest interest rate first? But there’s science behind this. Studies and real life examples alike show resoundingly higher success rates with the snowball method because of the psychological momentum. Small, early wins fuel motivation for bigger battles. Momentum matters.

"If you want to change the world, go home and love your family." — Mother Theresa

brick by brick

I’m no perfect example, but I do try. I try to do less, and do it better.

Live Oak Lake, The Nook, our orchard, our family garden—none are perfect, but I’ve poured my heart into each. And if you visit them, I believe you’ll feel it (you are invited, you know:)!

Every small decision matters—from the hardware on a door to the view out a window. These details shape the experience of place and, ultimately, the beauty of our world.

“Beauty is the quality that makes a thing worth making and worth doing.” — Roger Scruton

Beautiful communities begin with beautiful homes. Before we build great towns, we build warm kitchens. Before great destinations come good places for our children to play and neighbors to gather.

Keep building, brick by brick. One intentional choice at a time.

Small things are never small. Each action adds up. Work becomes art, the world becomes beautiful.

And in the process, we bless others—while finding fulfillment ourselves.

Have a wonderful week!

—Isaac

P.S. I’m teaching a live training on finding overlooked opportunities and building micro-resorts next Wednesday, April 16th, at 2PM CT. If you want to come for free, stay tuned for an email in the next few days!

P.P.S. My friends Seth & Tori Bolt invited me to come co-teach an in person 2-day workshop at their beautiful Bolt Farm Treehouse outside Chattanooga, TN on May 7th! If you’re interested in attending, you can find more info here and sign up for a call with their team to see if you qualify. Would be fun to hang out in person together!

Thanks to HostGPO for sponsoring this newsletter. Outfitting short-term rentals can get expensive fast. HostGPO helps owners and operators like us access deep discounts on everything from mattresses to furniture to linens—the same brands used by top designers and hotels, but at bulk pricing. It could save you tens of thousands, and it’s super easy to use. Check out HostGPO here!