Distinguishing premium from true luxury

Kathryn Porritt is the founder and CEO of Iconic Empires, where she specializes in helping elite experts build luxury and premium positioning. With a focus on monetization expertise and authority, Kathryn works with clients to elevate their brands and expand their vision of possibilities. Her unique approach emphasizes mastery, rarity, and transformative experiences, enabling her clients to connect deeply with high-end buyers.

In this episode, Mark Stiving sits down with Kathryn Porritt to explore the intricacies of selling luxury goods. They discuss the differences between luxury and premium buyers, the importance of creating an expanded vision of possibilities, and how to effectively communicate value in high-end markets.

Why You Have to Check Out This Episode:

• Learn why luxury buyers don't negotiate and how expanding a buyer's future vision removes price from the conversation entirely.
• Understand the difference between premium and luxury pricing, and why treating them the same quietly caps your revenue.
• Discover how elite sellers confidently say bold prices without flinching, discounting, or overselling.

"Expand a vision of possibility for people—show them what they can't see for themselves. When you focus on that, pricing becomes easy."

– Kathryn Porritt

Topics Covered:

01:30 – What Luxury Buyers Actually Buy. Why true luxury customers aren't purchasing features or value props—they're buying rarity, mastery, and first-of-its-kind experiences.

05:40 – Premium vs. Luxury: The Line Most Sellers Miss. How premium buyers still compare and negotiate—while luxury buyers step outside price entirely.

08:45 – The "Expanded Vision of Possibility" Framework. Why the most powerful pricing conversations anchor buyers in a future they didn't know was available.

12:30 – When Budgets Grow (Even in Corporations). How elite sellers expand scope and impact—causing "fixed" corporate budgets to quietly increase.

16:10 – Confidence, Control, and Saying the Number. Why the price you can say without hesitation determines whether the buyer trusts you.

19:40 – Intuition vs. Calculators in Luxury Pricing. How elite experts balance cost, margins, and intuition when there is no reference price.

23:20 – Why This Isn't Just for Luxury Brands. Mark connects the dots: this is exactly how every B2B seller should be selling value.

26:40 – One Pricing Principle That Changes Everything. Kathryn's closing advice—and why expanding possibilities is the fastest path to higher prices.

Key Takeaways:

"People at this level, people who buy luxury, like true luxury buyers, they're looking for something that's not necessarily about the value." – Kathryn Porritt

"That expanded vision of possibility is the difference. And like I said, that's when pricing becomes almost obsolete in the conversation." – Kathryn Porritt

"For a luxury buyer, it's not about the budget." – Kathryn Porritt

People & Resources Mentioned:

• Iconic Empires – Kathryn's firm helping elite experts position, monetize, and sell at the highest levels.
• Jeff Bezos – Referenced as an example of true luxury buying behavior where budget is irrelevant
• Coca-Cola - Mentioned as a corporate example in the context of budget discussions for events.
• Luxury Market - Discussed as a distinct market segment with unique buyer motivations.

Connect with Kathryn Porritt:

• Website: https://www.kathrynporritt.com/
• Website: https://iconicempire.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-porritt?originalSubdomain=au

Connect with Mark Stiving:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving
• Email: mark@impactpricing.com