Laurent Vernhes: Quality-Obsessed Exited Founder: "Business is a Form of Art"
Apr 25, 2024
auto_awesome
Laurent Vernhes, a seasoned entrepreneur, built the luxury travel brand Tablet Hotels before pivoting to the wine industry. He discusses the art of creating luxury brands and the emotional bonds that fuel business success. With a focus on quality and authenticity, Laurent shares insights on balancing growth while preserving artistic integrity. He reflects on the transformative nature of financial success and emphasizes the importance of personal intent in entrepreneurial endeavors, revealing how experiences shape one’s creative journey.
Building luxury brands relies on high standards and emotional connections rather than just focusing on growth and transactions.
Leaving the corporate world offered Laurent the freedom to pursue genuine passions and experiment without bureaucratic constraints.
Winemaking is portrayed as an art form where true passion and personal essence result in exceptional wines that resonate deeply.
Deep dives
The Art of Building Luxury Brands
Building luxury brands requires a commitment to high standards and a deep understanding of the market. An example provided is the speaker's journey with Tablet Hotels, where he emphasized the importance of quality and emotional connection with clients, rather than focusing solely on growth. He asserts that true success lies in creating desirability through product excellence and storytelling, elevating customer experiences beyond mere transactions. This approach fosters an environment where clients develop mutual obsession with the brand, ultimately leading to long-term loyalty and recognition.
The Freedom of Entrepreneurship
The speaker's motivation for leaving the corporate world stemmed from a desire for freedom and the ability to experiment with his own ideas without external constraints. He felt stifled by the need to gain consensus in corporate settings and saw entrepreneurship as a pathway to pursue genuine passions. The journey highlighted the hurdles of starting a business—particularly during the internet bubble burst—demonstrating resilience in the face of challenges. This independence allowed him to refine his ideas in a space devoid of the bureaucratic pressures that typically hamper creativity.
Wine Making as an Artistic Endeavor
The podcast explores the concept of winemaking as a legitimate art form, where the best wines are crafted by artisans deeply connected to the land and their craft. The speaker contrasts craft wines with mass-produced options that often rely on additives to meet market demands and taste preferences. It emphasizes that true artistry in winemaking involves pouring passion and personal essence into the product, creating a wine experience that resonates on a deeper level. Through curation of exceptional wines, the speaker aims to connect consumers with hidden gems in the industry.
Intent vs. Goals in Life and Business
The distinction between intent and goals is discussed, highlighting a shift toward a more purposeful approach to business and personal life. The speaker believes that having a clear intent provides meaningful direction, as opposed to specific goals that can sometimes create pressure. This perspective promotes a healthier, more creative environment where the focus is on engagement rather than mere outcomes. By nurturing connections and exploring individual passions, he advocates for a holistic approach that leads to both personal fulfillment and business success.
Embracing Vulnerability and Connection
The conversation underscores the importance of vulnerability as a catalyst for meaningful connections with others. By engaging deeply with his own emotions and experiences, the speaker finds a sense of responsibility to create spaces where others can also engage authentically. The aim is to build a community of like-minded individuals who appreciate artistic expression and value genuine connections. This philosophy extends to his work in the wine industry, where he seeks to bridge the gap between artisan winemakers and consumers, enhancing mutual appreciation and support.
Laurent Vernhes. He spent 20 years shaping Tablet Hotels into a tech and luxury travel icon, culminating in its acquisition by the discerning Michelin Group 4 years ago.
Now, Laurent is channeling his expertise and refined taste into launching a wine company committed to delivering the world’s finest wines at fair prices.
In this episode, we explore the art of building luxury brands, quality obsession, and treating business as an artistic endeavor.
A deep and independent thinker, Laurent shares his life lessons with us in a beautifully vulnerable way.
Timestamps:
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:18) Introduction and Greeting
(00:01:30) About Laurent's Thought Process and Life Experiences
(00:01:50) Journey of Building Tablet Hotels
(00:02:20) Motivation Behind Starting Tablet Hotels
(00:04:12) Importance of Convincing People in Business
(00:07:15) Challenge of Funding
(00:09:55) Growth and Business Model of Tablet Hotels
(00:10:15) Difference in Business Approaches
(00:11:04) Brief on LVMH & Bernard Arnaud
(00:12:00) Methodology of Growing Businesses
(00:14:07) Process of Shift to the Next Business Venture
(00:16:18) Process of Looking Inward For Growth
(00:19:09) Decision on Regaining Entrepreneurial venture
(00:20:46) Intersection of Art and Commerce
(00:22:57) Art, Wine, and Commerce
(00:23:24) Structure of the Wine Industry
(00:24:18) The art of wine making
(00:26:04) The drawback of removing alcohol from wine
(00:26:26) Scouting wine artisans globally
(00:27:58) Mission to help people discover good wine
(00:31:30) Learning about the complexity of wine distribution in the US
(00:34:38) Money as a means of freedom
(00:37:14) Engaging with life through entrepreneurship
(00:40:37) On becoming an angel investor
(00:42:51) Self-growth and patience
(00:45:33) Creating something desirable
(00:46:29) Fulfillment and Happiness
(00:49:45) Fulfillment as Satisfaction
(00:53:30) Personal Growth and Intent
(00:57:39) About New Business MV Wine
(00:59:41) Engaging with Life When Awake
(01:02:06) Dealing with Unfiltered Challenges
(01:05:32) Creating a Vehicle to Express Creativity
(01:07:31) Perception of Selfishness
(01:08:07) Conclusion and Gratitude
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode