Quiet luxury

I took Sara Blakely’s MasterClass during covid. And the biggest takeaway I had from the course wasn’t about bootstrapping a business or embodying the entrepreneurial mindset.

It was about where she got her ideas.

In the class, she mentioned how she’d drive in her car for an extra hour every morning because that’s where her best thinking happened. It’s even where she got the idea to name her company Spanx.

I’ve been paying more attention over the last year to where I get my best ideas. And mine are in one distinct place: the shower.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come running out of the shower with soap in my hair to jot down an idea before I lose it. The fact I haven’t slipped yet is a miracle.

And I have a sneaking suspicion of why I get my ideas there.

It’s because I finally get a chance to quiet my “monkey mind.” It’s so focused on getting the knots out of my hair, that a small window opens up in my consciousness and ideas just flow through. It’s like my mind is in a trance of making the perfect water-to-CeraVe ratio that abstract concepts can slip in through the back and deliver the most creative ideas to me.

Since realizing this, I often shower twice a day. Sometimes three if I’m really needing a creative boost.

And the ideas just keep coming.

It’s taught me an important lesson: identify where your best thinking happens. Then just keep doing it and trust the process. Your breakthrough ideas will show up eventually.

Hey, this is Kelsey, founder of SiteSee. I’ll send an email like this every Friday where I’ll share my musings from my travels, the latest research undertaken by our travel writers, as well as recommendations for travel products, interesting podcasts, good reads, and more.

In my email last week, I included a poll asking how you’d categorize yourself as a traveler. I had a hunch a large majority of our readers are in the have money, will travel category:

But as Louis Grenier from Everyone Hates Marketers put it: don’t make assumptions on top of assumptions. “It's so easy to live in your head and treat half-truths as THE truth. But it's like a house of cards that can collapse any second. Instead, ship small, and learn fast.”

So our team is still learning and testing out our new positioning statement, but we’re planning on launching the re-brand next month. More to come there.

I don’t know if it’s the hours spent binge-watching Succession last week or the fact I still get a laugh out of this meme:

But I’ve been stuck on this concept of “quiet luxury.”

That is, luxury brands who reject logos and distracting decals in favor of superior materials and unmatched attention to detail.

Our writer Meredith Kane took a deep dive and put together a list of the 12 best travel brands that embody quiet luxury and it’s got me reaching for my wallet, ready to upgrade my carry-on. Cuz after all, isn’t investing in quality over quantity what your 30s is all about?

Other things I’m mulling over:

• This podcast episode with Tim Ferriss and Derek Sivers and his book, Anything You Want (thanks Maria for the rec!). Besides some pretty epic takeaways, Derek Sivers is a whole vibe and I love the way he thinks.

• I joined the cult and got an Oura ring. I’m still learning how to leverage all the data, but overall, I’m very impressed

• I’ve been listening to this playlist inspired by my favorite artists and put together by good ‘ole Chat GPT.

As always, here are our latest articles published last week:

• 11 Best Breathable Underwear That’s Ideal for Travel

• 10 Best Rewilding Retreats for Women

• Girls Glamping Trip: 10 Glamping Ideas for an Unforgettable Trip

Thanks so much for reading, and if you found something useful or interesting in this email, mind forwarding this newsletter to a friend (or having them subscribe here)?

Otherwise, thanks again and feel free to reply here. I open and respond to everything.

Onwards,

Kelsey