On Noticing

What is Experiential Hospitality with Isaac French?

This is the audio version of my weekly newsletter, Experiential Hospitality, where I share stories and insights to help you craft unforgettable spaces and experiences through design & hospitality.

On noticing, I'm heads down fighting
through mud, creative mud, but I'm pretty

sure I have the upper hand in the battle.

I'm about 50 hours into making a video
that I thought might take 10 max.

I can't wait for you all to see it.

It's crazy how much procrastination
I've had to fight with this project.

Months, all for a single video.

And then once I finally
started, I found every excuse

imaginable to do something else.

Each time I sat down at the computer,
but then something shifted once I

fought through the most difficult
part, digesting 20 hours of footage

to see what the story actually was.

Momentum kicked in, and then
energy even better than espresso.

It got me out of bed early this
morning before it was fully light.

And I've been obsessing over the opening
shot sequence and sound design ever since.

I'm not just investing time into a
video, people may or may not watch.

I feel like I've uncovered a deep passion
and how I'm putting myself through the

school of doing, but time will tell.

About two hours ago, I stopped
to make a quick call to my

uncle who lives in Montana.

We ended up talking for nearly two hours.

There's a story there I want to share
another time, but for now, our family

experienced something last week that
felt nothing short of a miracle.

My wife's cousin, a 4-year-old boy had
drowned, but through prayer and the

amazing medical team that helped him,
he somehow came back 10 days later.

He's perfectly healthy.

As I write this, when something like
this happens, regardless of the outcome,

you can't help but be changed by it.

My heart is overflowing with gratitude.

But also something else awareness.

That reminds me of something my
mother-in-law just shared in church.

My in-laws and grandparents had
flown to Israel a few weeks ago

for a friend's wedding hours.

After the celebration were erupted,
they were staying right next to one

of the countries, two air bases, a
major target for incoming missiles

all night and all day sirens sounded
and fighter jets landed and took off.

They had to go to the bomb
shelter dozens of times.

Through all of it, she said she
became increasingly sensitive to the

smallest things, almost the opposite
of what you'd expect Tragedies

can do that miracles can too.

I look out my window as I write this.

The oaks and cedar elms outside
aren't just flat gray anymore.

Winter's default for deciduous trees.

There's gray, but now
it's tinged with green.

I walked outside to get a closer look.

Tiny buds have erupted at
the tips of every branch.

Multiply that up and down
every tree, and you see it.

Spring is here, but you
have to see, not just look.

You feel it too.

The air is warm, but
also earthy and pungent.

It's a little thick, but not heavy.

It's time to grow.

Yes, I love the change of seasons.

But the simple ordinary ability
to notice is even more precious.

Sometimes it takes an external event
to wake us up, and sometimes it just

takes putting down your work thoughts,
distractions for a minute, stepping

outside, calling an old friend,
letting time get away from you.

So back to the phone call.

As the conversation progressed, I felt a
little anxious because of the calendar.

I had an important meeting I had
to be at plus a webinar to give a

few hours later with thousands of
folks registered that I still needed

to prepare for, but I let it go.

A phone call is never quite as good as
face-to-face, but this one was good.

We talked about everything from World
Affairs to raising teenagers, the

miracle with his son, natural disasters
and weather patterns and beyond.

We laughed a lot.

I felt like crying a few times,
and I noticed a whole bunch of

things I hadn't before, including
the simple fact of how much I enjoy

this person and the gift they are.

I'm going to take that energy, the
awe, and the humility, and pour it

back into this video I'm working
on right now and my presentation

tonight, and the people I'm around.

I'm going to slow down a
little more often and notice.