Discount or belonging: a question that applies to both people and brands.
LUMEN No. 1 · NOVEMBER 1, 2026
I was recently reading about what was discussed at the Asia-Pacific Spa and Wellness Summit in Margaret River, Australia, and one question stuck with me: Does your loyalty program offer a discount or a sense of belonging? Behind that lies a deeper question, one that applies equally to brands and to people: Does what we offer stem from who we are, or from what we think the world expects of us?
For fifteen years, I worked in luxury marketing in New York, Shanghai, and Europe. In China, my job was to gain a deep understanding of international kitchen and interior design brands such as bulthaup, Rimadesio, and Sub-Zero & Wolf, and to translate their technical messages—rooted in other cultures—into communication that would inspire people there without losing their essence. There, I learned that a brand stands strong when everything it does stems from its values.
Meanwhile, I was living at the pace of fast-paced, highly commercial cities. Without realizing it, I gradually lost touch with myself: I was paying more attention to the outside world than to my inner self, until my body began to send me signals. In search of answers, I turned to health.
I learned to listen to myself again—to pay attention to what I eat, how I rest, and what I need. And along the way, I decided to support others who were going through the same thing: I trained as a health coach, and, eager to learn more, I’m now finishing my degree in Nutrition and Dietetics.
When we pay more attention to the outside than to the inside, gaps open up.
For me, “wellness”—a word that’s been used so much in recent years—now means consistency: that what I think, what I say, and what I do are all aligned. It’s built into everyday life, decision by decision, and some days I’m better at it than others.
Working with brands, I’ve realized that they’re just like people. Sometimes they look so much outward—at the competition, at trends, at the next campaign—that they lose sight of who they really are. That’s when gaps appear between what they say and what the consumer experiences: messages that don’t quite get through, experiences that fall short of the promise. That’s why today I want to do my part: to help them review their values, their messages, their offerings, and their experiences; to clear away what’s gotten stuck; and to bring them closer to who they truly are and who they want to be.
I return to the question I asked at the beginning. The answer begins within, in a simple yet profound process: bringing awareness and presence to what we do, recognizing where we have strayed from who we are, returning to our values, and moving forward from there, step by step.
When what lies within finds its harmony, everything else follows suit. And what arises from that place is recognized, respected, and chosen anew.
A GESTURE FOR THIS WEEK
Think of something you do every day almost on autopilot: your first cup of coffee in the morning, what you do when you get home, the last few moments before going to sleep. This week, pay attention to it and ask yourself why you do it and whether it meets your needs and aligns with what’s important to you.
Lumen was born here. In Latin, it means “light,” and that’s what it aims to be: a little light every two weeks to help us pause and reflect on whether what we think, say, and choose is all heading in the same direction—both personally and when it comes to brands. If there’s a brand or project that inspires you, or one you’d like a second opinion on, write to me. Thinking together is also a way of taking care of one another.
TWO QUESTIONS TO WRAP UP
For you: At what point in your day could you listen to yourself a little more?
And for your brand or your project: in what ways could it be more true to itself?
Paloma García-Forte
Founder of Bonam · Science · Strategy · Experience
If you have a brand or project in the health, hospitality, design, or lifestyle sectors, and you want what you communicate and what your audience experiences to tell the same story, let's talk.
