We were lucky to catch up with Katie Hingle recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Katie, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
My parents raised 4 children on a budget. And they taught us to work and save for the things we wanted, even when we were quite young. My first paycheck job was when I was 15. As my mom dropped me off for my first day, she shared with me advice that her first boss had given her. “Don’t wait to be told to do something. If you are done with your primary work, look around and see if there is something else you can do to help. Wipe down a counter. Straighten up a drawer.” I took her advice to heart and have approached my work with that belief – there is always something I can be doing. She also taught me to juggle multiple jobs, or work and college, and make sure I was taking care of the bills, plus having money to enjoy life with.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
A few years ago, I found myself asking a quiet but magnetic question: How can we celebrate people in a way that actually feels meaningful—for both the giver and the recipient? That question became Lavish.
Lavish is a boutique experience company that designs deeply personal, story-led experiences for people going through life’s big and beautiful moments. Sometimes that looks like a surprise birthday, a mother-daughter getaway, or a luxury proposal. Other times, it’s a grief ritual, a solo healing retreat, or a quiet “you matter” day for someone who’s spent a year carrying everyone else.
What makes Lavish different is that we don’t start with what someone wants, we start with what they need to feel. From there, every detail—spa appointments, car service, menus, artful gifts, personal touches—is built around that core emotion. Everything is customized. Nothing is cookie-cutter. And every experience includes a curated gift box to introduce the day like a love letter in disguise.
On a personal note: I spent 30 years in tech before this. I know the relentless pace many people are living inside. That’s why Lavish was built to feel frictionless—something that feels magical for the recipient but easy for the giver. I always say: You tell me the occasion, the vibe, and the budget—and I’ll take it from there.
Right now, I’m focused on expanding into new cities and partnering with aligned service providers—chefs, stylists, spa teams, photographers—who help bring these experiences to life across California and beyond. And for the first time, Lavish is offering executive gifting programs and white-label experiences for companies who want to really take care of their people—not with a gift basket, but with meaning.
At its heart, this is more than a business. Lavish is about connection, presence, and giving people the kinds of memories that stay with them. I feel honored, every day, to create that.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. Emotional Intelligence & Intuition
More than any formal skill, learning how to listen deeply—to people, to energy, to what’s unspoken—has shaped everything about how I work. Every Lavish experience starts with asking: What do they need to feel? Being able to attune to that with warmth and precision changes how you serve, how you lead, and how you design.
For anyone building something meaningful: trust that your sensitivity is a strength. Start noticing patterns in how people respond to you, ask curious questions, and don’t underestimate the power of stillness. Insight often arrives when it’s quiet enough to hear it.
2. The Ability to Curate, Not Just Create
I don’t believe success comes from doing everything yourself—it comes from knowing what feels aligned and choosing wisely. Whether it’s a restaurant, florist, or spa, what matters most is not how popular the vendor is… it’s how well they match your client’s emotional frequency.
For anyone learning to build brand magic: treat every partnership or decision like storytelling. Ask, Does this help tell the story I promised? Curation builds trust. It shows restraint, discernment, and confidence.
3. Business Operations with Soul
I spent decades in tech—leading teams, launching programs, hitting goals. That gave me the operational backbone to run this business with clarity and care. I track invoice pipelines and write dreamy love notes for gift boxes in the same breath. And both have to be beautiful.
If you’re starting out, don’t avoid the “business side”—learn it. Build systems that support your creativity instead of stifling it. When your operations are clean and values-led, your work feels lighter—and your clients feel held.
Lavish may lead with emotion and experience, but it’s grounded in real structure, real discernment, and real human care. That’s the combo I swear by.
And if you’ve got that tug toward building something beautiful? Trust it. The calling is never random
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Yes—Lavish is rooted in collaboration. Every experience I design is only as magical as the partners who help bring it to life.
I love working with fellow creatives, service providers, and business owners who share my commitment to presence, personalization, and beauty with heart. That includes:
✨ Private chefs and sommeliers
✨ Spa teams and wellness practitioners
✨ Boutique hoteliers and unique venue hosts
✨ Stylists, makeup artists, and photographers
✨ Artisans and shop owners with intentional offerings
✨ Travel advisors who plan with soul (not spreadsheets)
If you’re someone who believes that true luxury is about how it makes people feel—not just the price tag—then we’re likely a fit.
Lavish is expanding into new cities and spacious weekends, so I’m especially open to discovering hidden gems: thoughtful collaborators in walkable towns, wine country, coastal destinations, or anywhere that invites beauty, rest, and celebration.
If you’re reading this and feel the spark—reach out. The best partnerships begin with values that align, and a shared love of making people feel deeply cared for.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lavishexperienceco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lavishexperienceco/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-a-602360/
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
