18th & Arch: How My Regus Office Inspired My Dream to Collaborate with Four Seasons

18th & Arch

As I was putting the finishing touches on this painting, my mind went somewhere I hadn’t thought about in a while.

Years before art became my full time career, I had office space through Regus.

They have locations all over the world, and I worked out of more than one of them, but my favorite was always the office at 18th and Arch in Philadelphia.

Getting there wasn’t always easy. Parking downtown could be a challenge until I found a parking lot near Community College that became my regular spot. I’d park, make the walk to my office, and start my day. Looking back, I smile because those little routines became some of my favorite memories.

One of the things I loved most about that office was the location. It sat right next door to the Four Seasons. That’s one of the reasons I was there so often. I’d meet clients for lunch, dinner, drinks, or business meetings. Other times, I’d stop in because I loved the atmosphere. It was elegant without trying too hard. It was the kind of place that made you want to raise your own standards.

During that season of my life, I was building Olympian Luxury Rentals, Ad Astra, and VM31. I was wearing a lot of hats, learning as I went, and doing everything I could to build businesses I believed in. I even celebrated my one year business anniversary at the Four Seasons. I still have the pictures, and every time I come across them, they remind me of that chapter of my life.

 

Now, when I walk into a beautiful hotel, I notice different things.

I notice the artwork.

I notice how a painting can completely change the feeling of a room. I notice the details that guests may not even realize they’re responding to. I think about how art can become part of someone’s experience long after they’ve checked out.

As I looked at this painting, I caught myself smiling.

What would it feel like to walk into the Four Seasons one day and see my work there?

Of course, I can picture an original painting hanging in a guest suite, the spa, the restaurant, or throughout the hotel. But my imagination goes much further than that.

I picture beautifully designed room key cards featuring original artwork instead of a standard design. I picture custom journals in every suite with artwork on the cover. I picture collectible art prints that guests can purchase because they connected with a piece during their stay. I picture a seasonal artist collaboration where the artwork changes throughout the year, giving returning guests something new to experience each time they visit. I even picture a suite curated around the work of one artist, where every detail tells a story.

Those ideas excite me because they allow people to experience art in unexpected ways.

The Four Seasons has been on my list for a long time. Not because it’s a luxury hotel, but because it has been connected to so many memories in my own life. Long before I imagined collaborating with them, I was already walking through those doors, meeting clients, celebrating milestones, and enjoying the atmosphere.

It’s funny how life works.

Sometimes you’re standing in a place for one reason, only to realize years later that God may have been planting a different idea in your heart all along.

I don’t know where this painting will end up.

I do know I’ll keep creating, keep sharing my work, and keep believing that the opportunities meant for me will find me at the right time.

And if one day I happen to walk into the Four Seasons and see my artwork there, I’ll probably think back to that Regus office at 18th and Arch, those walks from the parking lot, and all the memories that started long before I ever called myself a full time artist.