There are few things more important or more central to success than desire. Intrinsic to the human condition, desire reminds us who we are and who we seek to be. Directing our thoughts and informing our decisions, desire does not discriminate – it has no age, no gender, no boundaries and importantly no limitations. It provides the most powerful mechanism from which to pursue our dreams while providing us with an audacious capacity to question, challenge and facilitate change. Desire is a natural instinct that cannot be ignored and I have consistently allowed desire to act as my compass.
Stimulated by a lifelong engagement with fashion, travel, food, architecture, art and design, it is desire that has provided the impetus for BPM’s transition into a multi-faceted and truly iconic lifestyle brand.
Over the past 12 months I have written a great deal about desire and how the various dimensions of passion and obsession have informed the decisions that I have made and the opportunities that we have collectively pursued as a business. Stimulated by a lifelong engagement with fashion, travel, food, architecture, art and design, it is desire that has provided the impetus for BPM’s transition into a multi-faceted and truly iconic lifestyle brand. In championing this vision and in order to live up to our promise, I have transposed a more challenging, global and creatively driven culture onto our business – one that pushes the boundaries of creativity, artisanship and exclusivity beyond any reasonable and rational critique. For it is within these realms that I believe we are free to imagine our future and confidently pursue the luxury of our ideas.
Evidence of our continued success has taken many forms. Operationally we have liberated our procurement teams to pursue new strategies and new sites which has resulted in the development of our first luxury hotel offering. Our development teams have also been empowered to explore new project typologies and supporting products that bolster our existing luxury credentials while consolidating our goal to strengthen our vertical range of services including planning, design, finance, sales, construction and property management.
From a financial perspective, our continued investment into multi-residential towers has allowed BPM to diversify its geographic footprint and pursue international opportunities with a focus on Los Angeles – a market that I believe currently lacks the commitment to establish a compelling residential architectural and design offering. In recognising this, our goal to introduce BPM to a sophisticated luxury consumer in this region will not only continue to drive growth, but allow our brand to establish a clear and compelling position from the outset.
Predictably, some of our strategies have been validated through the critique and criticism offered by our competitors and peers.
Predictably, some of our strategies have been validated through the critique and criticism offered by our competitors and peers. While the lion’s share understand and acknowledge the long term benefits of building value into their master brand – and the subsequent transference of that value across all of their products and services – many are still focussed on a short term property paradigm where the only value proposition resides within the lifestyle cues of ‘location’, ‘affordability’ and potential ‘return on investment’.
While maintaining this strategy in a buoyant market will no doubt yield short term rewards, it will inevitably fail to deliver long sustainable value and liberate a business to remain nimble and responsive when the market turns. Perhaps in this instance, as in much of life, Henry Thoreau captured it best when he remarked that ‘it's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see’.
For me, anything that offers reward and fulfilment is worth pursuing. I have spent my life building businesses around the pursuit of my passions and by acknowledging my desires. My advice to others would first be to know who you are, pursue your passions and the rewards will follow.
Jonathan Hallinan
Founder and Managing Director
BPM
