THE NEW STATUS SYMBOL ISN'T WHAT YOU WEAR. IT'S WHO YOU ARE BECOMING

The shift in luxury culture is moving towards internal transformation over external acquisitions. Success is now seen in personal growth and development rather than material possessions like Rolex watches or luxury cars. Investing in oneself through coaching and wellness programs is becoming the new status symbol, signaling sophistication and understanding of true success. Becoming who you are meant to be is the ultimate luxury that appreciates over time and brings genuine satisfaction. This internal work not only enhances professional life but also makes you more present, authentic, and fulfilled as a person. Success is now about evolving and investing in transformation rather than just accumulating external markers of success. Hi and welcome to another episode of Joyfully Speaking. This show is titled, The New Status Symbol Isn't What You Wear, It's Who You Are Becoming. And I've been noticing something of a shift in the conversations I've been having with some of my clients lately. Five years ago the talk over lunch was pretty much about acquisitions, the new Rolex, the upgrade to the BMW 7 Series or which boutique had the limited edition piece that everyone was chasing. Status was worn, success was super visible. You could see it on someone's wrist, it was in their driveway or simply hanging in their closet. But recently I've seen the conversations have changed. Now the talk seems to be more about transformation. Comments like, I've started working with a coach, I'm doing this incredible wellness program, I've been investing in myself differently. There's an energy to these conversations that wasn't there before, not the temporary high of acquisition but something quieter, more substantial, something that lasts. The luxury market is experiencing a shift that most people haven't quite articulated yet. And I wonder if you're feeling it too. For decades luxury meant external markers of success, the handbag that signalled you'd arrived, the watch that communicated status without saying a word, the car that announced your trajectory before you stepped out of it. These weren't just purchases, they were credentials in a language everyone in your world understood. I am not here to diminish that. There is genuine, genuine pleasure in quality, in craftsmanship, in the weight of something beautiful in your hands. The Rolex on your wrist isn't just telling time, it's telling a story about taste, achievement, independence. But here's what I find interesting. Bill Gates, one of the wealthiest people on the planet, said something that's been quietly revolutionising how successful people think about investment. He said this, everyone needs a coach. It doesn't matter whether you're a basketball player, a tennis player or a gymnast, we all need people who will give us feedback. That is how we improve. Not everyone needs a Rolex, but according to Gates, well, everyone needs a coach. Something profound is happening among the people who've already accumulated the external markers of success. Their discovering that the Rolex feels better, means more, brings genuine satisfaction when it's worn by someone who's actively becoming, rather than simply having. Jack Welch, the legendary CEO of General Electric, put it this way, before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others. But here's what he understood that many miss. You never stop needing to grow yourself. The moment you do, everything else starts feeling hollow. I think about the clients I work with in luxury brands, finance, law, advertising, they've achieved everything they were told would make them happy, and yet there's that question that keeps surfacing in quiet moments. Is this it? That's not dissatisfaction, that's evolution trying to happen. Oprah Winfrey, who, let's face it, could buy anything she wants, said the whole point of being alive is to evolve into the complete person you are intended to be, not to accumulate the most, to evolve into completeness. This is the shift. The truly sophisticated luxury consumer is realizing that the next level of status is not another external acquisition, it is internal transformation, and unlike the handbag that loses its thrill within weeks, investing in who you are becoming appreciates over time. When you work with a coach, when you invest in your wellness, when you commit to personal development, you're not abandoning the appreciation of beautiful things, you're becoming someone who can genuinely appreciate them. The difference between wearing luxury and embodying it is the work that you do on yourself. Howard Schultz, who built Starbucks into a global brand, understood this. He said, the most powerful and enduring brands are built from the heart. They are real and sustainable. Their foundations are stronger because they are built with the strength of the human spirit and not an ad campaign. He was talking about companies, but the same is true for people. Your personal brand, the way you show up, the way you lead, the way you connect, the way you live, is only as strong as the internal foundation you have built. Here's what I am observing. Having a life coach or wellness program is becoming the BMW7 series of personal development. Not because it's trendy, but because it signals something sophisticated about your understanding of success. It says I'm self-aware enough to know I need support. I'm successful enough to invest in transformation, not just transaction. I understand that real luxury is who I am becoming and not just what I am accumulating. The executive who casually mentions their coach over dinner isn't bragging. They're signaling membership in a different tier. People who understand that the best investment they can make is in their own evolution. And the beautiful paradox? The Rolex becomes more enjoyable. The achievement feels more satisfying. The success, it just fits better. This is being experienced by someone who's present, authentic, continuously developing. Someone who isn't sleepwalking through their own accomplishments. I'm not suggesting you trade your Rolex for reflection. I'm suggesting that investing and becoming the person you're meant to be makes everything you already have and everything you'll still achieve more meaningful. Oprah also said something that stops me every time. Everybody has a calling and your real job in life is to figure out as soon as possible what that is, who you were meant to be, and to begin to honor that in the best way possible for yourself. The people who look back on their lives with the deepest satisfaction are not the ones who collected the most impressive things. They're the ones who became the most complete version of themselves. They evolved, they grew, they invested in transformation. And here is what nobody tells you. That internal work, that commitment to wellness and development, that relationship with a coach, it doesn't just make you better at your job or more effective as a leader. It makes you better at being human, more present, more authentic, more genuinely satisfied with everything you've worked so hard to achieve. So here's my question for you. What are you investing in? Not just your money, your attention, your energy, your commitment to growth. Are you still chasing the next external marker of success, hoping it will finally be the thing that makes you feel complete? Or are you ready to acknowledge what the most successful people already know? But the ultimate luxury is becoming who you're actually meant to be. The Rolex will still be there, the BMW will still be beautiful, the achievements will still matter, but they'll mean something different when they're worn, driven and celebrated by someone who's actively, intentionally evolving. That's not a luxury you can buy off a shelf, but it's the one investment that appreciates every single day for the rest of your life. The most successful people I know have something in common that has nothing to do with what's in their garage or closet. They've invested in becoming, not just having. They understand that transformation is the new status symbol. If you've been curious about what that kind of investment might look like for you, let's have a conversation. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is simply explore what's possible when you commit to your own evolution.