Nathalie | Day 14

Today was Sunday so I took a break from work and went on a long stroll with Isaak. We walked all the way from our apartment in the 9eme, down the canal, through the remnants of a farmer’s market, across the bridge, through Jardin des Plantes, and to a hole in the wall cafe near Cardinal Lemoine. We also passed by some killer flea markets with beautiful antiques that reminded me of my grandmother’s 102 years’ worth of collections.

Earlier this week we also went on one of the most amazing Vayable experiences by one of our new insiders, Guillaume, who offers a really incredible food tour in Paris.  His passion and deep-seated knowledge really shined through in the experience and reminded us all how much talent there is out there and how important it is for us to experience this kind of Insider knowledge and not just set off on our own, assuming we can know a city from a book. (We highly recommend Guillaume’s experience!) 

Who did you meet?

For most of the day I just noodled around with Isaak. It was much needed downtime.

What interaction stood out most and why?

Later in the evening we met up with a couple that was preparing for their wedding later this week and another couple that was on their honeymoon. So we popped a bottle. Why not? Life is short.

What was the biggest challenge?

Getting my order in at L’Avant Comptoir. It’s so crowded in there!

What new ideas did you have?

Long hair + bowls of olive oils on high tables = an oily mess.

What did you discover about yourself?

I should wear a ponytail or a bun when I eat. Normally in Vietnam I get at least one grain of rice somewhere in my hair. But in Paris it’s olive oil! At least it’s good for your hair, I’ve heard.

What’s something new you learned about the Vayable business/community?

I must admit that today I didn’t learn anything new. It was Sunday! So I tried to let my mind rest a bit from Vayable business. That doesn’t always work, of course, because everyone’s first question is about what I’m doing here in Paris.  

How’s the team doing?

I think some people are actually feeling a little lonely. Sometimes you feel the loneliest in big cities where you are constantly surrounded by people. Paris in particular might make our team feel alone because of language barriers–or maybe because it’s such a romantic place that, if you don’t have someone next to you, you really feel that absence.

Jamie | Day 13:

The danger of Paris

The chief danger about Paris is that it is such a strong stimulant. –T.S. Eliot

I haven’t yet shared what it’s like to be responsible for all of this, for bringing 7 people away from their creature comforts, daily routines, family and all the stabilities and resources at home into something entirely unknown.  In order for the pop-up headquarters to be possible, we’ve all required of one another to create pop-up lives here.  We’re not a large corporation sending employees to Paris on a perk trip.  We’re a startup that is relying on everyone’s scrappiness, individual contributions, flexibility and open-mindedness to make this possible. I think about this nonstop.  I think about how precious time is for a startup – every tick of the clock is an opportunity to be seized.  Is this the best way for us to spend our time? I could answer this before with an emphatic “YES!” because it was still theoretical.  Now we’re here, in the homestretch of our experience, and I don’t think the yardsticks I was using to measure our success here was necessarily the right ones.  Seizing the moment is not about doing as much as humanly possible, but making each moment as meaningful as possible. This is how we’re learning. These are our wins–when we are able to extract meaning and gain value from the moments we create.  I must admit, there has not been a moment when I am not worried about the wellbeing of everyone on our team, of our community and of the health of our business.  It’s a constant state of preoccupation, no matter how rapidly we’re growing or how many snags we run into – it’s always on my mind. Right now, it’s “was this a success?”  I don’t think we will fully know until we return home.  

Who did you meet?
I met Christophe, Romain (a friend of Christophe), several members of the OuiShare community (I can’t recall all their names), Mariel, who is an old friend from high school, and her adorable(!!) daughter Noemie and husband, Thibault.  I also met several members of the sandbox community: Cristian, Joana, Timur, Nettra and Audrey.  


What interaction stood out most and why?
So many this time.  The evening I spent catching up with Mariel, discussing cultural differences with her and Thibault, and gawking at their beautiful and sweet daughter was a definite highlight.  Also incredibly meaningful was wandering the Parisian streets with Romain, who grew up just outside of Paris.  It was one of those rare, poetic days that I worry could could dilute in meaning by trying to shape a narrative of it here.  

What was the biggest challenge?
Feeling lonely.  I’ve never had so much concentrated social interaction with such amazing, inspiring people in my life, and yet, what comes with it is a sense of loneliness that is hard to put into words.  


What new ideas did you have?
If we want to live in a world that blends work and play, then we need to be open to reconstructing how we think about monetization.  Currency, after all, is just a vehicle to sharing.

Also, Paris is a feast for the eyes and a famine for the pocketbook.  


What did you discover about yourself?
One of the most important things to me in life is a good conversation.  

What’s something new you learned about the Vayable business/community?
When we talk about a city, we’re really talking about it’s people. The beauty of Paris – the lights, the architecture, the Seine, and the scent of fresh bread—these are all human expression and signs of life, which is what makes them so magical. The Paris (or New York or Barcelona or Hong Kong) you visit is constructed from the interactions you share with the people, and the expressions of its people.  Whether we’re communing with those of the past or the present, the red thread is that together with our presence, as the visitor, we are mutually enriching one another. This is the beauty of travel and of cultural exchange which makes the world such a beautiful place to live in.  
How’s the team doing?
I think people are doing well overall.  I think we’re getting tired and worn down, and without our usual support systems, it’s tough to know what to grasp on to.  Perhaps a bottle of wine. 

Nathalie | Day 12:

Today the craziest thing happened. Michelle and I were out for our morning jog before heading into a day of interviews and meetings. Near a park entrance, we saw a man with three little pugs. One of them perked its ears and trotted toward us, wagging its tail. When we squatted to pet it, the owner suddenly screamed. “Don’t you touch them!!”

Startled, I looked up. “What’s the matter? Your dog came over to say hello to us. Does it bite?”

The man softened. “Oh, I’m sorry,” he said. “I thought you two were gypsies trying to steal my dog.”

He explained himself, apologized profusely, and began making nervous small talk (“Oh, you haven’t heard of gypsies stealing dogs and selling them in Belgium? …And where are you from? …Aren’t pugs great dogs?”). All the while my heart was still beating fast. And though she could pick out words like “Belgium” and “chien,” poor Michelle had no clue why this stranger had screamed at us. The three pugs wrestled each other and crawled into our laps for a couple of awkward minutes. Then I finally stood up and told him I’d translate for Michelle his mistake. “Please tell her I’m sorry,” he said. I said I would.

Who did you meet?

Well… to be honest I met a racist dude who assumed that two brown-skinned girls jogging were gypsies trying to rob him.

What interaction stood out most and why?

The pug story obviously stood out. But to lighten things up, later today I was on the Metro headed to a meeting and I saw a little boy with plastic glasses singing softly to himself in English. He sang a “1-2-3” song the entire way from Chatelet to Republique.

What was the biggest challenge?

Finding time to eat. I skipped breakfast and then was hungry all day as we zipped around to different meetings.

What new ideas did you have?

I’m not sure why I wrote the story about the dude with the pugs. I could have written about the picnic we had under the sparkling Eiffel Tower or the champagne we popped beside Canal St. Martin. In the end, I guess I wrote about a rude encounter with a racist guy on the street because it’s so often that travelers share their glorious adventures and jealousy photos. Maybe it’s healthy to share a bit about the irritating stuff we go through as well. At least it feels more honest.

Why do so many people have this urge to make their lives (and especially their travels) seem better than reality? Even though we all know we are shaped by bad experiences as well as good, even though we know that both frequently happen, we narrate our lives so positively that–to me at least–it often seems borderline fake. I’m not sure if this is a particularly American phenomenon or if it’s something bigger than that. But this sort of autobiographical optimism has definitely taken a new life with the increase of online communication: blogs, emails, profile posts on social networks. Why post so many blurry selfies where you look better than in person? Why send out photos of an infinity pool and hot babes instead of ones where you’re rained on and sweaty?

I’m not necessarily pointing fingers–I do this too, to a certain extent. I’m just confused why our tendency to glorify our lives online–to write and post only the beautiful things about us–is so prevalent. Would it be more honest if our online lives more accurately reflected our realities?

Or would it just be more depressing?

What did you discover about yourself?

After all those deep thoughts, I realize I might be a hater.

What’s something new you learned about the Vayable business/community?

Everyone I’ve met with is extremely eager to learn more about connecting to travelers through online platforms. I think the common thread is that the people I’ve targeted understand first hand how enriching it is to experience a place through the people you meet there. Again, the draw is the human connection, not the money.

How’s the team doing?

Good. Happy. Fatter.

Jamie | Day 11:

The French are Rubbing Off on Us

A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of Life.  ― Thomas Jefferson

A couple months ago we welcomed esteemed community guru, Douglas Atkin, over to our office in San Francisco for lunch and a fireside chat about community. Douglas is famously (or infamously, depending on who you ask) known for his provocative metaphors. Communities start with “bum sniffing,” or the testing-the-waters-to-see-if-you’re-like-me stage. Then, the goal is to rub members together and make them sticky. Communities are people who bind together like glue around shared values and similarities they perceive in one another.

Regardless of taste in humor, however, most seem to listen to Douglas because his ideas work, and I’m starting to see this happen here. Our Insiders are joining in on each other’s experiences, sharing drinks, conversation and connecting both online and offline. And our members are not the only ones rubbing together and getting sticky: we are too. We all seemed to assimilate certain fashions of the French rather quickly.   It’s nice to know we’re such an open-minded and flexible bunch. We’ve taken to the quart d’heure vaudois (the French rule of being 15 minutes late), like des poissons dans l’eau. We’re increasingly replacing emails with face-to-face meetings, as those good in business here do. Meals are sacred and take on a life of their own, meaning no fire in the world could tear us away from enjoying company and cuisine for as long as they’re meant to last (perhaps one hour, perhaps five). Using our smartphones in the presence of others is just plain rude. And emails? If you have more than one idea or more than several sentences in an email, it may go unanswered. Perhaps try Facebook messenger, or better yet, come find us at Mutinerie or suggest we meet for coffee. I’ve even noticed our team meetings have slowly evolved from brisk, action-oriented reports, to less structured discourse focused more on ideas and discovery than on an immediately obvious result.  It’s tough to say whether this experiment in Parisian living will create long-term benefits or harm, but it’s clear that right now, there’s no turning back and we’re becoming a part of this community.  This all is at once both incredible and terrifying for me. The French are rubbing off on us.

Who did you meet?

I went on the Do the Louvre in an Hour experience with Uriel and had a lovely dinner with Christophe and Guillaume at my flat.  

What interaction stood out most and why?

Tonight I made dinner for two new friends: Guillaume (the guy in the top hat, founder of Djump) and Christophe (founder of Uinfoshare and a true connector). After dinner, Guillaume, Christophe and I retired to the living room for some cheese and another glass (or three) of wine.I had been telling them how I really want to improve my French. I remembered that my college French lessons classes were actually all on YouTube because we learned through the “immersive” learning program, French In Action, which aired on PBS (American public television), so I decided to find a few of the episodes and show it to Christophe and Guillaume. 

I always joked about how comical this program was — in fact, it was a running joke with my roommate, Josh, and I during university that all I knew how to say in French was “Moi? Je ne vais pas a la fac!” (“Me? I’m not going to school!) or “il a un complexe parce que ses parents sont divorcés” (“He has a complex because his parents are divorced).

Turns out, this was even more ridiculous to my French and Belgian friends than I could have imagined. Not only is the series dated, but it leans heavily on ridiculous stereotypes of the French that suddenly made the light bulb go off for all of us. “This captures and explains so many of our cultural misunderstandings!” Christophe said. The series was created by a Frenchman who taught at Yale, so I always thought of it as “authentic” French. But Christophe and Guillaume didn’t care that the creator was French — they saw this as clearly American.  t was produced out of Yale and aired on American Public Television. Nothing about this was authentic other than (possibly) some of the 1970s slang.

What was the biggest challenge?

Trying to figure out how to translate Celsius into Fahrenheit when baking a frittata and fish!  I nearly burned dinner because apparently I had it at like 550 degrees Fahrenheit.  

What new ideas did you have?

Perfecting the Insider experience on our platform is so important to delivering travelers the best experience. Nothing can replace these conversations we’re having with them and I want to make sure we keep this up even after we return home.

What did you discover about yourself?

The dining room table is my favorite place to work, wherever in the world I am.

What’s something new you learned about the Vayable business/community?

Travelers, Insiders, guides …everyone on our platform are truly peers, and it’s so representative of the world we’re living in, the way the economy is shifting and a new framework for thinking about services and transaction. Together we’re paving the way for a whole new way to relating to commerce.

How’s the team doing?

I think everyone has really found their groove.  It’s also interesting to notice the different kinds of work environment each of us need varies by time of day or week, project and function we serve in the company.  This has never been more apparent than now. Everyone seems to be having fun, going out in the evenings and discovering the city, working hard meeting Insiders, fixing bugs, and bringing the community’s ideas to life. It’s truly amazing to be a part of this.

 NATHALIE | Day 10: 

Dream of Things That Have Never Been

Last year my sister, an artist, made a beautiful print that read:

Dream of Things That Have Never Been
But Someday Will Be

I was reading a lot of French philosophy at the time (Bourdieu!), so this message resonated with me. How do things emerge out of nothing and eventually become perceived as normal and everyday–both in the physical world and in our minds?

This sounds like a strange and abstract question, but really I think this is at the core of Vayable’s project here in Paris. We’re trying to build a community and business around something that, until now, has never existed before: a platform that connects travelers to insiders around the world. Not professional tour guides or operators, but regular people who have interesting insight into the place they call home.

The possibility of really nailing this, of making this kind of travel the norm, is exciting. Knowing what it’s like to explore with friends around the world, I can envision how lives will change when the masses move beyond regular travel channels. It sounds cheesy, but I think people will begin to see each other and foreign places in a deeper, richer way. At least that’s what I hope.

Who did you meet?

More potential Insiders. I had meetings all day back to back. Lots and lots of coffee–though by the end of the day I was ready for an aperitif.

What interaction stood out most and why?

For dinner Isaak and I met a group of his friends from Hanoi who were all, randomly, passing through Paris. I can’t get over how small a world it is. All lines lead back to Vietnam, even from way over here at a wine-infused dinner on Parisian cobblestones.

What was the biggest challenge?

When I met Maiu, a lovely Vietnamese-Czech girl interested in becoming an Insider, we couldn’t figure out what language to speak! We kept jumping from English to French to Vietnamese because we were so excited to meet a fellow Vietnamese. Even though she thought I was Latin at first, I think.

What new ideas did you have?

I thought a lot about how daunting it was, at the beginning, to wrap my mind around how to actually go about growing the Insider community. It’s hard to figure out strategy beforehand, at times. I have a lot of friends that get paralyzed, in a way, when they are trying something new. For better or for worse, I do my best to strategize, then just jump in and execute (adjusting my strategy along the way of course). You don’t know how to do something, but somehow your naivety grants you the courage to just jump in and try. And, in trying, you learn how.

What did you discover about yourself?

I do not like Andouillette. Pas du tout.

What ‘s something new you learned about the Vayable business/community?

The people who are drawn to becoming Insiders are not in it solely for the money. While it’s great to have an extra income source, most of the people eager to meet me are interested in living a life outside of traditional work structures. They want to have flexible hours so that they can pursue other passions. And they want to meet and connect with people. Half the draw, I might say, is connecting to a network of other Insiders around the world. They can share Parisian secrets and then, wherever they travel, know that they’ll have access to Insiders who have a comparable insight.

How’s the team doing?

Happy and, possibly by now, a bit fatter from all this cheese. We can’t help it. It’s not fair.

Jamie | Day 9:

Past and Present

There is but one Paris and however hard living may be here, and if it became worse and harder even – the French air clears up the brain and does good – a world of good. -Vincent van Gogh

I’m feeling more at home in Paris than I do back in San Francisco. That happened fast. I no longer mistake random French passers-by for my friends back at home but now see actual friends out on the street or meet up with them in the evenings after work. My days and nights are filled with rich interactions with Insiders, team members and others in the startup community. Even the moments of quiet I snag from time to time are rewarded by the view of Parisian rooftops outside my living room window, the scents of fresh bread as I pass by the corner boulangerie and most notably, the insights that surface when the chaos around me calms and I have a chance to assimilate the activities and conversations of the day in a new way, because I’m in a new place.

As a child, every relationship in my life was introduced by my family. Now, every relationship I have here is created and sustained by Vayable.To experience the fading of the line between work and play in my own life from a place known to draw one of the starkest lines between the two brings me a sense of promise and encouragement about the future of the economy and the future of global cities such as Paris.

I’m so privileged to have this opportunity to do what I truly believe is my life’s calling and to create a space where new relationships and more meaningful experiences in an age-old destination can thrive.

As I walk home at the golden hour to meet Gabe at our apartment, I think back upon other moments of my life in which I walked through the streets at this same golden hour on my way home. The memories string together like vignettes in a half-written book.

Some of my earliest memories are walking home alone as an 11-year-old in junior high, smelling the strong scent of roasting coffee while toting my blue Jansport backpack,  relieved to retreat home at the end of an uninspiring day of algebra problems and Spanish oral presentations. Years later I would walk home from classes in Madrid, walking past cafes and bars where old men would sit outside with a beer and cigarette, stealing an hour of freedom before returning home to their families. Ten years ago, on the other side of Paris, I would walk home from the metro École Militaire after a long days work at a nonprofit where I assisted the president of France’s largest NGO in developing an online hunger alert system. Like the men in the streets of Madrid, I’ve always thought of this golden hour, between work and home life, as sacred moments that were mine alone, to reflect, meander and celebrate the “in-between” work and play, or public duties (school/work) and private duties (family/home).

Now, ten years later, back in the meandering streets of Paris, going home now feels different. It does not give me a sense of retreat, but rather instills in me a strong velocity of forward movement. I’m going home to meet Gabe to welcome him to our home for the next 10 days and then hop on the metro to join the rest of our team at an Insider’s home for some tapas and apéro.  In my life, the line between work and play is diminishing, the way the golden hour spills into the late hours of a warm summer night in Paris. 

Who did you meet?

I met Leonor and Thomas, two amazing hosts we met at an EatWith dinner.

What interaction stood out most and why?

Speaking with Leonor about living in Barcelona, why she hosts meals and discussing the balance between the idealistic (meeting new people, cultural exchange, a more equal economy) and the pragmatic (making a living in the economic reality we live in).

What was the biggest challenge?

Saying no. There was so much I wanted to do and see and people I wanted to meet today, and I just simply didn’t have the time to do it all.

What new ideas did you have?

I believe collaboration is the future of travel – everything about my experience here reinforces that. I want to ask the community what it thinks, so I decided to create a panel at our Community Demo Day event next week where we present our work to them and ask them that question. Really excited for it.

What did you discover about yourself?

When there’s good conversation, it’s impossible for me to feel tired.

What ‘s something new you learned about the Vayable business/community?

The word “SIMPLIFY” keeps appearing in my thoughts as if it’s a love song I have stuck in my head. This is the challenge for us right now – our product and team has a lot of benefit from simplification, and there’s nowhere like Paris to really drive home that need. :-)

How’s the team doing?

We’re all back together again, and it feels really amazing. I think everyone is discovering so much about our product and about themselves and the team, and it’s incredibly inspiring to see how much each person has really taken ownership of their own experience and is making the most of our time here. Carpe diem.

Nathalie | Day 8

I went to Belleville to meet Julien, a potential Insider. Like most of our Insiders he’s an entrepreneur–spending most of his time these days as a ghostwriter and walking tour guide for university students. “I’m an artist,” he laughed. “What can I say?”

We were sitting outside of a little cafe before taking a mini tour of his neighborhood in the 19th arrondissement. Julien explained how this was area, once the outskirts of Paris, has a colorful history. It was both the site of old cinema studios and a great wine destination (Parisians used to head there on the weekends to avoid the import tax on all wines that were brought into the city proper)–with all the vices that accompany gratuitous drinking you can imagine. Now the working-class neighborhood is being gentrified.

Who did you meet?

So many potential Insiders! I met Michael from Uganda, Julien from Bellevile, Benoit from the south of France, and Nicolas from Paris.

What interaction stood out most and why?

When the waitress didn’t pay attention to us at the cafe, Julien jumped up and did a crazy dance in the doorway. “Oh!” I said. “So thaaat’s how you get the waiter’s attention in Paris.” I had been wondering about that. It does take a while sometimes to get the wait staff’s attention in restaurants.

“What was that dance for?” the waitress asked, popping her head around the corner.

“It was to tell you that we’re here and that we miss you,” Julien said.

She laughed and took our orders.

What was the biggest challenge?

To be honest, it’s been hard to balance all of the work that I normally do (operations, finances, payments). I go out to recruit and meet Insiders all day (which is lovely!), but then have to catch up on everything else at night.

What new ideas did you have?

I thought about Marx, randomly. Julien was telling me about the history of the commune and the revolution–and we got to talking about Marx’s “The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Napoleon.” My new idea is that it would be amazing to read that article here in Paris. Maybe for all the nerds out there I’ll make a literary itinerary based on reading literature in the places where it’s most relevant.

What did you discover about yourself?

I can walk 12 miles and not notice.

What’s something new you learned about the Vayable business/community?

The community goes in both directions. I can see all these potential Insiders being travelers just as I can see them being Insiders. That’s what’s great. The value isn’t just the payment you get–but the community of Insiders you get access to when you pack your bags and go.

How’s the team doing?

We’re (almost)  finally together! Eskil arrived this afternoon.

Jamie | Day 7: 

On Innovation and Lonliness

The problem with the French is that they don’t have a word for entrepreneur. -George W. Bush

I met Guillaume outside of a bar where one of the co-founders of OuiShare, Benjamin, was a spinning a party.  When our mutual friend, Arthur, introduced us, Guillaume wouldn’t crack a smile or a warm hello, he just seemed skeptical and answered my question with a matter-of-fact monotone that signaled to me he had no interest in my bullshit smalltalk.  But as our conversation progressed into more complex topics, such as his motivations for building a new makers space in Paris and the economics of the collective, a smile lifted on his face and his voice became more animated.  I discovered that he’s Sephardic, so we bonded over our heritage (I’m Ashkenazi).  He is pouring his heart and soul into creating something out of nothing (a Makers Space) because he believes in living a meaningful life and that this endeavor is a vehicle to get him there.  I could relate.  

We started talking about community and loneliness. This seems to be a common theme here in Paris – this (yes, another) tension between solitude and collaboration.  And when I think about it further, loneliness seems to be the impetus for so many innovators I meet, regardless of where they’re from, as the products and organizations they build so often seem to be an antidote to their loneliness  And the irony – or perhaps, poetry– in it all, is that the communities we build with so much passion and fervor, have the power to bring much meaning and satisfaction and even company into our lives, but fundamentally do very little to change our inevitable condition of being alone.   At one point, interrupting a “seven-minute-silence,” Guillaume said the following:

The more lonely you are
The more you know about yourself
The more truthful you are
The more people believe you
The more you sell your book.

Hearing these words come out of the mouth of the founder of Paris’ newest maker space not only made me laugh, but it made me feel less alone.  How silly to think that any individual’s condition alone can impact our destiny.  It’s ultimately up to the community, or the market. 

Who did you meet?

I met Julien, the founder of Holidog. We chatted sharing and the future of travel over a Perrier and coke. I spent the evening before with Arthur, Diana and Christopher at a bar where Benjamin from Ouishare was spinning.

What interaction stood out most and why?

The conversation I had with Guillaume left an imprint on my mind. 

What was the biggest challenge?

Staying in. I am staying in a beautiful apartment and had a lot of work that required me to be on my computer. It was a cold and dark Sunday, so actually a good day to stay cozy inside.

What new ideas did you have?

Maybe one day I’ll move back here and host Vayable experiences as an Insider.

What did you discover about yourself?

I don’t take enough time to read books and I would like to. 

What ‘s something new you learned about the Vayable business/community?

Everyday the opportunity seems to get greater. 

How’s the team doing?

I think everyone got their party on this weekend, so good! 

Nathalie | Day 6:

Secrets on Parisian Rooftops

We spent the afternoon on Sarah’s custom shopping tour. I have to admit: I am not a shopper. I can tell if something is nicely made, but really don’t recognize most fancy brand names. I still wanted to go on this experience with Sarah, though, because she is one of our most important Insiders–and we wanted to pick her brain about how working with Vayable has been for her.

We met at Cafe Pure, where we started our adventure with a noisette (espresso with a drop of milk) and a celebrity sighting (Ines de la Fressange, a former supermodel who just published a book on the fashion industry).

That's Ines de la Fressange behind Sarah!

For the rest of the day, Michelle was blissfully in her element–eyeing the newest designs by Isabelle Marant and Vanessa Bruno. I picked up what I could and learned the term for window shopping: lèche-vitrine (or literally “licking the window). I did a lot of that.

Who did you meet?

Sarah, one of our top Insiders not only in Paris, but also in the world.

What interaction stood out most and why?

I loved where we ended up at the end of the day. Talk about Insider knowledge!

Sarah led us to this out of the way street in the 20eme, where we stopped at the entrance of a regular-looking residential building. There were no signs. We walked in, got in an elevator, and took it to the very top to a stunning rooftop bar. It was probably the most beautiful sight I’ve seen in Paris so far. So many beautiful Parisian chimneys, Montmartre in the background, and lovely chairs nestled around potted garden plants. It was the opening night of the rooftop bar and restaurant–which was so new and secret that it doesn’t even have a name yet. In between sips of rosé, we tried to take a surreptitious photo here and there.

What was the biggest challenge?

Finding the secret rooftop!

What new ideas did you have?

Remember when we first arrived and I wrote about meeting that handsome American waiter? Small world! At dinner we realized that my boyfriend Isaak is friends with him–years ago they lived together in Paris for a week. Our new idea is to show up with Isaak at the restaurant and surprise the waiter.

What did you discover about yourself?

Well, to be honest I still don’t like shopping very much. I love walking around and exploring Paris, but being in stores tires me out. I always end up sitting on those little couches with the husbands holding their wives’ shopping bags.

What’s something new you learned about the Vayable business/community?

The challenge is that we’re building a business based on Insider knowledge, which is something that is extremely hard to commodify. The experience we had with Sarah at all her favorite shops and then the secret rooftop–how can we put a price on that? There’s something deeper there than just a financial exchange. If Sarah hadn’t liked us, for example, then would she have brought us to such special places? Maybe we would have just ended up at a run of the mill brasserie instead.

How’s the team doing?

I think everyone’s still happy and excited about the discovery part of our journey, but eager to reconnect to the rest of our team who arrive on Monday and Tuesday. Then we can finally be a whole family again!