Today on Hospitality Design Talks, host Rachel Larraine Crawford sits down with Amy Morris of The Morris Project to talk about the real reason most hospitality brands struggle: it’s not a marketing problem — it’s a clarity problem. Amy shares how she helps founders define who they are in one to two sentences (and why every decision — interiors, hiring, menus, and guest touch points — should flow from that).

You’ll hear Amy’s approach to building a brand with the whole team (not just the owner), why consistency is what makes something feel elevated (not price), and the small, often-forgotten details that create big guest “chemistry”—from the host stand to the bathroom to the menu design. Plus, she offers an easy brand clarity audit you can do this week to see if your team is aligned or accidentally creating confusion.

Connect with Amy Morris / The Morris Project:

1. Find Amy on Instagram (The Morris Project)
2. Email: hello@themorrisproject.com
3. Grab Amy’s Brand Guideline Here

Connect with Rachel Larraine

Website

Instagram

Interior Design Services

Newsletter Sign Up

Want more guidance from me? Sign up to appear on the Holistic Hospitality Design Podcast for a design audit. You can book your design audit here.

Lighting is doing far more than helping guests see — it’s shaping how long they stay, how comfortable they feel, and how much they spend. In this episode of Hospitality Design Talks, host Rachel Larraine Crawford sits down with Martin Epstein, founder of Tazz Lighting, to unpack how intentional, layered lighting quietly drives guest behavior, brand perception, and business performance.

With decades of hands-on experience — from electrical contracting to large-scale hospitality projects — Martin shares why lighting should be treated as a strategic system, not an afterthought. Together, they explore how hospitality lighting has evolved from purely aesthetic to deeply experiential, operational, and human-centered.

Whether you’re opening a new restaurant, renovating a hotel, or refining an existing guest experience, this episode offers practical insights into how lighting can become your most powerful (and invisible) team member.

1. Why lighting acts as a “silent host” that influences guest mood, dwell time, and spending
2. The biggest lighting mistakes Martin sees in hospitality spaces — and how to avoid them
3. What “layered lighting” really means, and why even light levels kill atmosphere
4. How warm color temperatures (like 2700K) support comfort, intimacy, and lingering
5. Why lighting controls and scene programming are non-negotiable for hospitality spaces
6. How lighting transitions throughout the day without guests consciously noticing
7. What tunable white and circadian lighting are — and where they truly make sense
8. Why you should never leave lighting decisions solely to an electrician
9. How early collaboration between designers, lighting experts, and contractors saves money and stress
10. Trends shaping hospitality lighting today — from tunable systems to intelligent controls
11. Martin’s advice for owner-operators planning lighting in 2026 and beyond

Thoughtful lighting isn’t about adding more fixtures — it’s about designing comfort, flow, and emotion. When lighting is planned early, layered intentionally, and controlled intelligently, it enhances guest experience, reinforces brand identity, and quietly supports revenue without ever demanding attention.

Martin Epstein ,President & Co-Founder, Tazz Lighting, Inc.

Martin Epstein is the President and co-founder of Tazz Lighting, Inc., a premier San Diego-based lighting

design, distribution, and consultation firm known for delivering innovative and high-quality lighting solutions

for residential, commercial, and architectural projects. With over three decades of experience in the lighting

industry, Martin has built a reputation for excellence rooted in deep technical expertise, thoughtful design

sensibility, and a client-centered approach.

Tazz Lighting has guided projects from concept through completion, partnering with architects, designers,

builders, and homeowners to elevate spaces through carefully curated lighting, advanced control systems, and

energy...

In this episode of Hospitality Design Talks, host Rachel Larraine Crawford sits down with her longtime teacher and mentor, Amanda Sophia, for a conversation that blends feng shui, seasonal wisdom, and conscious business—with a special focus on the “in-between” season we’re in right now (that liminal space between the Year of the Snake and the incoming Fire Horse).

Together, Rachel and Amanda explore how your space—whether it’s your home, studio, restaurant, spa, or retreat property—acts as a living mirror for your energy, your patterns, and your next level. This is a grounded, soulful episode about clearing what’s no longer aligned, choosing collaborations from full-body yes, and setting your business up for expansion without burnout.

Amanda reframes January as a time that often asks us to slow down, reflect, and stop forcing momentum just because the calendar flipped. Instead of hustling, she invites you to tune into nature’s timing—winter as rest, dreaming, integration… the space where clarity actually lands.

Amanda shares a deeper view of feng shui: your home or business isn’t random—it’s often a soul match. You’re drawn to certain spaces because they reflect your energetic blueprint, and they can also support your healing and evolution. Your environment mirrors back what’s happening internally—clutter, broken items, stuck corners, loose handles… all of it carries information.

As we move into a Fire Horse year, the energy shifts toward:

1. expansion, movement, opportunity
2. heart-led leadership (integrity matters more than ever)
3. authentic expression (no watering down your true work)
4. collaboration—but only with full alignment

Amanda also names the shadow side: with fire + speed comes the risk of burnout, scattered energy, and saying yes too quickly. The medicine? Grounding and deep nervous-system support.

Amanda gives clear, beginner-friendly guidance for activating supportive energy in your business this year:

1. Southeast: the most auspicious energy (prosperity, joy, success, “peach blossom” connection energy).
2. Simple activation ideas: a candle ritual, meaningful symbolism of prosperity, or planting something outdoors in the SE area.
3. East: another highly supportive prosperity area.
4. Activation ideas: a salt lamp, fiery-toned crystals, uplifting intention, daily energetic practices in that zone.
5. South: the area to support with metal to help neutralize more challenging energy.
6. Examples: a metal bowl with coins, bronze décor, metal objects...