Unreasonable Hospitality: The Missing Strategy in Your Copy, Marketing, and Online Business
I’ve been thinking a whole lot about hospitality lately.
Not the “we brought you water and a smile” variety.
Not the “your order will be right out” variety.
Not even the classic “please enjoy this branded journal we mailed you as onboarding swag” variety… ( I have a lot of those… too many, if I’m being honest)
I’m talking about unreasonable hospitality—the kind that makes someone feel delighted, held, cared for, and genuinely considered.
And surprisingly?
It’s the strategy most online businesses are not using.
Today, we’re fixing that.
The Book That Sparked It: Unreasonable Hospitality
I recently picked up Unreasonable Hospitality*, and oh my LORD—
It is so good.
Like… so good.
*If you buy through that link, yes, I will get a bit of money to put towards my next mind-expanding read. Thank you! Want to borrow it from your library or bookshop it to your favorite local bookshop. I love that too. It’s worth the read!
If you love food, read it.
If you’ve ever worked in a restaurant, read it.
If you still have muscle memory for section charts, rushing the pass, or hustling triple-sat tables? READ IT.
If you dream about a chef’s table at Noma, French Laundry, or Eleven Madison Park—the places where food becomes theater and service becomes poetry—this book is your new best friend.
And if you’ve watched The Bear, especially Richie’s storyline?
This is exactly where that level of service DNA comes from.
But here’s where it hit me in the chest:
Hospitality isn’t just for restaurants.
It belongs in copy, marketing, client experience, and our overall business strategy.
The Old Online-Business Playbook Never Felt Right
Back in the early 2010s and 2020s, female founders, especially, were told to:
Build high walls
Guard your time
Cut access
Minimize giving
Maximize pricing
And listen—I understand the why.
Burnout is real.
Boundary-setting is necessary.
But the version I watched play out online?
It often dipped into… stinginess.
Value hidden behind ten gates.
Gifts that weren’t actually thoughtful.
Automations that felt more like conveyor belts than connection.
It never felt right to me.
Maybe that’s because I grew up in restaurants—where hospitality is a skill, not just a vibe.
Or because I spent years babysitting, nannying, and teaching, where anticipating needs is basically your superpower.
I like giving.
I like giving a shit.
I like making people feel something.
I like being part of an experience, not a cog shuttling clients from “cold lead” to “thank you page.”
What If Hospitality Is the Missing Business Strategy?
And not the templated “customer journey.”
Not the UX wireframe.
Not the “send them a mug” onboarding gift.
I’m talking about the level of hospitality that makes someone feel like they just slipped into the cozy center of your business ecosystem—and want to stay forever.
In the book, there’s a story about guests visiting NYC for the first time. It was snowing on their last night in town—something they’d never seen before.
So the team at Eleven Madison Park arranged a surprise chauffeured trip to Central Park for sledding… plus mugs of hot chocolate.
Like…
Come ON.
It’s unnecessary.
It’s impractical.
It’s wildly thoughtful.
It’s unreasonable hospitality.
And imagine feeling that level of care from a business coach, copywriter, designer, strategist, consultant, or creative service provider.
Exactly.
Hospitality in Copywriting (Yes, Really)
As a copywriter and strategist, I’ve been exploring what “unreasonable hospitality” means beyond food and service industries.
Here’s what it looks like in online business:
1. Hospitality in Your Copy
Copy that makes people feel:
Welcomed
Seen
Considered
Understood
Guided instead of pushed
It’s micro-moments like:
Explaining your pricing with clarity, not shame
Making your sales page feel like a safe place, not a battlefield
Writing emails that feel like a warm hug, not a funnel step
2. Hospitality in Your Offers
Not more deliverables.
More thoughtfulness.
Not “stuff.”
Experience.
3. Hospitality in Your Funnels
Funnels that actually feel good.
That don’t manipulate.
That don’t trick.
That don’t crank the pressure dial so high your subscriber needs Tums afterward.
4. Hospitality in Your Programs
Tiny surprises.
Thoughtful touches.
Moments that make someone say, “Wait… you thought of THAT?”
Imagine This Level of Care in Your Business
Not sledding in Central Park (unless you want to—I fully support that).
But:
Unexpected support
Moments of human connection
A beautiful, intuitive onboarding
A “just because” email that makes someone’s day
A truly personal offboarding gift
An experience so warm and considered they can’t stop telling people about you
Imagine your clients feeling so cared for that they never even think about going elsewhere for what you do.
Imagine you feeling that good about the way you deliver your work.
Hospitality becomes a brand moat—one that can’t be copied by templates or AI or anyone trying to recreate your magic.
The Big Question
What would your business look like if hospitality was woven through everything?
Your copy?
Your marketing?
Your delivery?
Your renewals?
Your onboarding?
Your surprise moments?
I think it would change everything.
And I think—deep in your gut—you already know exactly where that change wants to begin.
