I often take a walk to my local bakery/coffee shop to do my writing. This place never fails to get me out of my ‘work mind’ and into a more creative space. (Plus the aromas and food are delicious. Talk about inspiring!)

Now this isn’t your run-of-the-mill Starbucks. Oh no!

This is a French bakery, owned by a couple who were actually trained in Paris. (They’ve won multiple awards for their skills.) 

She is the pastry chef/chocolatier and he is the baker. 

Their offerings range from meringues, macarons and chocolate bonbons to quiche, omelettes and savoury pies. My favourite is their pain au chocolat.

One bite and I’m transported from my busy, noisy Toronto neighbourhood back to a bench in the Loire Valley listening to passers-by parler-ing francaise as I marvel at chateau-influenced architecture while savouring the soft buttery flakiness of the croissant as it melds with the sweetness of the thick chocolate strip nestled inside.

What I also love about this cafe is the French music that plays softly in the background as the staff, all French themselves, speak to their customers with that smooth purse-lipped warmth that actually makes the English language sound romantic. 

As I sit here pondering what to write, my eye is drawn to a replica of the Eiffel Tower sitting on the counter. It’s glazed in a sunny yellow which goes well with the burnt orange accents throughout the bakery’s decor, and I begin thinking about how iconic the Eiffel Tower is; how often it’s used on decorative pieces and how often I want to buy something simply for that reason alone. 

Do I need another plate? No.
Do I need one with a decal of the Eiffel Tower on it? No, but now I want it. 

In fact, now that I think about it, I own a set of plates and coasters each graced with dear Eiffel’s creation. Plus I own a few other Paris-inspired items: a mug with a scrolling font reminding me that “Paris is always a good idea”; a rectangular red chocolate box from Maxim’s, a Parisian mainstay; a small pillow I place on my bed each morning, its text taunting “I’d rather be in Paris”; a beautiful black and white silk scarf with The Tower and other Parisian symbols printed on it. I also used to own two Tower-like garden ornaments (and still would if I hadn’t downsized). 

Am I obsessed? Maybe. 

I think the appeal of such iconic symbols are the dreams and memories they conjure when we see them whether we’ve seen the structure in real life, read about them in fiction or marvelled at them on the big screen.  

In movies, the building anchors us in the setting. 

One flash of the structure and we instantly know where we’re being taken and immediately conjure for ourselves an image of the local people and life as we imagine it. 

The hero’s emotional challenge draws us in and we flow with them in and around the structure further embedding it in our psyche and deepening our emotional connection.

Think: Hunchback of Notre Dame (Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral), Bridget Jones’ Diaries (London’s Big Ben), Roman Holiday (Rome’s Colosseum), The Da Vinci Code (Florence’s Duomo), An Affair To Remember and Sleepless In Seattle (New York’s Empire State Building). 

The reason these buildings become icons and why we’re drawn to these structures is because they make us feel something. 

My heart warms when I use my plates. They feel special. They have the power to transport me, like the pain au chocolat, to various times and places that mean so much to me and into the imaginings of more idyllic times to come. 

Even before I ever went to Paris, I longed to go. It was as if my life wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t see this icon in real life. I longed for Italy’s and London’s landmarks almost equally. 

What I’m pondering now is…do we each have something iconic within us that others are inexplicably drawn to? 

I invite you into that inquiry:

What is it that draws your friends, lovers and clients to you and keeps them coming back for more? 

What qualities do you possess that make others feel good just to be around you?

What magic do you emit that anchors the plot of your life’s movie?  

When you can name it, you can claim it and begin creating the same powerful draw that has millions clamouring to see Eiffel’s erecti…ah-hem, manifestation.

After all, his tower was once just a idea he likely doodled in a sketchbook while sitting by the Seine, sipping red wine and nibbling a baguette…
Once on paper, he got better clarity, people got on board and his dream began to take flight.

Think about it. 

What is YOUR iconic draw?
How can you share it with your prospects and clients so they’ll be drawn to work with you?

Need help finding your iconic draw? I have a powerful process that does just that.  Let’s chat

J’aime Paris!