About this episode
ABOUT RICHARD LEMS:Richard’s LinkedInProfile: linkedin.com/in/richard-lems-4235082aWebsite: rituals.com (Company)Email: richard.lems@rituals.comSHOW INTROAbout 12 years ago, I was visiting Amsterdam and spent days wandering the city, eating stroop waffles, pancakes, drinking coffee and shopping along the Kalverstraat. The Kalverstraat is one of the main shopping streets in the city center of Amsterdam. It’s more like an outdoor pedestrian mall jammed with the retail stores of well-known international and home-grown Dutch brands as well as independent retailers.My preferred approach to exploring an unknown city is generally given to wander about, sometimes down alleys, looking through fences or over walls into hidden courtyards. It’s mostly about discovery. Looking for things that other tourists may not find and connecting to the local nature of a place.I remember coming to a corner and an open door invited me into a store I was unfamiliar with. Crossing the threshold, I stepped away from the rush of the crowd and entered into to another world. It looked homey. Warm and cozy.Perimeter wall units were illuminated with colorful frames, each identifying a specific category of merchandise. And…it smelled great!I didn’t know the Rituals brand but my first experience, 12 plus years ago, is easy to recall with a vivid sensory-based memory.I liked the store’s name, since I have had a fascination with the idea of rituals, what they mean, how they are enacted, whether participating directly in them versus being an observer had any effect on their relevance. I spent the next half hour sampling fragrances, learning about ancient rituals upon which the products were based, the products’ ingredients and how they had an effect on our body and mind.And of course, I bought bags of products home. The smell of spray bottles that stayed in a bathroom drawer for a while after they were emptied, brought me back to the street corner, the city of Amsterdam, the food and the friends I met while there. From a neuroscientific point to view, scent is deeply connected to memories. Scents can quickly affect mood. That’s why realtors suggest that baking cookies or bread when you are about to show your home is a good thing; because it activates emotions and nostalgic memories that make people feel more relaxed and draw a connection to a sense of comfort and
