The Power of the Welcome: More Than a First Impression

Hey Beloved,

In about a week, I’ll be solo at home while my wife heads to Montana for a near week-long retreat at a special lodge called Refuge.

As we talked about what to expect, I told her, "Just wait until you experience the welcome."

Because it’s not just any welcome—it’s wild.

When you arrive, you don’t just check in—you get celebrated. Music blasting. People cheering. A mix of Yeehaws and Amens like you just ran out of the tunnel for the Super Bowl.

Before you even step inside, you feel something powerful:

You belong. You are loved. You are here for a reason.

That moment always leaves an impression on me. Because whether we realize it or not, the way we welcome someone shapes everything that follows.

And at Refuge, the welcome sets the tone for the entire experience. It tells you, from the very first second, that this is where you are supposed to be.

That’s the power of a great welcome.

And it got me thinking…

What if we saw the welcome not just as a mundane formality—and instead saw it as a powerful moment of connection?

Because whether in business, leadership, or relationships, the welcome carries weight.

It’s the first impression, the opening exchange, the invitation into an experience.

And in that brief moment, a decision is already being made—does this feel like a place I want to be?

That’s why the welcome matters. It sets the stage, frames the experience, and shapes how everything unfolds from there.

Let’s dive in deeper…

The Welcome Creates the Expectation

Think about the last time you arrived somewhere new—maybe a hotel, a friend’s house, a meeting, or even a virtual event.

Before you even spoke to anyone, you were already forming an expectation based on the welcome.

• Was it warm, inviting, and intentional?

• Did it feel transactional, rushed, or impersonal?

• Did you feel like someone was ready for you—or like you were an afterthought?

We’ve all had experiences where the welcome felt like a non-event—the door barely opened, the greeting was generic, the check-in process felt like just another task.

And we’ve also had moments where the welcome made us feel seen—where we could tell, from the very beginning, that someone had already thought about us before we arrived.

That’s what hospitality is at its core:

It’s the thought of you before you got here.

And nowhere is that more evident than in the welcome.

The Multiple Moments of Welcome

We tend to think of ‘the welcome’ as a single moment—an opening handshake, a greeting at the door, a first interaction. But when you step back, you realize something deeper: welcome isn’t just one moment. It happens again and again.

Every great experience has layers of welcome—each one an opportunity to affirm, reassure, and invite people further in.

And in the places we live, work, and play, those welcomes happen in more ways than we often notice:

1. The Awareness Welcome

The moment someone first stumbles across you—your brand, your business, your work.

Maybe they land on your website, see a post, hear your name in a conversation.

Right then and there, a decision is already forming.

The question: Does it feel inviting? Does it spark curiosity and trust?

2. The Conversion Welcome

The moment someone makes a decision—whether it’s signing up, making a purchase, or saying yes to an opportunity.

That’s a vulnerable moment. They’ve just committed.

The question: How do they feel immediately after that decision? Do they feel reassured? Do they know they’re in the right place?

3. The Physical Welcome

The moment they step into a space—whether that’s a hotel, an office, an event, or even a Zoom meeting.

The question: Does it feel intentional? Do they feel expected, considered, and valued?

The best organizations, leaders, and brands don’t leave the welcome to chance.

They design it with purpose.

What’s Your Welcome Saying?

Here’s the challenge: Take a moment this week to evaluate one of your welcomes.

• What’s the first impression someone has of your business?

• How do people feel when they engage with your brand for the first time?

• When someone walks into your space (physical or digital), what’s their initial experience?

And most importantly—is your welcome creating trust, excitement, and belonging?

Here’s the truth:

People may forget what you say. They may forget what you do. But they will never forget how they feel when they were welcomed.

Make it count.

Also…thanks for reading this. I appreciate you a ton. 🙏

Nathan

P.S. Too many businesses and leaders miss the opportunity to make a lasting first impression. When your welcome is rushed, impersonal, or overlooked, it leaves people feeling uncertain—or worse, unseen. But when you design the welcome with intentionality, it creates trust, sets the right expectations, and makes people want to engage deeper.

Through Beloved Hospitality, I help businesses and leaders reimagine their customer and team experiences using the Unreasonable Hospitality framework. Together, we’ll refine your welcome, identify key touchpoints, and create intentional moments of connection that inspire trust, loyalty, and growth.

If you’re ready to turn ordinary interactions into moments of impact, let’s talk.

Your welcome sets the tone—let’s make it unforgettable.