If you want to understand how to attract high-end clients, Larry Walshe is a masterclass in human form.
Larry is the founder of Larry Walshe Studios, a boutique global event design firm known for delivering extraordinary, high-impact experiences for ultra-wealthy clients, celebrities, and luxury brands. His team operates across London, New York, Italy, and the South of France, producing multimillion-dollar weddings and large-scale creative installations. Larry has become the go-to creative partner for clients who demand best-in-class execution, impeccable taste, and absolute discretion. His real genius lies in translating a client’s psychology into unforgettable moments and orchestrating artisan teams around the world to bring those visions to life.
On the Beyond A Million podcast, Larry broke down exactly how he built a brand that naturally attracts elite clients, without chasing them, discounting, or acting salesy. What follows are the most actionable lessons straight from his playbook, using Larry’s own words.
How to Attract High-End Clients by Saying No More Than Yes
Most founders think growth comes from saying yes. Larry believes the opposite.
“I think learning, for example, actually the most important tool is to say no way more than it is to say yes.”
Saying no is not about being difficult. It is about positioning. Larry explains that “saying no maintains that air of exclusivity that ensures that as you do accept those projects and say yes, you are actually doing that for what is your ideal client type.”
This mindset protects you from the trap most businesses fall into. Being busy but unprofitable. As Larry puts it, “You could be the busiest florist in the world, making no money.”
High-end clients are not impressed by how much work you do. They are impressed by what you refuse to do. Larry refuses projects that do not meet his quality threshold, even if the budget sounds impressive on paper. “Fine, you want to spend a million, that’s great, but hold on. But what do you want for that million? Oh, you want two million worth of stuff for a million? Yeah, I’m out.”
When you say no consistently, you train the market on what you stand for. That is how you attract clients who already respect your standards before they ever talk to you.
How to Attract High-End Clients by Marketing to Who You Want Next
One of the hardest truths about moving upmarket is that your current audience will not come with you.
Larry is blunt about this. “You need to start marketing to your ideal client type, not the client that you’re currently attracting.”
When founders raise prices or shift positioning, they often panic when inquiries slow down. Larry warns that this is normal. “In the transition period between moving categories, you are going to lose people. The first thing that you’re going to see is a downturn, before you see that shifting.”
This is where most people quit. They take the rejection as proof they made a mistake. Larry sees it as a necessary clearing phase. “You’ve got to clear the diary of the person you don’t want anymore, and you’ve got to be willing to ride that wave.”
The irony is that sending higher fees to old clients is part of the process. “They’re going to be shocked, they’re going to fall off the floor, and they’re going to be like, thank you so much. I’ve gone in a different direction.”
That discomfort is the cost of repositioning. If you stay consistent long enough, the right clients eventually replace the wrong ones, and they do so willingly.
How to Attract High-End Clients Without Selling at All
Larry does not consider himself a salesperson, and that is exactly why people buy from him.
“The best piece of advice anyone ever, ever gave me, I don’t sell anything, I show options. And people buy on their own.”
Instead of pitching, Larry starts with a blank page. “I start every single conversation and every brief, essentially with a metaphorical and a physical blank piece of paper. The first thing that I do in any client onboarding situation is I sit and I listen.”
He is not listening for surface-level preferences. He is listening for psychology. “I’m playing psychologist way more than I am playing salesman. What I want to do is I want to understand the client’s psychology behind what it is that you stand for.”
Once he understands what truly matters to the client, the sale becomes inevitable. “It’s trying to get to the nub of what is essentially fundamentally important to your client as quickly as possible. The faster you get there, the more money you’re going to make.”
By the time price comes up, the decision has already been made emotionally. As Larry explains, “After that point, the price is irrelevant. You’ve already bought into it. You’re going to buy it.”
High-end clients do not want to be sold. They want to feel understood. When they do, they choose.
The Real Secret to How to Attract High-End Clients
What makes Larry’s approach work is consistency. He does not dilute quality. He does not compromise standards. He does not chase trends or validation.
“The consistency of me saying no over 11 years and turning all of those things down is what’s made me desirable.”
High-end clients are not attracted by hype. They are attracted by clarity, boundaries, and confidence. When you know exactly who you are for and who you are not for, the right people feel it immediately.
If you want to hear the full conversation with Larry Walshe, you can listen to the episode here:
https://beyondamillion.com/audio/larry-walshe-luxury-brand-attracts-ultra-wealthy/
