Do you really own a pink motel?

Read time: 4 minutes.

Me and The Pink Motel Book by Carole Ryrie Brink

As a kid, my imagination ran wild. I was a storyteller—constantly telling tales, most of which got me into trouble. But tucked in the corner of my mind was a world painted in pink, inspired by Carol Ryrie Brink’s The Pink Motel. That book wasn’t just a story; it was a portal. A quirky, adventurous escape where being different was the whole point.

I didn’t realize then how much that book would shape me. Now, I tell stories for a living. And the best part? I get paid to do it. So, do I own a pink motel? Yes, but not in the traditional sense.

There’s no bigger adventure than starting your own business.

Of the many decisions I’ve made, creating The Pink Motel LLC seemed to be the perfect name for my presentation business. I was told, “Name your LLC anything you want, as you’ll have a DBA for your different businesses.” The Pink Motel LLC captured the essence of embracing uniqueness and living adventurous lives. After all, what bigger adventure exists than starting your own business? Developing effective presentations is the art of creating a portal to the audience’s imagination, and The Pink Motel is where it all started for me.

You can’t do that.

Just as the plot twists in a novel, my accountant delivered a shocking revelation: “You can’t use that.” The LLC named after my childhood favorite was deemed off-limits, a plot twist I had not foreseen.

Of course, I responded with, “Why not?” She proceeded to explain using a fictitious story. Suppose someone buys your book at a conference, and a few days later, the charge appears on their credit card statement. Their partner or significant other sees it and thinks they stayed at a motel and could be cheating on them. You could cause a lot of trouble for people! Hmm, I hadn’t thought of that—time to set up my DBA of On The Flip Slide.

Do you really own a pink motel?

When people see the name, they always ask, “Do you really own a pink motel?” I laugh and respond, “No. It was my favorite childhood book.” Maybe I should paint my shipping container house pink so I can say I do own a pink motel and list it on Airbnb.

The Pink Motel Little Free Library #150824

I may not own a literal pink motel, but I do have a Little Free Library (Frisco, Texas #150824) in a mini pink shipping container.

In the world of presentations, what can we learn from this?

Be sure you’re sending the right message.

The Pink Motel is meaningful to me; however, being published in the late 1950s, it’s not well known or a reference most people would get. The audience should easily understand references in a presentation, even with them processing it through their own knowledge and life experiences. Cultural references should be current or well-known.

Look at it with fresh eyes, woman with grapefruit slices over eyes.

Get some fresh eyes on your presentation.

Have several people look at your presentation, especially if the stakes are high for your call to action. When working on a presentation for a long time, I can’t be objective. I walk away from it for a day and come back with fresh eyes. Then, by showing it to others and getting feedback, you can experiment with new concepts and adapt your slides as needed.

Use stories to illustrate your message.

People remember stories. I attended an all-day entrepreneur conference yesterday. What did I remember from it today? The stories and the points they made with them. Data and info are a good foundation, but telling a story helps people see how the message works in their life and situation.

You may need to paint your motel.

In the book, the parents suggest to the kids that they must paint the motel because the pink color attracts unusual people. As a child, I was unusual. You must ask yourself, “Is the pink color working for my intended audience? Is it sending the right message?” For my LLC, it works. Using it as my primary business name? It does not.

Presentations serve as an excellent platform to articulate your vision for ideas or showcase your product. Be prepared to adapt or revise your approach as necessary to inspire (the right) action.

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