Archive

Why Community Isn't a Vibe—It’s a Strategy

The moment I realized I'd been designing competitive events backwards—and how shifting from audience-first to community-first thinking changed everything about engagement, retention, and lasting impact.

Creative Community

From Poll to Practice | Your Event Bottleneck & How to Fix It Without Losing Your Mind

Which part of your event planning could use a glow-up? You told me where you’re stuck in your event process, and honestly, I felt seen.

Poll Advice

Deep Dive on the Creative Workshop: How We Turned Digital Events from Snore-fest to More-fest

We've all been there—staring at a screen while someone clicks through slides, desperately hoping for something, anything, to break the monotony of yet another "exciting product announcement."

Event Programming

From Poll to Practice | Your #1 Goal Just Called and It Wants a Strategy That Works

We threw out a poll about your #1 business goal right now. Whether you voted or not, these are the four core challenges that keep coming up in my conversations with creative professionals... and here’s how to tackle each one.

Poll Advice

From Poll to Practice | From the Solo Host to Dream Team Leader

Who’s on Your Event Dream Team? You shared where you’re at today—here’s how to make the most of your current setup while building toward your next level of ease, flow, and support.

Poll Advice

Host Like a Human Instead of a Corporate Robot

Your audience doesn’t want another polished presentation. They want connection, curiosity, and the feeling that they belong somewhere. Time to stop performing and start hosting like a human. Just use my bonus resource: the Human-First Host guide.

Event Hosting

Cheers & Tiers: Season One Wrap-Up: Six Leadership Lessons (And Why Lobsters Make Terrible Leaders)

Well, folks, we did it. Erik and I somehow managed to wrangle 15 episodes of *Cheers and Tiers: Design Leadership Tales Retold* without completely embarrassing ourselves (though Erik’s story about literally destroying his first album... well, you’ll have to listen for that gem).

Podcast Episodes

From Poll to Practice | Your Community Superpower, Unlocked

What kind of community builder are you? After nearly 20 years of hosting everything from intimate design meetups to massive virtual events, I’ve cracked the code on community building. Spoiler alert: there’s no single “right” way, and that's exactly what makes it work.

Poll Advice

Cheers & Tiers: From $350 to $85K: The Kristine Johnson Masterclass in AIGA Leadership

Or: How to Ask for Money Without Getting Kicked Out of Mountain Retreats

Podcast Episodes

Why Community Isn't a Vibe—It’s a Strategy

From Poll to Practice | Your Event Bottleneck & How to Fix It Without Losing Your Mind

Deep Dive on the Creative Workshop: How We Turned Digital Events from Snore-fest to More-fest

From Poll to Practice | Your #1 Goal Just Called and It Wants a Strategy That Works

From Poll to Practice | From the Solo Host to Dream Team Leader

Host Like a Human Instead of a Corporate Robot

Cheers & Tiers: Season One Wrap-Up: Six Leadership Lessons (And Why Lobsters Make Terrible Leaders)

From Poll to Practice | Your Community Superpower, Unlocked

Cheers & Tiers: From $350 to $85K: The Kristine Johnson Masterclass in AIGA Leadership

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