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Last week, I watched something that shouldn’t be remarkable: 50+ volunteer leaders getting a night off.
Creative Community
I watched a student’s prototype crash before presenting—then witnessed the moment that changed everything I knew about virtual events. This isn’t about better production; it’s about the profound difference between building an audience and activating a community.
The most powerful creative communities aren't the biggest ones—they’re the ones where expertise gets passed hand-to-hand like family recipes.
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.
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
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Why your $2 tip taught me more about customer success than your conversion funnel ever will.
Customer Experience
Through community-driven events, I’ve watched businesses soar when they stop treating prospects like sales targets and start treating them like humans craving connection. The difference? Night and day.
I’ve hosted hundreds of conversations from Adobe Creative Jams to General Assembly’s Brilliant Minds series, from Cheers & Tiers podcast episodes to countless industry panels—I’ve learned that interviewing is less about perfect questions and more about creating genuine human moments.
Event Hosting
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Ever notice how some people seem to float effortlessly from opportunity to opportunity while others with identical skills struggle to get noticed? Spoiler alert: it’s rarely about talent alone.
Self-Development
This article is a behind-the-scenes look at how Cheers & Tiers: Design Leadership Tales Retold came to life—a podcast where my co-host Erik Cargill and I celebrate the bonds, stories, and exciting, tangled adventures of design community leaders.
