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Two guys, tequila under a bathroom sink, and the radical idea that tradition isn’t a good enough excuse. How AIGA Philly broke all the rules.
Podcast Episodes
What happens when two people who are now design royalty spend an hour talking about feeling like outsiders? Debbie brought receipts (literally—a 1998 letter from Michael), and I’m still processing what they said about saying yes.
What do $5,000 in petty cash, a pyramid that hotel staff had to stop, and moving to a new city have in common? They're all part of how AIGA retreats built a community that still shows up for each other years later.
Missing those leadership retreat days? Me too. Join our email list at chapter2.media so we can keep reliving the glory days together.
From student chapters to national impact, here’s how two AIGA leaders turned board service into a career-defining friendship (with karaoke).
Or: How Refusing to Dance at a Design Conference Led to Marriage, 3,000 Student Competition Entries, and an Air Horn That Didn’t Last Long
Some leaders craft five-year strategic plans. Others accidentally save a chapter through shared hotel rooms, tactical pyramid deployment, and the revolutionary discovery that you can’t recruit members when you’re hemorrhaging money on every single event.
Some leaders plan their legacy. Others stumble into it with a cooler full of beer, a can of Pringles, and an unshakeable belief that work should be fun.
The Secret to Design Leadership? Say “Sure, Why Not?” to Strangers.
Why our conversation with Seth Johnson and Jenny Price on Cheers & Tiers is required listening for any designer who's ever wondered if volunteer leadership actually matters
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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).
Or: How to Ask for Money Without Getting Kicked Out of Mountain Retreats
What happens when a fresh graduate gets thrown into AIGA leadership with zero experience and maximum enthusiasm? You get Bernardo Margulis, a designer-turned-engineer-turned-marketing director whose career reads like a masterclass in saying yes to opportunities you're not quite ready for.
TL;DR: We sat down with the guy who’s basically the Johnny Appleseed of AIGA chapters, and somehow this serial chapter-starter made starting design communities sound easier than assembling IKEA furniture.
Sometimes you meet someone who’s involved in so many creative communities that you wonder if they’ve secretly figured out how to clone themselves. Enter Victor Davila—Orlando-based illustrator, UCF professor, AIGA national board member, Creative Mornings host, Giant Illustrators founder, and apparently the human equivalent of a Swiss Army knife for design leadership.
Erik Cargill recounts that his episode felt less like a recording and more like swapping stories over drinks...in a Miami bar where beds replaced barstools. That’s exactly what happened when Wendy Quesinberry joined Rachel and me on Cheers & Tiers.
There’s something special about podcast conversations that flow so naturally you forget you’re recording. That's exactly what happened when Frances Yllana (pronounced: ill-ee-yana) joined Erik and me on the “Cheers & Tiers” podcast.
You know you've found a kindred spirit when someone’s claim to fame includes getting death threats for his art. That’s Brian Singer for you—the man who photographed drivers on their phones and put them on billboards, just to see what would happen.
With her impressive journey from AIGA DC volunteer to White House Creative Director to AIGA National Board President, Ashleigh offered insights that left me inspired and energized about the power of design leadership.
If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you mix skateboard art, human pyramids in bowling alleys, and a decade of design leadership, our latest Cheers & Tiers episode with the fabulous Elysia Syriac delivers all that and more!
Mike Joosse, Group Studio Director of Brand Design at VML, shares how attending a record-breaking ten AIGA leadership retreats shaped his approach to creative community-building and design leadership. From volunteer to chapter president to national director, his AIGA experiences have become the blueprint for his current role connecting design professionals across the country.
Oh, what a delightful chat we had with the ever-moving, ever-creating David Jon Walker! While Erik and I settled into our virtual seats for this episode, David joined us fresh from his daily run in New Haven—the man literally never stops!
This episode highlights Paul’s formative experiences at AIGA leadership retreats, particularly his first in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2015, and recounts his show-stopping karaoke performance that made him instantly recognizable among AIGA leadership.
This episode highlights Christine's journey from Philadelphia to Los Angeles and offers a fascinating glimpse into how design leadership communities can shape careers and create lasting connections.
Chatting with Josh was like stepping into a whirlwind of wit, wisdom, and a hefty dose of inspiration.
