Hey, Rachel.
Rachel Elnar:Hey, Erik. Hey, friends. We're two design leaders who spent way too much time at AIGA Leadership Retreats.
Erik Cargill:Remember those human pyramids?
Rachel Elnar:Oh my god. Don't remind me. But you know what? Those retreats shaped who we are as designers and leaders today.
Erik Cargill:And that's exactly why we're launching Cheers and Tiers Design Leadership Tales Retold.
Rachel Elnar:Starting this spring, we're bringing you stories from the most influential voices in design leadership, the people who helped build AIGA chapters across the country and shape the design industry as we know it.
Erik Cargill:You'll hear from incredible guests like Ashleigh Axios, who went from AIGA chapter leader to the Obama White House.
Ashleigh Axios:Part like, I thank AIGA for even helping me get the connections that led to me working at the White House was just like a happy hour event, but that's how I even knew that that was an opportunity.
Rachel Elnar:Like Mike Joosse who helped establish AIGA's chapter development program.
Mike Joosse:Doing a lot of organizing and a lot of kind of facilitating for chapter volunteers and board members on a daily basis. And so it was just a thrill and a joy. Two out of those three years were like the best two years in my life.
Erik Cargill:And Josh Silverman, who shares his journey from running a design firm to transforming design communities across a whole region.
Josh Silverman:Bringing the Bone Show out of Boston to the rest of New England influenced, let's say, the formation of one, two, three, four, five other chapters, including the Rhode Island chapter and ultimately became president of.
Rachel Elnar:Plus Amanda Hovest sharing how she helped revive LA's design scene.
Amanda Hovest:I also just emulated the people who I thought did a great job, which was, I mean, the people that were ahead of me. And they all did it by doing too. It was never like, I'm the leader. I'm the president here before. It was like, I'm gonna get down here and do this with you because we're a team, and we're all digging this.
Rachel Elnar:Each episode blends leadership insights with real stories about building design communities complete with both the cheers
Erik Cargill:And occasional pyramid tears, hence the name.
Rachel Elnar:Cheers and Tiers launches March 1 wherever you get your podcasts.
Erik Cargill:You know, we should probably mention that no designers were harmed in the making of those human pyramids.
Rachel Elnar:Well, except for that one time in Denver.
Erik Cargill:Let's just say it involved 10 designers, a television, and a very surprised hotel manager.
Rachel Elnar:And that's why AIGA Leadership Retreats now have liability waivers.
Erik Cargill:Cheers and tears. Design Leadership Tales Retold. Subscribe now to hear from the leaders who shape design community as we know it today.
Rachel Elnar:And maybe learn what really happened in Denver.
Erik Cargill:If we're legally allowed to tell it.
Rachel Elnar:Even if not, we will.