Reflections on AIA25
An unflattering photo of me speaking at the National Conference on Design
AIA25: like Comic-Con but for bigger nerds. ↓
Different cosplay. Same energy. Over-scheduled and overstimulated adults earnestly discussing their hyper-niche interests. I loved it.
After presenting my talk, Write by Design (also available as a webinar!) this past weekend at the 2025 AIA Conference on Architecture & Design, I've spoken at both cons now. In rooms bigger than I deserve to people who know more than I do.
And somehow it went pretty damn well.
I appreciate everyone who stuck around the convention center for the last day and came to listen to me share frameworks that take the guesswork out of writing and messaging.
Afterward, some very nice people (not at all nerdy) asked some very thoughtful questions I half-answered while making mental notes on how to do this better next time. And there will be a next time. The questions, comments, and conversations made me realize there's so much more to share than I can cram into a single 60- or 90-minute talk.
Some nice words from attendees:
💬 "One of my favorite seminars this year."
💬 "Thanks for sharing something that's actually useful."
💬 "The most useful talk I’ve seen all weekend."
I love hearing this because everything I do is aimed at being practical. I’m not offering vague strategy or general advice. But specific language you can use. I help clients move away from jargon and clichés to speak with specificity about what sets them apart. I’m not inventing some new positioning, we’re discovering the patterns behind their work together. And we’re finding the words to clearly explain how their changing clients lives. It’s simple. It’s memorable. It’s effective.
If you attended, I hope you left more confident about knowing what to say and how to say it. If you waited around to chat after, I hope it was worth the extra time -- thank you. And if you want to continue the conversation, start a new one, or discuss architectural history in the greater Batman mythos, I hope you'll reach out.
