Casa Davka

I just returned from speaking at Circles Conference earlier this month was inspired by our amazingly talented and wonderful creative community! Thank you Ismael Burciaga and his entire team, for inviting her to speak, curating a great group of speakers, and a series of fun parties each night (thus the faux pickleball outfit). Bravo! A special shout-out to reconnecting with old friends Steve Guberman of Agency Outsight Coaching, Bill Kenney ?? of Focus Lab, Matt Dawson, Darold Pinnock of DPCREATES Design & Strategy, and many others! And a special hello to our new speaking peers, especially Emily’s new conference buddy Lisa Quine (check out her gorgeous murals!) and Natalie Kent also from Focus Lab, as well as Sean Fox of Pioneer Design and Marketing, Ashley Phillips and Miro LaFlaga of Six Cinquième (Emily voted them best dressed), Jason Craig, and Chris David Garcia of MAJOR LEVEL CREATIVE ?! We at Casa Davka love speaking at conferences as it keeps us informed about the latest industry trends, expands our network of creatives, provides us with an opportunity to increase awareness of our industry’s value, and is just more proof of how awesome our community is. More please!

Request for insight/quotes for Hunter's and my next Print Magazine article on strategies and recommendations for wrapping up the end of the year. Our question to you is: What do you do to wrap up the end of the year with your firm, team, and clients? Specifically, if you have any thoughts on: ??State of the Company/Union presentation to the team: Examples of the type of content you include and presentation strategies (when, where, how) ??Relationship-building strategies with existing clients: How to close out the year with them and plan for next year ??Financial and operational review: What type of goals financially or operationally do you set? What are you reviewing and improving going into the next year? Please keep your answers short and to the point so they are quotable. To share your strategies, reply here or contact us directly. Thanks so much! ??

I have a designer friend from Chile, @joseneiradelano, whose in the US (currently living in CT but is willing to move closer to NYC) that is looking for freelance or full-time work in design. He holds an H1-B1 working visa, good for another 11 months, but is renewable. He can sign contracts for projects or be hired. Remote or in-person. I went to college with him and he is super talented. If you are interested reach out to?him directly and use my name!

In Memoriam: Lloyd Ziff - September 27, 1942 - August 1, 2024 The Society of Publication Designers lost a great friend, mentor, and inspiration this summer, when legendary magazine designer Lloyd Ziff passed on August 1 at the age of 81. In Lloyd’s stellar career, he was responsible for the visual direction of some of the most significant magazines of his time, mentored and jump-started the careers of countless designers and photographers, had a brilliant second career as a noted photographer, and provided the SPD community with many years of leadership and friendship. SPD remembers Lloyd with the help of several art directors who were impacted by his friendship, mentorship, and influence. Special thanks to Robert Newman for organizing and to Michael Grossman, Diana La Guardia, Frank Lalli, Francesca Messina, Don Morris, Michael Mrak, Richard Pandiscio, Robert Priest, and Fred Woodward for contributing. Check out the post here: https://lnkd.in/eJ-yisNU ?? Steven Freeman from SPD's Mag2000 conference in April 1996

Omg! First event of the AIGA New York season and it's with two of my favorite people in the design industry— Emily Cohen and Hunter Vargas. 6 years ago when I started Studio HMVD, I went to Emily's talk at TDC where she shared advice from her book, Brutally Honest. I used the book over the next 5+ years as a sort of "bible" for running a creative business— from client management to time tracking, it was a hugely valuable resource for a young studio. Now, building something quite different from that studio (though really, in many ways, just the same), I still call to mind the many lessons learned through our years of consulting with Casa Davka. I'm very honored and excited to be moderating this event, and hope the agency owners and managers out there can make it! Tickets here: https://lnkd.in/exryzCir

Whose attending the Circles Conference in Grapevine, Texas this October? I'll be speaking and am looking to connect with both old and new friends/colleagues while in Texas, so let me know if your attending so we can meet up! I'm also excited to hear my friends speak including Bill Kenney ??,Ambert Rodriguez, and the great moderator Andrew Hochradel.

PSA: Find yourself a business consultant who shakes things up, connects invisible dots, and after a full-day retreat leaves feeling empowered, eager and the slightest bit intimidated to make change for your company. As an art school alum (go BU!), running a business has been a learn-as-you-go experience. Partnering with Emily Cohen and Hunter Vargas from Casa Davka has been one of the best career decisions I've made, and I'm grateful to have them them in my court. So many good things to come for Pinkergreen in the next two years. Just wait. Forever thankful to you, Julie Vail, for the rec. Glad we ended up sitting side-by-side on our way to PR so many years ago. Another PSA: talk to your neighbors on planes. It's never turned out to be a bad idea.

Anyone looking for (or know of an open position) in?People Operations? I have a fantastic candidate that has HR experience, but wants to work to more in People Operations (HR with a human touch) within creative firms instead. Here’s her brief overview: As a dedicated and well-versed People Partner, I go beyond the traditional scope of HR by deeply understanding the business objectives while ensuring the human element remains at the forefront. I balance empathy with strategic mindset, creating an environment where every team member feels valued, supported and empowered to contribute their best. Reach out if you know of anything.?