JoshMob
Much of our work lives is time-boxed and agenda-driven. (You might be reading this in a liminal moment before your next thing.) Many of my colleagues and friends have regular workdays divided into back to back meetings, with little space or time to explore, let alone having a moment for those action items. You’ve no doubt seen people place holds on their own calendar for DND (do not disturb) time — just so they can focus on doing work instead of talking about it — or for other human things like eating or maybe going for a walk? Over time, these behaviors zap creativity in the name of productivity, and it can lead to burnout.
Even in the name of inspiration, like at a conference or workshop, there’s a lot packed in. Facilitators are gonna facilitate and keep things tidy and on track. Although a well-orchestrated retreat could build in some planned downtime, the next activity looms. It’s a lot of constraints, a lot of the time. Remind me again what retreats are supposed to be an escape from? Oh right, the very constraints that are a condition of modern work.
Aside from these constraints of work, I’ve been craving the joy of in-person community connectivity. And the possibility for spontaneity — the very space for it. The pandemic kept us all at home, my partner and I had moved to a new city where we didn’t know but a handful of people, and emerging from all of that, I saw several opportunities to convene folks (once it became safer to travel).
In March 2024, I started a series of community conversations in Boulder and Denver; in June, I toured up the east coast, visiting my blood family and friends, stopping in Washington DC, Philly, New York City, Providence, and Boston; in September I popped up in Raleigh, connecting two friends formerly of the Bay; and finally in December I was in Los Angeles to kick off a vacation and conclude the series for the year.
Initially announced as the awesomely alliterative Creative Community Coffee Conversations (see what I did there?), a long-term collaborator and friend Kristin Paulson suggested — in person — that they be dubbed a JoshMob. (Boom; perfect!) Building on my three decades of leadership and service in AIGA — once the oldest and largest professional association for designers — I came to know lots of folks in lots of places. And clearly, I like to travel. Weeks before arriving, I’d find (or ask for referrals for) cool, ideally non-chain, queer-friendly and/or minority-owned coffeeshops, and claim a table or two for 2–3 hours. I had no expectations about who would show up, or when. And because it was extremely low barrier of entry — arrive or depart when you want, no agenda, no centering any individual experience, and not driven nor facilitated by anyone — I made it easy for folks to show up and tap into the free-flowing conversation.
And show up they did! Mentors, clients, collaborators, students, colleagues, friends. Plus friends of friends.
Friends I hadn’t seen in a decade, friends I’d known for decades. I met folks in person I’d previously only chatted with inside our virtual rectangles. I bought lots and lots of coffee and pastries for folks — a small effort for a huge reward supporting my experiment in community building.
Here’s what I learned — and a few delightful highlights:
1 — It’s extremely rewarding to introduce people in places that they live — even if I don’t live there or previously did. I saw lots of phones bumping to exchange contact info. Community connectivity: created.
2 — Folks crave the free-form space to surface whatever is on their mind: Politics. Movies. Teaching and teaching online. Writing and publishing their next book. Fundraising their next venture. Life goals. How long they’ve lived in / their favorite local spot in [insert city here]. Their particular pastry or coffee order.
3 — One common thread I saw pop up in a few of these was the How do you know Josh? game. Lots of smiles!
4 — In DC, after thanking everyone for a spirited conversation, bussing our table, and then heading towards the Metro, I returned to the café for a brief bathroom break. Only afterwards did I emerge to discover Maxine — a friend from Design Twitter whom I’d never met in person — looking for the gathering. I’m so grateful to have intersected with her because we talked for an additional two hours!
5 — Snehal, an alum from the MDes program at CCA, had just moved to Boston after accepting a role with the MBTA. “I’m new here and don’t know anyone,” she said. “Here’s a dozen of my favorite Boston people,” I replied.
6 — Friends I knew from our Boston days — who happened to be in Providence looking at apartments — joined that gathering. Ken, a friend, former colleague and client, connected them with an apartment they ended up accepting.
7 — Friends I brought together for the most recent gathering in Seattle had known about each other but hadn’t ever met in person. Neighbors realized they were neighbors. And one person even recognized the other by the dog they were walking (pictured)!
Big big thanks to each and every one of the fine folks that came out — whether it was for a few minutes or a few hours. Your time is valuable and your participation was meaningful.
Creating these spaces for possibility and connectivity is extremely gratifying to me, and I feel very lucky to know so many amazing smart talented beautiful diverse people in so many beautiful places. And since one critical component of business is networking, you can expect to see more JoshMobs over the years.
