Elevating Ourselves at SWANCON U

On November 13, we stepped away from our usual pace to spend a full day focused on learning. SWANCON returned, but this year it came with a shift in purpose. Instead of a single shared program, we introduced SWANCON U, an education-centered format designed to meet people at different points in their craft, curiosity and career growth.

Each person selected up to five sessions from a set of twelve options. That choice made the day feel personalized while still bringing the entire agency into a shared experience. It wasn’t about stepping away from client work. It was about sharpening the skills that support it.

What the Day Offered

The day mixed learning and connection in ways that don’t always happen inside project timelines. Sessions intentionally crossed departments, so people could explore topics outside their routines. A strategist could sit in on a writing workshop. A designer could join a presentation skills class. Someone newer to the industry could pair foundational concepts with more advanced topics. Across the hallways and breakout rooms, a few themes kept surfacing:

• People worked alongside teammates they don’t normally collaborate with
• The mix of sessions sparked conversations that continued long after the day ended
• Everyone left with at least one tool they could put to use right away

The Inclusive Decision Lab was the one session everyone attended. It introduced practical structures for gathering input, organizing ideas and finding alignment without slowing teams down. It also gave us a shared vocabulary that will help streamline decisions across projects.

What the Curriculum Consisted Of

The twelve courses were organized into six broader tracks. Each track supported a different type of growth, giving people room to explore familiar strengths and new territory.

STRAT 201

This track focused on foundational thinking skills and was led by members of our internal team, each bringing their own approach to building stronger strategic instincts.

Tony Sattler, EVP/Director of Experience & Insight, guided a session centered on audience understanding and how to turn research into meaningful insights. He used real client examples to show how our tools can help teams move from raw information to clearer direction.

Separately, Casey Mills, VP/Director of Social Media, encouraged teams to broaden how they perceive problems. His workshop pushed people to challenge assumptions, anticipate different outcomes and look at strategic questions with more dimension and context.

TEAM 250

These sessions centered on collaboration and the dynamics that help teams work well together.

Aaron Davis, a professional speaker and attitude expert, led one of the courses in this track. His direct and motivating style pushed people to think differently about how groups communicate.

Angela Cooper, CEO and Founder of Mindpower Strategic, led a separate workshop focused on making more inclusive decisions. She introduced practical tools to help teams gather input more intentionally and build alignment. Each session stood on its own, but together they reinforced the value of thoughtful, intentional teamwork.

We also had a session led by three members of our leadership team: Katie Sands, EVP/Director of Account Service, Kylie Legree, EVP/Director of Experience, and Jason Schmaderer, EVP/Group Account Director. They walked through what it really takes to win a pitch from the inside out. Their discussion covered what clients look for, how to read a room and the small details that often make the biggest difference.

CREA 302

This track focused on concepting and storytelling, encouraging people to explore ideas with more structure and confidence.

Paul Garth, an editor at Rock and a Hard Place Press, led one of the sessions with an emphasis on creative discipline. He shared prompts and techniques that made idea development feel more purposeful.

Additionally, Chris VanKat, a photographer and cinematographer, brought his own creative lens. His exercises helped broaden how people approach story and visual thinking.

EDIT 401

These sessions supported clarity and refinement, with an emphasis on shaping language more intentionally.

Paul Garth returned, guiding people through ways to simplify writing without losing meaning. His approach made the editing process feel approachable and built around strengthening what matters.

We also had a session led by Quiller Caudill, VP/Director of Development Services, who walked through the anatomy of a website in a way that made the layers easy to understand. He explained how development brings ideas to life, why the backend shapes the frontend more than most people realize and how websites become powerful storytelling tools when every part works together.

INNO 401

This track centered on a single session led by our CEO, Brent Schott, who walked the group through a live demo of a developing AI tool. He showed how personas and an AI expert agent can work together in real time to spark ideas, explore directions and support early-stage thinking.

The session reinforced that these tools aren’t meant to replace the creative and strategic instincts of our teams. They’re designed to enhance them, giving us new ways to dig deeper, move faster and shape stronger ideas from the start.

COMM 220

These classes emphasized presenting, structuring information and engaging audiences in clearer, more confident ways.

Wendy Van, Founder of Open Window, led one of the communication sessions and broke down the elements of effective delivery in a way that felt accessible for everyone.

In a separate session, Dylan Rohde, Founder of Backline, shared techniques rooted in improv and audience awareness. His approach encouraged people to bring more comfort, authenticity and flexibility into the way they communicate.

Why This Mattered

SWANCON U gave us a chance to step out of our everyday roles and see our skills from a new perspective. It helped people build confidence, uncover new strengths and reconnect with the larger team. More importantly, it reinforced that learning doesn’t have to wait for the perfect moment. It just needs the space to happen.

The practical benefits will show up quietly in the months ahead: in how we plan work, how we gather input, how we shape ideas and how we collaborate across teams. The biggest impact, though, is cultural. Investing in learning is a way of investing in each other. And when we do that, the work that follows is stronger.