Futuretrippin'
Application Nation, we insist you have more fun
“Death by Meeting is a horrendous and insidious monster that has been plaguing our people since the beginning of the information age.” ☠️
The world needs more Jody Wissing. She is among the most adventurous, adorable, and authentic beings walking the earth. She sees the way we humans interact with the world as a tale that must be told in story form. She wants us all to play along.
When she asked me to help her assemble her application for a Board seat for her professional dream gig with the esteemed Presentation Guild, I didn’t hesitate for a nano-second.
Say less.
As a creative writer, busting the seams out on the container and delighting the reader is my passion play. I love to follow the rules to the letter…and create something someone will actually want to read within the walls of what’s required.
I imagine if I, myself, was an application decision-maker extraordinaire, trudging through piles of essays and answers, year after year that all sound a-l-m-o-s-t exactly the same.
Just why?
Why do people of every background, experience, and expertise write indistinguishable applications?
Because somewhere along the way, we began to live in fear of not submitting what we think the committee wants to hear…not what they want to read. And so no one really takes any chances, living in fear of failure.
Yawn.
Rather, I celebrate the creative approach to applications. From board seats to job placement to condo associations to book club, pop your personality and creativity.
After all, if you’re bored reading your written portion, and you’re your favorite person🤞 who already believes that you’re uniquely qualified, then it stands to reason that someone far less vested than you will also find it boring.
It won’t stand out—and neither will you.
As for Jody, I had an absolute blast future-tripping about a world where she was in charge of l-i-t-e-r-a-l-l-y everything about the way we interact with presentations. Imagine a world where she has come to the end of her term. What would she have to say for herself? What would be her accomplishments? How would we change the way we “do a deck?”
I started the structure of the story by going to the organization’s guidelines for application, I used the information they supplied to make sure I hit every note in their searchlight for a great Board Member.
Then I thought about the hills that Jody will die on and the change she wants to see in the world. My girl is on a mission to eradicate the world from “Death by Meeting.” No more bullet-point to the head. No more reams of text. No…more…💤
I added Jody’s brand positioning & messaging for good measure; an application is just marketing in a suit and tie.
The results? 👩🍳💋
Sound intriguing? Take a read.
Presentation Guild Board Application
SPEECH! SPEECH! 🍷🥄
Designers, creatologists, artists, information architects, communicators, and leaders of industry, welcome. It is my distinct honor to welcome you to the 2026 Presentation Guild Honors, where we can come back together as a community after years of fighting on the front lines against that scourge on humanity, Death by Meeting.
Death by Meeting is a horrendous and insidious monster that has been plaguing our people since the beginning of the information age. For close to fifty years, we have been suffering under its influence and it has not been fun.
Do you remember that, folks?
It seemed like only yesterday when our days were clouded with dread that any meeting we walked into could lull us into a deep slumber and suck out our souls?
It was hard to get excited about any presentation at all when there was always this looming fear—what if this was the moment that you got attacked out of nowhere by Death by Meeting? No one could relax, learn anything, or engage with the content in any way. You just sat there, waiting for the inevitable powerpoint, right to the heart.
But thanks to the creative and collaborative work here at the Presentation Guild, we’ve been able to reduce the number of incidents to near extinction. Today, less than 1% of presenters and public speakers are at risk for unleashing Death by Meeting.
It wasn’t easy, but by working hard, with purpose, we have been able to make a real difference in people’s lives.
How’d we do it? I’m so glad you asked.
For you see, when you have an engaged, energized, and enlightened Board of Directors, anything is possible. With all of that combined industry expertise, innovative thinking, and dogged determination, the Presentation Guild has been able to raise the bar for the presentation design and production industry as a profession. By recognizing the skills and expertise of presentation creation specialists, we have been able to provide opportunities for members to expand our knowledge and abilities.
The more we developed programs and platforms that educate and advocate, the better folks got at fighting Death by Meeting. The more we came together, virtually and in-person, and worked to innovate the way people share information and influence, the more powerful we became against this terrible monster.
Pretty soon, nobody was even doing presentations the old way anymore. Bullet points went by the way of the dodo. Suddenly, even the most boring c-level executive was finding creative ways to pitch their ideas and design decks that supported their personal speaking style.
People were creating more than a presentation, they were creating an experience! And do you know what happened? Of course you do! No one saw hide-nor-hair of our old nemesis, Death by Meeting. We had done it.
<holds for applause>
It’s a new day. Now, it’s commonplace to see slides that animate processes and visualize stories.
Our members are always active in trainings and attending summits, conferences, and industry events.
We’ve got asset libraries and training courses and a custom curriculum.
We’ve got a program that provides a step-by-step approach to show people how to take their slides to the next level by simplifying, organizing, and visualizing…and we have another that promotes a storyteller mindset, using presentations as a medium and teaching folks how to incorporate story.
We’ve got resources for everyone, from Toastmasters to Keynote.
And so, it is with great pleasure and pride that I open the evening here at the 2026 Presentation Guild Honors.
In my tenure here I have seen the near-eradication of Death by Meeting and the rise of the presentation design and production industry. We are respected thought leaders and change makers and it's the highlight of my career.
I’ve been doing presentations since the late 80s—yes, I remember when PowerPoint was called Presenter. <hold for laughter>
I’ve worked as a Presentation Specialist for a multi-billion dollar company, served on the Frisco Public Art Board for 4 years (where I curated, promoted, and managed the installation of the Frisco City Hall Art in the Atrium show 8 seasons), set up asset libraries and training documentation for 6k+ employees, opened my own consulting practice and launched a podcast about presentations called On the Flip Slide, where I often championed the values and mission of the Guild and our members…but nothing has given me more pride than to stand before you today at the end of my first term and raise a glass together.
We did it, designers, creatologists, artists, information architects, communicators, and leaders of industry. We did it fellow board members and guild members <tilts champagne glass your way>, we got rid of Death by Meeting and we did it by aligning our interests and inspiration to innovate and change the way that Presentations are done, Brava.
NOTEABLE LIST of TENACIOUS TALENTS
I was given my first leadership position at the age of 16 and I have been the one people look to ever since. Why? No matter what the objective I could identify a path forward and articulate it, in a fun way. My unique ability to inspire collective action comes naturally; service leadership is in my DNA.
A passion for people is my main motivator. I care deeply about the communities that I am a part of. From the office to the airstream, investing in a committed group of like-minded people energizes my creativity and problem solving. I just love having people to love.
I know just how to make the most out of teachable moments. Presentation, public speaking, podcasting and just about anytime I have the floor, I seize opportunities to advocate and educate on the things that matter most.
My perspective is one-of-a-kind and I am kind; this magical combination is an idea factory for ways to spread the word about meaningful work and talented teams.
If it isn’t evident by now, I am a people person. I love to gather together and make meaningful connections with other creative and driven folks with similar interests and shared values. When it comes to energizing a room and exuding good vibes, I am your lady.
I am downright tenacious about technology. I am committed to always innovating and making the most of the tools and tech at our fingertips. If you want to know how to integrate the way that the human brain learns and makes connections with the processing power of the digital age, just ask.
Artist, designer, communicator, in that order. This means that I have an eye for the aesthetic, a heart for composition, and something to say, a value-add on any project with its salt.
Multi-tasker maestro, at your service. I can keep many balls in the air simultaneously and asynchronously without dropping nary a one. That’s the beauty of being able to hyperfocus on priorities and parse out processes.
I am mission-driven. Purpose gives life meaning and when it has meaning—it is an adventure, not an albatross. Together, we can make the world a better place, or, at least, free from death-by-meeting.
Ombudsman is my middle name—I can code-switch with the best of them, easily interacting with anyone from the man-on-the-street to the C-suite. I co-exist in tandem with people who need to communicate ideas, share stories, and enroll others in innovation.
Information architect, graphic designer, and template expert, these are my badges of honor, championing signature slides for powerful presentations that posit the right messages at the right time—creative, contextually appropriate, and compelling—to captivate audiences, influence actions, and strengthen connections in life, at work, in my consulting practice, and on my future Podcast, On the Flip Slide.
How cute—an effective—is that? Very cute <courtesy> and very effective, as Jody did get the gig. 🥂 Check out her website redo for the org. Now that’s how you structure a content journey!
More Jody? Yes, please. See her do her thing on the Stoned Fruit Roll.Up last year and check out her website and Instagram.
I 🫶 Jody Wissing.