Everyone is talking about AI; how it feels inevitable to overtake us all, but what if it actually brings you more choice than ever?

We are entering a new era of branding, one where technology is expanding how people discover and connect with businesses, not limiting them. Local brands are being offered something rare: flexibility.

In this lecture, Alexandra Phoenix — the Brand Strategist, Graphic Designer, and Founder of Crimson Creates Studio — offers a grounded, creative perspective on how branding is evolving and how local Texas businesses can move forward without losing their identity, values, or way of working.

Together we’ll explore branding as an experience rather than a performance: websites that feel alive, print materials that engage the senses, and communication channels that build genuine trust over time. We’ll also discuss visibility in a changing digital landscape, including the option to remain faceless, particularly in an age of digital fatigue, deepfakes, and online scams.

This talk is not about adopting every new tool or keeping up with the “AI Joneses”. It’s about understanding what’s shifting, then choosing how much, or how little, you want to engage. Through brand archetypes and a short reflective exercise, attendees will gain clarity around who they are as a brand, who they serve, and how they want to show up.

This is a creative moment for creative people, small business owners, and blooming brands — and an invitation to design forward, intentionally and on your own terms.

Lunch Bunch Speaker Series is an informal conversation around topics of interest to members and nonmembers at the McKinney Millhouse. Lunch is not provided, but you are welcome to bring your own. All are welcome. The event is free.

Tuesday, March 24, 2026 | 11:30am – 12:30pm Millhouse of McKinney www.crimsoncreates.com