Lambda Chi Alpha - Indiana University

3 THE ORACLE What made Lambda Chi Alpha the right fraternity? I'd been a subscriber to The Cross & Crescent Magazine since junior high, so joining seemed like a no-brainer. Kidding—I was invited to a social event by a friend in the dorm and met Bryon Blohm '01 (aka "Sarge"). Bryon always made me feel welcome at the chapter house and ensured I received a bid. It already felt like home. How did the Alpha-Omicron brotherhood shape you? Meeting so many different types of brothers helped me learn how to recognize when I'm receiving solid advice—which was extremely helpful as I finished my undergrad degree and during my first few years in the real world. What are some of your favorite memories from your undergraduate fraternity years? I had the honor to be a High Alpha of Alpha-Omicron, and a few brothers helped me join a committee with IU Dance Marathon. I've always said that Lambda Chi is the only reason I had any involvement on campus. As for favorite memories, the annual haunted house, Watermelon Bust, and Kamanawannakampout top the list, along with a road trip down to New Orleans for Mardis Gras. At Wondery, you work on podcasts such as New Heights and Armchair Expert. What does your specific role involve? My role [integrated marketing] is focused on helping advertisers create more custom integrations into the podcasts. Instead of hosts reading a scripted ad, we develop segments that are more native to the show and hosts' interests. When it's a show like New Heights, the Kelce brothers truly love sports and pop culture, and it makes the job much easier. How did working in creative strategy lead you to the Upright Citizens Brigade? To podcast networks? My career path has taken lots of twists and turns. After graduation, I started a master's program in school psychology but quickly knew it wasn't a good fit. A few months of networking brought my first job at an ad agency in Chicago. I left advertising to do stand-up and UCB improv in New York—which helped me land a job at Comedy Central. My mix of experience in the ad industry and entertainment industry opened doors at Spotify, which is how I started working in the podcast space. What advice would you offer to undergraduate brothers seeking a career in public relations and/or creative fields? Regardless of your major or career interests, my advice is to network. Every single full-time or freelance role I've ever had came from an intro or referral from someone I know. Keep up with people, especially once you're gainfully employed. That way, if you do need to reach out to contacts in your network, it doesn't seem sudden or out of left field. My job at Spotify materialized simply because I kept in touch with someone I met at a rooftop party in Brooklyn. That same person hired me five years later, once they were at Spotify. I love the advice of entrepreneur Sahil Bloom on this: "Expand your luck surface area. It's hard to get lucky watching TV at home alone, but it's much easier to get lucky when you're out engaging with smart, interesting people." How have you kept up with the fraternity over the years? I am still quite close with several brothers—and since everyone knows that friends can come and go during all stages of life, I'm very grateful to have lots of brothers that I consider close friends. I've been fortunate to see alumni when they visit New York and have (literally) bumped into two different brothers on two different occasions in Las Vegas. I'm long overdue to see loads more, and hopefully, it happens soon. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I love fishing and grew up bass fishing in the Midwest. These days, I do more deep-sea trips on the East Coast, and my wife is a good sport about joining me to fish while we're on vacation. I started playing the guitar again after a small hiatus and recently picked my dream guitar, a Les Paul. Is there anything else you would like to add about your time with Lambda Chi Alpha or about your life since college? It's incredible that the chapter celebrated 100 years, and that the physical house is joining the century club this year. My time as High Alpha was the hardest thing I did in college, so let's keep this thing going. I bet there are few chapters of any national fraternity that have the same longevity and continuity in one house. Chip lives in Brooklyn, New York, and can be reached at chipdwyer@gmail.com. The Importance of Your Network Chip Dwyer '02 on Podcasts, Comedy, and Marketing

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