Flat Hicks, Ducking Meyer, and more…

Last night I saw tweets from Eric and Jared about Cindy. Though I never knew Cindy directly, she was one of the first “names” I met at my first SXSW back in 2007. I saw her speak on a panel and later would see her (normally dancing) at some of the parties. I always found she had something interesting to say, and had an impact on the way a lot of people made the web we have now.

This was at SXSW 2009 and I’m pretty darn sure I was there solely because Cindy vouched for me. In any case, it was some fancy dinner away from the conference and I met you and a bunch of other folks and Cindy was her usual delightful self.

March 14, 2006 - Cindy wearing a crown like the queen that she is. Photo from one of Lauren and I’s room wine and cheese parties at SXSWi.

Smokler’s closing dinner at SXSW

“Say hello to my little friend” at SXSW

I’m trying to remember when I actually met Cindy…and I can’t. I think when I started hanging out with web folks in London around 2006, I just stepped into a world that was already fully-populated, which meant Cindy was a part of it. We’d certainly met by then end of SXSW 07, which is where this was taken.

In our industry you meet a lot of nice people, but sometimes you meet the ones who are truly exceptional with a heart to match. At a memorable SXSW in 2005, I first met Glenda Sims, Jennifer Hanen and… Cindy Li. It was like meeting was light and life together. A great example of this exceptional heart which I’ve never forgotten, was when I couldn’t attend SXSW in 2007. Cindy and Glenda created ‘Flat Hicks’, and I was able to attend in proxy, being passed around attendees, but spending most of ‘my’ time tucked into Cindy’s fabulous top hat.

I can’t remember when I met Cindy. It just feels like I always knew her. I grew up in Jacksonville too, but I left many years prior to her years. I was at SXSW starting around 2006, so it could have been there. I had my own business back then, and Cindy did a lot of my client’s design work (designing doesn’t suit me since I’m a tweakaholic and never satisfied).

Oh Cindy, So many firsts. We first met at SXSW 2005. What a magical year. SX was still small enough that we could run into each other in the halls…but large enough that it was easy to feel lost in the crowd. You helped create our home away from home at the Austin Downtown Hampton Inn. The lounge area on the second floor became our “living room”. We’d gather together there just like family.

I remember eating steaks of destiny at the Hoffbrau in Austin with Cindy, Norm and a bunch of other lovely folks. I particularly remember Cindy’s incredibly loud cab-summoning whistle on the way back.

I don’t recall a specific moment of meeting Cindy, but it was at SXSW2005 and we just found our circles overlapping. Then we kept seeing each other at other conferences, and once she moved to SF we started hanging out more. There’s just this large vortex of friendship around Cindy and people get absorbed into it. Not my picture, but it’s in my faves…

My Cindy Li Origin Story: I randomly emailed Cindy after SXSW in 2006 after seeing her name bandied about and realizing she lived somewhere near Washington, DC. Basically like, “Hey wanna come out to this little event I run?” It’s Cindy so of course she did. Refresh DC is still around. 😂 Too many adventures to recall… Hello Kitty Waffles out at her place in NOVA LOST watch parties with her sitting between Jon and I.

We hung out at SxSW in 2006 (as sultry cowgirls). I remember this SxSW so clearly, not just because it was my first, but because I recall standing in the hallway of the convention center feeling totally lost and overwhelmed, and Cindy took me under wing and made sure I was okay. It was classic Cindy - selfless, warm and funny, always caring for others. I’m forever grateful to her for looking out for me that year.