Meet the Mind of Xylia Buros, CVG’s Adventurous Senior Marketing Specialist
Meet Xylia Buros (pronounced Zy-LEE-ah), a Senior Marketing Specialist at CVG whose career journey bridges the worlds of art, media, and architecture. With 20 years of experience—from serving as a magazine editor and programs director at AIA to in-house architecture marketing and consulting—Xylia offers clients a rich, multifaceted perspective rooted in strategy and storytelling. Her work is driven by a passion for helping design firms thrive, and her life outside the office reflects that same curiosity and creativity. A true global citizen, Xylia has called NYC, London, Berlin, Chicago, and Portland home—and now embraces life as a location-independent consultant, finding inspiration in many corners of the world.
What do you find most unique about your firm and services?
I’ve been working with architects since 2008 — first at a design magazine, then at AIA Portland, and then in Marketing Director roles at two prominent firms before becoming a consultant.
In my experience, what I think CVG does so admirably is take a holistic look at the entire picture of a firm, its struggles, and its potential. Our team of strategists looks at each firm’s business, finance, HR, brand, and marketing strategy to gather information and provide the best resources we can to fill in the gaps of needed expertise.
Also, our shared-risk model for investment partners is fairly unprecedented, in my opinion. Many consultancies charge large retainer fees that are out of reach for small or mid-sized firms.
If you could swap roles with anyone in the firm for a day, who would it be and why?
I’d swap with our Creative Director, Lisa Saldivar, in the hope that some of her artistic genius would rub off on me! She’s an incredible designer, artist, and strategist, and I’m always amazed by the rebrands, websites, and design work that she spearheads, along with CVG’s Creative Studio team. I also love working on websites and putting together beautiful documents and presentations in InDesign, so that would be fun for me.
Can you give us a glimpse into your workspace? What items or decorations make it uniquely yours?
My actual workspace changes fairly often since I split time between different home bases — but a few things are always consistent. I love having a gorgeous bouquet of flowers on my desk, and will often light a candle when focusing on deep work or writing. I never work without good headphones and my Brain.FM subscription (music scientifically designed to help with focus and creativity).
Share a moment of pride or accomplishment from your professional journey.
My marketing and writing work has received some public recognition, which I love, but the best accomplishment is hearing from a client that I impacted their business (and thus, life) in a meaningful way. When my clients secure big speaking gigs, magazine features, or a new dream client through our marketing efforts, that makes my day.
What's your favorite part of your firm’s culture, and how does it contribute to your professional growth?
I love how closely we are able to collaborate despite being an all-remote team. Everyone is dedicated and hard-working, and we share essential information with each other on a daily basis, so it almost feels like we work together in the office — but just while wearing slippers (or is that just me?) My other favorite thing is the lightheartedness and humor in our all-staff meetings. We’re not super corporate — just hardworking people who specialize in our field and love helping firms gain visibility and increase their impact in the world.
Can you share a hobby or talent that people might be surprised to learn about you?
My biggest passions outside of work are travel, cooking, and outdoor sports. I’m pretty obsessed with trying new recipes and cooking for friends and family. I save recipes I want to try and will plan a week in advance gathering ingredients and testing modifications. I’ve taken cooking classes in Thailand, Mexico, Italy, and France, and hope to continue taking more.
Regarding outdoor sports, I love nothing more than a good long hike, whitewater rafting trip, or paragliding over a forest or valley somewhere.
What’s the most adventurous thing you've ever done, and would you do it again?
The most adventurous things I’ve done include whitewater rafting the Zambezi River, which flows between Zimbabwe and Zambia, starting at Victoria Falls; learning to ride a moped scooter in Indonesia (they drive on the left side of the road!); and hang-gliding in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I would go whitewater rafting and moped riding again, but I don’t plan on ever hang-gliding again! Most terrifying 7 minutes of my life.
If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go and why?
I’ve traveled to 44 US states and 65 countries. While I’m a bit tired of far-flung travel at the moment, the top places still on my list are Norway, New Zealand, andVietnam.
What’s your favorite way to unwind after a busy day at work?
I try to walk or hike an hour every day — it’s also a great time to leave messages for friends around the world or listen to my latest audiobook from the library. And then, of course, I make an epic dinner.
Whether she's collaborating on a rebrand with the Creative Studio team, crafting an impactful marketing strategy, or whitewater rafting the Zambezi, Xylia approaches every challenge with creativity, curiosity, and purpose. Her life journey is proof that professional impact and personal adventure can go hand in hand—especially when you’re surrounded by a team as collaborative and passionate as CVG.