EntreArchitect Podcast with Mark R. LePage

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EA233: Launching a New Small Firm as a Spinoff of a Large Firm [Podcast]

17 augusti 2018 | 63 min

Launching a New Small Firm as a Spinoff of a Large Firm

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Launching a New Small Firm as a Spinoff of a Large Firm with Josh Kunkel.

As the son of a contractor, Josh grew up on job sites and even dug the footings for his family’s home at eight years old. He was raised in the country and fell in love with the city, building legos, connects, and dreaming about Frank Lloyd Wright designs. His passions led him to Oklahoma State University where he earned his BArch and an Environmental Studies certificate. Throughout his career, he has worked on various types of projects from larger institutional hospitals to agrarian outbuildings and everything in between. He is a licensed architect in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, and holds an NCARB certificate. He’s a partner at the newly formed Method Architecture based in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the host of EntreArchitect Sessions Not So Small Firm, a monthly video conference session for larger small firms.

Josh’s upbringing allowed him to have a part in every phase of the building process, and opened his eyes to the fact that architects create something from nothing. After some drafting classes in high school, Josh chose Oklahoma State and off he went. When he and his wife graduated school after the recession, they first struggled to find work. Eventually, Josh was leading $5-10 million dollar projects on his own. He learned there that he had a great love for full team technical coordination efforts.

Through his first few positions, he quickly realized that his path was more geared toward the people, culture, and business aspects of architecture.

To hear more about how to launch a small firm as a spinoff of a larger firm, listen to the podcast!

Find Josh online at Method Architecture or connect with him on social media on Instagram and Facebook.

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EA232: Sharing Your Architecture Story with Dimitrius Lynch of Spaces Podcast [Podcast]

10 augusti 2018 | 47 min

Sharing Your Architecture Story

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Sharing Your Architecture Story with Dimitrius Lynch of Spaces Podcast.

Dimitrius Lynch is an architecture graduate of California Poly Paloma. He’s a licensed architect in the State of California with over 12 years of experience in design and project management. HE’s practiced in both domestic and international projects. He is a LLED and WELL accredited professional, WELL AP denoting expertise and commitment to advancing human heath and wellness in buildings and communities.

He recently started a podcast aiming to promote the greater building industry to the public through the lens of examining the effects of societal changes of spaces in history and to the future.

As a child, Dimitrius was quickly aware of the built environment and its effects on the people around it. He was encouraged to be creative through legos and coloring, among other things, and attended a school that taught him a wide variety of subjects. Around third grade, Dimitrius studied Egypt and the first god of architecture. His skill in math and drawing and his interest in the mythology put him on the trajectory to becoming to an architect.

Dimitrius has a full plate, currently launching his own business and developing a new podcast. He feels that the greater building industry has been under fire as of late, and wants to shake it up. The public has an appreciation for architecture and buildings, but they have a limited understanding of what actually goes into it. The professionals in the building industry understand what architects do, but there’s often an undervaluation of what they bring to the table. At Spaces Podcast, Dimitrius aims to promote the architecture industry to the general public and create a collaborative environment for building professionals.

To hear more about sharing your architecture story, listen to the podcast!

Find Dimitrius online at SpacesPodcast.com or connect with him on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat or LinkedIn.

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EA231: Building A Successful Non-Profit Funded By A For-Profit Firm [Podcast]

3 augusti 2018 | 68 min

Building A Successful Non-Profit Funded By A For-Profit Firm

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Building A Successful Non-Profit Funded By A For-Profit Firm with Rachel Preston Prinz of Archinia.

Rachel Preston Prinz is an architecturally trained American designer working in architecture and design, place-making, cultural and historical preservation and community engagement. Rachel promotes the craft of architecture and the genius loci – spirit of place – as told through photography, publishing, marketing, and design. In addition to running the consulting firm Archinia and a non profit architecture for everybody, Rachel has served as a preservation commissioner in Taos, New Mexico, as a host of the University of New Mexico Taos Sustainability Institute, and as co-host of the TedX ABQ Women. Rachel’s work has been featured on HGTV, Bravo, New Mexico PBS, Canadian PBS, Reader’s Digest, Trend, Inc. Magazine, and numerous articles, talks, podcasts, interviews and books on design, leadership, and finding courage in difficult circumstances. She’s also an expert people connector who brings new and exciting energy to everything she does.

When Rachel was a teenager, she ran away from home and wouldn’t return until her parents agreed to put her in military school. She wanted to be a radar intercept officer in an F14. During her physical in military school, she learned that she had eye problems that prevented her from her dream of flying.

She graduated high school early and went to the University of North Texas. When she went home from school one break, her parents surprised her with a trip to Paris to explore and figure out what her nexts steps would be. During her trip, she realized the power of spaces and her desire to create them. She transferred to Texas A&M for architecture school and was able to do her masters in Europe working with renowned gothic theater scholars.

To hear about why it was important to Rachel to share with others the reason that architecture matters, how she shares the stories of architecture, and more, listen to the podcast!

Find Rachel online at Archinia.com or ArchitectureForEverybody.org, or connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Or email her here.

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EA230: How to Tell a Powerful Story Through Video [Podcast]

27 juli 2018 | 53 min

How to Tell a Powerful Story Through Video

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, How to Tell a Powerful Story Through Video with Ryan Siemers.

After receiving two bachelor degrees from the University of Minnesota in architecture and urban studies, Twin Cities Native Ryan Siemers attended the University of Oregon's Portland Center for Urban Architecture. Following his time in Portland, Ryan returned back to Minneapolis to work with the national design build firm Oppus Architects and Engineers to gain perspective on the motivations and capabilities of a private developer. Ever since he can remember, he possessed a mind for the art of storytelling. During what had become the time of the great recession, it was clear that he needed to reshape his passion for architecture and the digital arts into a set of services that could serve the architectural community by crafting stories that communicate the value, the ingenuity and beauty that design brings to society in a clear and compelling way. Ryan's passion to learn, grow and innovate has driven him to be a pioneer in architectural filmmaking and cinematography in Minnesota.

Ryan grew up with two parents who let him take anything apart and put them together. In high school, he fell in love with trade applications like drafting, woodworking, and more. He changed schools so that he could have more options. When he was asked what he wanted to do, he told people he wanted to design places and learned what architectural engineering was. He focused on theoretical approaches to architecture in Minnesota and pursued his passion from there.

He focused on the politics of architecture that shapes the decisions behind the building. Those policies turned him toward Oregon's program to control public investment in urban growth. After school, he wanted to expand his understanding of what was pushing design. He began interning with a company in Portland and then had a fantastic opportunity with Oppus to see how a real estate developer can own and develop their own properties, along with how they approach cities and communities.

He quickly realized that his passion was helping to formulate internal stories of why we're doing what we're doing and how to convince people that making better design decisions is worth putting the money into.

To hear more, listen to the podcast!

Find Ryan online at RyanSiemers.com or follow him on Facebook, Vimeo, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

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Referenced in this Episode

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League of Architectural Filmmakers and Storytellers (website)
SuperBird Studios (website)

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Mentioned in this episode:

EA229: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Architecture [Podcast]

20 juli 2018 | 80 min

EA228: How to Simplify Your Business [Podcast]

13 juli 2018 | 46 min

EA227: Financial Investing for Your Future [Podcast]

6 juli 2018 | 49 min

EA226: Successful Project Planning for Small Firm Architects [Podcast]

29 juni 2018 | 52 min

EA225: Growing Beyond the Sole Practitioner [Podcast]

22 juni 2018 | 54 min

EA224: Incremental Progress is the Key to Long-Term Success [Podcast]

15 juni 2018 | 58 min

EA223: Building Science, Climate Change and The Pretty Good House [Podcast]

8 juni 2018 | 63 min

EA222: The First 500 Project with Tiara Hughes of NOMA [Podcast]

1 juni 2018 | 51 min

EA221: Commoditization of the Architect and How to Fix It [Podcast]

25 maj 2018 | 59 min

EA220: Catherine Meng of Design Voice Podcast [Podcast]

18 maj 2018 | 45 min

Catherine Meng of Design Voice Podcast

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Catherine Meng of Design Voice Podcast.

Background

Catherine Meng received her bachelors of architecture degree from Cornell University and joined DLR Group Kwan Henmi in 2016 where she focuses on multi family and students housing projects. Prior to this she previously worked in New York City and Shanghai. In addition to her work as an architect Catherine is active in the San Francisco community. She serves as a mentor at the ACE Mentor Program, serves on the board of the Northern California Cornell Alumni Association, and is a member of the San Francisco chapters of the Urban Land Institute and the Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW).Catherine just started a new podcast called the Design Voice Podcast, which aims to elevate and amplify the voices of women in the architecture, engineering, and construction professions.

Origin Story

When Catherine was growing up, she didn’t even know that the architecture profession existed…she wasn’t exposed to the idea that people purposefully designed buildings. She loved drawing, art, and making things with her hands. Her parents wanted her to become a doctor or an engineer. In high school, she read The Fountainhead, and the idea of architecture got lodged in her head.

During spring break, she went on a class trip to Italy and was exposed to tons of beautiful buildings in Rome, Florence and Venice. She distinctly remembers climbing to the top of the stairs at Brunelleschi’s Dome and being in awe.

She applied to half architecture and half liberal arts schools, and only got into the architecture school at Cornell. She had a love-hate relationship with architecture school, but overall loved her time there. She graduated in 2009 in the middle of the recession, and couldn’t find a job after school. She found some administrative work for about a year while applying to any architecture related jobs she could find.

Catherine decided to move to China and find an architecture job there. She took a job with the first firm that was able to find a work visa for her, and worked for a husband and wife firm with a large international team. For her, it was a great architecture bootcamp where she was throw into managing projects, connect with clients, and negotiate contacts.

After a year and a half, she applied for jobs in New York and moved there. Her CA and CD experience helped get her foot in the door at the small firm she worked at next. They went from 3 to 10 employees, and Catherine got to experience that first hand.

After five years in New York, Catherine and her husband decided to move out west to San Francisco, where they’ve been for the last three years. Catherine works at a midsize firm called Kwan Henmi Architects. About a year ago, they merged with DLR Group, which has opened a lot of opportunities to expand the types of work they do.

DLR Group also offers professional development grants that anyone can apply for. Catherine was inspired by stories of other women’s design journeys, and decided to start the Design Voice Podcast. The show officially launched a month ago.

What was the podcast that you wanted to create?

After Catherine started planning her podcast, another one was launched featuring interviews with women architects in LA hosted by Audrey Sato. It’s similar to what Catherine wanted to do, but her main goal was to hear women’s stories. How did they deal with challenges in their careers? What were their best moments? What inspires them?

When Catherine was growing up, she was taught that she could do anything she wanted to. When she started working, she realized that the gender breakdown is different than she expected. Problems of sexism in the workplace have not yet been solved. The longer she’s the profession, the more she wants to know how other people are dealing with these issues.

She wanted to strike a balance between talking about a lot of challenges women face in the field of architecture, while not focusing on the fact that these people are women, but they’re architects and engineers who are separate from their gender identities.

Were there any surprises you’ve come across?

One big surprise for Catherine is that women sometimes struggle with asking for what they want. If they’re asking for a greater team or the company, they’re often more willing to ask. When Catherine started the podcast, she became bold to ask anyone for input to benefit the greater good of the design world. She’s felt free to know what it’s like to be able to put herself out there more confidently.

Catherine is also amazed at what people have been willing to open up about. One of her guests teaches at an architecture studio and is a young mother, and shared the struggles she has balancing both. She doesn’t have her own space, and has to pump standing up and carry her milk around with a freezer back.

Who are some upcoming guests?

Anne Torney at Mithun, a young project engineer from McCarthy Construction and a principle at a structural engineering firm. Topics will range from work life balance, pay equity, flexibility with work. Sometimes people look at these things and assume they’re about women and minorities, when in fact, it’s about making the design profession better everyone.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Sign up for an improv class. The skills you learn there apply to your life and work situations, and you have the opportunity to meet interesting people.” – Catherine Meng

Check out the Design Voice Podcast or connect with Catherine on social media on Twitter,

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EA219: Pricing Creativity with Author Blair Enns [Podcast]

11 maj 2018 | 65 min

Pricing Creativity

What is it that we sell as small firm architects? Is it a pile of paper? A bunch of technical services? A legal process required to obtain a building permit? What we sell is a desired future state. Whether we’re working with commercial, institutional or residential clients, they have an idea in their minds about how they’d like their lives to be in the future.

We’ve all experienced the moment at the end of the project when our clients finally get it and understand the value we provide. We need them to understand the value of what we do before we do it.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Pricing Creativity with Author Blair Enns.

Background

Blair Enns is the sand in the free pitching machine. Through his sales training program for creative professionals, Win Without Pitching, he is on a mission to change the way creative services are bought and sold the world over. He is the author of The Win Without Pitching Manifesto and Pricing Creativity: A Guide to Profit Beyond The Billable Hour. Blair lives with his family in the remote mountain village of Kaslo, British Columbia, Canada.

Origin Story

Blair lives in a small mountain village in British Columbia, Canada. He grew up in the center of Canada, in business side of the advertising and design professions. He began as an account manager and moved into new business roles as his strengths developed. He started Win Without Pitching as a consulting practice and a way to earn a living so that he could drop out of the advertising profession.

One day, he realized his limitations in the business were going to take him out if he didn’t change them. He began to scale out and build a training organization in early 2013.

Do you see a lot of creative and profit difference in your circles?

When people start their own small firms as artists, you’re doing it for fun. Sometimes we delude ourselves to think the money will come one day, or that it’s not about the money. One day, you realize you’re tired of having fun and ready to make money.

What do you do if you’re a creative professional who loves design and wants to make money?

If you’re going into business for yourself, the business part is more important than the art. Get a business education. Instead of just being inspired and only focusing on the art; you’ll burn yourself out and be unable to find success. It’s about value creation for your clients. Learn how to select and shape good clients and good engagements, and your best engagements will allow you to bring your artistic skills to the table – always to the ultimate goal of delivering value to the client.

You have something you want to do with every client you have, but it’s not just about you. Your focus is on your client and their different values.

What is price discrimination?

Different people are willing to pay different amounts for the same thing and your job is to let them. The reason they’ll pay different amounts is because the value to them is different. You have the license to charge as much as you want to.

You may evaluate something as valued one way, where your client thinks it’s worth half that.

What do you do in that situation?

Offer options. If your client asks for a proposal, what you put forward should have options. Delivering one proposal puts your client a take-it-or-leave-it situation. They have a choice to make based on comparison, so enable and facilitate them to compare your options and figure out which is the best value. If they don’t like your option, they’ll go away and compare your proposal to other bids. Your clients are going to make comparisons anyway, so enable and facilitate those comparisons for them.

With each proposal, show the client what they’re going to get for different values. They can choose the cost-effective option, but they’re going to gain more from the highest priced option.

What’s value-based pricing?

In a one-on-one situation, have a value conversation. What does the client want from the project? What is their desired future state? Identify the metrics to know how you’ll measure when their desires have been met. Then, decide what the value of this project is. Once you uncover the ideal, start offering some pricing guidance. Give them an idea of what the price will be, starting with a higher number than you actually think it’s going to be. You’re selling a better version of themselves to your client: their desired future state.

What about emotional contributions to value?

Much of an architects work is in this murky bucket. It’s so emotional, and it’s vital that you have a framework to uncover all of that. Put your client in the future where the project has gone swimmingly, and figure out what’s needed to make that journey wonderful. When you get good at this, you’ll realize that your whole focus has shifted from what you can do to your clients’ desires and dreams. The best part is, your clients can feel this shift.

What’s your best marketing tip?

For your next engagement, get some video footage of your client in their pre-build space and have them talk to you about what they want from the space. Document throughout the process and have your prospective clients watch that video.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Focus. Specialize on something. Expertise comes from pattern matching. See the patterns in the problem, and find the patterns in the solutions. Your ability to command a price premium is rooted in the availably of substitutes. If there are other architects who can do what you do, you have no power to dictate how your services will be bought and sold. Narrow your focus and build deep, specialized belief.” – Blair Enns

Blair can be found on the web at WinWithoutPitching.com and on Twitter at @blairenns.

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Referenced in this Episode

Download the Profit For Small Firm Architects course for FREE.

EntreArchitect LIVE in New York! Join us on June 20, 2018. We’re putting together a workshop that will talk all about success in architecture and will introduce the 4 P’s of the EntreArchitect Business Framework.

The Win Without Pitching Manifesto (book)
Pricing Creativity: A Guide to Profit Beyond The Billable Hour (book)
Mastering the Value Conversation (podcast)
Win Without Pitching Training Programs (workshop)

The post EA219: Pricing Creativity with Author Blair Enns [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

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EA218: How to Start an Architecture Firm with Timothy Ung [Podcast]

4 maj 2018 | 58 min

How to Start an Architecture Firm

The journey to become an architect is one of many struggles and accomplishments. Each step is achieved by setting goals, working hard, and doing what you set out to do. Every architect needs to follow their own path, and much of it is unknown. The process to becoming and architect and starting your own firm is often done through trial and error.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, How to Start an Architecture Firm with Architect and Author Timothy Ung.

Background

Timothy Ung is a product designer and architect based in New York. After getting his architecture license at the age of 26, Tim started a blog called Journey of an Architect to document his process of design and pursue his goal of designing thirty theoretical projects before his 30th birthday in May 2020. He’s currently working on developing a podcast with a fellow blogger and evolving architect, Mike LaValley (EA161: SketchUp for Small Firm Architects with Mike LaValley).

In 2016, Tim led a day-long seminar on starting an architecture firm where he brought together an architect with a young, successful firm, two lawyers, two accountants, and marketing and branding professionals to talk about the important things to do when starting your own firm. His seminar inspired a blog post, Almost 40 tips for Starting an Architecture Firm, and an e-book Starting an Architecture Firm, and it’s only the beginning of his story.

Origin Story

Timothy was born and raised in New York and attended a fantastic high school on Wall Street right across the street from Goldman Sachs. During his time there, he was involved in the ACE Mentor Program, which brings together architects, construction managers, and engineers to expose younger people to these kinds of industries. He had 17 architects, 10 construction managers, and 7 engineers as his mentors. He then decided to go into the architecture side of things.

In the program, they designed a building for a competition for a design competition that the mentors put together. The theoretical building was a vertical farm located in a New York City skyscraper with the goals of feeding everyone in the area and use technology to gain passive energy to power the buildings around them. Learning from their mentor team was fascinating. His team ended up winning the competition and receiving a scholarship to study architecture at the University of Buffalo.

He also worked as an intern at Leslie Robertson Associates, where he was able to work with a structural engineer on the Whitney Museum of American Art.

In architecture school, he was confused about everything he was doing. After a few years, he started to understand the language and the design concepts. He graduated with a bachelors and masters of architecture and set another goal to pass his ARE within two years, which he then completed in 2016.

His next goal was to start an architecture firm, but he knew there was so much he needed to learn before then. Timothy set off to create a portfolio of work through his blog, aiming to create 30 projects by the time he was 30 years old. Through the process of that project, he’s realized his passion for design in general, including leather working.

What overwhelmed you when you got to architecture school?

Timothy came to university from a place where he was talking about architecture from New York City’s built environment around him. He started off with a lot of theory, and then had to do a lot of solo, independent work. After a few years, people were much more willing to collaborate and that’s where Timothy learned the most. He and his classmates were sharing and teaching each other new ideas and concepts.

Where did your seminar fit into your 30 projects?

As he started to learn more at the firm he works at, he started getting more opportunities and growing his responsibilities. Timothy realized he wanted to start an architecture firm by the time he turned 30, and knew he needed to learn more about the necessary steps to start his firm off on the right foot and be successful. He decided to bring together professionals who can teach the fundamentals of starting a business.

He met Mike LaValley in the local emerging professionals group, and their colleague suggested they apply for a grant to put together this program. They realized it would be a great opportunity to teach local architects how to start a practice the right way. They didn’t know what that was, but they knew they could find some people to teach them.

Once they received the grant and put the event together, they had 30 people that showed up for the event. All of the information that came from the event was inspiring. Each professional team had an hour to teach the best practices and the best way to start a firm from their field.

What does the book contain?

Timothy wanted to write something so that he could remember everything for when he was ready to start his own firm:

Create a business plan and setting your goals

When setting goals, know that your goals can change. You should have a 10 year goal, a five year goal, and an annual goal. Your business plan is your reason for starting your firm, something that’s personal to you. It can be a short, one-page plan or a 30 page document. It’s important to be comfortable with your plan so you can share it with others.

Have a brand for your firm

A lot of thought should be put in to your name. Your logo, the way you cary yourself both inside and outside of your firm, both go into your brand. Architects think that since we’re designers, we should design everything ourselves. When creating a logo, find someone who is experienced in graphic design and allow them to use their skills.

Invest in insurance

Shop around and ask each agency how they handle their claims. Will they know how to handle construction or architecture claims? Make sure you have the right person to represent you.

Never settle for less than what you’re worth

Know what you’re worth and don’t settle for less than that. Aspire for more successful projects every day. With every new project that comes in, you have to make sure that you’re getting paid what you should be getting paid and stop undercutting one another. You’re in this profession for a reason: because you’re passionate about it.

This is a living document that will continue to change as new ways of running a business come out. Read more at JourneyofanArchitect.com.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Start building a team and mentoring that team so that your business can thrive tomorrow.” – Timothy Ung

Connect with Timothy online at JourneyofanArchitect.com or find him on social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Visit our Platform Sponsors

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ARCAT has huge libraries of free content, Specs, CAD, BIM and more. No registration required. Want to collaborate with colleagues in real time?

Visit EntreArchitect.com/ARCAT and click Charrette for more information.

Referenced in this Episode

Download the Profit For Small Firm Architects course for FREE.

EA002: Secrets to Blogging Success with Bob Borson

EntreArchitect LIVE in New York! Join us on June 20, 2018. We’re putting together a workshop that will talk all about success in architecture and will introduce the 4 P’s of the EntreArchitect Business Framework.

Almost 40 tips for Starting an Architecture Firm (blog)
Starting an Architecture Firm (e-book)

The post EA218: How to Start an Architecture Firm with Timothy Ung [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

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EA217: Bob Borson – His Firm, His Family and Life of an Architect [Podcast]

26 april 2018 | 61 min

Life of an Architect with Bob Borson

It’s been 215 episodes, and he’s back. His firm, his family, and the life of an architect.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Life of an Architect with Bob Borson.

Background

Bob Borson is a principle of Malone Maxwell Borson Architects, a full service architecture firm based in Dallas, Texas. The award winning firm is frequently published and is widely recognized for its thoughtful and considered designs. In 2013, they were honored as the AIA Dallas Firm of the Year. Bob is very active at his local and state components of AIA, where he serves on several committees and leads many initiatives. In 2009, he was recognized as AIA Dallas as Young Architect of the Year and in 2017 he was elevated in the AIA College of National Fellows. Many listeners may know him through his blog, LifeofanArchitect.com which has millions of listeners per year. He’s also a dedicated dad, husband, and traveler. A great tip he’s shared over the years is to sign up for the tours at AIA conventions.

Origin Story

Bob’s earliest recollection was that he wanted to be an architect. His dad, an engineer, encouraged him and got him a drafting board, a t square and a triangle for Christmas when he was about five years old.

When he was a young man, a guy he knew bought a Porsche and Bob thought he was on the right track. For young people wondering if they’re going to be good at architecture, Bob always lets them know that he was terrible when he was in architecture school. He didn’t put the time and effort into doing what he needed to do, and had a huge identity crisis when something he thought he wanted to do his entire life he was seemingly not good at. Since then, everything has fallen into place.

When you had that crisis and weren’t sure if you wanted to be an architect, how did your family react?

Bob never told his family that he had that crisis of identity. His parents more thought that he was goofing off in college and wasn’t dialed in the way he needed to be to enjoy architecture as the path he wanted it to be. At one point, his sister told him that their parents were going to pull him out of school if he didn’t get his act together.

How do you deal with the balance of firm and family?

For what it’s worth, it hasn’t been hard to balance for Bob. Their firm isn’t very big with about 7 members, and they believe that you’re a better architect when you have other interests outside the office. They close the office on Fridays at noon and encourage people to get out. Their philosophy is that you’re a grown up and no one will do your job when you’re not here, but as long as you’ve handled the things you have to handle, nothing should get in the way.

The culture has been established to create this balance. From the very beginning, they’ve always operated from this kind of philosophy. It’s hard to lead from the ivory tower and make a different set of rules for everyone else, so they don’t do that.

It comes down to more than just money. If you’re an architect who wants to make a lot of money, there’s a career path you can put yourself on to make more money than other paths. The amount of work in high end residential work is way more hands on than a warehouse, and the fee scale will be different. As an architect, you can make decisions to shape how you’ll live your life. Some of it is financial, others are around how you spend your time, but they’re all interlinked.

Tell us about how travel works with your family and your firm.

Bob and his wife get a decent amount of time off, and they try to take advantage of that time that’s been provided by the stations they’ve achieved in their careers.

In college, Bob did a study abroad program where he traveled through Europe. He quickly realized that after that trip, he’d visited more countries than he had states. His wife worked as a consultant which required her to travel on a weekly basis, and she began to wrack up hotel points and miles. Though they were on a tight budget, they stayed at nice hotels and got cars for free. Once they had their daughter, they knew it was important to expose her to different people, cultures, and foods.

Recently, they took a family trip to Ireland to learn more about her heritage, as Bob’s wife was born there. Though they like to look at interesting design, Bob is more interested in turning off the parts of his brain that he usually uses.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“The practice of architecture is personality based. If someone wants to hire an architect and their only requirement is to have five bedrooms, a bathroom and dining room, they can get that from anyone. Let your personality be part of the process. You can’t be all things to all people at all times and experience any kind of satisfaction from the process, so be true to yourself.” – Bob Borson, Life of an Architect

Connect with Bob online at MMBArchitects.com and LifeofanArchitect.com or find him on social media at Facebook, Twitter, and check out his pictures from Ireland on Instagram.

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EA216: The Psychology of Success with Entrepreneur Psychotherapist Joyce Marter [Podcast]

20 april 2018 | 50 min

The Psychology of Success

So much of our success and failure as entrepreneur architects is determined by our mindsets. It’s all in your head! What’s keeping you from growing? How do you properly set boundaries around your firms and families? What about the importance of visions and planning your life? How about the seasons of our lives determining the timeline for our success?

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, The Psychology of Success with Entrepreneur Psychotherapist Joyce Marter.

Background

Joyce Marter is a licensed psychotherapist and the founder of Urban Balance, a multisite counseling practice that she started and grew to over 100 therapists working in 9 locations in Chicago and St. Louis during her 13 years as CEO. She has a passion for applying psychology to business. She’s a public speaker, a corporate trainer, and she has been featured as an expert on media outlets like Wall Street Journal, US News & World Report, CNN, MTV and more.

Origin Story

Joyce went to school at Ohio State, and when she started she had no idea what she wanted to do. She chose psychology, sociology and humanities since she was interested in learning more about it. She quickly learned that she was interested in learning about people’s thinking, emotions, experiences, and how we’re shaped by our experiences in life. She attended Northwestern for her graduate degree in counseling psychology.

After that, she feel accidentally into entrepreneurship. She saw a need for an insurance-friendly counseling practice. Though she went through ups and downs, her practice grew quickly.

Did you plan to grow into such a large business?

As Joyce worked on her business, she worked on herself personally. Sine they’re two sides of the same coin, the business organically grew as she grew herself.

There was a need for insurance-friendly therapy and for jobs for therapists. One person at a time, her business grew leaps and bounds.

Was there fear in launching your own business?

Many people told her she was too young, that the market was too saturated, and that there was too much competition. She set strict boundaries for herself and people laughed at her. There was a lot of fear in it. She took the feedback with a grain of thought and forged ahead anyway.

How did you find the balance between your family and your business?

Joyce planned her career in the context of her life, not the other way around. She visualized the life she wanted to have with her family, and planned around that. As a mom and provider, she puts great value on her time and puts parameters around her day. Taking care of our selves allows us to think more clearly and be more productive and joyous in our work. Because Joyce prioritizes her family, it has helped her delegate and find great people to partner with instead of trying to control and do everything herself.

What was the first step to create your plan and vision?

How many weeks a year do you want to take off? What do you want your work week to look like? What’s your prime target of hours? What of those are from home? When do you need to be home for your family? Build boundaries around those and make them non negotiable.

Next, imagine financially what you want to make. Aim high and visualize that. Focus on what’s being supported. Let it take shape organically based on what’s going on at work and at home.

How did you plan for future seasons?

From a psychology perspective, there are different phases of development that impact where our energy and time go. For Joyce, career growth happen in stages and steps. There may be a push to grow, and then a pause to maintain there.

How do you combat the fear in your head that gets in your way of taking the next step forward?

Eckert Tolle, author of The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment and A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose, says, “Whenever you feel inferior or superior to someone else, that’s your ego.” All the negative, neurotic mind chatter comes from our ego. Instead, be present in the moment by practicing mindfulness. Develop the skill to observe your thoughts rather than believing everything your inner critic is saying. Start practicing meditation to reboot and become aware of your thoughts.

Believe in yourself in order to sell yourself to someone else. Be your own most compassionate coach and advocate as you move through building and running your business.

If you’re interested in getting started with meditation, check out Headspace or Calm. Whether it’s balance, an integrated life, or success at a high level, start to understand who you are to get out of your head and achieve all that you’re planning.

What’s getting in my way of doing the things I know I should do?

We all have self sabotaging behaviors, and we all create patterns that are familiar unless we choose something different. We need an accountability partner – whether it be a coach, therapist, another architect or business partner – that you get together with periodically about staying on track.

For Joyce, each Monday her and a friend email each other with 5 things that they want to do in the coming week for their business growth but they fear they won’t get to. At the end of the week, if they don’t get to those 5 things, they need to explain to one another why that is.

When you have stress in your life, another really important skill is learning how to manage that. Learning how to detach and move through it without being reactive will help. Challenges are always opportunities for growth.

You cannot do these things alone, accountability is crucial. It helps us grow to the best version of ourselves and live a greater version of our lives.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Practice gratitude. Keep a gratitude journal and, every day, write down three things you’re thankful for. This will teach you to focus on the positive. When you’re positive, you’ll attract more positivity and success into your life.” – Joyce Marter, Urban Balance

Connect with Joyce online at UrbanBalance.com and Joyce-Marter.com or find her on social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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EA215: A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming an Architect Developer [Podcast]

13 april 2018 | 61 min

A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming an Architect Developer

If you’re interested in becoming an architect developer, this is the episode for you!

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming an Architect Developer with Danny Cerezo of cs design.

Background

Danny Cerezo is originally from New York City, but moved to LA long ago. He has a bachelors in Architecture from USC and a masters from Woodberry San Diego where he studied under famed architect developers Jonathan Segal and Ted Smith. He’s a liscensed general contractor who has recently started a contracting firm with a development partner where he’s now designing and building a development project as an architect.

Origin Story

Hear Danny’s origin story in EA126: Successful Technologies for an Architect Startup with Architect Danny Cerezo.

cs design is a small husband and wife firm in LA. In 2008, Danny decided he wanted to pursue the architect as developer route, and today the firm is split between traditional projects and partnering with developers to do their own projects.

In LA, there is so much development that isn’t necessarily attractive, and it made Danny wonder why people weren’t developing things that were more architecturally significant. Through talking with others, he found a whole world of people who were architects and developers and took a leap.

If someone wants to be an architect developer, what should they do?

For Danny, he knew that he wanted to do it but didn’t have any money. The natural action for him was to find someone to partner with. The developer he went to work for was willing to do some smaller projects with their funds and equity.

How do you show someone that you have the skills needed to take their money and turn it around for a profit?

You have to learn how to walk the walk and talk the talk. What are the fundamentals of real estate development? Do you know how to do a pro forma? Can you talk about risks and potential pit falls of a project? Are you familiar with comps? Build up a base of tools and knowledge. Figure out how to convey your goals to those who you’re hoping will fund your development.

Danny has written the whole process out on Medium.

What’s a pro forma?

It’s typically a spreadsheet that shows what it would cost to do Project X, where that money comes from, what the return will be, and what everyone gets from the project. How much are you putting in and how much are you getting out?

What is the process as an architect developer?

Danny suggests staying local. Jonathan Segal says, “If you can’t get to it in 15 minutes, it’s too far”. You’re familiar with what’s closest to you. Once you find the land, figure out how you’re going to borrow the money for the lot. Get as creative as you want with how you acquire the land.

Once you pull the money together, give a verbal offer or letter of intent.

Next, there’s 12 months to pay the financiers back through the construction loan. That means there’s 12 months to design, permit and get a construction loan. The construction loan that you get covers the cost of the land to pay back your sellers, the money for the fees, and pay for construction. Usually the bank will loan you 75% of the total development cost, which allows us to pay back the sellers and start construction.

If you borrowed a dollar, you have a dollar to spend. As an architect developer, you only have the money that you have to spend, because you have to pay out what the pro forma says to each party at the end.

After we’re done and we get our certificates of occupancy, we hope to sell them for the prices we had in the pro forma. Then, we pay back the bank for the construction loan and those who gave us the money for the soft costs. Whatever’s left goes to the developer, the fee and interest negotiated over time.

During construction, is the process different doing it as a developer?

The only difference is that you’re way more involved. On a typical project you may be doing some construction administration and some site meetings. For architect developers, you’ll go to the job sites every week and sometimes more.

You’re way more invested in it than a typical agreement, and that’s a selling point when you’re looking for a partner. You care about the project more than the next firm because you want it to succeed.

You also know the pro forma and what the parameters are around what can make this project fail or succeed. Having been there from the beginning, you know what the project hinges on and you have to be involved to makes sure it stays on track.

What do you do for marketing?

Throughout the project, stay on social media and share what you’re doing. Pick a good real estate agent who can get the word out and create interest.

Where are you now and what are your next steps?

Danny’s first project started in 2015, and now they’re framing the second project and have another one they’re about to submit for permits. They have a general contractor company and are starting to look at larger projects.

Are you rolling your profits into the next project?

Once this project sells, part of the money will go to savings and the other part will allow him to contribute more to the pro forma and become a bigger stakeholder in deals moving forward. Eventually, the goal is to have enough paydays to be ready if a great opportunity comes along.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Play a simple ‘what if’ game. What if _____. Think of something beyond your comfort zone. What if you did that? What’s the worst that could happen if you did?” – Danny Cerezo

Download Danny’s free Architect Developer Worksheet

Connect with Danny online at CandSDesign.com or find him on social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Medium.

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Referenced in this Episode

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EA126: Successful Technologies for an Architect Startup with Architect Danny Cerezo [Podcast]

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EA214: Building an Architecture Firm Around a Delightful Client Journey [Podcast]

6 april 2018 | 54 min

Building an Architecture Firm Around a Delightful Client Journey

So much of the success experienced by thriving small firms can be found in their process. How are they developing the services they provide to their clients? How are they managing their clients’ expectations? Are they making things happen in an efficient way? Is the design, development and building process enjoyable?

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Building an Architecture Firm Around a Delightful Client Journey with Architect Anthony Laney.

Background

Anthony is an architect and designer who’s devoted to bring out the best in creative teams. He’s a cofounder and partner at Laney LA, an architecture firm focusing on serving home and business owners in LA and the surrounding region. He began his career with the renowned firm Marmol Radziner working for clients as distinguishd as Tom Ford. Graduating at the top of his class from the USC School of Architecture, he won 17 class commendations and received numerous recognitions including the AIA Medal and the Studio Design Award. Anthony is a multi-disciplined designer whose work encompasses architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, graphic design, branding, and social leadership. He’s active on social media, reach out to him there! He’s building a culture of a young startup and sharing it with the rest of us.

Origin Story

Anthony decided to try out architecture after high school, and the most significant thing was that architecture school was super intimidating but he ended up meeting his future wife there.

After graduating and getting married, Anthony and his wife worked for several great firms. Once they got licensed, they decided to launch their own studio. They’ve slowly grown to a team of 11 and outgrown their home garage studio. Since then, they’ve discovered their passion lies in high end residential custom homes in the area south of the Bay.

How did you land in your target market?

They landed on something they were passionate about, good at and that could pay the bills. Whether it was a full house, a renovation, or a small portion of design on a bigger team, these discerning clients wanted a high touch, high quality of service experience.

Though they’re not for everyone, clients hire them because they want an enjoyable, passionate process. The process leaves a feeling of joy instead of a wake of headaches. Laney LA makes the process fun.

What are you doing to differentiate yourselves from other firms?

Laney LA is extremely clear and consistent with how they communicate with their clients. They make it very easy for clients to share their journey with their friends. Every piece of the design project is pretty enough to share.

When clients come to their studio, they’re treated like guests. They have food and drinks, and branding with their names. They receive quick follow up and intentional communication. This all stems from asking the questions, “If I was a client, how would I want to be treated? How can we go above and beyond?”

How did you grow your company culture?

They didn’t have a master plan for rate of hiring, but it doesn’t feel like they’re growing fast. They’re always interviewing, and that can be a long process.

They possess a specific set of values that they try to reflect in the way they approach their work, most often in the way they treat their employees. Their goal is to create a runway for designers who have very distinct aspirations to launch their own practice one day. They have a team of rockstars who are going places; these people will launch their own firms eventually. That, in turn, attracts people who are passionate about creativity and building something together.

Are you actively teaching employees?

While they don’t have a fully open book firm, each year they set specific goals to move closer to that. Project managers have full access to all the contracts and their profitability reports.

One of the purposes of internal lecture series is to give give project managers and designers the opportunity to rehearse on a stage and get feedback. The goal is to create leader makers which attracts a certain type of individual.

They’re also a big fan of evualtuating strengths, specifically the DISC Theory and DISC Personality Traits. They pay close attention to having a diverse team, and knowing where people’s natural strengths are helps Anthony put them on the right seat on the bus.

What model do you use at Laney LA?

Anthony’s job is more as a coach. The design isn’t at the principle level, it’s on the project manager level. This has allowed them to build their team the way they want to. They use apps to track time and delegate tasks, as well as take detailed notes. They find different software packages that work well for them and use technology to their benefit. From day 1 of design all the way through, everything is modeled in 3D with ArchiCad, which they teach internally.

What are some apps you use?

ArchiCad
Harvest for time tracking and invoicing
Insightly for tracking opportunities
Evernote for digital sketchbook and note-taking
Dropbox for file organization
Amazon web services to host BIM cloud
Quickbooks for accounting

All of these are cloud-based, so people can access them anywhere, any time!

Do you have specific hours of work?

They’ve moved to having people together 80% of the time. There’s a residual benefit of having people together, but they offer flexibility when needed.

The theme of 2018 has been “startup to grow up”. They’ve clarified policies, including working hours from 8 AM – 5 PM. It may not feel good at first, but more consistency is better as they grow.

What are your roles as partners?

As they’ve grown, Anthony and Krista’s roles have changed. Anthony is more outward-facing, dealing with recruiting new work, writing contracts, and handling the business. Krista prefers to do more behind-the-scenes design, be a part of teams, and be more creative.

As the team develops, they’ve both let go of BIM management to let other team members lead that. Krista has transitioned to part time with several additions to their families, and her role is moving more toward design review.

Do you have a process for people to move into leadership positions?

Anthony came to the realization that looking at his longest staff members, the best case for them to stay is to be part of a growing firm. The biggest opportunity there is to have many hires so that leaders can start mentoring down as well. This gives them exposure to what’s going on in the firm.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“If you have any focus on residential, invest in Houzz.com to grow your business.” – Anthony Laney

Connect with Anthony online at Laney.LA, and follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

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Referenced in this Episode

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EA130: How to Build a Successful Architecture Firm That Works with Architect Declan Keefe [Podcast]

EA185: The Passion, The Process and Problems of Running a Design/Build Architecture Firm [Podcast]

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EA213: AIA Contract Documents for Small Firms withKen Cobleigh of AIA [Podcast]

30 mars 2018 | 61 min

AIA Contract Documents for Small Firms

The man behind AIA Contract Documents, the comprehensive legal document system from AIA. For years, small firm architects have been a bit disgruntled about the bulky, intimidating documents. In the past few years, AIA has been working hard to serve the small firm community and AIA Contract Documents have evolved to provide documents specifically for small firm architects.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, AIA Contract Documents for Small Firms with Ken Cobleigh of the American Institute of Architects.

Background

Ken serves as Managing Director and Counsel, AIA Contract Documents. He works with a team of lawyers, specialists and support staff, and the AIA Documents Committee, in developing and publishing AIA Contract Documents, and in providing support services to contract document users. Ken joined the American Institute of Architects in October 2006. Ken is a graduate of the University of Maryland where he earned both his B.A. and J.D. with honors. After earning his law degree, and prior to joining the AIA, Ken practiced for eighteen years as a construction attorney in private practice Maryland law firms. During that time he represented owners, contractors, subcontractors and design professionals in a number of dispute resolution forums, including State and Federal Courts and administrative agencies, mediation and arbitration.

Origin Story

After graduating college, Ken was a police officer for several years before he decided to move on to something different. He graduated from law school and went to work at a general practice firm. One day, he ended up an associate to a partner on construction cases where he learned a lot of information at an incredibly fast pace. Once he developed his expertise in construction, he moved to another firm where he had a majority of architect and engineer malpractice cases. Now, every day, he gets to work with bright architects, lawyers, and others in the industry to develop good tools and put the law to work in a good way.

Why should we be using AIA contract documents?

The contract is an essential part of the relationship. At the end of the day, you’re in a business relationship built on a set of understandings and promises. Architects make promises about services rendered, and the owners make promises about payment. What each person understands can be different, so the contract is where everyone lays out rules for issues that could arise.

We never like to think that a project could end poorly, but sometimes there are disputes. All of these potential issues can be addressed up front with the contract.

What type of documents does AIA provide for small firms?

For those practicing in residential and commercial, there’s a wide range of documents available. Many vary in size for different firms. The smaller the contract, the less things have been fleshed out for clarity and the more things will be open to interpretation by the parties.

AIA cautions everyone that, depending on risk tolerance, they suggest the contract that will do the best job of making things clear and minimizing risk. Small, low-cost projects may allow use of a shorter form. Longer forms may have more potentials for alternate dispute resolution or licensure for the services.

There’s a specific agreement (B107 2010) for an architect and a developer builder where there’s some replicated spec houses in a development. The contract lays everything out and clearly limits the roles and responsibilities of the architect, assuming that the builder is experienced and should be able to take on responsibility for the selection of finishes, equipment, etc. Essentially payment is for the design, and the architect agrees that the design will be replicated.

When providing pro bono services, one document (B106- 2010) starts with a standardized limitation of liability and prompts the architect and owner to agree on different line items and set limits on number of meetings the architect will attend and number of revisions. This way, the owner understand that the architect will meet certain expectations for their unpaid work. In order to encourage this work, the form is free to download in PDF format.

Rather than renegotiating contracts with a previous client, architects and negotiate a working set of terms and conditions. This group of documents (B121- 2014 and C421- 2014) that came in response from feedback from small firm architects.

Where can people find this information?

There’s a guide that AIA published with input from various groups called the Guide to AIA contract documents for small projects: Resources for small project practitioners, sole practitioners and custom residential architects.

What’s new with AIA contract documents?

AIA launched an online, web based product that addressed a lot of concerns that Mac users experienced. It also allowed people access to documents anytime, anywhere. Most importantly, small firms wanted to be able to have documents on a one-off basis. The new, web based product allows architects to purchase fully functional documents one by one based on need. Like any software, it’s subject to development quirks.

What about construction management documents?

There are two distinct construction management delivery models. One where the construction manager is ultimately the project constructor, but they come on early to help with pre-construction services. The construction manager also may come on as a separate consultant or advisor to the owner to oversee the work, they’re not actually doing the construction work.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Understand contracts and develop a contracting process that you can repeat project after project. It’s critical to get in the habit of utilizing written contracts and understand the content and how it works.” – Ken Cobleigh

Check out the documents online at AIAContracts.org.

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Referenced in this Episode

EntreArchitect Foundations: Business Forms and Checklists

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Guide to AIA contract documents for small projects: Resources for small project practitioners, sole practitioners and custom residential architects

A145 2015 Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Design-Builder for a One or Two Family Residential Project

B106- 2010 Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Architect for Pro Bono Services

B107 2010 Developer Builder Architect Agreement for Prototypes for Single Family Residential Projects

B121- 2014 Standard Form of Master Agreement Between Owner and Architect for Services provided under multiple Service Orders

C421- 2014 Standard Form of Master Agreement Between Architect and Consultant for Services provided under multiple Service Orders

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EA212: The Slow Space Movement with Mette Aamodt of Aamodt Plumb Architects [Podcast]

23 mars 2018 | 64 min

The Slow Space Movement with Mette Aamodt of Aamodt Plumb Architects

“In 1986 Carlo Petrini protested the opening of a McDonald's restaurant in Piazza di Spagna, Rome and launched the Slow Food Movement. Carl Honoré explains in his book, In Praise of Slowness, that Slow Food stands for everything that McDonalds does not: fresh, local, seasonal produce; recipes handed down through the generations; sustainable farming; artisanal production; leisurely dining with family and friends. But ultimately the movement is about the sensual pleasures of food.

Thirty years after Carlo's protest, organic produce, artisanal cheeses and craft beer are everywhere. Foodies flock to ever more specialized restaurants serving only food cultivated in their own backyards. Whole Foods is considered mass market and Michelle Obama is promoting farm-to-table in public schools. Carlo should be proud. He saved food!

Since then, the Slow Movement has touched almost every industry except ours. Slow Cities. Slow Aging. Slow Religion. Slow Cinema. Slow Education. Slow Sex. Slow Medicine. Slow Fashion. Slow Parenting. Slow Travel. Architecture, design and the building industry are conspicuously absent from the list. We find that strange. So we decided to do something.” – Slow Space Movement

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, The Slow Space Movement with Mette Aamodt of Aamodt Plumb Architects.

Background

Mette Aamodt is an architect, CEO and cofounder of Aamodt Plumb, an architecture, interiors, and construction firm in Cambridge, Mass. She’s a former AIA member, a design activist, and cofounder of the Slow Space Movement to promote good, clean, and fair buildings for all. She publishes biweekly thought pieces on her blog, SlowSpace.org, to explore ideas around slow space and slow architecture. She’s a mother of two with her husband and partner, Andrew Plumb. She was diagnosed with MS in 2002 upon graduation from Harvard’s GSD.

Origin Story

Mette’s story goes back to her parents, who did not want her to be an architect. Her father was an architect, and her parents taught her that architecture was a very hard business. She remembers the highs and lows and recessions.

She found her way to architecture through a long path through urban planning and ending up at the GSD. When she graduated, she was diagnosed with MS. There she also met her husband and partner, Andrew.

A week before her thesis review, she went blind in one eye and couldn’t hold the exactor to cut her model. Thinking it was stress, she pressed on. When she went to the doctor, she realized it was worse than she t thought.

Mette and Andrew were starting their careers as architects with this horrible diagnosis and no idea how it was going to affect them. They were unsure of what to do because they believed in the power of architecture to make an impact on people’s lives, but they saw how much it sucked to be an architect and what little value society places on architecture. They were faced with a dilemma: how could they do good work, have a good life, and make a good living?

Since then, the challenge has been to work to balance all three of those things. After a few years of working, they were lucky enough to start their own firm to figure out how to do things differently. How could they run their firm that was different from the way all the other architects were doing? How could they persevere to their triple threat: good work, good life, good money.

They began looking at other business models for good examples of how to run a company well. Through trial and error and their own learning, effort, and mistakes, they’ve gotten to where they are today. There’s no status quo, they’re constantly innovating on the design side and the business side.

They picked a speciality and chose to stay in their lane. The goal was to be profitable so that they could leverage that position to make a greater impact.

Recently, they became an architect-led design build firm to get away from the crazy, combative relationship with builders that’s often typical. Now, they have so much more scope out of the same client AND have found that their clients love it.

It’s a win-win. They don’t have to go through all the paperwork, it’s one hand talking to the other hand to streamline what’s a very overcomplicated process. When you start from a model that’s comprehensible to your prospective clients, you set yourself up for success. Before, doing the architecture alone meant that the projects had to be a certain size to make any money. Now, if they design and build, they have a better opportunity to earn more at the end while helping more people.

How do you provide the construction?

Aamodt Plumb brought in a partner who is a construction manager with a great interest in architecture. They’d worked with him as their builder on another project and found a great fit. They created a sister company that he runs.

Do you give your clients one fee?

They give one proposal for the entire contract, AIA has a document (A145) that outlines that. There’s an amendment after the design phase when the construction fee is known, and that triggers the start of construction.

Were there any surprises?

There’s so much that’s bad about the typical design build process, and they went through the wringer on much of that already.

Where did slow space come from and what does it mean?

For Aamodt Plum, it’s part a design philosophy and part practical social movement. Architects tend to know little about social movements, so Mette wanted to model the movement off of anther successful one. The idea of the “slow movement” fit so well with her philosophy on life; slow and steady wins the race. The idea blends so well with the interest in the experience of space as opposed to the objectification of architecture of recent. How do the spaces make you feel?

What were your goals?

Running a profitable firm and doing good is a challenge in and of itself. What they wanted to be able to do was to get to that point so that they could leverage that position so that they could to have a greater impact. Their mission is to improve the lives of one million people by creating good, clean, and fair homes. The number is intentionally large to get them thinking big and dreaming beyond what they could do. They decided on the bottom up approach: Starting a movement to change ideas and change minds. This is the genesis of the slow space movement. How much is wrong with our industry? How can we give consumers options and change what’s available? Can we help people build custom homes in a reasonable time frame?

Their philosophy is to build less but better. It’s a waste of resources to build buildings that will last less than 50 years before they are torn down and rebuilt again. If things are done better, buildings can be around for 100 or 200 years.

How do you serve a market that’s looking for the fast developer process?

First we have to change people’s hearts and minds. The slow food guys went out and protested McDonald’s. Architects need to protest this kind of fast development. The slow food movement is about the sensual pleasures of eating and the experience of sharing food around a table with loved ones. That part that translates so well to architecture because it’s about connecting, being together, and enjoying the sensual pleasures of being fully immersed in architecture.

Instead of competing with the builders, teach the clients that those houses are unhealthy and temporary, and that there’s an alternative for them to consider.

What are your tenants?

The ideas are good, clean and fair – which are borrowed from the Slow Food Movement.

Good means good design, human-centered around empathy. It must be beautiful; no one will take care of an ugly building. Architects used to be specialties in beauty.

Clean is a different take on the sustainability side. Are the things we’re building homes with clean? It might be a new silver bullet, but clean things like wood work great and have been around for as long as we can remember. Would you let your kids eat it? If not, should we be living in it?

Fair has to do with labor exploitation in the construction industry. People are being paid under the table, they aren’t paying into the social security system, and there’s no benefits. When workers get hurt, they’re out of luck. Many production builders are guilty of withholding wages unless workers come back to the job over long times. This lowers the bar for the whole construction industry that could be a great source of middle class income jobs. Changing this will take away the possibility of building a huge house for cheap: less but better.

How can we get involved?

To sign up for her mailing list, visit SlowSpace.org. Join the conversation. Start talking about these ideas and get them to more people. The more people who start asking these questions, the more the movement progresses. This is how change happens.

Connect with Mette online at AamodtPlumb.com and SlowSpace.org. Follow her on social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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EA211: The Girl UNinterrupted Project with Juliet Chun & Zhanina Boyadzhieva [Podcast]

16 mars 2018 | 49 min

The Girl UNinterrupted Project with Juliet Chun & Zhanina Boyadzhieva

These two young, emerging architects have decided to take the lead in the profession and build a powerful resource that informs and empowers other emerging professionals. Hear what can happen when two women refuse to allow anything to block their way to success.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, The Girl UNinterrupted Project with Juliet Chun & Zhanina Boyadzhieva.

Background

With a B.S. and M.Arch from Northeastern University, Juliet, Associate AIA, joined Leers Weinzapfel Associates in 2008 and has worked on a diversity of projects such as Ohio State University East Regional Chilled Water Plant and the UMass Design Building. She has taught at the Boston Architectural College as a studio instructor and thesis advisor and has been a guest critic for various institutions including Wentworth Institute of Technology, Mass Art College of Art and Design, and Pratt University.

Originally from Bulgaria, Zhanina, Associate AIA, received her MArch from Harvard GSD and a BA from Mount Holyoke College. She joined Leers Weinzapfel Associates in 2014 and has worked on variety of academic and infrastructure projects: Condorcet Campus Competition, UMass Design Building and currently Harvard Allston Energy Facility Plant. Zhanina is an active member of WID and Culture NOW. She has taught at Boston Architectural College and has been a guest critic at Harvard GSD, Northeastern, Wentworth, Mount Holyoke College and Kuwait University. Zhanina is an avid world traveler and an occasional writer with work published at TEDx Bulgaria, Metropolis Magazine, Oculus, Dnevnik, Ureport and SciencexArt.

Together, they are the cofounders of The Girl UNInterrupted Project which seeks to bridge the gap between young female designers and leaders in the architectural field.

Juliet’s Origin Story

Juliet didn’t know she wanted to be an architect until she was in college. She grew up in Tampa and attended Northeastern because of her love for the city of Boston. At the end of her freshman year, her advisor encouraged her to pick a major. She decided on architecture and loved everything about her experience through school. Northeastern does a coop program, so Juliet had the opportunity to do a coop with Leers Weinzapfel Associates. There she was able to get her foot in the door to return full time after graduation.

Zhanina’s Origin Story

Zhanina was always interested in the arts and tended to be good at math, systems and organizations. In Bulgaria, when applying for college, you tend to know what you want to study right away because of the technical nature of the programs. She was always searching for a school with a big population of international students and an architecture program. She also works at Leers Weinzapfel Associates, where she connected with Juliet.

Where did the name “Girl UNinterrupted” come from?

The name comes from the unique environments that haven’t interrupted them. Both Juliet and Zhanina have been lucky to be in places that allow them to grow.

How did The Girl UNInterrupted Project start?

Both Juliet and Zhanina work at Leers Weinzapfel Associates Architects, a firm that was started in the 1980s by Andrea Leers and Jane Weinzapfel. Last year, Andrea and Jane were nominated for an award that brought them to London for the ceremony and, when they returned, they brought a copy of the Architecture Review Magazine that focused all about the history of women in architecture.

On Women’s Day, they had an office-wide lunch to discuss any general observations about equity of the architecture field.

Juliet and Zhanina were quite shocked to see the statistics due to the incredible support that they’ve always felt at Leers Weinzapfel Associates, and wanted to learn more about what was happening with the other emerging professionals in Boston. They submitted an application to be a part of the ABX in Boston and were accepted. They launched the project soon after.

What is The Girl UNinterrupted Project?

The project is divided into three phases.

Phase 1 is the Designers Data Survey that they distributed to emerging professionals in Boston. The survey included questions on general info, salary negotiation, work/life balance, and career growth.

All of the data was professionally analyzed and the results were presented at ABX.

Phase 2 was the Conversation Series between Juliet, Zhanina and top leaders in the field like women principles, landscape architects, and human resources associates. What challenged did they face? How did they come up in the field? Do they have any tips for emerging professionals on what to do to jumpstart their carers?

Phase 3 was a manual to publish all of the information that they gathered to promote transparency within the office culture. One side includes tips for emerging professionals and the other side was tips for leaders on small tweaks they could try to maximize and retain the talent they have.

Where have you completed the survey?

After surveying Boston and analyzing the results, they were really encouraged to expand to other cities to compare contents. Currently, it’s now available in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC and New York. If you’re in one of those cities, you can CLICK HERE to complete the survey.

What’s the big picture of what you’re hoping to achieve?

First of all, they’re hoping to bring transparency around certain procedures. Many policies are hidden, and they want to give a voice to people who may not feel supported in their work environments.

Second, they want to understand what emerging professionals are struggling with and and what issues need to be tackled for future progress. A lot of emerging architects may be in a bubble like Julie and Zhanina, where they don’t necessarily recognize many of the issues that other emerging professionals are dealing with.

How have professionals reacted to the project so far?

Often, there’s a disconnected communication where designers assume that leaders know how they feel and leaders assume that they’re being transparent. Girl UNinterrupted is trying to create a dialogue instead of assuming that everyone can read each other’s minds.

They were very surprised on how principles reacted to the project, as they were surprised by the questions that emerging professionals were asking and really sought to make that connection.

Were there any surprises in the data from the Boston survey?

One surprise was when they would ask questions about policies in their office, many emerging professionals responded that they didn’t know. This either meant that those issues weren’t important to the emerging professionals or that there wasn’t transparency with office policies; either way, the two groups needed to communicate more.

When they started asking more questions about how people felt about initiating ideas in the workplace, the percentages drastically dropped. How can the work environment be more open so people can share their ideas?

Another interesting result was in terms of negotiation. When asked if you negotiated, more women than men replied that they had. For those who didn't negotiate, when asked why, women responded that they did not feel confident doing so whereas men responded that they did not need to negotiate.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“It’s important to have a personal connection with your employees, regardless of the size of your firm. What are their personal struggles and goals? Those connections create a relationship of mutual respect.” – Zhanina Boyadzhieva

“Promote good morale throughout the office to show people they are appreciated. Even a simple thank you' from time to time can be incredibly encouraging.” – Juliet Chun

Connect with Juliet & Zhanina by email at [email protected] or find them online at The Girl UNinterrupted Project and Twitter @grlUNinterrupt.

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EA210: Lessons Learned from Investing in 15 Architecture Firms with Todd Reding of Charrette Venture Group [Podcast]

9 mars 2018 | 51 min

Lessons Learned from Investing in 15 Architecture Firms

Today is the FINAL day to enroll for the EntreArchitect Mastermind for resources, training, and a powerful peer group that will help you accomplish your most ambitious goals. Learn more at EntreArchitect.com/mastermind.

One of the most surprising things about small architecture firms is how similar we all are. We’re all struggling with the same issues and trying to contribute to the world the best that we can. Charrette Venture Group invests in small firms, partnering with us to address the issues we face and helping us to plan for success.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Lessons Learned from Investing in 15 Architecture Firms with Todd Reding of Charrette Venture Group.

Background

Todd Reding is the President and CEO of Charrette Venture Group. Todd has been a guest of the podcast on EA103: 3 Roadblocks Experienced by Every Entrepreneur Architect and What To Do About It [Podcast] and EA151: How to Grow Your Architecture Firm [Podcast].

Charrette Venture Group (CVG) is a firm that provides a wholistic approach to building a business; they provide services from management, leadership, finance, marketing, business development, and more to architecture firms who are seeking to build a strong business in the design space.

CVG’s mission is to be the best company in the world to help small architecture firms become stronger and more profitable businesses. Their eleven-member team is all based virtually, ranging from Mexico City to London. They work with small firms on every aspect of their businesses except the actual design work.

Todd’s background is in the entrepreneurial world. With an MBA from Northwestern University, he’s has been involved in starting and running businesses throughout his whole career.

What’s the biggest experience you’ve gained working with small firms?

The most surprising thing as Todd has learned more about this space is the depth of the relationships with each firm. The CVG team cares deeply about each investment partner, and truly gets invested across a long period of time.

All 15 firms have a very close, trusting relationship. Interactions at times are very honest and direct, sometimes telling firms what they don’t want to hear.

The firms CVG partners with are totally trusting and focused on growing their firms and earning a profit so they can do the design work that they’re passionate about.

Is this investment an equity deal?

CVG is paid a percentage of the architecture firm’s revenue instead of an equity stake. They look at the board and figure out how they can increase the revenue of the firms that they’re partnering with.

What tips do you have for those trudging through finding good client fits for their firms?

Check out High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become That Way by Brendon Burchard. It can be a little sale-sy, but there are some great lessons in the book. One of them is the clarity of focus and creating a clear idea of what you want to accomplish.

Among all the firms CVG has worked with, that’s been the greatest challenge. Architects are great at focusing on details, but, when you’re running a business, you have to make sure you’re focusing on the right details. CVG helps firms have a clear understanding of what they do and don’t need to focus on.

Do many firms have a business plan in place when you first meet them?

Most firms have put little to no effort into planning out their business. Sometimes they have budgets or revenue plans, but they aren’t sure where it fits into market segment, project types, and more. Operationally, how are you structuring your budget so your marketing and business development dollars are allocated by each market type and segment to achieve your goals?

CVG works to understand the efficiencies of the firms. Your revenues can be up, but profits are down. Why is that? Are you making sure that everyone in your firm understands the budget and allocated hours for each project? What’s expected at each phase of the project?

What is the Architecture Business Plan Competition?

The Fourth Annual Business Plan Competition encourages small firms to put together and submit their business plans. CVG wants small firms to spend time creating high quality business plans.

Registration asks a few simple questions, such as:

What’s the vision for your business?
What are your projected revenues for 2018?

The goal is to ask specific questions about where your business is headed. Then, four jurors review submissions and select 15 semifinalists. The semifinalists will each be interviewed about their plan and the lifecycle of their business, as well as receive feedback from the jurors. From those 15, there will be 5 finalists who present their plan on a video conference and pitch their full business plan. The jurors will select 1 winner, who is awarded over $5,000 in cash and prizes, including round trip airfare and hotel in New York City during the 2018 AIA Conference on Architecture.

Anyone who currently owns or plans to start an architecture firm within the next year. You must have a listened architect on your team and be located within the US or Canada.

Registration is free and all submissions are confidential.

Deadline for registration is March 26, 2018. For more information and to register, click HERE.

What do you have going on for AIA 2018?

CVG is currently working on a space near the that’s exclusive to small firms. EntreArchitect will have a presence there, and the entire CVG team will be in New York for AIA 2018 with programs that are appealing to small firms. Come connect with other small firms and create community. Stay tuned for more information!

Connect with Todd online by visiting Charrette Venture Group online, or by connecting on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

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EA209: How to Become an Influential Speaker with Dr. Michelle Mazur [Podcast]

2 mars 2018 | 57 min

How to Become an Influential Speaker

Whether you’re proposing a project to a new client or presenting to a powerful decision making authority or spreading a message to the world one stage at a time, your voice and how you use it will be the difference between falling flat and persuading your audience to see it your way.

Do you want to make a difference? Use your voice to change the world around you.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, How to Become an Influential Speaker with Dr. Michelle Mazur of Communication Rebel.

Background

Dr. Michelle Mazer founded Communication Rebel on the belief that communication changes the world. She helps speakers rebel against the status quo and make a difference by crafting their message, create their positioning and decide on pricing. Her speakers have gone on to book $100K speaking gigs, become international speakers, and raise more money than they ever expected.

Origin Story

Michelle figured out that she was passionate about public speaking in 10th grade during her required course. At the time, she was shy and quiet. She white knuckled her way through the first terrifying, awful speech, but there was a voice in her head that told her she could master it.

She took more speaking classes and ended up joining the speech and debate team. She got her butt kicked every Saturday for a long time, but she began to cut her teeth, get feedback, and try different things. Eventually, things began to click. She got a PhD in communication and was a professor for five years.

Eventually, a friend convinced her to share her gift of communication with the world. Now, her job is to help empower others to find the right words so that their message spreads and impacts those it was meant for.

How did your clients find you?

Some people come to Michelle after they’ve dabbled in speaking and aren’t afraid of getting on stage. They know they have something important to share and that it’s valuable, but it’s not coming across like they want it to. Now, they’re ready to up level what they’re doing.

Are you an introvert or extravert?

Michelle is an ambivert, which means she straddles the line. She can be very gregarious and outgoing, but she also needs a lot of time to rest and recharge.

When she speaks, she plans time afterward to recharge after she drains her energy.

What tips do you have for introverts who want to sell their message?

One of the big strengths introverts can focus on is that when you’re a speaker, you get to control the conversation. There are a lot of speakers who are introverts and love being on the stage. In some ways, it’s like you’re having an in-depth conversation with one person.

Introverts also think so deeply about the audience and think about what they need, their reactions, and how they’ll take action on your message. Those thoughts become your fuel to get onto a stage and share your message.

What are some things that someone who wants to speak well can prepare?

The first step is to step away from PowerPoint or KeyNote. Some of the first moves should be the pre-work of figuring out why your audience is coming to the speech, what problems do they have, what do they believe about your message?

Then, move to the core message of your speech – the three word rebellion – where you’ll get people to take action.

Figure out what conversations you need to have to move your audience from their pain point to your rebellion – your movement – that you’re wanting to create.

From there, it’s about structuring your message.

What are your thoughts on text on slides, if you use them?

Michelle feels that if you’re reading your slides, the slides are replacing you as a speaker and you’re hiding out. Slides are the most impactful and effecive when they support and reinforce your message. Minimal text, maximum photos to reinforce your idea.

What’s the best way to structure your message and presentation so you remember what to say when you’re supposed to say it?

Presentations have information buckets. Michelle’s clients use a three part structure: when you make a point, you support that point with a story/statistics/research/case study, then have a take away from that point. The great thing about that is that you always know what’s coming next.

Point you want to make
Story that supports your point
Take away

If anyone is ready to take their speaking to the next level, how can they do that?

The first thing Michelle tells clients is that even if you’re not getting paid yet, have your pricing structure in mind. If you don’t set the intention off the bat, you’re going to get caught in the cycle of free speaking forever.

Start deciding that you’re going to say no to free speaking and you’re going to get paid. It’s hard, but trust that you have a great message, and that’s the product that you’re selling.

If you have a good message and you’re speaking at an event, you should find value in your work.

When you first start charging, how do you set your price?

One of the things Michelle does with clients is taking them through the process to understand the education, experience, and accomplishments to bring them to the place where they’re an expert on their subject.

Once you see that, you know you’re bringing value. Why does an organization want your speech? What results will your information get them? During negotiation, do a deep dive into the organization; figure out what you can bring to them and what their challenges are. After that, throw out your top number and negotiate from there.

At the end of the day, this is your business. Treat it that way.

How can you be a better communicator in general?

One of the big things is to focus yourself on your audience. Instead of getting focused on the how and what, figure out what your clients need from the presentation.

Then, know the next step after the presentation. If you’re pitching a client, is the next step to have another meeting or sign a contract?

Each time you do this, you get better and better!

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Get really clear on what the people you’re presenting to or pitching want. What do they need to hear? How can you take them on the journey from being unsure of hiring you to feeling like you’ve nailed their vision for their space. Be more focused on them than selling the project, and people will feel deeply seen, heard, and connected to you.” – Dr. Michelle Mazur

Connect with Michelle and learn about Communication Rebel at DrMichelleMazur.com, or find her on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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EA208: How to Build a Million Dollar Small Firm Using a Remote Team [Podcast]

23 februari 2018 | 82 min

How to Build a Million Dollar Small Firm Using a Remote Team

The future of architecture for small firms is the remote team. Using technology and online tools to acquire new clients, manage projects, and work with a team of top professionals distributed around the world, the virtual studio along with a remote team will allow you the flexiblity, freedom, prosperity and success that many of us are seeking as small firm architects.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, How to Build a Million Dollar Small Firm Using a Remote Team with Winn Wittman of SelfBuiltArchitect.com.

Background

Winn Wittman is a contemporary residential architect based in Austin, Texas. His work has been featured in various publications including Architectural Record, Architectural Digest, The Rob Report, Green Building & Design, Hinge, The Discovery Network, and HGTV. He has a BA from Tufts and a Master of Architecture from the University of Texas in Austin. He’s received numerous awards, including best green innovation for his Wittman Panel Designs.

He’s also the founder of Self Built Architect, an online community and educational program where Winn shares his knowledge about leveraging technology and using online tools to create personal freedom, prosperity, professional excellence and more.

Origin Story

Winn’s love for architecture started in his mother’s basement where he woodworked as a kid. From that came a love of art and architecture. As a liberal arts major, he bounced around before discovering art history and falling in love with architecture. A professor suggested that he go to Austin, Texas.

Several years later, the recession happened. Winn began to buy homes and fix them up when he discovered an old office building. Him and his ragtag team ran wires, ran equipment, and finished the building. A luxury jet designer then bought the building from him, earning him his first million dollars.

After that, going to work for a firm was unappealing. He began developing and building unusual homes that realtors would tell him he had no chance of selling. Surprisingly, he always found a buyer.

When the next recession hit, Winn had a trendy office and a bunch of employees. He noticed his expenses were eating up all of his profits. By 2010, all of his work had dried up, he had to let people go and get rid of his office.

It was time to do things in a different way.

As he began to realize the tools that had recently become available allowing people to work anywhere with an internet connection, he started to do his research. Slowly but surely, he began to build a virtual firm. He had a reputation for high end residential work and needed to figure out how to maintain the same high touch approach to architecture that he had before. He didn’t want the client experience to suffer at all as a result of his remote work.

How did you start your remote firm?

First, Winn realized he needed a luxury conference room to meet clients in. He rented an apartment in a luxury high rise that a resident could reserve a conference room in. He also sought out other conference rooms he could utilize in a pinch. Now, there are plenty of places that have conference rooms for rent.

Many of his tools were the same, but he found them through different channels. Both the internet and GoToMeeting helped him become a laptop architect. When he wasn’t meeting clients, he could work completely remotely. He prepared his clients to know that he was not only very busy, but that he worked in different states. With the technology today, he still has a robust practice with a high degree of client services.

His day is now freed up to work on whatever he wants instead of managing a business and office.

Have you ever experienced pushback from clients?

Only when Winn hasn’t properly prepared them. One client came with him on the transition, and wasn’t prepared for the new expectations.

Do you think this is a model that someone can come at from scratch without having established a business before?

If anything, there’s less expectation if you’re starting a new business. Young architects and their clients are so receptive to using new technology. The next generation realizes that life is more important than work, and technology is just another part of life.

When you have a potential new client, how do they first interact with you?

First, they get a live human being answering the phone instead of a voicemail. It sounds just the same as calling an architect’s office. The service Winn uses texts him right away so that he can connect with them to set up an appointment. Until you sign up a client, the purpose of every meeting is to have another meeting. Winn doesn’t send proposals and doesn’t charge for an initial visit.

Winn then meets them at their property or a conference room and gathers information. After the initial meeting, he sets a second appointment on the road to figuring out what their dream is and if/how Winn can help them achieve that dream.

How do you qualify leads?

Winn gets between 2-10 inquires per day from new potential clients. Once they get to his website, they see the vision blueprint which allows them to answer key questions so he knows right away where they are in the process and what their dreams are. If it doesn’t seem like a good fit right off the bat, Winn refers them to someone who may be a better fit for them.

Who answers the phone?

Winn uses a company called Ruby Receptionist that screens calls and patches them through to the right person. They know everything about the business and function as an in-person front door for his firm.

How do you manage each project?

Winn starts by sketching on his iPad, snapping a picture, and texting it to a subcontractor for SketchUp. He only works with people who are extremely proficient at SketchUp. They hop on a video call to review.

Then, he sets up meetings in person at least every two weeks and on the alternate weeks, he meets with them online.

Why are your employees’ proficiency so important?

The world is your oyster when you work remotely, so there’s no reason not to find the most proficient person in the industry when your pool is so big.

What’s your role in the process and how to you structure things?

There’s not a fixed way of doing things, it depends on the task and the project. It’s important to know where your skills lie and to delegate to other areas where it doesn’t to capable, highly compensated people.

Winn doesn’t charge or pay for hours, he charges and pays for outcomes.

What are your favorite tools for remote work?

More than anything, Winn likes to keep it simple. They use cloud based document sharing to keep track of where they are with each project and what the next step is, potential clients, and financials.

Instead of chasing clients for payment, he sets up expectations clearly by making payment due by the next meeting.

Do you have any systems in place that help you with creative collaboration?

In remote working sessions, they often discover serendipitous things because of the process. Collaborative work is a conscious process. Remote work allows this to happen outside of the office; schedule brunch, find a time to connect over a weekend or a trip, etc.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Start going to places where you’ll meet people of influence who may want to build the types of homes that you want to design. There’s only two things that can change your life: meeting a new person and gaining a new piece of information. Be receptive to meeting new people.” – Winn Wittman

For EntreArchitect listeners exclusively, check it Winn’s free gift at SelfBuiltArchitect.com/Entre.

If you’re interested in exploring the idea of 1:1 coaching, Winn has some packages available on SelfBuiltArchitect.com.

Connect with Winn online at SelfBuiltArchitect.com and WinnWittman.com, or find him on Facebook and YouTube.

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EA207: 5 Steps to Unleash the Significant Power of Sleep [Podcast]

16 februari 2018 | 40 min

5 Steps to Unleash the Significant Power of Sleep

Of our many skills, sleep may be the weakest. We know it’s important, and that it has a direct effect on our heath, well being, and overall success. Yet night after night we break the rules.

This week on EntreArchitect, 5 Steps to Unleash the Significant Power of Sleep.

A few years back, Mark began experiencing some significant health issues. After many tests, it was determined that his issues were a direct result of high levels of stress.

Architects are stressed. The lifestyle that we lead often causes lots of problems.

Mark has implemented a number of more healthful practices, one of the most important of which is sleep. He’s achieved significant improvement and felt the benefits, but he still has a way to go.

In architecture school, late nights and even all-nighters are looked upon with honor like they’re something good. If you’ve ever done this, you know the effects on your mind and body. The effects can even reach to the dangerous side.

As a profession, we need to make a change to look at sleep differently. Studies show that efficient sleep patterns allow us to accomplish things more effectively and be more creative, productive, and successful.

What should we do as entrepreneur architects to improve our sleep habits?

5 Steps to Unleash the Significant Power of Sleep

1. Schedule Your Sleep

Set a consistent sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. Plan to sleep between 7 and 9 hours each night.

Bonus tip: Find something pleasant to wake you up rather than the negativity of the news or a loud alarm clock

2. Practice a Relaxing Bedtime Ritual

Turn off the technology and find something else that helps you wind down. Avoid all electronic screens, including your phone, TV and computer, which emit blue light stimulating your brain to stay awake.

Read a book, listen to soft music, or maybe try out meditation!

3. Watch What You Eat

Caffeine is one of the biggest challenges when trying to sleep better. It’s processed in our bodies up to 6-8 hours after that last cup of coffee! The best sleep routines start around 1 or 2 PM.

Also try to avoid large meals and sweet snacks that keep your body up trying to digest when you’re trying to sleep.

4. Exercise

Studies show that people sleep better and feel more alert during the day by getting 150 minutes of exercise each week. The better you feel, the better you sleep.

5. Design Your Sleep Environment

Create a bedroom that helps you sleep. The environment that you’re trying to sleep in is important, including the temperature, lights, the sheets, and more. Your temperature should be set between 60-67 degrees for optimal sleep. Keep away from distracting noise and lights.

Allow full exposure to natural sunlight first thing in the morning to reset your brain for a successful day ahead.

Follow these five steps and sleep better!

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EA206: Organize Your Business Beautifully Using 6 Proven Principles of Design [Podcast]

9 februari 2018 | 63 min

Business by Design: Organize Your Business Beautifully Using 6 Proven Principles of Design

Vision, mission, goals, hiring, culture, business systems, planning. These are all critical elements of success. Do you want to organize all of these into a successful business plan? Can you use the creative side of your brain to see your firm from a different perspective?

This week on EntreArchitect, Business by Design: Organize Your Business Beautifully Using 6 Proven Principles of Design.

Jane Walton is a published author, a public speaker and a trained executive coach with a masters degree in Human Resources Management training and development. She’s developed and facilitated numerous programs focused on leadership, team effectiveness and management specific to architecture firms. You can hear her entire origin story on EA088: How to Avoid Burnout as an Architect with Jane Walton [Podcast].

Taking inspiration from the art world, Jane will discuss how to design your firm beautifully by utilizing the basic principles of design organization: focal point, contrast, scale, unity, movement and rhythm.

Designing your firm is the perfect balance of vision, partnership, and execution.

How can architects solve some of the issues they’re dealing with?

First, figure out the focal point. For architects, they really need to think that through. They may want to do healthcare or civic residential, but take time to think through that.

Is your firm doing what you say you want to be doing? Some firms say they’re on the cutting edge of technology, but if you want to be in that space you have to invest properly to get the level of talent to be able to do that. For what it’s going to take to reach your goals, is that where you want to be? Be clear and intentional about where you want to be.

Next, go back and look at the contrast: What are your clients expectations? What is the market like? What are industry conditions that will support or not support your focal point?

Once you have your focal point, what do you do?

Test it and figure out if the clients understand what you’re trying to do. Is your focal point something that people are going to be excited about? Figure out what’s going on with the competition and how you compare to that.

How do you build an organization around your focal point?

Once you know who you are and what you are, what you want to do and how you want to do it, then you can build a team around those concepts. Sometimes you get to the point where you have to consider what your life will be like if you have 20 employees and decide if that’s really what you want for your focal point.

For some people, it’s better to stay a sole practitioner and accept the realities of what that type of business entails.

How can you create unity in your firm?

Unity is the elements have have a logical relationship to the progression and results. For example, finding a project, concept, to design to execution, the unity piece needs to be understood. What does communication look like? What is your pace? What expectations do you have?

Learn from companies like Zappos and Southwest who hire the right people from the start and are clear about their culture and expectations to create the best teams.

How can you find your rhythm?

Rhythm is recognizing that we have the work to do, but asking what other things we need to have in place. Are there monthly meetings to course correct if needed? How can you continually execute your marketing plans? What do you need to do to keep interest and keep growing?

For architects, rhythm is getting out there and connecting with old and new potential clients. Get involved in continuing education programs and events that allow you networking opportunities.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Become a masterful influencer and be able to educate and inform companies that are calling on you to help them understand the value of design and what it can do for businesses and individuals.” – Jane Walton

Learn more about Business by Design and connect with Jane online at JaneWaltonConsulting.com.

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EA205: How to Develop a Powerful Owner Architect Agreement for Your Architecture Firm [Podcast]

2 februari 2018 | 60 min

How to Develop a Powerful Owner Architect Agreement for Your Architecture Firm

If you purchase the Hybrid Proposal Digital Course TODAY – including complete documents ready for you to edit for your small firm – we will throw in a FREE bonus including access to the Construction Management for Small Firm Architects Course and the GetFocused Productivity Course for Small Firm Architects . That’s over $600 for only $197. The offer ends Friday, February 2, 2018 at 11:59PM ET!

Click HERE to receive BOTH the video course AND the complete template package that's ready to edit and help you sign more projects and make more money today!

About 10 years ago, Mark was inspired by a talk to create his own owner architect agreement, one that works for his small firm. It needed to be easy to understand, look friendly, and be an integral part of his firm’s simple sales system. How can we go from prospect to project as effectively and efficiently as possible?

After a decade of slow evolution, it’s the best small firm agreement.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, How to Develop a Powerful Owner Architect Agreement for Your Architecture Firm.

Note: EntreArchitect strongly advises that you have your attorney and insurance company review all of your legal documents.

Why is it called a “hybrid proposal”?

It’s both a proposal and an agreement. Typically, architects send out a letter of proposal defining what they understand the project to be. If they are ready to move forward, the architect prepares a legal agreement for the prospect to review and agree to. Mark created the Hybrid Proposal to condense both actions into one simple step.

Next, Mark developed the hybrid fee with gives the client a flat fee and a percentage fee.

The Four Parts of the Hybrid Proposal

Cover Letter

The cover letter is a simple form letter. It has a logo and a return address, but the intent is to explain to clients what we’re going to do and give them a call to action as to what next steps to take.

The next part explains what was discussed at the meeting and what will happen next. All of this is malleable, but is the first step.

Next, the prospective client can sign and initial the proposal and return with the initial payment to the firm.

Proposal

This six-page document is incredibly user friendly. Use your design skills to make it look appealing. Make it clear and easy to understand. Do you want to be more efficient and make more money? Find a target market and create a template proposal that fits your needs. Then you can use it over and over again!

We also get into the different phases of architecture, including the pre design and architectural services. Explain the process you’re going to go through to execute your client’s project. EntreArchitect also includes construction administration as another phase of their process and fee.

An initial payment is taken up front and held as a credit until the final payment. The hybrid language says that compensation for basic architectural services is a stipulated sum fee per the attached compensation schedule. After schematic design, we know the scope and the budget, and we can make the project based on our stipulated sum.

It doesn’t need to be perfect, just start confirming that you’re understanding what they want.

Terms and Conditions

This two page part is intentionally short to make it more manageable. The legal terms – including compensation, services, and more – are all put into easy-to-read terms.

This section also includes photography rights, insurance, dispute resolution, and more.

Reference Sheet

This is a standard document that lists clients’ names and locations to for prospective clients to take a look at and reach out.

Mark’s code system allows them to easily find like projects so that they can obtain references from people who have similar projects to what they’re looking for.

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EA204: Construction Administration for Architects is NOT an Option [Podcast]

26 januari 2018 | 39 min

Construction Administration for Architects is NOT an Option

A very popular topic around EntreArchitect is the role of the architect in the construction phase. The number of firms providing architecture services and forfeiting Construction Administration is surprising.

One member of The EntreArchitect Community recently shared,

“I need to get better at selling my clients on construction administration. Most think they don’t need it and refuse it when I offer. I had a recent client back out on the service because my drawings were essentially too well done. Once they saw the final drawings, they decided the contractor could handle it without my involvement.”

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Construction Administration for Architects is NOT an Option.

During the past few years, we’ve began to discuss, as a profession, taking back the process. The goal is to be viewed once again as the leaders of the construction industry. To make this happen, we must literally take control of our projects and lead the process from beginning to end. Construction Administration is not an option to be offered as an additional service, it’s an integral part of the architecture process.

Do you need to get better at selling your clients on construction administration?

Imagine a surgeon preparing for surgery and then handing it over to someone else to execute, or a lawyer spending months preparing a prosecution and then heading back to the office to prepare for a new case before the trial is over. It’s no different for architects. We spend months preparing a design, we work our way through three levels of increasingly difficult development and documenting exactly how a structure is to be built. How can we give it away? We’re responsible for the health, safety and welfare for the creations we make and we’re legally liable for what’s constructed from our designs. It’s our responsibility as licensed professionals to observe the construction of our designs and confirm that they are being built as we designed them.

Fivecat Studio Architecture provides Construction Administration on every project from a storage shed to a completely new construction.

How do we do it?

We’re a full-service architecture firm. We help our clients organize from their first ideas of the projects all the way through the end of construction. Most clients have no idea how our process actually works, and yours don’t either.

If you offer a service as optional, a client will look at it as such. Fivecat Studio proposes one fee that includes Construction Administration as a part of the overall service. If a client asks if they’ll work without construction administration, Mark and Annmarie let them know it isn’t an option for them.

8 Reasons Why You Provide Construction Administration

We lead weekly project meetings and review the progress of construction.We’re there to monitor things and support them in answering questions throughout the process.
We confirm that the contractor is executing the project as per the design and specifications.Our client just went through a whole process that involved a lot of time and money, so they want the project done the correct way.
We’re available to quickly resolve unforeseen issues and unexpected conditions so construction progress isn’t delayed.Time = money, and, in our clients’ mind, having an experienced professional to walk through that process and keep things on track during inevitable crisis is invaluable.
We review the contractor’s payments so we can have more leverage during construction.This allows us to protect the clients’ interest and confirm that they’re only paying for what’s appropriate at that stage of the project. Now the client feels confident that what they’re paying is accurate.
We review shop drawings and submittals.We make sure they’re what the owner has payed for and help the contractor resolve any issues that may arise.
We assist with preparing and confirming the completion of the punch list and that the certificate of occupancy is issued. We’re there to review and assure that everything is taken care of.
We are legally responsible for the health, safety and welfare of the users of the buildings we design.We confirm that all the building and environmental codes are being observed.
As licensed professionals, it’s our firm’s policy to be involved in the construction of every project. Ultimately, we need to protect our firm’s legal exposure in terms of liability. If you want to work with us, we have to be involved in Construction Administration.

The success of our firm depends on this. When we waive Construction Administration, we lose our ability to resolve issues quickly and may create bigger problems for ourselves. We’re ultimately working for our clients’ satisfaction, and, if we’re absent during construction, it’s really hard to manage expectations and keep our clients happy. The experience during construction is what clients will remember most when others ask for their referral.

The success of your firm depends on your involvement every step of the way.

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EA203: The E-Myth Revisited: Why Every Small Firm Architect Should Read This Book [Podcast]

19 januari 2018 | 33 min

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Every Small Firm Architect Should Read This Book

Fivecat Studio Architecture launched in 1999, and Mark discovered a book that changed the way he viewed business. It helped him realize that running a successful architecture firm required so much more than designing great architecture. Inside the owner of every small firm exists a battle among the entrepreneur, the manager and the technician. If we don’t attend to the needs of each one, our firms are destined for failure.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, The E-Myth Revisited: Why Every Small Firm Architect Should Read This Book.

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber inspired Mark to build Fivecat Studio Architecture as a franchise prototype. Even though they knew selling their business systems as a franchise was never a goal, it was still important. Those systems have allowed them to thrive and have given them the tools needed to balance the requirements of the firm with the responsibilities of their family.

This book inspired Mark to work on his business rather than in his business. Since 1999, Mark and Annmarie have experienced the startup pains of infancy, the hard-earned successes of adolescence, and the launch of a new virtual business model.

Part 1

Michael E. Gerber defines the E-Myth as the entrepreneurial myth and discusses how small businesses are often the result of entrepreneurial seizures. What does that mean? “The technician suffering from an entrepreneurial seizure takes the work he loves to do and turns it into a job.”

Have YOU done that? How many architects do you know who have launched their own firms with the goal to do it better than the firms they worked for?

The three phases of business are infancy, adolescence and maturity. It’s important to build a mature company right from the beginning. “A mature company is founded on a broader perspective, an entrepreneurial perspective, a more intelligent point of view about building a business that works not because of you, but without you. Because it starts that way, it’s more likely to continue that way. Therein the true difference between an adolescent company, where everything is left up to chance, and a mature company, where there is a vision against which the present is shaped.”

Part 2

Gerber introduces the concept of the franchise prototype and working on your business and not in it. He encourages the creation of systems, and the predictable results and happy clients that come from them. “The systems run the business, the people run the systems. The system integrates all the elements required to make a business work. It transforms a business into an organism, driven by integrity of all its parts, all working in concert toward a realized objective. With its prototype as its progenitor, it works like nothing else before it.”

As architects, our first thought of having a system is negative. What if it takes away or limits creativity? In fact, systems do just the opposite. First, build the business, then you’ll have more time and more flexility to be the architect you want to be.

“Great businesses are not built by extraordinary people, but by ordinary people doing extraordinary things. For ordinary people to do extraordinary things, a system is absolutely essential in order to compensate for the disparity between the skills of your people and the skills your business needs in order to produce consistent results.”

At McDonald’s, the systems in place allow their tens of thousands of stores to deliver exactly what customers expect every time they walk into one of their locations. “It delivers exactly what we’ve come to expect of it every single time. That’s why I look to McDonald’s for a model for every small business, because it can do in it’s more than fourteen thousand stores what most can’t do in one.”

Who among us can say that we do things as well as McDonald’s does?

Part 3

Do you want to build a successful small business? Gerber leads readers through a fully-developed business development program, a how-to guide for success.

The E-Myth Revisited is not only your guide to success, but it’s entertaining as well.

Why is this Mark’s favorite business book?

If you take action to implement the lessons that Gerber teaches, The E-Myth Revisited will take your firm to places you’ve never imagined.

Read through the book and go through the process of creating a master plan for your life.

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The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber

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EA202: Walking the Talk of Equity by Design with Rosa Sheng [Podcast]

12 januari 2018 | 64 min

Walking the Talk of Equity by Design

Sometime in the next few weeks, the AIA San Francisco Equity by Design comittee will launch it’s third Equity in Architecture Survey and distribute the findings from their previous survey. Check it out and take it, because it will affect everyone in the profession of architecture.

Equity means that all people, regardless of their socioeconomic, racial, or ethnic grouping, have fair and just access to the recourses and opportunities needed to thrive.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Rosa Sheng is Walking the Talk of Equity by Design.

Background

Rosa is a respected designer, architect, thought leader and innovator with over 23 years of experience. She’s led a variety of award winning and internationally acclaimed projects. As founding chair of Equity by Design and AIA San Francisco Chapter president, Rosa has led two Equity in Architecture surveys and authored AIA National Resolution 15-1 in 2015 and served on the Equity in Architecture Commission from 2016-2017. She’s presented on why equity matters for everyone nationally and abroad, and since she was last on the podcast, Equity by Design has been featured in Architect magazine, Architectural Record, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and on the TEDx stage in Philadelphia. After 20 years at the San Francisco office of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, she recently joined SmithGroupJJR.

Now, more than ever, a foundation of equitable practice and what that truly means is ever so more important not just in architecture, but in society as a whole.

Equity minimizes barriers to maximize success. It’s not just what’s fair and equal, it’s a mindset of “we first” instead of “me first”.

The 2016 Equity in Architecture Survey will be out soon, and the key findings started out with career pinch points and added career dynamics. While career pinch points happen once during your career, career dynamics happen throughout your career, like work/live balance, having a break from architecture, and pay equity.

Equity by Design has also had a lot of great reports written by Annelise Pitts. For example, pay equity relates to how we’re comparing tings on the concept of temporal flexibility: you’re only as valuable as the hours you’re perceived to be working in the office verses your influence and impact beyond the physical hours you’re in the office. In this paradigm of how we should work, what is our value as architects?

Were there any big surprises with the last survey that’s about to release?

Burnout engagement was a new topic to the 2016 survey. Someone’s access to a senior leader in a firm, having friendships at work, seeing a clear pathway to advancement, and doing work that is meaningful to longterm career goals shows a huge impact on whether someone thrives.

Does the survey address the community of small firm architects?

The survey did look at sole practitioners and small firm architects, but they could use help to expand the pool. Of the 8,000, about 600 were sole practitioners. Hopefully more small firms and sole practitioners participate in the survey in the future!

How have you applied some of these things to your new firm?

The irony is that the last thing Rosa was planning to do in 2017 was transition into a new job. They were renovating their house, and she applied for the FAIA amidst traveling and various other projects. When she was initially approached, she didn’t think it was possible in 2017 but continued to be intrigued.

Equity was important to SmithGroupJJR, and they were looking for talent retention and for a way to create more value within the design practice.

Rosa was ready to influence a large firm and put theory of all the things she’d been talking about into practice. She came in as a shareholder and has been able to help steer the practice of developing higher education and workplace projects along with spearheading equity, diversity and inclusion as an official program that helped leaders across the firm learn more about what that practice looked like for design.

Are there specific things that you know you’re going to try to change?

The goal is not a complete overhaul, but she found a strong foundation for pay equity analysis and other changes. The goal is to truly disrupt how we think and be able to lead the conversation.

Is an equitable culture built into the business plan of SmithGroupJJR?

A lot of it is. The goals are in parallel about engagement, getting more voices at the table, how people are nominated for promotions, and more. They’re evaluating how things use to be done and working to make them better.

Will you build a team to help you with this?

There will be people that act as a steering group of sorts, the reality is that it’s for everyone. The team is the whole leadership group, because they’re the ones who are going to be involved and invested first.

What events do you have coming up?

The EQxD Hackathon: Architecture and the Era of Connection (and Disruption) will be held on Wednesday, June 20th, the day before the AIA National Conference on Architecture formally starts. There will be a design justice workshop that will be hosted in Connecticut.

Other than getting the word out about the upcoming survey, what can our listeners do to help you move forward?

There are groups inspired by EQxDesign, like Girl UnInterrupted, who are working to make sure that women get the access to influencers, mentors, sponsorships, and project opportunities. AIA WIELD is for women in leadership development.

If you feel inspired, do your research and start your own resource based on your particular affinity within this topic.

None of this happens without passionate individuals getting involved on the sponsorship level. Sponsors get the first release of the survey plus a personalized walkthrough of the findings.

If you’re interested in sharing your inspiring story that you think will help motivate others who are feeling disenfranchised, reach out!

Sign up HERE with your email address to receive weekly #EQxDActions in your inbox!

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Read outside the realm of architecture. Look at business, sustainability, things that are outside your normal comfort zone. Find the emerging business models and see what skillsets in business correlate to architecture.” – Rosa Sheng

Books Rosa’s Reading:

Wired to Care: How Companies Prosper When They Create Widespread Empathy by Dev Patnaik
Design for Good: A New Era of Architecture for Everyone by John Cary

Connect with Rosa on Twitter @EquityXDesign, on Facebook, at EQxDesign.com & TheEquityAlliance.com.

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EA201: We’re Building a New House for Our Family [Podcast]

5 januari 2018 | 48 min

We’re Building a New House for Our Family

We’re building a new house for our family! I’m going to share our process and our progress with you – right here – at EntreArchitect Podcast.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, We’re Building a New House!

Last fall, Mark LePage and Annmarie McCarthy purchased a lot on a subdivision in Weddington, North Carolina. Mark and Annmarie are husband and wife, and also partners at Fivecat Studio in Westchester County, New York.

About 20 years ago, several of their family coincidentally moved from the New York metro area to North Carolina, just outside the city of Charlotte. Both Mark and Annmarie’s parents still live in the New York metro area, and have been a huge part in helping them raise their children while they were building their careers.

Being close to New York City allows their family the convenience of visiting as often as they choose, and provides a fantastic client base for their high-end residential architecture firm. There are many opportunities that living in Westchester county affords them.

However, there are also opportunities that living in North Carolina would bring too. They would have business contacts, since both of Annmarie’s brothers are in construction, Mark’s older brother is a photographer, and his younger brother is a high-end residential real estate broker in the Lake Norman region just north of Charlotte.

Over the years, they’ve gone through the list of pros and cons, and have found that the pros of staying in Westchester have always outweighed the cons.

This past summer, something big changed.

After almost fifty years of living it the house that Annmarie grew up in, Annmarie’s parents surprised everyone by buying a home in South Carolina and moving within 4 months.

Though they wanted their kids to go to great schools and they wanted to be close to both sets of parents, they knew that with their kids growing up and family moving far away, they had more flexibility to make other decisions.

When they were freed up to look at moving, they didn’t find any homes that met their requirements as architects! Most of what’s available is being built by mega-developers, which would be a hard transition from a cottage in the woods of upstate New York.

They were left with no choice…

It’s time to build a new house!

They found the perfect plot of land in one of the best school districts in the state of North Carolina. They’re going to make the move slowly, taking time to build and uproot their entire family, including allowing their oldest, James, the opportunity to finish his senior year in Westchester.

There’s so much in store! Follow Mark’s personal Instagram @markrlepage to see the progress.

Question: Have you built your own home? Share your story!

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EA200: Top 5 Most Popular Episodes for EntreArchitect Podcast in 2017 [Podcast]

29 december 2017 | 42 min

Top 5 Most Popular Episodes for EntreArchitect Podcast in 2017

The EntreArchitect community is growing larger and more powerful every day, and this podcast has seen the results. The EntreArchiect podcast is now being downloaded more than 30,000 times per month. The progress we’re making is no doubt directly related to you, the EntreArchitect Community.

Episode 200 is the final episode of 2017 and there are so many great things coming in 2018.

Focus on the things you have control over. There are only a handful of things that we have direct influence over. Work to ensure that you maximize your impact on the things that matter most.

If you adopt these three words as your mantra – Love, Learn, and Share what you know – next year will certainly be your best year yet.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, the Top 5 Most Popular Episodes for EntreArchitect Podcast in 2017.

#5 with 5988 downloads in 2017

EA175: Michael Kilkelly The Entrepreneur Architect Series

Michael Kilkelly is a principal at Space Command, an architecture and consulting firm in Middletown, Connecticut. He's also the founder of ArchSmarter.com, a website dedicated to helping architects work smarter not harder. Michael has received his bachelor of architecture from Norwich University and his masters of science, design and computation from MIT. Previously he was an associate at Gehry Partners in LA where he worked on several high profile design projects including New York by Gehry and the Guggenheim. He writes regularly about architecture on ArchSmarter, Arch Daily and Architect Magazine.

Connect with Michael online at ArchSmarter.com or email him at [email protected]. You can also find him on LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.

Want to be a guest on The Entrepreneur Architect podcast series? Connect with us on any social media platform or email [email protected]!

#4 with 6025 downloads

How to Get Started as an Architect Developer (Best of EntreArchitect Podcast)

Declan Keefe of Placetailor returns to shares his knowledge about How to Get Started as an Architect Developer.

Placetailor is an architecture firm that provides architecture services, construction services, and real estate development. They look at architecture as the genesis of ideas, and wanted to figure out how they were going to take control over the revenue and profit side of the business.

Connect with Declan Keefe online at Placetailor.com and on Twitter @placetailor & Instagram.

#3 with 6074 downloads

EA192: Earl Parson The Entrepreneur Architect Series

Earl Parson is an architect based in Los Angeles, California practicing residential architecture as Parson Architecture and is the founder of CleverModerns.com, an online platform empowering DIY owner-builders with plans and coaching.

Connect with Earl online at Parson.Architecture.com and CleverModerns.com. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

#2 with 6349 downloads

EA190: EntreArchitect Live with Alex Gore of F9 Productions

This week, Mark held his first live interview using Facebook live. Alex Gore from F9 Productions discussed his work with Daniel Libeskind, his firm in Longmont, Colorado, his podcast, Inside The Firm, sharing the behind-the-scenes with his partner, Lance Cayko, and his book The Creativity Code.

Connect with Alex online at F9Productions.com or email him at [email protected]. Visit him online on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

#1 with 6410 downloads

EA185: The Passion, The Process and Problems of Running a Design/Build Architecture Firm

Do you want more control? More money? More happy clients? More architecture with better design? Is design/build the answer to our professions problems? Will building your own projects be the solution to success for your small firm? What does it take to run a successful design build firm?

Jim Zack is based in San Francisco, California as the co-founder and partner at his design build firm, Zack de Vito: Design + Build. He's a current facilitator at EntreArchitect Academy's Design/Build Mastermind Group.

Declan Keefe is a founder and owner at Placetailor and a three-time guest at EntreArchitect Podcast.

Connect with Declan Keefe online at Placetailor.com and on Twitter @placetailor & Instagram.

Connect with Jim Zack online at ZackdeVito.com or on Facebook.

Thank you for being a part of EntreArchitect!

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EA199: Using Emotions to Market Your Architecture Firm [Podcast]

22 december 2017 | 33 min

Using Emotions to Market Your Architecture Firm

Our prospective clients learn with their heads but decide with their hearts. After years of research and gathering information, often, when a client chooses to work with an architect, they simply go with their feelings.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Using Emotions to Market Your Architecture Firm.

Have you encounter a situation where emotions take over and a decision is made with someone’s heart? You’ve probably seen it happen with yourself and your own clients.

“In his book, Descartes Error, Antonio Damasio, professor of neuroscience at the University of Southern California, argues that emotion is a necessary ingredient to almost all decisions. When we are confronted with a decision, emotions from previous, related experiences affix values to the options we are considering. These emotions create preferences which lead to our decision.”

Why is storytelling so important?

When developing a marketing strategy, stories trigger memories and feelings. Stories evoke emotions and attach memories and feelings of things you’ve experienced.

The 4 Fundamentals of Emotional Marketing:

Knowing who you serve matters. Some architects don’t want to have a target market, but without knowing who you serve you can’t figure out how to emotionally connect with them. Pick a target so that you can learn more about them and connect best with their community. Where are they? What makes them happy? What are they trying to achieve?

Sensorial experiences matter. Think beyond the traditional description of your services and develop strategies and services that are experienced with every sense. Can you start using technologies like virtual reality to allow your clients to actually walk into a house or building you’ve designed? Imagine the senses they would experience.

An imaginative approach matters. We use our imaginations all the time. When providing products and services in new ways using imagination, we trigger something in our clients’ minds. What if our proposals and legal agreements were beautiful, creative, and easy to read? Manage the emotional experience through your imagination.

The words we use matter. They will cause our clients to feel one way or the other. Are you designing a house or creating a home? They say the same thing, but one is more functional and technical, another is filled with feeling and love. Your spoken words when you first meet a client make a unique impression. The words on your website aren’t just a portfolio, they help show who you are.

Mark’s marketing book suggestions:

Emotional Branding: The New Paradigm for Connecting Brands to People by Marc Gobe
Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping–Updated and Revised for the Internet, the Global Consumer, and Beyond by Paco Underhill

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EA198: How to Overcome the Fear of Growing Beyond You as a Small Firm Architect [Podcast]

15 december 2017 | 61 min

How to Overcome the Fear of Growing Beyond You as a Small Firm Architect

For years, Sheri teetered back and forth between staying small and practicing as a small practitioner or making plans for growth and executing toward a bigger future.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, How to Overcome the Fear of Growing Beyond You as a Small Firm Architect with Sheri Scott of Springhouse Architects.

Background

Sheri is a member of EntreArchitect, but her and Mark connected online a long time ago and have been supporting one another as architects for a while. As a founder and principal at Springhouse Architects, Sheri’s mission is to lead clients through the building process with the clients in control and Springhouse as their guide, advocate, and ally. With over 20 years of experience in residential architecture, Sheri brings knowledge and confidence to every custom home project. She’s a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and has her NCARB license. Sheri’s also lead architect on three HOA boards and volunteers extensively with her son’s high school marching band. She also feels privileged to be a mentor to teenage girls. She lives in Ohio with her husband and three boys.

Origin Story

Sheri’s moment of discovering architecture wasn’t very inspiring. When she was in high school after her parents’ recent divorce and her older siblings moved out to go to college, she was lost and her grades dropped. She was called to the counselor’s office, and they asked if she wanted to be an engineer. Everyone in her family was an engineer, so she wasn’t interested in that. The one class she was interested in was drafting. To get out of the office, she agreed to apply to architecture school.

She was accepted at University of Cincinnati and found the direction that she needed there. She wasn’t an artistic architecture student, but enjoyed the structure and the design classes. Sheri married before she graduated and had her first child the year after she finished school. The process of looking for a job with a six month old was different than many of those she graduated with; she had a lot of parameters in place.

After searching, she found Atelier Design close to home. They let her work part time with a flexible schedule. She was able to focus on her family but build the foundation of her career at the same time. She worked there for twelve years until the crash in 2008.

At that point, a lot of things happened that created the perfect storm. Her husband, John, lost his job and they took it as a sign that it was time for the next thing. John got a new job in Indianapolis, and they picked up and moved their whole family – now three boys – from Ohio to Indiana. Everything fell apart there.

When Sheri left Ohio, she started Scott Architecture and negotiated one of the builders from her old job with her and her work was back in Ohio. They decided to move back and start over.

After that, every month got a little bit better than the last.

How did things turn around?

In 2013, Sheri connected with EntreArchitect. That was another defining year in her career. She had to make a five year plan and she was amazed that putting her life goals on paper looked totally different than it did at that moment in time. Her whole career had been a balance of family and working, and she was happy doing that. She know, however, that in 2020 all her kids would be out of the house. Where did that leave her then? She’d built a whole career balancing things, and looking down the road looks different than everything she knew.

In that moment, she knew she didn’t want things to be the same as they had been.

What does your work with Charrette Venture Group look like?

Sheri was doing a lot of the right things and her business was growing quickly. She was in control of it where it was, but wasn’t sure if she could control it if it continued to grow. She also didn’t understand the path of who to talk to, who to bring in, what resources she needed, etc. to get to her goal of a 10 person goal in 2020.

She went back and forth with the decision to work with Charrette Venture Group when she had teenagers and a busy, stressful season. When she was ready to grow, she knew that she wanted something to focus on when her kids were out of the house.

Charrette Venture Group was instrumental to Sheri’s firm’s growth. She didn’t know where to start, and it was overwhelming to think that she could learn it all and find, pay for and manage the resources she needed. It’s been a two year partnership, and Sheri hasn’t regretted it once.

They bring things to the table that Sheri didn’t know and that she didn’t know that she didn’t know. One helpful piece was forecasting: finding all the numbers for the jobs, the personnel, and more, that boils down to a certain number to decide if she needs to hire more people or find more work for the people she currently has.

She’s built a remote team that works well together; everyone likes one another and likes working with one another. Sheri has succeeding in creating the kind of firm that she was looking for when she entered the profession.

Eventually, she changed her name to Springhouse Architects. She knew that to grow she would have to release some of the client interaction and delegate some things, and she didn’t feel great about doing that with her name on the door.

When did you write your book?

Sheri started blogging, and then it turned into a book. It was hard work, but it’s been the single best thing she did in terms of marketing. It’s available as a PDF on the Springhouse Architects website for free. When they get cold calls or emails, they send the book over as an introduction of who they are.

Tell us about your recently released app.

The app – called Nester – is a photo journal app for anyone doing a construction project. It’s for the homeowner to remember what happened through the construction process. The app is free, and someone can go out to the site, take a pictures and write a note about what’s happening. The magic happens at the end of the project the app produces a hard bound coffee table book of your whole project.

Where did your name come from?

The name Springhouse Architects comes from the stone springhouse in Sheri’s back yard that she renovated into her own personal office. With three boys and two dogs, she needed her own space to work and meet clients.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Write down your five year plan. Look at your life and see what you want it to look like in five years. What big changes are coming? What are your priorities? Think through it and work backwards to figure out how you’re going to get there and who can help you get there.” – Sheri Scott, Springhouse Architects

Connect with Sheri online at SpringhouseArchitects.com or on Houzz, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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Nester app
Dream Inspire Design: What a Residential Architect Wants to Tell You About the Custom Home Process by Sheri Scott

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EA197: Finding Your Purpose in the Profession of Architecture with Michael Bernard [Podcast]

8 december 2017 | 58 min

Finding Your Purpose in the Profession of Architecture with Michael Bernard of Virtual Practice Consulting

When we decided to become architects, there was no doubt it was sparked from a desire to design. Maybe you love to draw, paint or build. Maybe someone recognized your talents and guided you toward architecture. All through architecture school and through your career, the definition of architecture revolves around the idea of design. Architecture is so much more than design.

Your place in architecture may not be in design.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Finding Your Purpose in the Profession of Architecture with Michael Bernard of Virtual Practice Consulting.

Background

Michael is the founder of Virtual Practice Consulting, where he provides strategic advice to design and construction firms. He collaborates with firm leaders to assure effective growth, enrollment in mission and vision, development of growth models, strategic business development, and mentoring staff to become effective project leaders. Michael’s clients include architects, builders, structural engineers, landscape architects, and more. He’s been the adjunct professor in the architecture department at the California College of Art in San Francisco since 2006 and has served as a director on the board of the San Francisco chapter of AIA and on the board of the AIA California Council. He’s led several committees and served as architect advisor to the academy for emerging professionals at the AIA San Francisco.

Michael’s Origin Story

Michael discovered architecture as a 10 year old when he was inspired by house plan magazines at the supermarket and built 3D models as a child. In college, he studied psychology with the intent of becoming a clinical psychologist. While he was teaching French to exchange students during summer school, a colleague noticed him sketching and asked if he’d ever thought of architecture as a profession.

Instead of applying for graduate school in psychology, he applied for architecture. A light came on and he realized his innate design talent had just been sleeping.

Michael started in design and worked for Charles Moore in Los Angeles. After some time, he went to work for a larger technical firm because he wanted to learn what the underpinning was of design. Over the course of his career, he always wanted more. He finally realized that what he loved most about architecture is the creative team that makes a project happen.

How long did it take you to realize where you wanted to be?

Michael always went back to the conversations in the studio. Those conversations were what really stick in his memory. The critical thinking was way more interesting to him than the drawing. The process of hearing people discuss what they love was so important to him.

He had the revelation over 20 years into his practice that virtual practice would bring a different way to engage. He felt a confidence in thinking differently about the practice of architecture. While architects are poised to be incredibly entrepreneurial, free-thinking and liberal, often we define ourselves so narrowly. Given the way we’re tied to the cost of construction and other social aspects, we have the opportunity to think more broadly. However, we treat ourselves so narrowly that we insecurely define what architecture is.

If we’re only about design, does anyone else matter? Are people who think more broadly to be excluded? Does design as visual art trump everything else?

Was there a moment in your career where you were working in design and it clicked that you needed to do something else or was it more of an evolution?

When Michael was managing a small firm and focused on the business side of practice away from the design side, he heard from a lot of other people who were interested in doing the managing principal thing.

Through word of mouth, he built a client list of several hundred people who he works with on various aspects of practice. People saw the value in what Michael was doing and wanted to get in on it.

Where did you decide to break off and expand into Virtual Practice Consulting?

It wasn’t until the lightbulb came on that others were interested in what he was doing. Michael didn’t know what he was doing, there was no name or label to proceed him. When someone reached, he had the chance and opportunity to create a self driving business.

First Michael talks through the idea throughly; what’s the mission and vision of the company? Instead of attaching to the safety of designing, Michael proposes that firms think more broadly about the firm itself as the design project.

What are some steps for someone in the position you were in to take to move toward confirming what they think their purpose might be?

The first step is to acknowledge at the very essence of yourself that you want to lead is the core. When Michael realized what he really wanted was that he wanted to leave his own practice, he knew he didn’t have to follow anymore.

However, if that yearning creates bitterness, the opportunity is there to abandon that feeling and just acknowledge that you want to leave whatever you’re doing and find a different way to express yourself. Don’t let yourself be defined narrowly.

If someone came to you with a problem, what steps do you go through with them?

Michael starts with nuts and bolts with the goal of moving to heart and soul. He listens a lot to find out what their issues are that are affecting them the greatest. In the initial intake, he begins by finding out the dynamics of the firm.

Every project has four corners: a scope of work, a schedule, a design fee budget, and construction costs. When one of the corners gets out of whack, it has to be adjusted. Michael can look at the cost of the firm and figure out the maximum revenue generation capability compared to their overhead costs. By looking at the projects and the cost to produce them, what’s the vision of the firm? Once we have that, the client can think about who they are, who’s with them, what that group does, and who they do it for. That baseline helps to figure out where they can go next.

What are things we can be focused on to allow us to take advantage of opportunities to be entrepreneurial?

Michael had a talented student who left college during the recession. He was preparing renderings for a major utility for a site where they’d removed a power plant. Michael mentored him how to prepare his portfolio and engage in a design project not in architecture, but planning for this utility. In the last 9 years, he’s created a space for himself where he brings in global architects to design power plants and sub stations for the utility facility. He’s practiced architecture as a leader at the highest level by bringing the right designers to the right project, putting teams together, looking at construction drawings, thinking deeply about the importance of infrastructure.

He thought outside the box instead of being constrained by the narrow quantifications of practice. He does everything an architect would do in a totally different context, but he practices at an extremely high level.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Be authentic. Really pay attention to your inner voice of how to lead. So often as architects we find our role to be reactive. Being authentic and stepping into leadership will make a great firm.” – Michael Bernard, Virtual Practice Consulting

Connect with Michael online at V-PracticeConsulting.com or on LinkedIn.

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EA196: A New Way to Practice Architecture with Diana Nicklaus of SAAM Architecture [Podcast]

1 december 2017 | 56 min

A New Way to Practice Architecture with Diana Nicklaus of SAAM Architecture

The world has changed in so many ways since Mark’s architecture firm, Fivcat Studio, was launched in 1999. The internet was in its infancy. Few architects were using digital marketing and communication tools. Today, we can communicate instantly with anyone in the world. Our entire firm can be launched, built and run without a dedicated office.

The world is changing and with it, the practice of architecture is changing too. How can we leverage the power of the internet and the cloud to improve our practice? How can the internet’s new models improve the profession? How can these new models not only allow us to thrive as entrepreneurs, but allow us to be more flexible, more family friendly, more socially responsible, more equitable? How can we live happier lives?

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, A New Way to Practice Architecture with Diana Nicklaus of SAAM Architecture.

Background

With over 20 years of experience, Diana has practiced architecture in both the US and Italy. Based in Boston, MA, Diana cofounded SAAM in 2014. It was established with the goal of providing high-level client services through unique and innovative project specific solutions over sector based opportunities. They’ve adopted a business model that provides aggressive HR policies and have therefore attracted some great talent. In three years, they’ve grown to a team of 24 people.

Origin Story

Diana grew up in Amarillo, Texas. Her mother was a humanities professor at the local community college, and she taught Diana a lot about how to examine her surroundings. Diana remembers driving through small towns and playing a game with the local churches: they would guess the denomination based on the style. When she ended up in university, she worked with an architectural historian and expanded her view of architecture and design.

She finished at Tufts with a degree in architectural history and urban studies, and went to graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin.

Following graduation, a strong collegiate connection with Pei Cobb Freed & Partners in New York City, where she worked for four years learning about the global practice, high profile projects, and more. Her career took a turn when she worked for a firm in Venice that was doing building scanning.

After that, she worked for a few firms in Cleveland, Ohio where she found a strong technical background.

Eventually, she made her way back to Boston, where she really appreciates the strong roots in the equity discussion that’s happening today.

Did you go to Boston with the intent of starting your own firm?

Diana had no intention of starting her own firm. In Boston, she worked in an office with about 45 people, where she had the perks of flexible schedules and time to work from home. Work life benefits became an important factor in how she looked at the profession. Her company was acquired by another company, and after three years, she knew it was time to move away from that space and start her own company.

In a large firm environment, they found themselves being encouraged to fit into a group depending on your specialties. As someone with a liberal arts background, Diana felt taught to work through different projects and create a different practice by working across sectors.

When you started your firm, what planning stages did you go through?

When they started, they built the firm knowing they wanted to do bigger work, not just typical architectural startup projects. They wanted to bring in others who also worked on those types of large projects. They had to figure out a way to bring those people into a new firm and expand on HR policies. In addition to flexible schedules and remote working, they also wanted to try unlimited vacations and other things.

These things really attracted quality people, people like mothers, fathers, people with aging parents or who want more time with hobbies. In last year’s world, there was a specific question about work life benefits. Usually, men were given access to that more than women. At SAAM, everyone has the same access to the same opportunities.

What challenges are there when moving toward a better work life balance?

Historically, architectural culture doesn’t have a great foundation in trusting employees. A lot of trust and communication is required at a firm like SAAM. Leadership needs to open their minds if they want to cultivate this culture shift. When people are willing to share with one another, there’s incredible support to be found.

What’s the structure of the firm?

Diana is the CEO and her partner is the COO. They work a lot on projects and fulfill their executive roles. They have three principals, one of whom works remotely, allowing SAAM to access her incredible knowledge and use her as a resource. There are five senior associates and many other associates. The view with titles is that it’s more about what your level of engagement with clients is. Some associates may not have finished their licensure, but they’re meeting with clients on a huge project.

Part of what works with the flexibility model is a standing meeting in the office on Mondays. They go through every project and talk about the marketing and things they’re looking to pursue. They’ve found this helps people to know what goes on in the firm and connect better internally. Those who are remote are encouraged to join by phone or video conference.

How does your staff stay disciplined?

There are not set office hours, set holidays, or set times for vacations. Hours are flexible, but that means you need to figure out how to get your work done. If you want to go to your kids’ soccer practices but your client needs something, it’s your responsibility to figure out how to get that done. Everyone uses their personal cell phones, so clients can reach their team at any time.

Do clients’ needs take precedence over personal activities?

The basic assumption is that clients come first. If someone had a sick child or some other reason they can’t make a meeting, the team steps up to help out. Because they’re supporting each other so well, there’s no sense of competition felt.

Is there a clear path to advancement?

As of now, there isn’t a set path. They try to provide a level playing field with opportunities to grow. If someone makes the most of those opportunities, they will eventually advance themselves.

SAAM also doesn’t complete performance reviews. Instead, they take people to lunch a couple times a year to have a conversation to hear what people want to work on, what they like, and how they can do better.

Are you feeling any challenges?

One of the challenges they found is that younger people right out of school are different than they expected. They were harder to recruit because they hadn’t worked in other firms and didn’t really recognize the opportunity compared to another job.

Do you use time tracking?

Our primary reason for tracking is for billing our clients. It’s important for them that they do that. Only once have they looked at who’s taking vacation. The problem sometimes with unlimited vacation is that some people don’t use it, when they should be using it.

What are some tools you’re using to make this happen?

GoToMeeting is big. They also use BQE Software. They collaborate with Revit and cloud-based storage.

What advice would you give someone wanting to build a firm similar to yours?

Don’t get too caught up in your business plan. You just can’t know what opportunities will come to you.

Make sure you’re in a situation where you have client access. You want your clients to like you and want to follow you to your next space.

Take advantage of the opportunities you have in your firm now. Ask your boss about their business, look at their financials if they are open to it. Get as much training as you can.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Try to hire the best people you can possibly find even if you don’t have all the right project work for them.” – Diana Nicklaus, SAAM

Connect with Diana online at SAAM-arch.com or visit her on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Want to see their entire HR Handbook? Find it on their website!

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EA195: How to Use StrengthsFinder to Find YOUR Place in Architecture [Podcast]

24 november 2017 | 52 min

How to Use StrengthsFinder to Find YOUR Place in Architecture

We all have strengths and weaknesses. If we focus on finding, developing and building our strengths instead of filling in the gaps caused by our weaknesses, we’ll be more successful.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, How to Use StrengthsFinder to Find Your Place in Architecture with Erin Poppe of Charrette Venture Group.

Background

Erin Poppe is Charrette Venture Group‘s leadership and strengths expert. She facilitates the development of strategies that allow teams to focus on and invest in their unique abilities. Prior to CVG, she revitalized the StrengthsFinder initiative at Kansas State University and presented on Strength Engagement at Gallup’s inaugural Clifton Strengths Summit.

Origin Story

Erin is the daughter of an architect who graduated from Kansas State University. Her parents were married on campus and then moved Washington where her dad started working for a small design firm called HKP Architects. Erin was always raised in the architecture world, knowing the language, purpose and value. Through her own studies unrelated to architecture, she began to talk to others about what makes people unique and how they can own their individual strengths. After graduating, she connected with Charrette Venture Group‘s Todd Reding. They quickly realized a real need for this conversation within the architecture community.

Now she spends her time talking to people in the architecture world about what makes them great.

What is StrengthsFinder?

The StrengthsFinder assessment helps to identify areas of a person’s greatest potential for success. For a long time, the conversation has been centered around weaknesses and how to become a more well-rounded person. Instead, how much further can you go by investing your energy into something that you’re naturally good at? Doing that helps people see exponential growth in the long road.

The assessment is founded in research that studies a wide variety of talent functions that assess your natural areas of greatness. In about forty-five minutes, you learn the top five ways you innately think, feel or behave.

Erin’s top five strengths are: strategic, ideation, individualization, connectedness, and learner. What does that mean? It means that most of all, she’s a strategic thinker. She loves ideas, dreaming, and making connections with others who have ideas and want to take them to the next level. However, she’s not very talented in execution. Having the assessment puts this information in front of her and helps to put language to the behaviors to better communicate with those around her how she is best of value.

Are all architects similarly skilled?

As you can expect, industries tend to cultivate talents. So far, Charrette Venture Group has found an abundance of strategic thinkers and executers within the architecture world: they can dream up ways to innovate, and they can do it too. The gap then comes into play when they don’t excel at communicating their worth.

Based on those results, Charrette Venture Group aims to encourage architects to own what they do well and adapt to fill the needs of what they don’t do well.

Can your strengths change over time?

Your strengths can change over time based on major life shifts like a new job, a move, or a different relationship. It’s not recommended to retake the assessment immediately if you don’t feel like you got the right results.

How do you work with Charrette Venture Group partners on their strengths?

For example, Mark’s top five strengths are: futuristic, empathy, belief, connectedness, and developer.

Futuristic is more of a big picture dreamer, asking what we can do tomorrow. Empathy allows him to easily put himself in others’ shoes. Belief relates to the core values that he operates off of. Connectedness allows people to bring together and grow. Developer sees potential in everything.

How do you get anything done if you’re not an executer?

If you aren’t an executer, that doesn’t mean you don’t have a responsibility to get things done. If your strength is connectedness, how does getting a task done and following through on your ideas help to grow the connectedness dream you’re trying to reach? You leverage your talents to get things done. You do things that aren’t as comfortable or fun to get to the place where your strengths thrive.

What would you say to people who are trying to fill in their gaps without a team?

However you put your mind to something is perfect. No matter what we’re talking about, working with others helps us go further. You can stay a sole practitioner but still assess what you bring to the table and what gaps you have. Grow your talents to be the best they can be, and then maybe look into some contractors who can fill in the gaps that are needed.

What does someone do if they want to look at their strengths?

Charrette Venture Group will administer the tests and figure out where the strengths, gaps, and room for growth are. They support that with one-on-one interviews to dig deeper and figure out how the straights influence your organizational culture, climate and workflow. After that, if there are ways that they can come alongside the firm to help take your work to the next level, there are always those options.

For the month of November, Charrette Venture Group offering a special. For $2500, they will present the analysis package to the firm leaders, including 10 access codes and 5 one-on-one interviews. Email [email protected] to get set up with the information you need to move forward.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Go to CharretteVG.com and download our Strengths and Architecture Whitepaper. Not only does it have all the background technical information we didn’t get to cover today, but it gives some tangible knowledge to bring back to your firms. Even if you haven’t taken the assessment yet, you can start building a strengths-based culture in your organization.” – Erin Poppe

Connect with Erin by emailing [email protected] or find her on Linkedin.

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EA194: Launching and Growing an Architecture Charity with AzuKo.org [Podcast]

17 november 2017 | 56 min

EA193: 12 Steps to Take Control of Your Email [Podcast]

10 november 2017 | 39 min

12 Steps to Take Control of Your Email

As small firm architects, we’re working so hard to get everything done. Between the many hours we dedicate to building our firms and the time spent fostering strong relationships, there isn’t time for much else.

Each week offers us 168 hours, no more and no less. Half of those hours are reserved for sleeping, eating and hygiene. What we choose to do with the remaining 84 hours will determine whether we succeed or fail.

How do you use your 84 hours a week?

Mark recently looked at his own habits, and was shocked to realize he was spending more than two hours per day sorting, managing and responding to email messages. That’s time away from building his business and being with his family.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, 12 Steps to Take Control of Your Email.

12 Steps to Take Control of Your Email

1. Turn off ALL notifications

All the bells anId whistles that pop up? Turn them off. You don’t need them. Instead, schedule times in the day to check your email or social media.

2. Install spam filters

More than 90% of Mark’s email is unwanted junk and solicitations. If you get 100 emails and 90 of them are garbage, help yourself get to the 10 emails that actually matter.

3. Unsubscribe from unread subscriptions

If you don’t read it anymore, delete it. Is there a possibility to miss out on something? Sure, but if you’re not reading it anyway, you’re not missing out on anything.

4. Schedule time for dedicated email review

Schedule specific times every day to review your email. Instead of using minute-by-minute notifications, you’ll be better disciplined. It’s hard to not pick up your phone and hit the email button, so reestablish new habits to find time to look at your email.

5. Do it, delegate it, defer it, delete it

These are the four rules to processing any task list. If the email will take you less than 2 minutes, do it right then. If it can be forwarded and handled by someone else on your team, then delegate it. If it requires your attention and will take more than 2 minutes, move it to your task manager to be addressed during your scheduled email time. If it’s useless junk, delete it.

6. Keep email responses short

Don’t waste your precious 84 hours composing long email messages.

7. Use the phone for dialogue

Instead of going back and forth over email, pick up the phone and have a conversation. This way, the issue will be resolved much faster, and you can get back to what’s most important.

8. Prepare formal letters for important documentation

Formal reports and letters should be formal. Write and formalize letters for important information.

9. Don’t use email to coordinate your teams

There are apps that are so much more efficient than email like Asana, Trello, or Slack. They allow simple search function to find communication.

10. Use a reminder app

Instead of using email to send yourself a task, find a reminder app. Mark uses Wunderlist to manage his tasks.

11. Delegate your email management

Let someone else manage your email. Imagine opening your email and finding five messages that really require your attention. By letting someone else go through steps 1-10, you’ll have so much time to do other things.

12. Don’t respond after hours or on weekends

You’re not obligated to respond to your clients after business hours and on the weekends unless you choose that. Set expectation with your teams and clients, and you’ll live happier within those boundaries.

What are your tips for taking control of your email?

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Charrette Venture Group invests in small- to mid- sized architecture firms with the goal to create action behind aspirations. Do you want to become a larger, stronger business?

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EA192: Earl Parson – The Entrepreneur Architect Series [Podcast]

3 november 2017 | 71 min

The Entrepreneur Architect Series: Earl Parson

At EntreArchitect, you’re encouraged to share your knowledge. When we share with other architects, we all benefit. We are able to learn from one another and the profession will grow. One of the goals of EntreArchitect is to provide a platform for other entrepreneur architects to share their stories.

We want to interview you! What’s your story? Do you want to share your knowledge or the story about how you were inspired to pursue this profession? How do you become an entrepreneur architect?

Join us for our series called The Entrepreneur Architect, where each guest has the opportunity to share their story and answer some questions that will provide value to each of you.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Earl Parson.

Background

Earl Parson is an architect based in Los Angeles, California practicing residential architecture as Parson Architecture and is the founder of CleverModerns.com, an online platform empowering DIY owner-builders with plans and coaching.

Origin Story

Earl was born and raised in Muncie, Indiana, and his life intersected with architecture as a kid when his best friend’s dad was an architect. He saw the giant drawing boards and electric erasers, which may not have directly inspired him, but was a role model in his life of an option when he grew up.

His dad owned a two story, three storefront building downtown as an investment and hobby, and there were constantly projects to fix it up that Earl was around. In addition, they added on to his house while he was growing up. There was a moment where he began falling in love with the old buildings.

Though he knew he wanted to be an architect, he wanted to get out and explore the world. He spent time in St. Louis for his undergrad and ended up at SCI-Arc for grad school. He worked for some architects around town and then ended up on his own after the recession, and never looked back from there.

After graduating, Earl and a friend took a summer off doing design work, building furniture, and other odd jobs. Later, he worked for Marmol Radziner, W3 Architects, and Studio Works, and eventually got a full time job Pasadena City College teaching drawing and Keating.

After the recession, he started Parson Architecture. In 2009, some friends connected him with a gallery in Chinatown where architects and designers came together and had a show of furniture and other objects.

Earl started doing some work for daycare facilities that required a certain amount of professionalism, creating a great growth opportunity to establish business practices.

Where and when did you start welding?

When Earl was a kid, his grandparents lived on a farm in southern Indiana. His grandpa made everything he had on his farm. He had a lightbulb moment seeing his grandpa create and realized that everything that had ever been created was first thought of and built by someone.

Once he bought a house and had the space, he bought a welder and started accumulating equipment. That creative outlet kept him sane during the recession.

What big goal did you achieve?

Earl entered the Charrette Venture Group Business Plan Competition. He received an honorable mention, but the real achievement was the mental and psychological hurdles it took to enter.

Thought it took courage, Earl worked to develop his plan and put it out to the world. He would sit down each morning for about an hour to develop his ideas. Earl relearned how to have an idea and develop it so that it’s something worth considering.

What is Clever Moderns?

It’s a platform that Earl is currently developing. The idea is to be a passive income strategy to grow a community around people supporting each other in the home DIY owner-builder world.

Not only do they want to sell the plans, but Earl wants to provide coaching and support for people who want to build the homes themselves. There are a lot of people out there that love the idea of having interesting architecture and design who may not go out and hire an architecture. In there is the hidden market for those who want help and encouragement to do it themselves.

The lightbulb moment came when it dawned on Earl that rather than charging a better fee for his services, he just gave the plans away for free. If the plans are free, how does the rest of it work?

Currently, Clever Moderns is building their first prototype houses. In northern Arizona, Earl is building Quonset huts.

What has been your biggest struggle?

For Earl, putting his ideas out there is terrifying. The fear of creating a newsletter was holding him back. Earl’s friend Halelly Azulay at TalentGrow LLC encouraged him to get at it and offered support.

His secret method to focus is to put his phone in airplane mode. It becomes a psychological barrier that says he’s focusing his time on the most important thing in his immediate present.

Quick Questions

What's your target market? For Clever Moderns, it’s DIY Quonset people.
What's your fee structure? Parson Architecture is a stipulated sum generally based on a percentage, for Clever Moderns is more of an hourly consulting fee
Other than architecture, what makes you happy? Playing the piano.
What's the best advice you've ever received? Get your architecture license.
What's one personal habit that contributes to your success? Meditation.
What's a recommended app or internet resource? Google Chrome internet browser, Speed dial 2 to open various windows and easily go where you want, Trello and LastPass password manager
What's a book you'd recommend? Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“If you really want to improve your business for tomorrow, you have to do the hard work of sitting down with a blank piece of paper and develop the ideas that are going to shape your business.” – Earl Parson

Connect with Earl online at Parson.Architecture.com and CleverModerns.com. Follow his on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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ARCAT has huge libraries of free content, Specs, CAD, BIM and more. No registration required. Want to collaborate with colleagues in real time?

Visit EntreArchitect.com/ARCAT and click Charrette for more information.

Charrette Venture Group invests in small- to mid- sized architecture firms with the goal to create action behind aspirations. Do you want to become a larger, stronger business?

Visit EntreArchitect.com/CVG to learn more!

Referenced in this Episode

Download the Profit For Small Firm Architects course for FREE.

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EA191: How To Attract and Hire The Best of the Next Generation of Architects with Nick Serfass, AIAS National Executive Director [Podcast]

27 oktober 2017 | 47 min

How To Attract and Hire The Best of the Next Generation of Architects with Nick Serfass, AIAS National Executive Director

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, How To Attract and Hire The Best of the Next Generation of Architects with Nick Serfass, AIAS National Executive Director.

Background

In his role as Executive Director of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS), Nick Serfass focuses on driving the organization toward relentless “forward progress”, so that it creates a more impactful future for its student members and the profession of architecture. Nick holds alumni status as a Virginia Wahoo, Miami Hurricane and Auburn Tiger. He is also an architect when necessary.

Listen to Nick’s origin story back on EA050: Big Changes with AIAS Executive Director Nick Serfass.

Tell us about your role at AIAS?

Nick is the operational captain who makes the events, programming and services move forward. He’s also working to bridge the gap between academia and the profession. He works to connect students to the profession and help them succeed with the right tools and resources. A lot of what they’ve done is a ton of storytelling: about the profession, about what students need to know, and highlighting the great content the students put forth.

They’re trying to get more eyeballs on the organization so that more people become aware of who they are and what they’re doing. That way, they can grow the community and it’s impact on the profession. The more people who know about AIAS, the more opportunities our members have to engage.

They’re consistently creating products, programs and services to have a story to tell about.

How can architects be attractive to the next generation of architects?

For students, there are so many avenues to research firms in depth than there were before. You can find out a ton about small firms by diving into their social media. The biggest challenge is that students go to the website and can’t find a lot of information to get excited about working there.

For firms, document and create. Show young architects what you’re doing, and put out vulnerable and authentic content for them to connect with.

All students bring different interests to the table, but today they’re searching for firms that are passionate about those topics too. If they can’t identify what a firm is excited about, they can’t make that connection.

Do you think the website is the most important thing to update?

Your website is your face, that’s where people will check you out. After that, social media and other digital platforms can add to your marketing strategy.

If all you see is one static homepage, how can someone identify if they’re a fit or not?

How can architects improve their websites to connect better with this new generation of architects?

Make your website image and video heavy. Our phones are powerful, they take great photos and videos and the platforms available to us make it so easy to share.

AIAS.org has a lot of imagery, graphics, and video imbedded. The goal is to catch someone’s eye. This is a creative industry: showcase your creativity.

The point of your website is to tell a story about your firm. You can design it however you want when you’re doing that. Identify your story and build from there. As long as you’re getting it out there, you’re doing better than many people. Anyone can pick up social media and entry level employees can help with graphics. Use this as an opportunity to reach all sorts of new people you’ve never been able to reach with a relatively low barrier for entry.

Are blogs still relevant?

There is value to written content. Most blogs in past years are kind of articles. Now, we have more listicles; they’re bulleted and feed into the lack of attention that people have when they’re scrolling through and looking for the highlights.

What are your favorite social media tools?

For architects, Instagram matches the creativity we bring. As architects, we’re always in front of great images: a working drawing or a building in front of us. Instagram also allows the story function for you to document little client interactions, contractor feedback, and more. It plays into the industry and skills that architects have.

What’s your advice for keeping the younger generation excited and interested?

The way Nick approaches it is to try to find out what motivates someone. What do they want in the future? What are their goals? How can you help them get there? As they’re drafting drawings, talk about your background and how you got to where you are. All of us have a next step, and if someone is helping us get to the next step, we’re going to work really hard for them. At the end of the day, the relationships are still there even if someone moves on to the next company.

What’s coming up for AIAS?

They’ve created a robust platform to storytell, and that’s positioned them to create products and services and iterate on them to see if they’re working or not. On social media, they’re working to push things out and get feedback from different outlets.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Document, don’t create. You don’t have to create to get on social media, just document. Show what you’re doing, be authentic and vulnerable, and tell your story. Share what you’re doing in the day-to-day.” – Nick Serfass, AIAS

Connect with Nick online at AIAS.org. Follow AIAS on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Look out for AIAS FORUM coming to your city soon!

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10 Simple Steps to Develop a Lasting New Habit

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EA190: EntreArchitect Live with Alex Gore of F9 Productions [Podcast]

20 oktober 2017 | 73 min

EntreArchitect Live with Alex Gore of F9 Productions

This week, Mark held his first live interview using Facebook live. Alex Gore from F9 Productions discussed his work with Daniel Libeskind, his firm in Longmont, Colorado, his podcast, Inside The Firm, sharing the behind-the-scenes with his partner, Lance Cayko, and his book The Creativity Code.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, EntreArchitect Live with Alex Gore of F9 Productions.

Background

Alex Gore grew up drawing wars of ants verses bees, playing backyard baseball, and being obsessed with Frank Lloyd Wright. After high school, he joined the national guard as a heavy equipment operator. There, he attended North Dakota State University and received a masters in architecture and construction management. He then worked under the world-famous architect Daniel Libeskind, teamed up with his best friend from college Lance Cayko to start F9 Productions. He’s the cohost of Inside the Firm Podcast and the author of The Creativity Code.

How did you get to work for Daniel Libeskind?

Going into Denver, Alex lined up several different interviews when he had a trip planned to be in town. He was back and forth with Libeskind, and was offered an internship first. Though he turned that down, he eventually was offered a full-time position.

Did you carry any thoughts over from Libeskind to F9 Productions?

Daniel Libeskind always did crazy fun projects, so Alex and Lance have tried to keep doing one fun project a year. They built a tiny house that was sustainable and cooler looking than traditional tiny houses. The goal was to make a commitment to do something cool every year.

What are your thoughts on interning for a star firm?

All of us interns worked a ton and were paid an hourly rate. At F9 Productions, interns are paid. When you’re sacrificing your time and energy in a studio culture environment, you have a lot to learn by doing that if that’s what you want to do.

For F9 Productions, interns are just colleagues and designers who they work side by side with.

How did F9 Productions start?

When Alex got laid off by Libeskind, he called Lance and they made some plans. Eventually, Lance got laid off as well and Alex decided to move to Colorado and figure out how to work together. They worked as a tw0-man shop for a few years until they had consistent business in 2013-2014. Now, they have about ten people and even that feels stretched at times.

The structure is a two-headed beast. They each have people who mainly work for one of them or the other, and in times of big projects they can pull from the other’s side. Depending on the project, they tend to hand off projects that are a better fit for the other person’s skills.

Where did the name for F9 Productions come from?

In college, Alex and Lance didn’t know if they really liked each other. When they finally realized each other had some useful skills, they worked closely together.

They were on their computers all the time, and F9 was the key to render. They would tease their classmates who wanted to go home at the end of the day by saying, “Go ahead! Just hit F9 and the computer will do the work while you get some rest.”

It’s progressed that their different companies now are set up following suit: F10, F11, F12 and F14.

Are you going to sell your development units individually?

We couldn’t separate the parcels, so they’ll be condos with an HOA. We’ll sell 6 on one side as units, and there’s still talk of renting the two on the other side.

Do you think every architect should do development?

Alex thinks the majority of architects should do their own development within their skills. Most people don’t because of the money issue. If there was a course in college that taught how to get a bank loan and find money to put down, more people would do it. It’s not rocket science.

Jump in and mitigate risk. Alex and Lance built the first tiny house using their construction experience. They structured their firm to save money throughout the year and then eventually deciding what they wanted to do with that money.

Can you define architecture?

Narrowly, it’s the design of buildings or built structures. However some people believe the line moves and architecture becomes everything.

Alex wants to pull architecture back to the design of buildings. He believes you can apply architecture thought and design principles to many other things. How are you designing your business? How are you building your life?

What was the deciding factor in designing and building your own development?

It came down to the numbers: could they get the land for under 18% of the valuation.

Why did you start the podcast and what keeps you going?

Alex and Lance started a podcast previous to Inside the Firm Podcast where they kind of talked about nothing, but they wanted to do something where they shared actual useful information.

Their goal was to be two principals talking about what’s really happening inside the firm.

Tell us about why you wrote The Creativity Code.

It goes back to giving and teaching. Alex and Lance were growing, trying to hire people and they found that despite their design skills, they didn’t have particular skills that they were needed. They went to the local design school and asked to teach. Though they were told no to the design side, they were invited to teach the engineers. At the end of their senior year, the engineering students are supposed to do a whole building. They’ve been making really efficient boxes, and they wanted to see more creativity.

How do you teach engineers to be more creative? Give them the tools and see what they can come up with. They were taught sketching techniques, design principles, and Revit. It works amazingly.

After teaching the class, Alex tailored it into a book. The goal is to give the tools that allow people to create.

Who’s taller?

Lance is slightly taller, but Alex says he works harder to be better.

Tell us about the free bonuses!

If you buy the book, you can choose from one of three options:

Want to learn Revit? You get 10% off for your firm!
Have a phone call with Alex to answer any questions!
Want us to promote your firm? We’ll give you a shoutout on Inside the Firm Podcast!

Choose your favorite online at EntreArchitect.com/F9!

Connect with Alex online at F9Productions.com or email him at [email protected]. Visit him online on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Should we do more Facebook live sessions? Visit EntreArchitect.com/Group and let us know what you think!

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The Creativity Code: The Power of Visual Thinking by Gore Alex and Cayko Lance

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EA189: Building a Large Firm by Starting Small with Tabitha Ponte of Ponte Health [Podcast]

13 oktober 2017 | 83 min

Building a Large Firm by Starting Small with Tabitha Ponte of Ponte Health

Tabitha Ponte is a licensed architect and builder, a philanthropist, a mother and a wife who’s leading Ponte Health. She’s based in Orlando, Florida, specializing in single source delivery, resources management and best outcomes serving the healthcare sector exclusively.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Building a Large Firm by Starting Small with Tabitha Ponte of Ponte Health.

Origin Story

Tabitha was seven or eight years old when she told her mother how she felt about spacial structures. She felt like she saw the void, not the stuff. In the car in Venezuela, where she spent her childhood, Tabitha’s mom told her all about architecture and engineering. Her mind was made up: she was going to be an architect.

Tabitha had family members who were in architecture, one of whom designed and built his own house. She spent significant amounts time in that house and vividly remembers the influence that the fact that he built it himself had on her.

She was very involved in music as a child, but always knew that she wanted to attend architecture school. She went to architecture school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and worked all through college. Because of this, she actually finished her IDP hours before she graduated college. Tabitha worked for three different firms all though college, and was eligible for her licensure exams the year she graduated.

She worked to learn the business of architecture and construction from the inside. When she graduated she was given the opportunity to step into a leading role as an architectural project manager.

Everything fell apart when the market crashed. Firms disappeared overnight and work halted. All of that eventually lead her into Chicago.

She had visited Chicago previously, and thought that one day she may work there. Because of the market crash, she didn’t pursue architecture as her graduate degree; Tabitha studied construction instead at Illinois Tech, receiving a management and engineering degree.

Tell us about a pivotal change in your career.

Tabitha has worked to establish a holistic self in this field who is capable of design, resources management, leading job site and more. She wanted to create a school geared toward that kind of development of sharing what she knew, but felt so much pressure when working on a project to create a school.

She got incredibly sick, and was required to make some serious life changes. A little over a year ago, she suffered a stroke. That was the last straw in choosing to walk away from the stress that was making her physically ill and stop pushing against a system that was fighting her.

Where did you go next?

Tabitha dropped everything in Chicago and traveled to fifteen states. She climbed several mountains and found so much bliss there that she thought she might stay. The cold of Chicago followed her to Portland, and she was ready to head back to Florida and to her family.

She dove into public works construction and asset management, and found that the government agencies loved her: she’s licensed and could cross over to each different side and play each part well.

While Tabitha was pregnant, she made the intentional choice to work from home. Her new look on life allowed her the time to be home with her daughter, read for personal development, exercise, and eat well.

How did the transition into your new business happen?

Tabitha remembers thinking that she didn’t want to be limited to construction administration rather than being in the field. She wanted to give back, so it made sense to become Ponte Health: the mission is to help expand the health community.

Next was the leaping point. It’s really scary to leap, but she knew she could do it.

The next step was to find some accessible office space, so Tabitha found a coworking space in Medical City. Next, she persevered to set up meetings with hospital systems. Many people said no upfront, but eventually she got some yesses.

Her goal was to be focused and work to serve the right people in the right markets instead of just getting anything to just try to get by. The decision was deliberate: she thought through her dreams of market growth and how to find the need to serve.

How many people are working with you currently?

Right now there’s three people, but it’s often project dependent. Tabitha’s in the revolving cycle of what it means to be “net 30”, where when you work for someone like a hospital, they’ll sit on the invoice until the 30th day. It’s a difficult cycle to break when trying to build working capital within the firm.

How do you fund the firm?

In Tabitha’s case, she bootstrapped it and hoped for the best. She also has investors. They have a holdings company above the building company where, in Florida, her friends and family have leeway to buy into the company. There are limitations as to how much money they can give you. Currently they have about 55 micro-investors. If you can get a loan or have enough saved up, you will hopefully get to the point where a client will minimally fund your work without needing to struggle. For Ponte, it took them about a year.

The second you go outside those boundaries, the SEC gets involved, perhaps a lawyer is involved to set your shares.

How did you choose to spend your money when you were starting out?

Instead of saving a few hundred dollars on themselves, they chose to invest that money into highly targeted ads. Early on, Tabitha invested in a marketing campaign in the Orlando Medical News. They made the effort to put their money into targeted campaigns who have helped push their message out into the world of potential clients.

Architects are great at talking to one another, but they’re not always great at talking to clients or potential clients. If you’re starting a firm, you need to stop and look at your reach. Are you connecting with the right people? Instead of connecting with architects or architects who are working on hospitals, Tabitha reestablished her social media to connect with those she wanted to serve: executives in the design or departments of hospital systems.

How do you find work/life balance?

Tabitha is very deliberate about separating her work life. It’s about being focused. You have to be focused with the work at hand, whether it’s your job or family. Tabitha doesn’t allow them to mix; she’s focused on one or another at one time. That ability to be hyper-focused is what allows her to rest well.

She still has stress in her life, but it’s different because it’s her own self-imposed stress, not something put on her by a company or a boss. As a business owner, her stresses have changed and her ability to find balance has grown.

Tell us about your campaign for Puerto Rico's babies.

Because Tabitha’s mission is to help expand the healing community, the issues affecting babies post storm are in direct alignment with that mission. The various issues are compounding in Puerto Rico right now, so Tabitha has worked to connect with a pediatric hospital who is taking in all the small babies and children in the vicinity. She’s working to assist the hospital to meet their needs where they’re at with supplies of food and equipment.

Want to get involved? Connect online by clicking HERE. If you donate $10 or more, you’ll receive access to a hour and a half self defense training!

What’s the future look like for Ponte Health?

They’re working to serve as an integral turnkey company. Tabitha is always reaching toward the goal of creating a true comprehensive health system along the lines of their own real estate development and more. She sees the company deeply involved in research, scientific-, building-, and technology-wise.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“The two things I live by will change the way you see yourself. Read a lot about business, marketing, strategy, competitive advantage, leadership, and self reflection – not architecture. Talk to potential clients. Walk in the door, shake someone’s hand, and talk to them. Listen to what they have to say. You’ll be surprised where there’s space for you to serve them.” – Tabitha Ponte, Ponte Health

Connect with Tabitha online at pontehealth.com. Visit her online on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

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Donate to Ponte Health’s efforts to help Puerto Rico by clicking HERE

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EA188: Using Emotions to Successfully Attract the Clients You Want [Podcast]

6 oktober 2017 | 32 min

Using Emotions to Successfully Attract the Clients You Want

Our prospective clients learn with their heads, but they decide with their hearts. After years of research, often, when a client chooses to work with an architect it simply comes down to their feelings. They choose their team by deciding who they like the most.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Using Emotions to Successfully Attract the Clients You Want.

Do you ever make decisions based on emotion? We don’t always buy based on price or features, more often we buy because something makes us feel a certain way.

When we’re developing a marketing strategy for our firms, we should consider the part that emotions play in the decisions that our clients make. Professor Antiono Damasio at University of Southern California argues that, emotion is a necessary ingredient to almost all decisions. When we are confronted with a decision, emotions from previous, related experiences affix values to the options we are considering. These emotions create preferences which lead to our decision.

Our feelings help us make our decisions. That’s why storytelling is so powerful; they trigger emotions and feelings. In EA140, architect storyteller Jeff Echols shared How To Use Your Story to Find the Work You Want.

How can we craft our branding to be based on emotion? How do we use emotion to effectively find the clients we want?

Here are 4 Fundamentals about Emotions to use in Marketing:

Knowing Who We Serve Matters

Without knowing who we serve, how can we have any idea how to emotionally connect with those people? Who are you serving? Who do you want to serve?

Where do these people work and play? What makes them happy? What are they trying to achieve in their search for an architect?

Sensorial Experiences Matter

What does an architect do? When answering this question, think beyond the traditional descriptions. How can we develop strategies and services that are experienced with every sense? Do we have strategies around sight, sounds, touch, and more?

Think along the lines of experiencing design through virtual reality or presenting hand-sketched schematic designs with freshly baked cookies. Do you think your client will talk to their friends about that type of meeting?

Using an Imaginative Approach Matter

Immaginative systems and strategies make the process more real for our clients. It causes them to pause and think about what’s different than they expected it to be. How can we create a different and imaginative website to trigger emotions? What experiences can we give that feel different? What can spice up our proposals to give pause?

How can clients’ first point of contact feel different than another firm?

The Words We Use Matter

The words we choose have the opportunity to make a client feel one way or the other. In residential architecture, are we designing a house or creating a home? A house has a function, but a home is filled with feelings, love, and memory.

Using intentionality with the words we use goes a long way.

To learn more about emotional marketing, check out these books:

Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping–Updated and Revised for the Internet, the Global Consumer, and Beyond by Paco Underhill

Emotional Branding: The New Paradigm for Connecting Brands to People by Marc Gobe

I want to know your favorite book on marketing! Share on the EntreArchitect Facebook group today.

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EA187: 60 Minute Business Plan for Small Firm Architects [Podcast]

29 september 2017 | 33 min

60 Minute Business Plan for Small Firm Architects

Did anyone tell you you needed to know how to run a business when you became an architect? Whether clients come knocking or not, it’s not so easy to keep them knocking. The solution is to write a business plan.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, 60 Minute Business Plan for Small Firm Architects.

Maybe you’ve heard the words “business plan” and you feel yourself shutting down. Before you do that, let me share my vision. It came from years and years spent putting together my own various business plans. Finally, I put together a stripped down, one page version that I was able to put on paper quickly and develop as I went along.

“The greatest value in creating a business plan is not the final document. It’s the communication, the prioritization, the focus, the clarity, and learning that makes the process worthwhile.” – Jim Horan

Where are you now? Where do you want to be in the future?

5 Step Process for a Simple Business Plan for Small Firm Architects

Create a vision statement.
Get a single piece of paper and write a single paragraph about your vision. What will your business look like? Where do you want to be? Do you want a high design firm? How much money are you making in your vision? What’s the big picture Consolidate that paragraph into a vision statement that embodies the essence of your vision.
Describe your mission.
Why did you become an architect? Why did you launch this firm? What propels you toward your vision?
Develop simple strategies.
Break it down into simple steps of how you’re going to reach your vision and mission. Create 5 steps and work your way backward from your end goal. What do you need to do to reach your goals?
Make specific goals.
Specify benchmarks that will lead you to execute your strategies. Be specific and give yourself a deadline for each.
Commit to an action plan.
What tasks will you complete to accomplish your goals? Who will work toward each goal? What does the time line look like? Find the steps required to reach your goals.

Everything you need will go into this document. Once you’ve finalized your business plan, revisit it often. Revisit and revise your business plan 2-4 times a year to ensure that each piece is still relevant. This is an evolving document, and that’s okay!

These periodic revisiting of your big ideas keeps you focused and wanting to push your firm further.

What’s your vision for your architecture firm?

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EA186: Brandon Hubbard, The Architect’s Guide [Podcast]

27 september 2017 | 54 min

Brandon Hubbard, The Architect’s Guide

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, The Architect’s Guide with Brandon Hubbard.

Background

Brandon is a licensed architect based in San Francisco, California and the founder of TheArchitectsGuide.com, dedicated to helping architects with their job application and career goals. He practiced architecture with Foster + Partners in London where he worked on several high profile design projects, including Heathrow Terminal 3, the Bloomberg Headquarters and the Samba Bank Tower. Currently he's a senior architect in Heller Manus Architects in San Francisco working on large scale commercial and residential projects. You may have seen him online posting about architecture careers on TheArchitectsGuide.com as well as a content provider at Arch Daily.

Origin Story

Brandon was born and raised in New Zealand until he was ten, when he moved to Montana. There he completed his schooling, including a masters in architecture from MSU Bozeman. During his last few years and after graduation he worked for a small firm in Bozeman. The small, five-person firm landed a $100 million residential project. In a short amount of time, Brandon gained a lot of experience. Following graduation, he enjoyed working on that large-scale project. Looking around Bozeman, he didn't see a lot of similar work readily available. He decided to look abroad, applying to several firms in London. He joined Foster and Partners and was there for 7 years. During his time there, he worked on a client base in Madrid, Spain and rode out the recession in 2008. He moved to San Francisco in 2014 to work with Heller Manas. When he arrived, he had to complete a supplemental exam and then used his free time to start TheArchitectsGuide.com.

What pulled you to London?

Brandon had wanted to relocate to China, but he realized he had to be vaccinated for a six-month waiting period for a few different things. During the wait time, he looked at other places abroad and landed on London. After a few offers and a week-long visit, he ended up moving there.

What brought you back to the US?

Brandon felt like he reached a point where he had to decide on a country. He had family in the US and friends in London, and felt like he was always flying back and forth. Then, the AREs weren’t available in London, so he was constantly flying to and from.

Based on the scale of his projects, he was between San Francisco and New York. Brandon wanted a change and to have the option of being more in the outdoors.

What lessons would you want to share from that experience?

One article Brandon wrote details why he thinks you maybe shouldn’t work abroad in architecture, Is Working Abroad Bad For Your Architecture Career?. There are pros and cons to everything. Depending on your goals, it could be great. If your goal is to meet a diverse group of people and work on interesting projects, moving abroad and outside of your own comfort zone may be a good idea. One downside may be the disconnect between the US based regulations and local codes versus those in Europe.

What inspired you to help other architects with their job search process?

Part of it came from the number of emails he received of people wanting his advice on how to get a job at an iconic firm. When he looked over their resumes and noticed common problems. He had a lot of conversations about what he did to get noticed and hired. Once he gave the same advice several times, he decided to take the knowledge he’d accumulated and turn it into TheArchitectsGuide.com.

How did you get a job with only a 2-page portfolio?

Brandon’s application portfolio had two pages, one for academic work and one for professional work. A lot of applications make the mistake of sharing too much text and not describing what you actually did on the project. Your potential employer doesn’t want to know what’s great about the project, they want to know your skills and how they played into your role on the project.

People don’t have a lot of time to read through tons of lengthly applications. If your application is short, it’s kind of like a first date: you tell them a little bit about yourself instead of your entire life story. Build a little interest and allow them to invite you for an interview.

The other component is to know who you’re sending your application to: are you sending it to an HR department or an architect directly?

What would you recommend for architects who are looking to make a job move later in their careers?

Decide where you want to go and how you can pull from your existing experience and apply that to where you want to go. If you’ve been doing small residential housing but now you want to work on airports, you have to translate the work that applies: you’ve been managing the project, working directly with the client, etc. Put yourself in the role of the hiring manager and find out what they’re looking for in the position that you want to fill.

What would you say to someone who’s tired of where they are and wants to move somewhere else?

Sometimes employers can be intimidated by someone who’s been running a sole proprietorship for twenty years. Be clear in your cover letter and share why you’re wanting to make this transition.

How important is it to build a relationship with potential employers online?

Connecting on social media can be a really important component. It’s important not to bombard a firm with questions and retweets, but connecting online is a good way to let someone know you’re out there. If you go into it wanting a connection instead of having an agenda, you can begin to create a network that could open doors that you didn’t know existed.

How can you get your resume noticed?

If you’re creating a generic application and sending it out to a hundred firms, you’re not likely to get noticed. Instead, look at a firm’s work and target your experience and skills to that particular firm. If you’re willing to look at a firm that you want to and build a targeted application, you’re much more likely to succeed.

Focus on what’s going to get the best results: creating a targeted application, building a concise portfolio, and networking. Spend your time on things that matter.

What can people find on TheArchitectsGuide.com?

There’s a job resources page with tons of article on the full range of topics. From start to end, how can you get what you want in an architecture position? There’s a coaching package where Brandon works with people one on one throughout the application process. He also has guide packages on applications, interviews and resumes, as well as a new compilation of job offers that goes out in a weekly email.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Really focus on what gets the best return on your investment of time and money. Be conscious of how you’re spending your time and treat it as a valuable resource.” – Brandon Hubbard

Connect with Brandon online at TheArchitectsGuide.com or follow him on Facebook.

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EA185: The Passion, The Process and Problems of Running a Design/Build Architecture Firm [Podcast]

15 september 2017 | 66 min

The Passion, The Process and Problems of Running a Design/Build Architecture Firm

Do you want more control? More money? More happy clients? More architecture with better design? Is design/build the answer to our professions problems? Will building your own projects be the solution to success for your small firm? What does it take to run a successful design build firm?

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Mark speaks with Jim Zack and Declan Keefe about The Passion, The Process and Problems of Running a Design/Build Architecture Firm.

About Jim and Declan

Jim Zack is based in San Francisco, California as the co-founder and partner at his design build firm, Zack de Vito: Design + Build. He visited EntreArchitect Podcast on EA102: Risks and Rewards with Architect Developer Jim Zack. He’s a current facilitator at EntreArchitect Academy’s Design/Build Mastermind Group.

Declan Keefe is a founder and owner at Placetailor and a three-time guest at EntreArchitect Podcast: EA130: How to Build a Successful Architecture Firm That Works with Architect Declan Keefe, EA141: How to Build a Brand that Resonates with Your Most Valuable Clients, EA134: How to Get Started as an Architect Developer.

How are your design/build firms structured?

Jim has been involved in building things for a long time and he’s been in business for 25 years. He began working construction when he was 15 and was trained in carpentry long before he was an architect. Zack de Vito is organized as two different companies: one a construction company and one architecture firm. They’ve found that a lot of liability and contractual details organize themselves well in those two separate businesses.

Conceptually, they try to make it feel like one company. Architects come to the office and sit and draw, and construction workers go to the site and build. As hard as they try to integrate the two day in and day out, it may not always be as seamless of a process.

Zack de Vito has a project manager, estimator, a partner at the construction company, 6-10 carpenters, and 5-8 people in the office ranging from an interior designer to Jim’s wife, who performs office management and marketing for the firm.

Placetailor is set up similarly although technically their architecture and construction companies are formally one business, where their development entity is a separate business. As far as scale, Placetailor has almost the same team setup as Zack de Vito.

Their business came from a true design/build model where they weren’t doing any design for any other firms, and all their projects were able to be completed internally. In the last few years, they’ve switched to provide architecture for other builders as well. Even though they’re one business, they functionally work as architecture, construction and real estate development. Development is separated because it has a much higher level of risk involved.

Was there a point where you went from a traditional architecture firm to an architecture design/build firm?

For Jim, it’s been an evolution. He’s entrepreneurial by spirit, and did a design/build project with his dad when he was 23 years old to design and build two house and each have one. Eventually he went to architecture school, bought a house and remodeled it. When he opened an office and started making things, his knowledge led him here. He wanted to be a cool designing architect who wanted to get his hands dirty.

A lot of their work has been self-motivated projects where they design and build buildings that they owned. The more they did it, the more they realized they needed to start doing that for their clients as well.

Declan’s business was started as a design/build firm. They saw a split between architects and builders in the industry that was leading to lower quality buildings and design, and they decided to do something about it. As they began to create higher quality buildings, they quickly got into high performance, energy efficient models, which launched them into the energy efficient design side that they’re working in now.

The development side came from their desire to create consistent work; they decided to take the risk and create their own projects. They wanted to create a demonstration to other developers: if they could prove the business model to other developers, they would hire Placetailor to do the design/build work they wanted to be doing. Now they’re even doing development consulting where they share how they do things and find success doing it.

Declan, how does your employee-owned business work?

When someone becomes an owner, they are an equal part owner: they have an equal equity stake and a equal vote. Anyone who comes into Placetailor who sticks around for three years and meets a certain line of criterion, then they can become an owner too. Right now, there’s five owners and a sixth coming in at the new year. There are five more people in the company who, if they’re around in a few years, may also have an opportunity to become an owner.

The ownership decisions are defined really clearly, and everyone has to be on board for a decision to move forward. As an ownership, they’ve decided what percentage of profits are evenly distributed among the owners.

What advice would you give to someone looking into design/build?

It depends on the market and the person. Jim is a “maker”, and the motivation to build is what got him to this place. You have to make a decision on the front end: are you a builder or a manager contractor? There are a lot of design companies who want to start managing constructing but are effectively managing owner builder projects. They’re set up so the client takes all the risk and they just kind of assist through the process.

If you’re a young architect doing it on your own, and you’re doing it to have control, you’re doing it for the wrong reasons already. Declan believes you need to learn how to communicate, facilitate and manage. Do it because it’s the business model you believe in and it’s the way in which you want to work. If you want to be able to actually manage things, you need to do the work to gain the knowledge of what’s hard, what things cost, why to make one decision over another. If it’s possible and you’re willing, find someone who’s willing to take you under your wing and learn the skills you need to know.

First, figure out why you’re doing this. If you’re looking for control over the project, you may be looking for more of an architect as developer role.

What are some risks of being a design/build architect?

Figuring out how to profit from construction is a huge challenge. There can be a naive attitude that the contractor figures out the price, puts a markup at the bottom and walks out with a bonus at the end. It’s taken them a lot of time to work out how to best manage their finances. The “huge markup” turns into nothing if you don’t manage it well.

To build a building verses design it, there’s a lot more people involved. When you deal with more people, you have the risk of dealing with all the things that could happen with all the people that are involved. These things can happen in any business, but the more people the greater the risk. It makes things difficult on the hiring side; how do you know if someone is good at their skill until you get them in the field with your team? Every little decision affects your bottom line.

A big part of being a design/builder is trusting that you have the right people in place who can do their jobs. If you can’t let go, you won’t be able to do the job with all the moving pieces that go into it. The skillset of an architect is set up to think creatively about the business side, but often we see people falling into the same, easy business model. You can do your business differently if you want.

What would you say is the best part of being a design/build architect?

Jim enjoys going by the job site, seeing the development, the framing, the foundation, the finishing, and the final product. He loves being involved in the day to day construction.

Declan loves having the team, those who are doing the job in the field, in the office, and on the investment end. There’s a wide range of amazing people they get to put together to make amazing things for their clients.

Connect with Declan Keefe online at Placetailor.com and on Twitter @placetailor & Instagram.

Connect with Jim Zack online at ZackdeVito.com or on Facebook.

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EA184: How to Establish a Lasting New Habit [Podcast]

8 september 2017 | 56 min

How to Establish a Lasting New Habit

Do you have a goal you want to accomplish? A new strategy or business process? A life change you want to make in your personal life? Are you keeping that goal locked away in the back of your mind instead of sharing it with others?

Let’s accomplish our goals together!

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, How to Establish a Lasting New Habit.

Maybe you’re listening to this podcast in a transitional season: from one season to another, out of a vacation and back into your regular routines, back to school, or otherwise. Recently, Mark began a project to figure out how to live a healthier lifestyle and wrote about it in a blog post: 10 Simple Steps to Develop a Lasting New Habit.

It’s not hard to establish bad habits. Mark could roll out of bed and into his comfy computer chair, where he could stay the whole day. Instead, he wanted to create a new, healthy lifestyle.

As the summer got started, Mark decided to make some new commitments. Over the last 10 weeks, he has worked through a process to create a healthier lifestyle.

Step 1: Understand Your Why

In the past, Mark has tried to establish healthy habits like meditation and running with little success. So why now? Mark is ready to create a healthy lifestyle, a mindset shift, and a way to integrate this lifestyle into his identity.

Step 2: Keep It Simple

Your new habit should be something that is hard to fail. We have so much going on, and if things are too complicated, you’re more likely to resist the change.

For Mark’s 10X Project, he created a simple goal: each day do 10 minutes of stretching, 10 pushups, 10 crunches, walk for 10 minutes, run for 10 minutes, and meditate for 10 minutes.

Step 3: Give your Project a Name

For Mark, the 10X in the name 10X Project is not only a reference to the quantities of 10 used through the exercises, but is also a reference to the improvement I may experience when I accomplish my goal. Can I improve my health by 10X with a lasting new habit? Will this new habit lead to other habits that may improve other parts of my life?

Step 4: Set a Goal

In the past, Mark has often created ambiguous goals. This time, his goal was clear: each day do 10 minutes of stretching, 10 pushups, 10 crunches, walk for 10 minutes, run for 10 minutes, and meditate for 10 minutes.

If he could establish that within 10 weeks, then hopefully the habit will lead to a healthier lifestyle down the road.

Step 5: Develop a Plan

What are you going to do? How and when are you doing to do it? Create some structure. Determine what you’ll do if you miss a day.

Step 6: Track Your Progress

In a journal, Mark tracked his progress through the days and weeks to reach his goal. You could also track using your personal calendar or an app that works well for you!

Step 7: Find Some Accountability

Usually we don’t like being held accountable, but it’s clear that accountability works. We’re more likely to achieve our goals by sharing our plans.

Mark posted his 10X Project for all of his readers and continued to post on social media on occasion.

Step 8: Take Advantage of Life's Cycles

When Mark started the 10X Project, he was in a transitional time with a different schedule and timing. Because of his family commitments, he had to be up early in the morning anyway. Why not use that time to start cementing a new habit?

Step 9: Reward Yourself

After Mark completed his daily tasks to reach his goal, he’d grab breakfast and watch the sunrise over the Hudson River. It was incredible motivation for him to continue on his journey.

Step 10: Celebrate

Did you reach your goal? Time to celebrate!

This podcast is Mark’s celebration of his 10X Project. He’s made it through all 10 weeks, five days a week. The best part about the consistency is the motivation to continue. Mark has established a new habit, and he’s ready to push forward to continue creating a healthy lifestyle.

Question: Did establish a new habit? Do you want to?

Visit the The EntreArchitect Community Facebook Group and share your plan!

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How to Get Started as an Architect Developer (Best of EntreArchitect Podcast)

25 augusti 2017 | 83 min

EA183: 5 Steps to Success and Relevance in Architecture with Carol Kurth, FAIA [Podcast]

18 augusti 2017 | 65 min

5 Steps to Success and Relevance in Architecture with Carol Kurth, FAIA

Carol is the owner of Carol Kurth Architecture + Interiors in Bedford, New York. She specializes in architecture and interiors, and does some beautiful work. She’s a popular keynote speaker who’s sought after for her insights on architecture, design, sustainability and design trends. She’s won multiple awards and has been featured in New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and more. She’s been featured on NBC News and MTV Cribs. She’s a long time friend of Mark’s and he’s learned so much from her.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, 5 Steps to Success and Relevance in Architecture with Carol Kurth, FAIA.

Carol’s Origin Story

Carol grew up in Washington Heights in the northern tip of Manhattan. Looking across the Hudson River, she could see the New Jersey cliffs in the distance. She was really interested in crafts growing up, particularly making dolls and doll houses. When she was 13, she took a class at The Cloisters on doll-making and the New York Times featured her. She ended up going to The Bronx High School of Science and loved her technical drawing and drafting class.

A distant relative, Irwin Chanin, who was very philanthropic and had lots of buildings named after him. He also designed the Chanin Building. Carol was very close to his wife growing up, and her aunt recognized Carol’s passion for dolls and dollhouses and encouraged her.

She attended City College’s School of Architecture and loved being at an architecture school in the middle of the city where your professors were practicing architects whose work in the city you could actually see.

How did you start practicing architecture?

Carol worked throughout school for professors or doing part-time jobs. She worked in Seattle for a while and then got a job at the end of her fourth year where she ended up becoming a partner, marrying her former husband, and building a practice.

In 1995 she went off on her own and opened her firm in Bedford. She’s been specializing in residential and commercial architecture. Many are on complicated sites, and Carol has always been undaunted by cliffs.

5 Steps to Success and Relevance

1: Choose and develop a target market

In the beginning, Carol was in a firm where they did a little bit of everything and she didn’t feel the passion there. For her, the passion always came from the site, the building, and the client’s vision. There’s no two sets of clients, budgets, or sites that are alike, and the variety is what she thrives on. She loves the wholistic vision of working with a client to find a site all the way down to deciding on the table settings.

2: Schedule time for marketing and public relations

Architects were pretty much advised to market and advertise until 1978, and architects didn’t really get the message until the mid 1980s. There was a long lag time between the logistics of allowing marketing happened and when architects actually went to do it. Carol felt she was on the early end and was always fascinated with the media. What is the relevance of architecture and design to clients? How do we keep ourselves fresh and at the forefront?

Big firms have big marketing and PR divisions in their firms, perhaps 3-5 people who are dealing with their marketing. That means small firms need to know that too. Carol would spend the first hour of her day returning calls to new clients or doing something public relations and marketing wise like writing a paragraph, scheduling a photoshoot, or reaching out to a magazine.

With social media these days, most people are already marketing. If you hone in on that and take it to the next level, even just once a week, that will increase your marketing presence.

One small firm issues is for single practitioners who do everything on their own. It’s very daunting.

3: Build a team and develop a strong culture

Can you be your most effective and best self as an architect and professional as a sole proprietor? Maybe the model needs to be rethought to three people. Can you figure out how to delegate tasks? The time you spend teaching someone to do a task is an investment someone else moving the ball forward on that task. The next time, you’ll have that time available because someone else has taken that task on. What tasks do you not like or not excel at that you can hand off to someone else?

4: Build Your Network

Get out there and interact with others. You have to put yourself out there. Sit down with real estate brokers and show them examples of your work to get your name out into your community.

5: Keep your network warm

Once you’ve made initial connections, keep up with people. Carol is a big advocate of the hand-written thank you note. If she sees an article about a client in the newspaper, she clips it, writes a quick note and tosses it in the mail. After that, she might have an opportunity to catch up that leads to another opportunity. The little effort to touch base makes all the difference.

How important do you you think submitting for awards is?

Carol loves when her great project are recognized for the hard work that’s been done. Receiving awards adds value to the team and to the clients. Being an award-winning female architect makes a difference in the minds of many and increases moral. We want the architecture to resonate with our clients and for the team to feel proud of the work they’ve done.

Do you have many systems in place?

Whether they’re official or not, Carol has lists for marketing, projects and more. Most are handwritten since that works best for her. Her team has a calendar to map certain awards and has build the submission deadlines and processes into their overall process.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Take care of yourself, if you stay up all night you’re no use to anyone. Take steps to create work/life balance.” – Carol Kurth

Connect with Carol online at Carol Kurth Architecture + Interiors, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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EA182: Building an Online Media Empire with Devon Tilly of The Art of Construction Podcast [Podcast]

11 augusti 2017 | 53 min

Building an Online Media Empire with Devon Tilly

Devon is the Denver-based owner of Mountain View Window and Door, a nationally-recognized company providing windows and doors for high-end residential projects. He’s the creator and host of the Art of Construction Podcast and brand, cohosted by Kevin Keefe. There they talk about all things business, success, and building sustainable, thriving business.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Building an Online Media Empire with Devon Tilly of The Art of Construction Podcast.

Devon’s Origin Story

Devon was the oldest of five children whose father began as a contractor and worked himself up to district manager. Every time him and his large family moved, they would buy a house and fix it up. Devon was always interested in the art of construction and the marketing of construction. He is passionately interested in construction and has lived that life long enough to speak the language. Sometimes he felt the industry was too corporate (“what’s your lowest price”) or too construction (“we’ve always done it this way”).

Devon moved to Colorado and earned his marketing degree, followed by a move into the construction world. He found he didn’t fit the corporate box very well as an expressive entrepreneur at heart. Thirteen years ago, he went to work for one of his customers. He loved the complication of construction that can either make or break the project. That passion drew him to focus on windows and doors.

After meeting his wife, he bought a company out and started Mountain View Window and Door. Now, they have two locations in Colorado, twenty-eight employees, and are about to close on an expansion of Art of Construction.

After being interviewed for The Chaise Lounge: Interior Design Podcast, Devon decided to follow a dream and begin a podcast of his own.

How did you grow Mountain View Window and Door so quickly?

The first step was to have a really good plan.

Next, he assembled a support team of a board of directors and an advisory counsel. Devon’s team was led by his father in law, Greg, who copyrighted a presentation “The Full Life Perspective“. From that, he was able to develop his full life perspective.

With a good plan, Devon knew he needed to take a risk to succeed. Him and Greg decided to buy a business. Greg helped him put his why together: to be the best supplier for windows, doors and hardware to contractors, architects and project designers in Colorado.

As Devon put his plan together, he followed everything laid out in The E-Myth Revisited. He looked at different platforms to see what they did well and what they could improve on. He got his masters and figured out that he was a visionary leader. That was the key, to find out who he was and accelerate that.

Though most window and door companies wouldn’t hire a full-time, in-house marketing position, they did so that they could make changes and be active on the web. They hired an IT guy to create software and systems to scale in the future.

What mistakes did you make along the way?

Devon learned to hire slow and fire fast. At the beginning, he first hired really fast and filled the office up. None of the hires were bad people, but they didn’t fit the culture correctly.

Where did the Art of Construction start and where is it going?

The podcast began to grow the business, and Devon found that it really grew him. His goal was to learn and be able to teach the art of construction. The podcast has grown his business because he knows who he is, what the culture is, and where they’re going.

One video they just released was about a house that he and his wife lived in, remodeled, and now rent out. Devon always wanted to do a show home on it, and, when it was all said and done, he loved getting to do it the way he wanted to showcase his project.

From there, he started a monthly leads group where they discovered that everyone wants to do this, but small firms don’t have enough time and money. Devon decided to be the central point of creating a design center and project collaboration.

Next week, they close on the property. They’re looking for Grand Junction collaborators in two ways: to be a lessee of some space to collaborate with others or to utilize a monthly membership in a coworking space.

Do you have a consulting program?

The Art of Construction has a master business acceleration program. It consists of three sessions including LinkedIn profile tips, presentation skills, and goal setting followed by access to a monthly group.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Set up a plan. If you’re running the show, read The E-Myth Revisited and Versitale Selling or get Audible to listen to the books. Always be learning.” – Devon Tilly

Want to learn more about the design center?

Connect with Devon online at TheArtOfConstruction.net and MtnView.us. Also find him on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn!

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Referenced in this Episode

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How The E-Myth Revisited Book Helped My Architecture Firm Succeed (podcast)

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EA181: Meghana Joshi – The Entrepreneur Architect Series [Podcast]

4 augusti 2017 | 40 min

The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Meghana Joshi

At EntreArchitect, you’re encouraged to share your knowledge. When we share with other architects, we all benefit. We are able to learn from one another and the profession will grow. One of the goals of EntreArchitect is to provide a platform for other entrepreneur architects to share their stories.

We want to interview you! What’s your story? Do you want to share your knowledge or the story about how you were inspired to pursue this profession? How do you become an entrepreneur architect?

Join us for our series called The Entrepreneur Architect, where each guest has the opportunity to share their story and answer some questions that will provide value to each of you.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Meghana Joshi.

Background

Meghana Joshi is an architectural consultant from Irvine, California. She has six of her architectural exams complete and one to go for her official architecture registration. She is the founder of Women in Architecture Committee at AIA Orange County and a member of the Communications Committee for AIA California Counsel and AIA Orange County.

Her blogs are published at Equity by Design and the AIA National’s #ilookup page.

She moved to the US when she was 22, and with a major in architecture and an employment permit she was set to go. She has a heavy emphasis on concrete construction, and her Indian education left her under-educated in wood construction. She has a Bachelors of Architecture from Karnatak University in India and a Masters of Architecture with an emphasis on green buildings from San Francisco Institute of Architecture.

Meghana’s Origin Story

Meghana grew up in India where on every corner there was a historical monument of architectural significance. Her favorite activity as a kid was to make up stories about the people who lived in the buildings around her. Layers and layers of information built, and Meghana wanted to be someone who created and left a story for generations to come.

There were no architects in her family, but her parents wanted her to have a career that she did for her enjoyment. After school, she got married and moved with her husband to the US.

When they moved to the US, she planned to start practicing architecture right away but found that it wasn’t as easy as she had expected. She interviewed and got a job as an intern, but found quickly that she didn’t understand the construction details that people were talking about. She began to study and relearn everything she thought she knew.

A coworker shared with her the need to take the ARE and the benefit to join the AIA and learn more about architecture in the US.

The Entrepreneur Architect Questions

What is one big goal you’ve achieved in your career and how did you get there?

The ARE is Meghana’s biggest goal. She took her most recent test about 8 months ago and was supposed to take the next test in January. Unfortunately, some family health issues have arisen that have prevented her from taking it a few times, and the next one scheduled is coming up.

Another goal is to stay involved in the profession. Instead of just doing a job, she wants to connect with others outside the workplace, like in AIA.

What struggles have you gone through?

A few years ago, she was working as a stipulated sum consultant for a multi family project with an architect she worked with often. The client couldn’t get funding, and the project stopped halfway through. Luckily, she had a contract that she was able to use to get what was rightfully hers. Though it was awkward, she knew she needed to value her services.

How did that situation affect you moving forward?

Unfortunately, the relationship was strained and Meghana had to work hard not to be enthusiasm. Meghana always states her terms now, even if it’s a friend; she makes it clear the amount that she charges and is sure to have it written into a contract and signed by both parties.

What was your biggest “aha” moment?

Meghana’s “aha” moment came later in her career. She didn’t have a lot of people to talk to as a mother and an architect, and most people didn’t understand that the work didn’t end at the end of the workday. She read Rosa Sheng’s blog, “The Missing 32% Project Releases Complete Findings on Women in Architecture“. She learned that it wasn’t just her problem, but a problem for women and architects as a whole.

Quick Questions

At what age did you decide to become an architect? 17 years old
What’s your target market? No set market, just whatever interests her
What’s your fee structure? Stipulated sum
What makes you happy? Blogging, posting on Instagram, volunteering in AIA chapters, traveling
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Get licensed
What’s one personal habit that contributes to your success? Keeping a paper to-do list by priority
What’s a recommended app or internet resource? EntreArchitect, #architalks, and Archispeak Podcast
What’s a book you’d recommend? Eames: Beautiful Details by Eames Demetrios
What’s a parting piece of guidance? Respect your time and always value your talents

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Be open to new ideas and experiences, life has a lot to offer you! ” – Meghana Joshi

Connect with Meghana on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

Want to be a guest on the entrepreneur architect series? Connect with us on any social media platform or email [email protected]!

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An Archimom’s Everyday Moments of Truth: Meghana Joshi
The Missing 32% Project Releases Complete Findings on Women in Architecture
Eames: Beautiful Details by Eames Demetrios (book)

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EA180: Taking Action to Maximize the Value of the Architect with Ric Abramson, FAIA [Podcast]

28 juli 2017 | 69 min

Taking Action to Maximize the Value of the Architect with Ric Abramson, FAIA

Ric Abramson, FAIA has been in professional practice as a licensed architect for 28 years. He established his small firm, WORKPLAYS, in 2003. He’s taught for over 18 years on the faculty of Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and USC School of Architecture. He’s been invited as a keynote speaker at the BIG Ideas Conference and has produced educational workshops around the country. He’s a small firm advocate, spearheading new California legislation protecting architects’ creative work.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Taking Action to Maximize the Value of the Architect with Ric Abramson, FAIA.

Ric’s Origin Story

Ric’s story has been an organic process; he didn’t know he wanted to build things as a child. Looking back, he was always a “maker” of some sort, creating things and exploring. In high school, he was summoned to the counselor’s office to figure out what he wanted to pursue. His current class load and interests pushed him toward architecture school.

He earned his undergraduate degree at California Polytechnic State University, and his progression through the program created more passion for what he wanted to do.

His first job was with a small, well-established firm. It was a very old-school experience. That firm did primarily government work, but Ric stayed there for a year and a half before going to the next firm for 6 years.

After that, he attended UCLA for his Masters of Architecture degree and returned to begin a doctoral program. He was awarded a full ride scholarship to go study architecture in Italy. That had a profound effect on the course that Ric would embark on. After a year there, he came back, started his own firm, was offered a teaching position and has been growing ever since.

What kind of work do you do?

Ric does mostly residential work, with some commercial and consulting work. Lately they’ve been doing policy consulting in Los Angeles, California.

Like many growing urban areas, Los Angeles has a huge housing need. They’re looking for ways to be more innovative, integrating density and sustainable living. How can we house more people in closer proximity without giving up home ownership? WORKPLAYS responded to an RFP to write a new ordinance and design guidelines for a compact home ordinance in Los Angeles County.

Why did you move from design work to working with government?

Ric thinks it might go back to his Italian research roots. He was always fascinated with universal thinking, not only creating architecture, but the process by which it’s made and how architects fit into that role. Some of the control that architects once held has gone away, and that’s because architects aren’t at the table when housing policy is being made.

How can others get involved in policy-making?

There are so many ways to get involved. If you’re not already, get involved with a board, city commission, design review panels, etc. AIA National has a Center for Civic Leadership and a Citizen Architect Initiative, and they’ve been looking for those who want to get involved with making a difference in their community.

In smaller communities, go directly to your elected politicians and get to know them. Have coffee with your counsel member. Start to understand at a deeper level, how policy is made. Many elected officials aren’t experienced in land use, and many want to learn about it. Right now, the majority of the input comes from planning, community development professionals or private developers.

Relationships matter. We get caught up with the websites, marketing, blogs and everything else. The day to day, knowing the leaders, advocates and business entities in your community will help build relationships.

How can we change the conversation about the value of architecture?

We need to be able to communicate, in a very clear way, to the public why what we do matters. Ric has been working to explore a means by which the AIA would create a value index for new construction that could communicate to the public some things we do as architects that others don’t do because they don’t have the training. Scores could include measurables like energy efficiency, water consumption, building performance, sustainability, resiliency, and more. Architects can come together to measure the value in the things we do when we design. Assigning a measurable value to the work we do and comparing that to developed homes changes the conversation about what architects really do and why it’s valuable to homeowners.

What other ways can architects get out there and show their value?

The key for this idea is that it has to be flexible and scalable to local conditions. Architects need to figure out the key measurables in their local area.

Right now there’s a working group that Ric is the co-convener of. Contact him if you’d like to be a part of a national network of local architects who are passionate about creating a value proposition in their local area.

What is the influence of architects in society?

Ric is working with a local City Architect movement. In the formation of most American cities, there was a City Architect who was front and center with the planning and understanding of how a community would grow. Now, City Architects are few and far between. This person would be someone who was the visionary for the community, someone who would embrace the aspirations and goals, the sustainable and environmental interests and the cultural or social issues. How can we reinsert that person into the local government? Listen to this episode to learn more about how you can help promote the concept of City Architects.

Connect with Rick at [email protected] or online at WORKPLAYS.com. Also find him on Facebook and LinkedIn!

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EA179: Katie Hutchison Living a Portfolio Life [Podcast]

21 juli 2017 | 59 min

Katie Hutchison Living a Portfolio Life

Katie is an architect, an author, photographer and many other things based in Warren Rhode Island. She’s passionate about residential architecture, specifically small projects. She’s the author of The New Small House and she’s currently working on a new book.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Living a Portfolio Life with Katie Hutchison.

Katie’s Origin Story

Architecture didn’t come to Katie early. She was most interested in writing when she was younger and she pursued that initially. Throughout her early childhood and education, she was very interested in fine arts; she drew, painted, and felt like she was very spatially aware.

After her degree, she went to work for magazines, including US Magazine, in Manhattan. Her friend worked for Robert A. M. Stern, and she ended up with a temporary position in the Publicity department there. She worked in the slide library of architecture from around the world. Katie spent hours in the tiny room going through the slides.

After that, she decided to go back to school and her family connections brought her to the Newport, Rhode Island. She called the head of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and inquired about their architecture program; they only had an undergraduate program and she wanted to know if they had any suggestions. They suggested that Katie enroll as a transfer student, essentially using her prior credits to advance as far as possible and then take the remaining courses required for a Bachelors of Architecture degree.

Upon graduating in 1992 during a recession, Katie started at a Benefit Street Design, a firm in Providence that specialized in commercial interiors. After that, she jumped around a lot at many firms based on where her and her husband relocated to.

When did you officially start practicing?

Katie went out on her own in 2002. Shortly thereafter, she collaborated with an architect friend in Cape Cod which helped bring in some consistent work and get her off the ground. She has various other interests in addition to architecture, so her view of the small firm life is diversified.

Not long after she went out on her own, she began freelance writing for Fine Homebuilding. It was a great way to keep her thinking about design and build some publicity. That’s what started her along the journey to eventually write her book.

Katie had a friend who worked for another publication at The Taunton Press and continued to pitch them her ideas.

Why did you decide to be a sole practitioner?

Like any other career choices, Katie’s career evolved from who she was. She always followed design-oriented pursuits and didn’t want to do just one thing to the exclusion of the others. She loves the change in activity, bouncing around between writing, billing, administrative work, phone calls, and more.

How did you begin writing your book?

In 2007, she started pitching book ideas to The Taunton Press. They brought her in for a meeting to discuss concepts and figure out what was marketable. Because of the recession in 2008, her first book idea was killed. One day, she got a call that they had a book idea in the queue but no author to write it. In Katie’s case, it wasn’t a straightforward path, it was a lot of back and forth and working toward a goal.

What are you working on next?

The working title of Katie’s new book is The Cottage Now, and on her blog, House Enthusiast, she has a call for submissions spelling out some of the specifics of what she and her team are looking for along the lines of what does the cottage look like now? If you have a submission for something you think is a cottage, send it her way!

Call for Submissions

Do you have a submission for Katie’s cottage book?

If you know of a new (or newly renovated) cottage that you think I should consider including in the book, please let her know. For now, simply email Katie at [email protected] some low-resolution jpegs of the exterior, interior, and context, along with some background information about the size of the cottage, where it’s located, who owns it, who designed it, if it has been professionally photographed, and if it has been featured in another publication. Also, please let her know if you’re aware of any architectural drawings that depict its plan and its site.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business for tomorrow?

“Get connected. Do things that mean something to you and that you want to invest your time and energy into. Join organizations, groups, and committees in a field you’re interested in, you’ll meet people who are interesting to you. Those contacts will ultimately lead you closer to what you want to do.” – Katie Hutchison

Connect with Katie online at Katie Hutchison Studio or find her on Twitter and Instagram.

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EA178: Nathan Buhler – The Entrepreneur Architect Series [Podcast]

14 juli 2017 | 46 min

The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Nathan Buhler

At EntreArchitect, you’re encouraged to share your knowledge. When we share with other architects, we all benefit. We are able to learn from one another and the profession will grow. One of the goals of EntreArchitect is to provide a platform for other entrepreneur architects to share their stories.

We want to interview you! What’s your story? Do you want to share your knowledge or the story about how you were inspired to pursue this profession? How do you become an entrepreneur architect?

Join us for our series called The Entrepreneur Architect, where each guest has the opportunity to share their story and answer some questions that will provide value to each of you.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Nathan Buhler.

Background

Nathan is an Architectural Technologist and the owner of BLDG Workshop in Toronto Canada. He grew up in a logging community in British Columbia and lived overseas in South America. His creative experiences drew interests to architecture. When design became the main focus of his work life, Nathan’s themes relating to connection, authenticity and people became integral to his work.

Nathan’s Origin Story

From the small logging community in British Columbia, Nathan went to Bible school training in Vancouver and worked in ministry and counseling for many years. He felt like he was around people all the time but was still feeling alone. Nathan was always searching for something different. When he heard of a guy who built a house on top of waterfall (Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater), he knew he wanted to go to architecture school.

He went to architecture school at 30 years old, and felt a little like a fish out of water with all the students that were younger than he was. Nathan completed his schooling on a different route and has a different certification.

The Entrepreneur Architect Questions

What is one big goal you’ve achieved in your career and how did you get there?

Nathan had an idea for a design of a house that would stand as a silhouette of a house against a landscape. He wanted something that was connected with the design community. Nathan connected with a furniture designer and they changed the typology of how to do the project. With this project, Nathan felt like the story of what they were doing was fluent from start to finish; through the big picture and construction.

What struggles have you gone through?

At one point, it felt like projects weren’t coming in; things were looking bleak. One of Nathan’s partners went to do something else, and he had to lay another staff member off. It wasn’t a market-driven slowing down, Nathan felt he just got left behind when people were looking for someone to do their home. He read an article about cash flow and, when he worked through the numbers, he realized he needed to bring in a lot more work to keep things going. Unfortunately, he didn’t feel like he was taught that kind of stuff in school. Now, he’s worked through most of that.

What was your biggest “aha” moment?

A little over a hear ago, Nathan looked at their placing on Houzz and they were #1. He thought it was a glitch, but it hasn’t changed. It felt like a day of fruition after working so hard on their metrics to improve on all the things that Houzz is rating you on.

What makes you unique?

Nathan’s firm smiles a lot in client meetings. It comes through as though they’re going to enjoy the process of building.

Additionally, most people they work with are makers who like working with their hands instead of just clicking away on AutoCad.

Quick Questions

At what age did you decide to become an architect? 29 years old
What’s your target market? Almost exclusively renovations, additions and new builds
What’s your fee structure? Hourly across the board
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Work on your business rather than in your business. Push the same level of care and diligence when you work on your business.
What’s one personal habit that contributes to your success? Smiling a lot!
What’s a recommended app or internet resource? Houzz
What’s a book you’d recommend? The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber and Anointed for Business by Ed Silvoso
What’s a parting piece of guidance? Be kind to people and do as good of work as you can

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Spend more time working on coming projects than you do on current projects.” – Nathan Buhler

Connect with Nathan online at BLDG Workshop, Twitter or Houzz. If you want some help improving your Houzz profile, get in touch with him there!

Want to be a guest on the entrepreneur architect series? Connect with us on any social media platform or email [email protected]!

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ARCAT has huge libraries of free content, Specs, CAD, BIM and more. No registration required. Want to collaborate with colleagues in real time?

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Referenced in this Episode

EntreArchitect Academy
EA084: Field Guide Series Building, Branding and Marketing Your Startup Design Business with Eric Reinholdt [Podcast]
EA089: Field Guide Series Passive Income for Small Firm Architects [Podcast]
EA097: Field Guide Series How to Self-Publish Your Book as a Small Firm Architect [Podcast]
EA099: Field Guide Series Marketing Your Self-Published Book as a Small Firm Architect [Podcast]

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EA177: Daniel Robey – The Entrepreneur Architect Series [Podcast]

7 juli 2017 | 56 min

The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Daniel Robey

At EntreArchitect, you’re encouraged to share your knowledge. When we share with other architects, we all benefit. We are able to learn from one another and the profession will grow. One of the goals of EntreArchitect is to provide a platform for other entrepreneur architects to share their stories.

We want to interview you! What’s your story? Do you want to share your knowledge or the story about how you were inspired to pursue this profession? How do you become an entrepreneur architect?

Join us for our series called The Entrepreneur Architect, where each guest has the opportunity to share their story and answer some questions that will provide value to each of you.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Daniel Robey.

Background

Daniel is a landscape architect and the owner of Huntlands Landscape Architecture in Northern Virginia. He has a bachelor’s from Clemson in Landscape Architecture and is a licensed professional architect in the state of Virginia, a LEED Green Associate and a multi-award winning designer. He lives in Virginia with his wife Murphy and his three kids, Maris, Charlie and Hank.

Daniel’s Origin Story

Daniel started out loving to draw and always thought he wanted to draw cartoons. In high school, he fell in love with golf and everything in his life began to revolve around it. When he had to figure out what he wanted to do after high school, he fell upon architecture at a local golf course that was under construction. When he walked around the grounds with the architect, Daniel realized that was what he wanted to do.

He knew that to get into golf course architecture he needed to have a name or professional behind him, so he did a number of internships: one for a land-planning company, one for residential install work, and another for the Charleston parks department. He was exposed to different avenues. After college he worked for a land planning civil engineering firm in Charlotte. Daniel felt he wasn’t doing a whole lot of creative work, so he planned to move to the residential side of things right before the birth of his first child.

He moved from a smaller company to a large residential design build firm. This past year, he opened his his own business doing high-end landscape architecture.

The Entrepreneur Architect Questions

What does a landscape architect do?

Daniel does high-end residential architecture. He works with elements of plantings, hardscape, architectural structures, water features and everything that ties it together like lighting, audio, and more.

What is one big goal you’ve achieved in your career and how did you get there?

Daniel didn’t ever dream of starting his own business, but it became clear that that was the best thing for him to do to advance his career. When he came to that conclusion, it was a huge goal for him to set out to achieve. He did a ton of reading, research, podcast-listening, and more to get as much business information as he could.

What are the pros to starting your own business?

It’s allowed Daniel more flexibility to be home with his family and to be involved with his kids.

What struggles have you gone through?

Early on, Daniel struggled with the simple things like setting his email up to issues building his contracts. He’s in a different area than where he worked previously, so he’s working to establish himself in a tightly-knit circle.

What are you doing to establish yourself?

Daniel reaches out to local architects, builders, interior designers, contractors, and others to share his business with them. He works to do direct marketing to professionals he wants to collaborate with, and that way he can reach out more directly to the people who he can work with. He’s also joined a number of local networking groups for small business owners and custom builders. It’s outside of his comfort zone, but he’s enjoyed pushing his boundaries and meeting new people.

What was your biggest “aha” moment?

Daniel’s biggest realization was that he needed to try his hardest to get his business to work out, but if he couldn’t for any reason, he could always get a job.

What makes you unique?

In Daniel’s area, there’s more design-build businesses than people doing what he’s doing. What he brings to the table is his experience designing and managing everything from ordering materials to working with contractors. Additionally, he tries to focus on hand graphics and the craft movement.

Quick Questions

At what age did you decide to become a landscape architect? Around 16-17 years old
What’s your target market? Custom homebuilders for high-end residential, marketing more toward architects and home builders
What’s your fee structure? Conceptual design and construction detailing are usually stipulated sum, project administration is all hourly
Other than architecture, what makes you happy? Family, coaching kids’ sports, golfing
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? After you graduate, work three jobs in your first five years to find your niche.
What’s one personal habit that contributes to your success? Disciplined scheduling and taking time for himself
What’s a book you’d recommend? Architect and Entrepreneur: A Field Guide to Building, Branding, and Marketing Your Startup Design Business by Eric W Reinholdt and The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber
What kind of systems do you have in place? Lead tracking, invoicing; tracking things helps me feel more in control of the process
What’s a parting piece of guidance? Get out of your comfort zone and put yourself out there!

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Work on business development every day. Get out there, do research and reach out to people. See what’s going on in your area.” – Daniel Robey

Connect with Daniel online at Huntlands Landscape Architecture or Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Want to be a guest on the entrepreneur architect series? Connect with us on any social media platform or email [email protected]!

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EA176: Danei Cesario – The Entrepreneur Architect Series [Podcast]

30 juni 2017 | 55 min

The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Danei Cesario

At EntreArchitect, you’re encouraged to share your knowledge. When we share with other architects, we all benefit. We are able to learn from one another and the profession will grow. One of the goals of EntreArchitect is to provide a platform for other entrepreneur architects to share their stories.

We want to interview you! What’s your story? Do you want to share your knowledge or the story about how you were inspired to pursue this profession? How do you become an entrepreneur architect?

Join us for our series called The Entrepreneur Architect, where each guest has the opportunity to share their story and answer some questions that will provide value to each of you.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Danei Cesario.

Background

Danei is the 333rd black female architect in history.

Originally from Manchester, England, Danei was enamored with the architectural prestige of New York buildings from an early age. Her early career began with her scholarly pursuits at New York’s Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture served as treasurer for the City College chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS CCNY) and earned the J. Max Bond Jr. memorial scholarship while working on complex public sector projects. She’s currently the youngest architect at Francis Coffman architects, managing the execution of multifaceted healthcare projects.

Danei’s Origin Story

Danei moved to the US when she was about six, and spent most of her childhood moving back and forth between the US and England. She lived in various homes and cities over time, but the sense of home for her was wherever her family was. She saw the way a city was planned and observed her feelings moving through out it. The contrast of Manchester vs. New York City, post-industrial with deep history compared to newness and skyscrapers.

She grew up sketching and drawing. Her dad was an engineer, and was well schooled in isometrics and technical drawing, so he and her mother fostered Danei’s eye for that. Danei always knew she wanted to be an architect.

Danei has education from both sides of the pond, but she was always drawn to the energy in New York City. She wanted to stay close by for college, while her mother wanted her to return to England. She ended up at City College, where she found out the hard way all that architecture school entailed: long hours and hard work. She decided to move close by, and after the school built a closer building to where she lived, she was able to live and work there. That was a pivotal moment in her life and career, as it allowed her to establish what she wanted for herself as an architect and as a young woman.

The Entrepreneur Architect Questions

What is one big goal you’ve achieved in your career and how did you get there?

Danei always knew she wanted to be an architect. She continually strives to achieve that warm, fullness of heart that she herself felt when she sees something that is well-executed, well-thought out and enjoyable.

Her road to becoming an architect was a 20 year journey. Some of the other things she didn’t know were goals just sort of happened along that journey. She met her husband in school, and they got engaged at the end of their fourth year. Danei moved through life following what made her feel fulfilled: as a wife, as a mom, as an architect. Her goals evolved as she evolved.

What struggles have you gone through?

It’s a bit of a struggle of the mind. Danei has experienced anxiety prior to sleep, worrying about home life, work, and whether or not she’s doing a good job. She’s worked to overcome her struggles and make opportunities out of them.

As a black female architect in an industry that doesn’t have the best representation of people like her, some people might see her position as something that might limit her. Those responsibilities add a richness to the architecture that you provide; it’s another layer of sensitivity and empathy that she’s very passionate about.

What was your biggest “aha” moment?

When Danei was 18, she fought for her independence and what she wanted. She wanted to prove that she could take an opportunity and make something of it. She lived in the city and worked three jobs to make it happen. She knew that if she fell on her face, her family would be there to support her, but she wanted to go out there and take what she wanted.

What are you doing to share your story?

Danei is active on Instagram, as she feels drawn to the visual aspect of connection.

She’s also chair at the Center for Diversity and Inclusion where she’s working on sharing different stories and experiences to join them and give them a seat at the table. They’re currently working on a research project to determine what’s happened between architecture school and the profession. Perhaps people find out that they want to pursue something else or others want to pursue architecture but they don’t have the support to do so. Why are people leaving? Danei and her teammates are trying to figure out why people are moving on. What can we do to encourage people to stay?

Quick Questions

At what age did you decide to become an architect? 6 years old
Other than architecture, what makes you happy? Traveling, seeing different places
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? “Wherever you go, there you are.”
What’s one personal habit that contributes to your success? Danei carries a notebook and is always writing things down, which helps her visually organize things and be able to track progress.
What’s an app or resource you’d recommend? Life of An Architect and Jenny Cestnik on Instagram
What book would you recommend and why? The Art of Risk: The New Science of Courage, Caution, and Chance by Kayt Sukel
What’s a parting piece of guidance? Stay true to yourself

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Take your blinders off and look up. Continue to be positive about what you love, find a passion within it and begin to pursue that.” – Danei Cesario

Connect with Danei in person at the Center for Architecture New York, Diversity & Inclusion Committee. You can also find her on LinkedIn and follow her on Instagram.

Want to be a guest on the entrepreneur architect series? Connect with us on any social media platform or email [email protected]!

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Referenced in this Episode

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EA175: Michael Kilkelly – The Entrepreneur Architect Series [Podcast]

23 juni 2017 | 59 min

The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Michael Kilkelly

At EntreArchitect, you’re encouraged to share your knowledge. When we share with other architects, we all benefit. We are able to learn from one another and the profession will grow. One of the goals of EntreArchitect is to provide a platform for other entrepreneur architects to share their stories.

We want to interview you! What’s your story? Do you want to share your knowledge or the story about how you were inspired to pursue this profession? How do you become an entrepreneur architect?

Join us for our series called The Entrepreneur Architect, where each guest has the opportunity to share their story and answer some questions that will provide value to each of you.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Michael Kilkelly.

Background

Michael Kilkelly is a principal at Space Command, an architecture and consulting firm in Middletown, Connecticut. He’s also the founder of ArchSmarter.com, a website dedicated to helping architects work smarter not harder. Michael has received his bachelor of architecture from Norwich University and his masters of science, design and computation from MIT. Previously he was an associate at Gehry Partners in LA where he worked on several high profile design projects including New York by Gehry and the Guggenheim. He writes regularly about architecture on ArchSmarter, Arch Daily and Architect Magazine.

Michael’s Origin Story

Michael liked to play with legos and draw as a kid, and had a hunch that architecture might be the profession for him. However, he had no idea what an architect did on a daily basis. Aside from going to the library and taking a drafting class in high school, he had very little exposure to architecture. He felt that he had both the technical and creative components necessary to pursue architecture as a career path.

When he got into school in Vermont that he realized what architecture really was; it wasn’t totally what he expected. He pursued his 5 year bachelor of architecture. They did a lot of hand drafting, built physical models and had a computer class. His thesis was set at Burning Man. He was making physical models and hand drawing while using rendering and animation on 3D studio. After graduating, he worked for a firm in Connecticut for several years where he worked to figure out how to integrate design and technology.

He knew he wanted to go back to school, so he headed to MIT. His degree there was mostly up for him to define, with a big requirement to pursue a thesis at the end. His research was into construction documents and how to better develop them to support architects.

Following MIT, he worked in the Boston area for a few firms, a landscape architect, an internet startup developing project management software for construction companies, and another medium-sized firm. Then, an opportunity came up looking for something with both architecture and technical experience.

In 2005, Michael and his wife move to LA where two of his kids were born. He worked for Gehry Partners for several years before moving back to New England.

He’d seen people work their whole lives at a firm and one day be let go, and he knew that working for someone else wasn’t always the most secure option. Michael read up a lot on business and thought the move back to Connecticut would be a great time to jump out on his own. He offered to do some consulting and remote work for his previous company as a great consistent transition into working for various clients.

Since then, Michael has been working on developing consulting projects, building out ArchSmarter as a sustainable business, and getting local architecture projects.

The Entrepreneur Architect Questions

What is one big goal you’ve achieved in your career and how did you get there?

Michael’s biggest goal, apart from becoming licensed, was to start his own firm. He didn’t know what that would look like, but he knew it would be a lot of work. Michael wanted to build something that was his own.

What was the inspiration to start ArchSmarter?

A lot of it came out of working at Frank Gehry’s office where Michael was working on a huge project and putting in a ton of time. They had a deadline coming up, and as the technical person, Michael had to do a lot of cleanup. He began looking at ways to automate the tedious tasks, learning how to program and looking at more efficient workflows to make gradual improvements. He got an eight-hour process down to one hour, and was able to hand it off to someone else. He was thinking about things from an innovative point of view, which brought him some security when the recession hit.

He wanted to build a platform to talk about working more efficiently for architects and engineers. Studio culture in school didn’t teach him how to balance work and life and manage his time well, and Michael wanted to change that. ArchSmarter was a reaction to that. How do we do things? How can we approach it differently?

How does ArchSmarter deliver information?

Michael started by writing a blog about the issues he faced. Then, he released a program to teach Revit. He built an audience, and then went where his audience guided.

What was your biggest “aha” moment?

Michael saw the inefficiency in the firms he worked for, and that was the biggest moment he’s seen that’s impacted his path. Once he began ArchSmarter, he saw feedback from others who wanted to work smarter too. Hearing back from others affirmed that his work was something that people needed and spurred him on.

What makes your firm unique?

There are a lot of people who write about technology or train on products, but Michael’s zone of genius is breaking concepts down into small bites and using humor and narrative as a teaching tool. What does technology mean for you as an architect? How does it affect and impact you?

Quick Questions

At what age did you decide to become an architect? 12 years old
What’s your target market? For ArchSmarter, it’s architects and engineers who want to be more efficient. For Michael’s firm, he does residential and light commercial projects.
Stipulated sum, hourly or percentage-based fee? Stipulated sum for his firm, and hourly for the products on ArchSmarter
Other than architecture, what makes you happy? Spending time with his family, watching his kids play soccer, getting outside, cycling, practicing yoga, and completing projects around the house
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? John Connell told him he could practice architecture however he wanted, but how he made a living was a whole different story.
What’s one personal habit that contributes to your success? Michael makes his bed daily and reads each night before bed.
What’s an app or resource you’d recommend? Michael uses The Hemingway App to improve his writing.
What book would you recommend and why? The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business by Josh Kaufman, Badass: Making Users Awesome by Kathy Sierra, and Here by Richard McGuire
What’s a parting piece of guidance? Find opportunities to be creative in your business

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Produce content of some sort. Every company is a media company whether they know it or not. You don’t know what will come out of it.” – Michael Kilkelly

Connect with Michael online at ArchSmarter.com or email him at [email protected]. You can also find him on LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.

Want to be a guest on the entrepreneur architect series? Connect with us on any social media platform or email [email protected]!

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Visit EntreArchitect.com/NCARB to learn more today.

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ARCAT has huge libraries of free content, Specs, CAD, BIM and more. No registration required. Want to collaborate with colleagues in real time?

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Referenced in this Episode

The post EA175: Michael Kilkelly – The Entrepreneur Architect Series [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA174: People for Urban Progress with Donna Sink [Podcast]

16 juni 2017 | 53 min

People for Urban Progress with Donna Sink

Donna Sink is a practicing architect at Rowland Design based in Indianapolis. Until her recent move there, she was a small firm architect who owned her own practice. She was recently the campus architect at Indianapolis Museum of Art and she’s involve din the local arts and design community as past President and current member of the Indiana chapter of AIA, a board member at People for Urban Progress and a member of the Indianapolis Sign Ordinance Revision Task Force. You may know Donna best from her active Twitter presence or from her work as cohost at Archinect podcast.

This week at EntreArchitect podcast, People for Urban Progress with Donna Sink.

Donna’s Origin Story

Donna’s journey in architecture started when she set up her Barbie’s condo in a bookshelf as a young girl. Her parents recognized her interest and encouraged her to take drafting classes in high school. For her, art felt too personal as an awkward teenager, but she loved drafting. It led her to a visit with her sister in college in Arizona, and when she walked into the lobby of the architecture school, she knew she was hooked.

She did a five year bachelor of architecture at University of Arizona before going to Michigan for grad school. She was a fan of John Irving and loved the stories about him spending time in Vienna, Austria. Michigan had an exchange program that went to Vienna, and she spent a semester there. She realized she had a bachelor of architecture that she could get licensed with and she wanted to spend her two years in grad school doing crazy, more philosophical and theological discoveries at Cranbrook.

Her five year degree prepared her practically to put together a set of documents and function in an office. In grad school at Cranbrook, she wanted to explore more theory and round out her philosophical attitudes. She was entirely responsible for doing the creative work that she wanted to do.

She was 100% immersed in the program. The studio had a kitchen and a huge table where they would make group dinners. When you work in the saarinen design studio and walk home to your dorm through the most beautiful outdoors environment. Everything else felt bland.

Donna met her husband at Cranbrook and they left together to go to Philadelphia where she went straight into an internship at Atkin Olshin Shade. She was there for 10 years and received a ton of help to grow. After she had a baby, her best friend called from Indianapolis and asked her to come on as a partner for high end residential remodels.

When 2008 happened, Donna panicked after seeing the repercussions around the country. She got a call from Ball State University to be an adjunct professor for a guaranteed paycheck, and put the partnership on hold. Donna was now facing these college students knowing that they weren’t going to get a job when they got out of school. She began teaching them how to be entrepreneurs to use their skills in other ways.

She got involved with AIA National’s emerging professional’s group and started pressing the idea of teaching students how to be business people. She put together a local conference talk about how to go about nontraditional practices and has rolled with it ever since. How do we practice in the world where we know each other through Twitter? She got an opportunity to go to the University of Indianapolis as the campus architect and loved it, but missed practicing. She realized that architecture is a long profession and that there was time to wear different hats and do different things.

While pursing different things, she came into contact with the Executive Director for People for Urban Progress, Michael Bricker.

What is People for Urban Progress and how did you get involved?

People for Urban Progress (PUP) is a nonprofit in Indiana that was founded by Michael Bricker. Michael has a degree from UT Austin who came back to Indianapolis ten years ago and looked for the opportunities. At that point, the Colt’s NFL stadium was being torn down because they were building a new one. The old stadium, built in the 70s, was a concrete structure with a air supported, vinyl roof. Michael wanted to know what was happening with the old roof material. Since it was going to a landfill, he quickly started a nonprofit, found storage, partnered with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, and stored 13 acres of salvaged vinyl-coated canvas. With his interior designer sister, he began making bags and selling them. Indianapolis natives or Colt’s fans started buying bags like crazy. Donna came on as a board member as they began doing shade structure around the city in various parks.

Since then, they’ve expanded and become known as the reuse nonprofit of the city. There was another structure taken down and reused into apartments, PUP salvaged the seats and they got people to pay for them to put stadium seats at bus stops throughout the city through sponsorships.

When the Super Bowl was Indianapolis, PUP went to the NFL and asked to repurpose the banners. Because of that conversation, the NFL has a rule that when a city hosts the Super Bowl, they have to come up with a reuse plan for the banners.

Right now they’ve just moved to a new headquarters on the west side of Indianapolis, which hasn’t seen a lot of development. As the design nonprofit of the city, they’re hoping to start a design hub on the west side. They’ve started some public conversations about design and tossed around the idea of starting a podcast.

How are you getting the word out?

They have a great volunteer social media team. They have an upcoming fundraising event and hoping to get some heavy hitters in the cultural world around Indianapolis to attend and make sure they’re aware of what PUP is doing. Now that they have the fabric of the company, they’re able to tell their story that much better.

Another job they’re working on now at IUPUI, a collocation university, is replacing their cedar boards with aluminum. There are procurement issues stating that they were only able to be used on campus in some other way. From that, they’ve designed some furniture to be made out of them and placed around campus.

How difficult was it to launch this idea into a successful business?

First, you have to have a good story. PUP also started with a loan from one of the founders. Everyone had to have another job to get things off the ground. Michael also did production design, and he had to go disappear for a few months to a film set to make enough money to be a minimally paid executive director for a nonprofit. You have to commit your free time and enlist your families’ help in order to do this. Architects are primed to do this kind of work since they often see the big picture.

Are there any plans to expand PUP?

There are other cities who are interested. PUP has some great cheerleaders who have taken them under their wing to attend some great events and share their story. There’s some people in Denver and Atlanta who are familiar with what they’re doing and might want to bring it to their area.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Say yes to things. How do you network and get out there in the world? Say yes to things that are interesting and might lead somewhere. We build success by knowing people who will tell other we’re architects. Yes I will serve on this committee, yes I will be on this board, yes I will volunteer.” – Donna Sink

How can you get involved?

Learn more about People for Urban Progress at PeopleUP.org and find them on Twitter and Instagram. Connect with Donna online via LinkedIn, Twitter, or Houzz.

Visit our Platform Sponsors

NCARB is helping architects reach their goals! Get back on track with the new AXP Portfolio.

Visit EntreArchitect.com/NCARB to learn more today.

Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time.

Access your free 30 day trial at EntreArchitect.com/FreshBooks. (Enter EntreArchitect)

BQE Software is designed specifically for architect’s project management!

Get a free 15-day trial at EntreArchitect.com/BQE.

ARCAT has huge libraries of free content, Specs, CAD, BIM and more. No registration required. Want to collaborate with colleagues in real time?

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Referenced in this Episode

EntreArchitect Academy
Ian Morgan Cron How Self-Awareness Makes You More Successful

The post EA174: People for Urban Progress with Donna Sink [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA173: Lee Calisti – The Entrepreneur Architect Series [Podcast]

9 juni 2017 | 69 min

The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Lee Calisti

At EntreArchitect, you’re encouraged to share your knowledge. When we share with other architects, we all benefit. We are able to learn from one another and the profession will grow. One of the goals of EntreArchitect is to provide a platform for other entrepreneur architects to share their stories.

We want to interview you! What’s your story? Do you want to share your knowledge or the story about how you were inspired to pursue this profession? How do you become an entrepreneur architect?

Join us for our series called The Entrepreneur Architect, where each guest has the opportunity to share their story and answer some questions that will provide value to each of you.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Lee Calisti.

Background

Lee Calisti is based in Greensburg, Pennsylvania and is a licensed architect and founder of Lee Calisti Architecture and Design. He was one of the original founders of AIA Pittsburgh chapter’s Young Architects’ Forum and was a co-chair for seven years. He’s served as a regional liaison representing Pennsylvania as part of the AIA National Young Architects Forum. He serves on the City of Greensburg History and Architecture Review Board and trustee for the Greensburg Alliance Church. He’s active in social media and is a regular writer for the #ArchiTalks blog series.

Origin Story

Lee wanted to be an architect ever since he was a child. Early in grade school he discovered drawing and had a passion for comic books. He worked to replicate what he saw in the comics and developed skills in his early days. In junior high, he had an art teacher who was a great inspiration, he promoted creativity and encouraged Lee to develop his skills further. He was fascinated by architecture, checking out books from the library to learn more. Soon enough, he designed houses and built model. His mother bought him a drafting table as a kid and he spent hours there.

Lee focused singularly on architecture. He applied for school and plunged into the world of architecture. He took design classes at night and got connected twitch an adjunct professor who was hugely inspirational to him. His professor was working for a firm and doing work on the side. Recently, Lee was able to connect with him to thank him for his patience and inspiration.

After finishing school at the top of his class, he went to work for an architect he’d spent summers with previously. He learned the nuts and bolts of working in an architecture practice. After that, he went to work in downtown Pittsburg. He loved the big city where he was exposed to lots of different things, and it was those experiences that prepared him to launch his own firm.

His son was born shortly after, and Lee started teaching as an adjunct professor. He wanted to be an architect and a teacher just like those who mentored him. Everything leading up to that point prepared him, but couldn’t replace the hard work it takes to start a firm. Lee borrowed money from his personal savings with the promise to pay it off within a year. He brought work in slowly but surely and paid off the loan without having to borrow from a bank.

Down the road, he realized that, unfortunately, he couldn’t do both architecture and teaching. His personal practice was growing and he needed to focus on that exclusively. Last year, Lee began considering hiring his first employee and started the wheels in motion to expanding his firm.

The Entrepreneur Architect Questions

What is one big goal you’ve achieved in your career and how did you get there?

When Lee was an intern, it was important to him to become licensed. He wanted to reach that goal as soon as possible, and he had to do a ton to fulfill the requirements. He wanted to do it in the minimum amount of time, which was three years, and was upset when he didn’t. He disciplined himself and spent time doing the work every day. After finally making it through the exams and waiting a few months to hear his results, he got a letter in the mail with his passing scores.

It was such an intense experience for Lee, that he got a nosebleed literally during the 11th hour of his testing.

What is one struggle you experienced and how did you overcome it?

After being practice several years, Lee had a situation where he thought legal action might take place. Thankfully it didn’t! After working with his insurance company, he wrote a letter and the whole ordeal ended. He ran into the client years later, and the client admitted fault. Having an LLC gave him some peace of mind, but more than that, he wanted to keep good terms and maintain pride in himself and his brand.

What makes your firm unique?

Balance has always been the key to Lee’s success. He feels he hasn’t always been the best at design, but he was able to balance that skill with all his others. There’s so many things that architects are expected to do or be good at, some of them may not be inspirational, but you have to get them right. Lee has learned to do lots of different things, despite his various strengths and weaknesses.

Are you seeing any influence on your practice because you work with kids?

Quick Questions

At what age did you decide to become an architect? 9 years old
What’s your target market? Adaptive reuse projects for urban buildings and modern contemporary residential homes
Stipulated sum, hourly or percentage-based fee? Stipulated sum for commercial, hourly for residential
Other than architecture, what makes you happy? Family, faith in Jesus, and making things
What are some of your hobbies? Photography, graphic design, traveling, trying new things
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Listen to what the client is really needing, it’s different for everybody, and then work to meet that need
What’s one personal habit that contributes to your success? Sketching
What’s an app or resource you’d recommend? Pitch Gauge to figure out the pitch of a roof, or take approximate measurements
What book would you recommend and why? All In by Mark Batterson and The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabil
What’s a parting piece of guidance? Promote the profession of architecture first, and then the individual results will come in

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Adapt. Depending on where you’re coming from, you could come from a lot of different scenarios. Adapt to dealing with different kinds of people, work settings, work days, building types, and more. It may not come easy, but adapting, learning new things, and adjusting to how the world of architecture is going will help you from getting lost in the back.” – Lee Calisti

Connect with Lee online at ThinkArchitect.Wordpress.com or leeCALISTI.com. You can also find him on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Want to be a guest on the entrepreneur architect series? Connect with us on any social media platform or email [email protected]!

Visit our Platform Sponsors

Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time.

Access your free 30 day trial at EntreArchitect.com/FreshBooks. (Enter EntreArchitect)

NCARB is helping architects reach their goals! Get back on track with the new AXP Portfolio.

Visit EntreArchitect.com/NCARB to learn more today.

BQE Software is designed specifically for architect’s project management!

Get a free 15-day trial at EntreArchitect.com/BQE.

ARCAT has huge libraries of free content, Specs, CAD, BIM and more. No registration required. Want to collaborate with colleagues in real time?

Visit EntreArchitect.com/ARCAT and click Charrette for more information.

Referenced in this Episode

The post EA173: Lee Calisti – The Entrepreneur Architect Series [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA172: Sharon George – The Entrepreneur Architect Series [Podcast]

2 juni 2017 | 57 min

The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Sharon George

At EntreArchitect, you’re encouraged to share your knowledge. When we share with other architects, we all benefit. We are able to learn from one another and the profession will grow. One of the goals of EntreArchitect is to provide a platform for other entrepreneur architects to share their stories.

We want to interview you! What’s your story? Do you want to share your knowledge or the story about how you were inspired to pursue this profession? How do you become an entrepreneur architect?

Join us for our series called The Entrepreneur Architect, where each guest has the opportunity to share their story and answer some questions that will provide value to each of you.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Sharon George.

Background

Sharon is a sole proprietor and the principal architect at Architecture by George in Austin, Texas. She’s worked with custom residential architecture for the past fifteen years, specializing in high-performance homes. She serves on the advisory group for the National Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN) as the chair of the emerging professionals’ committee.

Origin Story

Sharon grew up in India, and didn’t grow up around a lot of interesting architecture or architects. She was very interested in drawing, and her earliest memory was of her father taking her to an art competition. She was encouraged in her artistic skills, but also excelled in science and math. She chose to become an engineer as the path of least resistance.

Due to the system in India, the bar was very high for her to get into engineering school and she didn’t get in. She decided on a degree in mathematics, which was fun for all of six months until her moment of clarity: she didn’t belong there. She realized just because she was good at something didn’t mean it was her passion to follow it.

Sharon soon received a letter of invitation for a new college. There, she saw a huge studio with a bunch of drafting tables. She knew then that that was where she belonged. Though she knew little about the profession, she took the leap of faith. It was the best decision she could have made. Her five years in architecture school were the best years of her life and she enjoyed every moment.

In India, when you graduate from architecture you’re immediately an architect; there’s no need for registration. She worked for a year at the same firm that she apprenticed at. She applied to several universities in the States and loved that the University of Texas at Austin because of their program in sustainable architecture. She attended there and was a part of their first ever solar decathlon. When she graduated, she wanted to work for a firm that did high-performance, high-end homes.

Unfortunately, her education from India didn’t transfer to the US. She had to work for 8 years to gain the experience prior to taking the AREs.

Last year, she started her own firm, Architecture By George.

The Entrepreneur Architect Questions

What is one big goal you’ve achieved in your career and how did you get there?

Sharon isn’t big on goal setting, but it’s something she’s consciously working on. When she looks back at all the things that have gotten her to where she is, and follows her intuition most times. One of her biggest goals was getting her license. Starting her own firm wasn’t always a goal, but when it became her path she focused on getting there.

Why did you start your own firm?

Sharon had worked for almost 15 years in other firms and kept learning a lot. Her world was a steep line on a graph and she thrived on that. After that time, she had kids who were little and realized as an employee, the model wasn’t very sustainable. She decided to deep dive into something she wasn’t totally comfortable with and didn’t have plans for, but that was making itself clearer and clearer that it was what she was supposed to do.

What is one struggle you experienced and how did you overcome it?

Starting her own firm was challenging. She was dedicating all her time and resources to nurturing her business and getting it to a place where it’s thriving. She didn’t start her own business to work less, and certainly is working more now, but going through the journey of getting into a business owner’s skin has been great. She makes decisions from a different place and her time has a different meaning. It has been a lot of work in her own mindset to break her own stereotypes of what a business owner looked like.

Have you had an “aha” moment? How did you turn it into success for your career?

Sharon’s “aha moment” happened when she realized that the business model for architecture is broken. Though she doesn’t have a magic fix for it and she loves practicing architecture, but she was beginning to realize that time was money and people had a tight leash on their resources.

She began a passion project of teaching kids about architecture in an after school project. It’s been a great creative outlet for her and she’s found so many kids who are interested in drawing and building. The younger they are, the more interested they tend to be. When they get older, other passions take the place or the creativity is stifled. The need to teach young people is a huge market and Sharon’s gotten a lot of traffic about others looking to do something similar with other kids.

Are you seeing any influence on your practice because you work with kids?

More on a subliminal level. Because Sharon is in a small niche, she’s forcing herself to learn about things that you can do just for fun.

Quick Questions

At what age did you decide to become an architect? 17 years old
What’s your target market? Custom residential homes for young families who are outgrowing their current home, focused mostly on high-performance homes
Hourly or percentage-based fee? Prefer stipulated sum with a hybrid proposal, sometimes use percentage-based, doesn’t like hourly
Other than architecture, what makes you happy? Traveling, drawing and painting, swimming, going camping and hanging out with her family
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Growing up, her mom told her to invest in her own education because it’s one of the only things no one can take away from you
What’s one personal habit that contributes to your success? Sharon has coffee and quiet time each morning
What’s an app or resource you’d recommend? EntreArchitect, of course! Plus QuickBooks Self-Employed app.
What book would you recommend and why? Brand Identity Breakthrough by Gregory Diehl and Badass Your Brand by Pia Silva.
What’s a parting piece of guidance? Learn about business. It’s been a huge revelation to Sharon to understand how the business world works and be able to strategize better and take a proactive approach to your business.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Put yourself out there. Share your value in your own way. With all the apps and social media platforms that are out there, it’s easy to promote ourselves and share what we’re up to day to day. You don’t have to create content, just document what you do.” – Sharon George

Connect with Sharon online at ArchitectureByGeorge.com or email [email protected]. You can also find him on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Want to be a guest on the entrepreneur architect series? Connect with us on any social media platform or email [email protected]!

Visit our Platform Sponsors

Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time.

Access your free 30 day trial at EntreArchitect.com/FreshBooks. (Enter EntreArchitect)

NCARB is helping architects reach their goals! Get back on track with the new AXP Portfolio.

Visit EntreArchitect.com/NCARB to learn more today.

BQE Software is designed specifically for architect’s project management!

Get a free 15-day trial at EntreArchitect.com/BQE.

ARCAT has huge libraries of free content, Specs, CAD, BIM and more. No registration required. Want to collaborate with colleagues in real time?

Visit EntreArchitect.com/ARCAT and click Charrette for more information.

Referenced in this Episode

NCARB Portfolio: AXP Experience Credit for Seasoned Professionals

The post EA172: Sharon George – The Entrepreneur Architect Series [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA171: How Does NCARB Serve the Small Firm Architect? [Podcast]

26 maj 2017 | 49 min

How Does NCARB Serve the Small Firm Architect?

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards is a nonprofit organization made up of architectural licensing boards of 54 states and 8 rerrirotires. While each jurisdiction is responsible for regulating the practice of architecture within its borders, NCARB develops and administers programs for licensure candidates and architects throughout the nation.

Our community of small firm architects is filled with people with very mixed feelings toward NCARB. Many see the benefits that NCARB provides all architects, while some question the process and procedures required by the organization. Still others have questions about whether NCARB is even relevant in our profession. Do small firms see any benefit to membership and certification? In short, our community of entrepreneur architects have many questions for the leaders at NCARB.

This week at EntreArchitect podcast, Mark R. LePage asks NCARB’s Kristine Harding and Greg Erny, “How does NCARB Serve the Small Firm Architect?“.

Background

Kristine Harding is an architect based in Alabama and the current president of NCARB. Greg Erny is a small firm architect out of Nevada and the incoming NCARB president.

Kristine’s Origin Story

Kristine grew up in Texas where her mother often used graph paper to draw floor plans. One day as she stood in the kitchen, her mom told her to be an architect. She took drafting in high school and fell in love with how they focused on buildings instead of just mechanical drafting. She studied architecture at Rice University and her passion grew. Eventually she ended up in Alabama where she worked for a firm who had a great transition plan and one day took over that firm.

Greg’s Origin Story

Greg’s from a small town in rural Indiana, and one of his earliest memories of recognizing the world of architecture was seeing the craftsmanship of his grandfather’s barn. He was involved in and around construction sites growing up and began down the architecture path in high school. He persevered through the five year program at Ball State University. After earning his license and working for a few firms, he branched out to start his own firm and has been there ever since.

How did you get involved in NCARB?

Kristine was appointed to the state registration board in the state of Alabama. At that point, she was a member of NCARB. She served on the board for 12 years and came up through the leadership to ultimately reach the board level.

Greg became involved with his local AIA chapter. He became the president of the chapter and then the president of the state, and, when a spot on the state board opened up, he took it. He got more involved with NCARB on the regional level and found a home in the organization.

What is NCARB?

In 1919 at an AIA convention in Nashville, 13 states got together and thought it would be good to have an association to facilitate licensure. It’s grown to all 50 states and other jurisdictions that work together to help reciprocal licensure across state lines as well as promote education experience and examination for architects.

The reciprocity benefit that NCARB has brought to architecture has allowed architects to practice across state lines.

What specifically does NCARB do for small firm architects?

For small firms, there’s an experience program to identify young professionals that are seeking experience. For young professionals, that’s a great environment.

Greg has a small firm of four people, and he’s found benefit through the programs of experience and education. In looking at someone’s credentials, they need to be able to do everything since there are so few people doing the work. Small firms want people with broad backgrounds.

What’s different about NCARB Portfolio, the AXP and the intern role?

All of the programs are around one word. The ARE is the examination directory. NCARB has looked at rebranding to follow that, and has found that AXP falls more in the experience program.

A task force looked at the word “intern” and found that it’s not a term that’s regulated. Because of that, it wasn’t something that NCARB needed to define. If a firm wants to call someone a project manager or a senior designer, that’s great; just make sure you aren’t using a term that is legislated in your state.

There may have been people who stepped away from the profession for one reason or another who have a lot of experience, but they can’t step away from that to get more experience. You can use the AXP portfolio to document your previous experience.

At NCARB, within 6 months you need to report your experience. The main reason is because the sooner it’s documented, the fresher it is in your mind. For up to 5 years, you can receive 50% credit. NCARB also has an app that you can use to document your experiences as often as you want.

Questions from the Community

What is IPAL?

The Integrated Path to Architecture Licensure is a new program where education, experience and testing are being offered through seventeen university programs across the country. If you’re in that program, all the components of education, experience and testing that you would take on a traditional path would be completed during your time there. They’re set up with the opportunity to accomplish all of realms while you’re there, though it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be able to be licensed when you graduate.

Is that the future of architecture licensure?

It’s more of an alternative. NCARB recognizes that you’ll have to be a very focused person to do it this way. This will be very successful to those who want to take the exam before life gets in the way.

In the next year or so, NCARB will start getting metrics of the success to figure out the market for those who do want to move forward with this kind of program.

What benefits are there for those who don’t need multi-state licensure?

In the Monograph series, NCARB provides resources on health, safety and welfare continuing education to certificate holders.

Additionally, NCARB helps people pursue renewing their licensure. They’re in the process of creating some software along those lines and hope to launch that in the next few years.

As you gain education, NCARB can keep your certifications to help with renewing licensure.

Can you use construction experience toward lisensing?

Within the existing programs of NCARB, construction observation and work counts toward part of the experience requirement. One of the advantages of being in small firm is drawing in the morning and dealing with site issues in the afternoon. You’re constantly getting exposure to construction, and therefore gaining hands on experience.

How are you working to make the NCARB process smoother?

There used to be a bad customer service perception, and they’ve worked over the previous years to streamline things and improve the service. Anyone who’s been involved recently will see great improvement and find that everything is at the tip of your fingers and things can be moved very quickly.

NCARB also has a brand new website that responds faster to what the user needs.

What’s in the future for NCARB?

NCARB is looking at where regulation is going in terms of software and individuals themselves. As they wrap up the first 100 years, the immediate future is looking to strengthen the mentorship program to bring experienced practitioners on in a more integrated way. The goal is to be a better resource for those architects who are utilizing them to get through the exprience component of the licensure process.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Think about a transition plan. Who will carry the efforts, design and vision into the future.” – Kristine Harding, AIA, NCARB

“Don’t be scared to participate in projects that seem unattainable. Be willing to affiliate and collaborate with other folks, and you can do projects of any scale.” – Greg Erny, AIA, NCARB

Visit our Platform Sponsors

NCARB is helping architects reach their goals! Get back on track with the new AXP Portfolio.

Visit EntreArchitect.com/NCARB to learn more today.

Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time.

Access your free 30 day trial at EntreArchitect.com/FreshBooks. (Enter EntreArchitect)

BQE Software is designed specifically for architect’s project management!

Get a free 15-day trial at EntreArchitect.com/BQE.

ARCAT has huge libraries of free content, Specs, CAD, BIM and more. No registration required. Want to collaborate with colleagues in real time?

Visit EntreArchitect.com/ARCAT and click Charrette for more information.

Referenced in this Episode

My AXP App for iPhone and Android

The post EA171: How Does NCARB Serve the Small Firm Architect? [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

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EA170: Kurt Krueger – The Entrepreneur Architect Series [Podcast]

19 maj 2017 | 56 min

The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Kurt Krueger

At EntreArchitect, you’re encouraged to share your knowledge. When we share with other architects, we all benefit. We are able to learn from one another and the profession will grow. One of the goals of EntreArchitect is to provide a platform for other entrepreneur architects to share their stories.

Join us for our series called The Entrepreneur Architect, where each guest has the opportunity to share their story and answer some questions that will provide value to each of you.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Kurt Krueger.

Origin Story

Kurt’s firm is based in Brentwood, LA, and specializes in modern design-build residential architecture. He grew up in a small town called Mexico, Missouri, and never had any exposure to architects. He was artistic and could draw, but had no idea what to do what that moving forward. During his junior year in high school, a perceptive geometry teacher asked if he’d ever thought about being an architect. He took some basic drafting classes at the vocational school attached to the high school and found the perfect marriage between the artistic side and his propensity for using art for practical purposes.

He went to college at Kansas State University and something clicked. Kurt enjoyed the drawing and design aspect of school when he found a way to combine what he loved with hard work to get good at it. During his third year in school, he interned for an architect in North Carolina. He began to learn more about his love for design and the construction/building side. When he graduated, as opposed to getting an office job, he worked for an architect in Lawrence who runs a studio called Studio 804 where the team does design-build projects. Kurt did hard work for little pay, but knew there was value in being able to learn first hand how things come together.

From there, he relocated to Los Angeles because of the weather and the greater opportunities to get engaged with different architects. There can be some experimentation and craziness that he fell in love with. His construction experience got him a job with design/build architect Marmol Radziner for four years. After that, he worked for a high-profile firm doing the work for some beautiful homes.

The Entrepreneur Architect Questions

What is one big goal you’ve achieved in your career and how did you get there?

Kurt has worked to take the structure of design-build and moving it into an architect-as-developer where they have their own clients and are able to work on projects on their own. He’s been talking about it with his firm for some time, and, for them, they had a leg up since they were already doing the things developers would do. If they had all the pieces in place to get the structure in place and get the numbers right, it was a no-brainer. It finally came down to them stop thinking about it and just doing it to see what works and what doesn’t. Though they’re early on, it’s a goal they’re in the process of getting it to where they want it to be.

What is one struggle you experienced and how did you overcome it?

Of course there’s the struggle of everyday practice. Kurt had a big turning point in his third year of architecture school. The first few years, there’s no computers at all. The transition to the computers and doing things with 3D design and renderings was completely new. He had little experience with computers and doubted that he could pull through. Though he had the talent and work ethic to succeed, he didn’t know if it was something that was too far over his head. The things that helped him to overcome it was to have mentors and to keep telling himself it would get easier as he pressed on.

Who was the person that supported you most through that process?

A younger professor took Kurt under his wing and helped him rethink they way he understood architecture and design. He encouraged him not to focus on the things that were limiting him and gave him confidence to succeed.

Have you had an “aha” moment? How did you turn it into success for your career?

The more Kurt was around construction, the more it made sense to him. He saw more control over the process, the budgets and the schedule. There were so many things pointing to that as the logical way to do the work.

How is your firm structured?

They have the architecture company and the general contracting company that are under separate contracts. The firm has Kurt, who heads up the architecture company, and his business partner is the licensed general contractor.

How do you market your work?

They started having everything separate and leaving it as an option for their clients to choose from if they didn’t want to jump straight into everything. In that way, the client thinks that they can separate things and that’s not always the ideal route. If the client is more interested in architecture in special projects, that’s doable but they’re getting to the point where they’re offering it as a package deal. It’s what makes them special and that’s what their clients are coming to them looking for.

What’s one thing that makes you and your firm unique?

The biggest thing is their method. They’re design-build, but they’re architect-led design-build in every sense. They have an interesting team of people in house: an architect and designer, a structural engineer and general contractor, site superintendents, licensed electricians and framers. There’s lots of experience that gets brought to the table. They’re unique because they’re able to improvise a lot without fear of costly change orders or time delays; it’s just built into their process. They can come up with the basics of the big idea, but the advantage is that they can move faster into permitting and construction because of the control they have over what needs to get done.

How big is the firm?

The architectural staff is Kurt plus two other architects in house with remote help as needed. The construction team fluctuates depending on need around a dozen people.

How did you find your business partner?

Kurt and his business partner met when they worked together previously. They worked on a hotel project in Long Beach and moved into the trailer on the site to get things done quickly.

Quick Questions

At what age did you become an architect? 30 years old
What’s your target market? Single family modern residential design
Hourly or percentage-based fee? Prefer stipulated sum with a hybrid proposal, sometimes use percentage-based, doesn’t like hourly
Other than architecture, what makes you happy? Traveling, being outdoors, sunny days and reading
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? “You need to get out of here.” His boss told him he’d learn more outside of the office then he’d ever learn in the office.
What’s one personal habit that contributes to your success? Trying to get exercise in first thing in the morning and keeping a habit of gratitude
What’s an app or resource you’d recommend? Google Docs to develop systems and share
What book would you recommend and why? Living Forward by Michael Hyatt
What’s a parting piece of guidance? Spot thinking and start taking action

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Find a niche and really target it. It can be scary to feel like you’re limiting yourself, but that’s not usually the case. By targeting a niche and people will be able to find you better.” – Kurt Krueger

Connect with Chris online at KurtKruegerArchitect.com. You can also find him on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Visit our Platform Sponsors

Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time.

Access your free 30 day trial at EntreArchitect.com/FreshBooks. (Enter EntreArchitect)

NCARB is helping architects reach their goals! Get back on track with the new AXP Portfolio.

Visit EntreArchitect.com/NCARB to learn more today.

BQE Software is designed specifically for architect’s project management!

Get a free 15-day trial at EntreArchitect.com/BQE.

ARCAT has huge libraries of free content, Specs, CAD, BIM and more. No registration required. Want to collaborate with colleagues in real time?

Visit EntreArchitect.com/ARCAT and click Charrette for more information.

Referenced in this Episode

EntreArchitect Profit for Small Firm Architects course (free)
EntreArchitect Hybrid Proposal for Architectural Services

The post EA170: Kurt Krueger – The Entrepreneur Architect Series [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA169: Architecture for Children with Vicky Chan [Podcast]

12 maj 2017 | 52 min

Architecture for Children with Vicky Chan

One of the main struggles we hear is that the general public is ignorant of what we do as architects. If people don't know what we do, how will they ever value our services? How can we better educate and share our purpose with the world and, in doing so, increase that perceived value of the profession throughout the world.

This week, Mark R. LePage talks with an architect based in New York City and Hong Kong, the founder of a thriving architecture and design firm who has found a way to educate society on the value of architecture one child at a time.

This week on EntreArchitect podcast, Architecture for Children with Vicky Chan.

Background

Vicky is the founder of Avoid Obvious Architects, with offices in New York and Hong Kong. The firm specializes in sustainable design for buildings and cities with a focus on combining art and green technology. He also founded a volunteering organization called Architecture for Children, teaching over 3,000 children about sustainable design and architecture.

Origin Story

Vicky grew up in Hong Kong and his family moved to New York about 20 years ago. He always loved art and science, and didn't immediately realize that architecture was the perfect combination of the two. Throughout his academic studies, he decided to pursue architecture. After graduation, he worked at a large architecture firm, in one season working over 100 hours in a week. He decided then to get out and do something different and fund his own ideas.

Along with wanting the freedom to choose his clients, Vicky began pursuing more sustainable design. Having his own business allowed him to take time out of his week to go to the local school and teach children about architecture.

Vicky knows that most kids won't become architects, but he hopes to influence society toward green design. When the kids that he's teaching grow up, perhaps they'll retain the knowledge they received from him and use it to make decisions on their future homes.

Through teaching children, Vicky has had many opportunities to refocus his values. He also works with special needs children, and, while other children tend to want to design things from their favorite movies or cartoons, the children with special needs want to design hospitals to help others. He learns a lot from the children.

In addition to finding meaning through teaching, Vicky has also found encouragement for more innovative thinking. Instead of getting fancy and complicated, what about looking at design through the innocent lens of a child's eyes? What if the crazy ideas that kids have actually come to fruition in the near future?

What's your inspiration?

When Vicky was in college, he was invited into a program where he went to a local school and teach them math and English. Soon, he was encouraged to do a side project in teaching children about architecture. After that, he realized how difficult it was to teach architecture to children. He worked to refine the idea so that the children could come out with a keyword or key concept. To come up with something simple that the children can complete in a short period of time has helped him a ton with his own design. Finding the simplicity in it make it easier to understand.

Vicky also learns from different cultures when teaching children in both New York and Hong Kong. In general, kids in New York are exposed to more art and are more imaginative and creative, whereas the children in Hong Kong are more practical. He works to encourage the children to fail and try things they aren't sure of so they can learn from what doesn't work.

How often do you teach?

Vicky teaches with three local schools up to twice a week. He also has volunteers who study architecture, design, marketing and math, and each comes in and teaches their field to the children. They work mostly with kids after school.

How have you seen children's innocence influence your work?

One child proposed that when a wind turbine she was designing was not in use, they could turn it into a ceiling fan. Though that's not possible, it made Vicky think about dual-purpose design.

Additionally, one child told them that they wanted a hole in the middle of their roof so that they could open it in the middle of the night and see the stars. Vicky presented the idea in a similar way in one of his other projects.

What's some advice you can give someone who may want to start a program of their own?

When Vicky first moved here, he had no connections. He set up a page on his website and printed some booklets and sent it out to various schools. The best advice he can give is to reach out to your community. It's not hard to tell a school that you want to teach their kids for free!

Since they're a non-profit, they have to be very conservative with their materials. For necessary supplies things like pencils and scissors, they found a company that donates supplies for educational purposes.

Last, come up with something that the children will remember. Their attention span is so short that it's hard to keep them focused, but, many times, Vicky holds competitions to motivate the kids to finish well.

What ages do you teach?

Often 6 12 years old. On the older edge is his primary focus, but he teaches anywhere in that range.

Where did the name Avoid Obvious come from?

Since their architecture firm was fairly young, they wanted to shake things up and tell people that they were more than capable. Instead of naming it after someone's last name or something standard like that, they openly encourage potential clients to do things out of the normal and avoid the obvious . Unfortunately, the phrasing doesn’t translate perfectly to his Hong Kong clientele.

Are you considering a rebrand?

Not presently. They work to rebrand following ABC; A for architecture, B for branding, and C for children. They’re working to get their name out there and create a presence.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Write an app. It can help automate something and tell your client that you’re not just doing architecture, but you’re trying to be efficient and diversify.” – Vicky Chan

Connect with Vicky about online at AOArchitect.us or via Facebook for Avoid Obvious and Architecture for Children.

Visit our Platform Sponsors

Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time.

Access your free 30 day trial at EntreArchitect.com/FreshBooks. (Enter EntreArchitect)

NCARB is helping architects reach their goals! Get back on track with the new AXP Portfolio.

Visit EntreArchitect.com/NCARB to learn more today.

BQE Software is designed specifically for architect’s project management!

Get a free 15-day trial at EntreArchitect.com/BQE.

ARCAT has huge libraries of free content, Specs, CAD, BIM and more. No registration required. Want to collaborate with colleagues in real time?

Visit EntreArchitect.com/ARCAT and click Charrette for more information.

Referenced in this Episode

EntreArchitect Profit for Small Firm Architects course (unlimited free access)
EntreArchitect Academy is a digital program and private online community of architects working together to build a better profession. Learn more at EntreArchitect.com.

The post EA169: Architecture for Children with Vicky Chan [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA168: Chris Bailow – The Entrepreneur Architect Series [Podcast]

5 maj 2017 | 53 min

The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Chris Bailow

At EntreArchitect, you’re encouraged to share your knowledge. When we share with other architects, we all benefit. We are able to learn from one another and the profession will grow. One of the goals of EntreArchitect is to provide a platform for other entrepreneur architects to share their stories.

Join us for our series called The Entrepreneur Architect, where each guest has the opportunity to share their story and answer some questions that will provide value to each of you.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Chris Bailow.

Background

Chris is the Principal Architect at Bailow Architects, a custom residential design architecture firm that works in New England. The firm’s work consists of thoughtful, innovative design rooted in New England tradition. Chris works remotely

Origin Story

Chris felt fortunate to grow up on an island in Maine. It has a great culture and community, and it was also connected to the mainland by a bridge. When he was a kid, he spent a lot of time outdoors and would find the summer cottages of those who weren’t there any longer. He and his friends would go up on the porches and peek in the windows, and he thought about the layout and spaces of each home. That simplicity is a part of his design aesthetic to this day.

As he grew up, he was interested in how things were put together and how buildings were constructed. His dad wasn’t particularly handy, but he was encouraged to explore what he was interested in. One summer, he got a job building boats. In high school, he thought he may want to be an architect. His guidance counselor pointed out his low math scores, and Chris went to a liberal arts school to level things out.

Chris got a job as a carpenter and was hired by a contractor. He loved learning how to build houses, and that’s some of the most foundational learning he received. After hauling shingles for a while, he realized he did want to pursue architecture.

He earned his undergraduate degree from St. Laurence and an internship in Vermont at the Yestermorrow Design/Build School. Soon he found a graduate program at the Boston Architectural College in Boston where he could work in a firm during the day and go to school in the evenings.

Following school, he got a job as a mail person in a 100+ person firm. He was exposed to tons of different architects, none of whom were doing what he wanted to do. He soon got a call from a firm he’d given his resume to who was doing residential architecture in Massachusetts. After interviewing one-on-one, he got the job. There he learned to hand draft and was exposed to the elements of a small business. He was there for a few years before he hit his ceiling.

Next, he went to a high-end residential firm where he was exposed to 7-8 different architects using CAD software who he got to learn from. He was confident in his abilities to pick CAD up quickly and moved around to different projects helping with whatever they needed at the time. He quickly worked himself up to an associate and project manager. Within years, he felt he was doing the same thing day-to-day and needed a new challenge.

With his wife’s nudging and support, in 2014 he decided to jump out on his own. He stayed home with their son and worked on some projects, and they haven’t looked back since.

The Entrepreneur Architect Questions

How did it work out for you raising a child and building a business?

Chris doesn’t know any other way. Raising a child is an amazing experience that taught him a lot about himself, and the same can be said of building a business. He worked to have clear separation between home and work, but it’s a constant process to set boundaries. It’s been great for his business because it makes him relatable to many clients who are looking for space for their families.

What is one big goal you’ve achieved in your career and how did you get there?

Family is the biggest achievement for Chris. After he originally got his job as a hand-drafting architect with long hours, he one day decided to do a triathlon. He had to separate himself and put in a ton of time to work toward the goal, but it gave him back some of what he felt he’d lost. To get to where he was, he had to make some sacrifices, like not having the time to ski for a while. After some time, he felt it was important to reset after the hard work and find things that he loved to do.

What is one struggle you experienced and how did you overcome it?

Chris isn’t naturally organized and has to work at it all the time. He thinks it’s funny that others perceive him as organized, and feels lucky that his wife does have that personality trait.

Have you had an “aha” moment? How did you turn it into success for your career?

Chris always looks for opportunities to try new things. He used to send out resumes and go for interviews if it worked out, and he found one firm that he made it through a few rounds of interviews for. He didn’t really need or want the job, but he was naturally trying to better himself. The firm wanted to fly him to Manhattan and interview him. It was a great experience and good practice for moving forward, so he went. That firm was cloud based without a central space, and he got to look at an architectural firm in a whole different way. It wasn’t what he wanted at the time, but he took a lot from that. He found that there was a niche space for doing the work outside of a big office with lots of capital.

What’s one thing that makes you and your firm unique?

Chris’s firm is cloud based, and they’re also scalable. He works to put a team together that meets the needs of a specific project with those who are best fit to complete it.

What did you learn when you went cloud-based?

There are bumps in the road with a home office, but as with anything, Chris tries to be introspective to see what’s working and what’s not. The hardest is that family life is cyclical too, and adjustments need to be made. Clear boundaries of when he’s working and when he’s not are important for Chris.

Quick Questions

At what age did you become an architect? 33 years old.
What’s your target market? Custom single-family residential.
Hourly or percentage-based fee? Chris prefers percentage-based, but will do hourly if needed.
Other than architecture, what makes you happy? His family, the ocean, and the band Phish.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? His father taught him that he can do a lot in life as long as he acts like he know what he’s doing.
What’s one personal habit that contributes to your success? He drops his daughter off at daycare each morning, creating a clear delineation of work time vs. personal time.
What’s an app or resource you’d recommend? Building Science Corporation for detailing resources and great information for best practices. Instagram is his favorite social media application; it’s a great place to put things out there as you’re working on them.
What book would you recommend and why? Rob Thallon’s Woodframe Construction helps you understand how a building gets put together.
What’s a parting piece of guidance? You don’t stay the same, you get better or you get worse. It’s not a straight line, your craft needs work. Work on being an architect and a business owner.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Recognize bad habits and figure out how to fix them. If something isn’t working for you, there’s somebody out there that can help you fix it.” – Chris Bailow

Connect with Chris online at Bailow.com or email him at [email protected]. You can also find him on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Visit our Platform Sponsors

Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time.

Access your free 30 day trial at EntreArchitect.com/FreshBooks. (Enter EntreArchitect)

NCARB is helping architects reach their goals! Get back on track with the new AXP Portfolio.

Visit EntreArchitect.com/NCARB to learn more today.

BQE Software is designed specifically for architect’s project management!

Get a free 15-day trial at EntreArchitect.com/BQE.

ARCAT has huge libraries of free content, Specs, CAD, BIM and more. No registration required. Want to collaborate with colleagues in real time?

Visit EntreArchitect.com/ARCAT and click Charrette for more information.

Referenced in this Episode

EntreArchitect Profit for Small Firm Architects course (unlimited free access)
Rob Thallon’s Woodframe Construction (book)
Building Science Corporation

The post EA168: Chris Bailow – The Entrepreneur Architect Series [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA167: For Architects, By Architects with Steven Burns [Podcast]

28 april 2017 | 71 min

For Architects, By Architects: The Story Behind ArchiOffice

This week, we have another inspiring story from an architect turned accidental entrepreneur. He turned a need for managing finances at his own small firm into a new software tool to solve the problem. He shared the idea with some colleagues, formed a small company, and eventually sold that company. Today, it’s offered to architects throughout the world.

This week on EntreArchitect podcast, For Architects, By Architects: the story behind ArchiOffice with Steven Burns.

Background

Steven is an architect based in Los Angeles and the creator of ArchiOffice project management software. He’s currently the Chief Creative Officer of BQE Software, the makers of ArchiOffice.

Steven’s Origin Story

Steve majored in sculpture at Syracuse University. When he had his senior show, by accident a woman approached him and asked his plans after school. He joked that he was going to wait tables, but she prompted him to study architecture. He went to MIT for architecture, which he didn’t love, after not getting into his first choice, Harvard. After his first year, he went back and reread his application essay and decided to reapply to Harvard. This time, he got in. The second time around, his classmates and experiences were great and he thrived.

After graduation, he started his career at SOM in Chicago. During his time there, he put a few goldfish in an empty bowl. People liked it, so he went and bought a tank, some sand and a fish for every partner – fourteen – with a sign that said “Please don’t feed the partners.” Within three months, every partner knew him. Eventually, Bruce Graham took an interest in Steve and helped shape much of his journey in architecture.

When Steve and his wife were in Berlin working for SOM and were about to have children, they decided to take the risk to move to Chicago and Steve opened an office on his own in 1993. There was no business plan and nothing written down. After a month of working alone, he brought a friend on board to join the business. They were frugal, finding a small space and building it out on their own. Eventually they hired someone, and they felt the pressure of having to provide for them.

In 2007, he sold the firm. They chose two partners and were able to watch both of them grow into the roles perfectly. They learned that their partners weren’t like them, which was good; they should be able to fill in the spaces where you have weaknesses. Steven felt that he and his partner were able to retain some control while still giving the partners some ownership of their roles.

Would you do it differently if you had to do it over again?

If Steven had to do it all over again, he would hope that he would at least have written some kind of business plan before starting out. However, he knows himself well enough to know his spontaneity and that, in some ways, he hasn’t changed since then.

How do you pick the right person to transition your firm over to?

It’s a hard decision, and you have to trust your intuition. Steve feels lucky to have had great picks with his wife and his partner, but has also learned that when you have something that isn’t a fit, it’s better to take care of it right away. In the end, it’s best for everyone.

Why did you sell your company and where were you headed after that?

Steven was a designer at heart, and he wanted to work on designing a software for his firm. He bought a Mac-based program, File Maker Pro, and used their easy scripting program to build things to solve problems. He’d set a task to take care of and, after work, for three years he would work until 3 or 4 AM creating things. When he showed coworkers, they would challenge him to create different things.

One of their employees called his old boss and told him about Steven’s software. When he came to look at it, he asked if he could buy it. Steven cleaned it up and let the guy try it for a year for free. Realizing he lacked the formal background, he hired a team in Melbourne, Australia who could work with him at night three or four days a week. In a few years, ArchiOffice was a commercial product.

Word of mouth was the key to spreading the word. They quickly had 500 firms using the software, so they brought in a management team to make sure they were doing things correctly. Since they were providing something to help with people’s businesses, Steven wanted to make sure they were doing things correctly. Surprisingly, one of the recommendations was for Steven to fully pursue software development.

He decided to dive in 100%. In 2007, he sold his portion of the firm and started in a new space with four people headed toward software design.

What were the next steps for ArchiOffice?

Unfortunately in that season, they found that architects weren’t buying software, they were letting go of employees. They got very close to shutting down the company in 2009. That same year, Steven had purchased three booth spots at the AIA Convention and rented a Volkswagon Bug with a jet engine in it to bring along.

They had a ton of people come, including the CEO of one of their competitors. After returning to Chicago, Steven got to talk to Shafat Qazi, BQE Software’s CEO, about the ArchiOffice. A few days later, Shafat came back and asked to acquire the company.

Steven felt the burden of building a company, the need to provide for those who were working for him and the desire to fulfill the needs of his clients. He agreed to the deal, and in late 2009 BQE acquired ArchiOffice.

With this transition, Steven and his family moved from Chicago to LA.

What’s next?

Today, Steven and his family live in a new-urbanism area near LA. BQE Software had a goal to be the best, and Steven moved into a role to help bring things together. Currently there are some exciting things coming down the pipeline.

What did your hardships building the business teach you?

For a long time, Steven didn’t talk about how hard it was to build the business. Eventually he learned that his problems weren’t unique, and that there’s a lot to be learned from going through challenges.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Don’t open your email until 2 PM. If you start your morning with your email, all of the things you wanted to do keep getting pushed off. The beauty of email is that it’s a-synchronistic communication. Whatever opportunities you have that you want to pursue, use your time for those.” – Steven Burns

Connect with Steve about online at BQE.com or via LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

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EA166: Beyond the Box with Katie Crepeau [Podcast]

21 april 2017 | 55 min

Architects Practicing Beyond The Traditional Design Firm

Beyond The Box

Architects are trained to find solutions. We have a superpower many other people don’t have: we can see a problem and create a way to solve it. This gives us a huge opportunity to lead both as traditional practitioners and in roles in our society that require creativity and solutions for critical problems.

This week on EntreArchitect podcast, Beyond the Box: Architects Practicing Beyond The Traditional Design Firm with Katie Crepeau.

Background

Katie is an architect and a business consultant based in London, England. She’s an advocate for and a practitioner of social impact design. She’s the founder and editor for Design Affects, an online platform that inspires, teaches and connects those involved in social impact design and much more.

Origin Story

The earliest memory Katie has of engaging with architecture is around the age of five when she was living in a home she was moving out of. She remembers drawing the plan of her bedroom, complete with the red-orange carpet, and she added all the various elements of that space.

Katie’s dad is an engineer and her mom is a teacher who studied art, so a big influence was seeing both of their personalities and approaches to doing things. Both of them inspired Katie and her family to be creative: her dad was focused on precision and technique, and her mom on the expression of creativity.

As she began studying and practicing, she wanted to connect with people. Katie studied at Tulane in New Orleans, a very different and distant place from where she grew up in California. There she explored and grew in a new city around new people and was able to define who she was as a person.

She thought she’d be pursuing the traditional architecture path, but she’s also aware that she’s a “question-asking” type of person. Following graduation and licensing, she wanted to improve the profession of architecture and reconnect it to who we are as people and to the people we’re trying to impact in the first place.

Early in her career, Katie worked with small firms that did residential and urban repurpose and regeneration in New Orleans. When she moved to San Francisco, she got more involved with commercial and developer-led projects.

Her background, including volunteering and seeing the change in people because of her giving, led her to take a night course from Berkley called Architecture is Activism. Then began the journey of the next six years of her life to focus on social impact design.

What is social impact design?

Social impact design is working with marginalized or underserved communities and developing products or services that help them create a better environment for themselves. It includes architecture, systems, and everything that comes along with it.

Eventually, Katie became an advocate for social impact design. Though working with a group of architects who were all pressing toward the same goal but lacking a certain business acumen, Katie started looking at other firms who were doing similar things.

What is your advice for someone who has a problem they want to solve?

Katie advises people to start with a project. Don’t start an organization until you have a project and a client and can validate the demand for what you’re doing. She has a ton of eagerness as well, and a lot of her early projects reflect that. In actuality, it’s about validating your idea before you do anything. Identify the people you want to help, get out there and talk to them about what they do, why they do it, their challenges and more. Following that, you can pitch something to them, similar to the ideas presented in the book, The Lean Startup.

Sometimes when you go down that road you get so wrapped up in the funding that you forget to ask if there’s actually a need for what you’re doing. It’s important to find the middle ground of what you’re passionate about and who it is that has a need for that.

What inspired you to serve architects who want to grow beyond the traditional practice?

Through conversations Katie had with architects and designers and following business communities, she observed that everyone wants to provide value to others. It’s not only about social impact, it’s about anyone who can provide value to a group of people who need it. Now, Katie works to help people identify their vision and the change they want to see. What does that mean for their skills and interests as well as those they want to work for? How can that all tie together? Social impact comes in many different formats, and it’s up to us to decide how we want it to come about in a way that makes sense.

How can someone branch out on their own social impact project?

Katie works to develop a five year plan. What does it look like day to day and where do you find the purpose through what you’re doing? Today, who is doing something similar to what you want to do and how can you get to know them? After those conversations, what resonates with you and how can you craft your vision to include potential opportunities to embody this? You never quite know if it’s the right path, but you have a gut feeling from those around you that you know will support what you’re doing.

What are some first steps to build a team and execute a big idea?

Really understand where you want to focus and what you want to do. Figure out your assets and how you want to drive your energy toward that. Then, what do you need to balance or supplement that? Katie uses personality tests, like Instinctive Drives, to gain insight into where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Then, find someone who compliments your weaknesses and can drive their energy toward those.

What’s next?

Katie really enjoys one-on-one consulting, but she really wants to help architects reconnect with why they entered the profession. She’s developing an online program to help people find and craft their vision and then have the follow-up support to make it happen.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“I would challenge people – especially those who like to make to-do lists – to cross something off that won’t add to what you’re doing and don’t do it.” – Katie Crepeau

Connect with Katie about one-on-one support or group support online at DesignAffects.com or via LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Exclusive EntreArchitect Opportunity: Learn more about booking a FREE 30 minute Clarity Call with Katie.

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Referenced in this Episode

EntreArchitect Profit for Small Firm Architects course (unlimited free access)
Essentialism by Greg McKeown (book)

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EA165: Working Toward an Equitable Future in Architecture with Emily Grandstaff-Rice, FAIA [Podcast]

14 april 2017 | 52 min

Working Toward an Equitable Future in Architecture

This week, the Chair of the AIA National Equity in Architecture Commission, Emily Grandstaff-Rice, FAIA, shares an update on the work that the commission has done to promote equity and diversity in the profession of architecture. How is the AIA working to make the changes needed to have the profession of architecture more accurately represent the society in which we live? What’s planned for a more equitable future?

This week on EntreArchitect podcast, Working Toward an Equitable Future in Architecture with Emily Grandstaff-Rice, FAIA.

For Emily’s origin story, visit Episode 014.

Boston Society of Architects

Though Emily had never been the chair of a board of directors this size, at the beginning of this journey she jumped right in and got to meet the mayor of Boston and the mayor of Rome. During her tenure as President of the BSA, she became more comfortable in the public eye and developed leadership skills that she hadn’t encountered in her day-to-day architecture life.

Equity in Architecture

At the end of 2015, Emily was asked to chair the AIA National Equity in Architecture Commission. Though she felt fear and had some reservations about taking on such a responsibility, she knew she couldn’t say no. At the end of the commission, they presented 11 recommendations (see below) to the AIA Board of Directors with the goal of having the profession of architecture reflect the society that we serve. Emily recognizes this as some of the most important work she’s done in her career.

One the commission’s recommendations was to create a stronger pathway for students to go from community colleges to accredited degrees and to increase the number of scholarships aimed at diversity. Following the presentation, the AIA donated $1 million toward diversity advancement scholarships, funding 20 new school scholarships.

Creating Awareness

Based on research, making the profession of architecture diverse isn’t a “one size fits all” solution. It’s very nuanced, and has to be something that reaches to various levels because of different people and their unique approaches to the profession. As architects, we should be asking how we can be role models in our community. Can you go to the local career day at your school? Should you stand up for something within your influence? Create awareness in the public realm to what we do and how we change the environment, and we’ll make a difference.

11 Recommendations to AIA National Board of Directors

Make equity, diversity, and inclusion a core value for the Board of Directors
Measure and report how EDI permeates the AIA
Launch EDI training for AIA volunteers and components
Create guides for equitable, diverse, and inclusive practice
Create a position paper on EDI and the profession
Develop a firm self-assessment tool
Require EDI data as part of AIA awards submissions
Advocate for a more accessible path to higher education
Engage children with K-12 architecture programs
Tell our stories
Ensure that AIA publications reflect EDI

To read more about all 11 of the commission’s recommendations, click here.

Emily says that when we look at diversity, it’s like an iceberg. We see the tip of the iceberg – the clear, physical qualities – but we don’t see everything underneath. You may have a panel of seven men and think it’s not very diverse, but you’re not looking at the whole picture of the differences of each of those men. We have to understand that people are more than what we judge them by. Instead of looking to find similarities, we should recognize that our differences help us to learn about one another.

What’s Next?

Emily and Rosa Sheng are co-chairing the new Equity and Future of Architecture Committee, which is tasked with charting these recommendations and reporting progress on how they are being implemented.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Ask yourself, ‘Am I reaching the whole of the community or just a piece of it?’ You don’t have to do everything, but there’s a large untapped market of future clients out there that small firms have a direct connection to. Marketing comes from who we see socially, and I challenge you to think about your connections in a larger, more equitable way. Are there connections you’re not tapping that you could?

“Secondly, listen to the people you work with and that you employ. Value their differences and work to understand that someone does something differently because they have a different viewpoint. Have conversations about what you don’t understand and what you want to know more about. Differences strengthen our relationships.” – Emily Grandstaff-Rice, FAIA

Connect with Emily online via LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

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EntreArchitect Profit for Small Firm Architects course (unlimited free access)

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EA164: Finding MyCORBU with Rick Wolnitzek [Podcast]

7 april 2017 | 77 min

Finding MyCORBU with Rick Wolnitzek

Retired from the profession and finding himself eager to give back, today’s guest has partnered with a developer to create an app that helps small firm architects manage their time and money. After a long journey, he’s launching the product he wishes he had when he was the owner of his own small architecture firm.

This week on EntreArchitect podcast, Finding MyCORBU with Rick Wolnitzek.

Introduction

Rick Wolnikzek is an architect based in northern Kentucky outside of Cincinnati and the creator of ArchitekWiki, a blog for small firms covering ideas, information, links, procedures, checklists, details and more to help young architects work productively and effectively. He’s also the founder of MyCORBU, a bookkeeping software specifically for architects.

Origin Story

In high school, Rick knew he wanted to be an architect. The idea of creating things like tunnels and camps as a kid pushed him toward the idea. He planned to go to the University of Cincinnati, but an influx of in-state applicants foiled his plans. His dad proposed Notre Dame, and in hindsight, his schooling there was a highlight of his career. Following his education, he worked for a small, five-person firm for the next seven years working on schools. There he learned to do a wide array of tasks due to the limited staff.

He joined a mentor who had started a new firm, and years in the frustration of not having a ton to do and lack of willingness to try new things ate him up over time. It was there that Rick made a trade that if his partner would go get their coffee across the street, Rick would manage the books.

Rick eventually decided to go out on his own in Cincinnati, and he found that he didn’t have as much of a stature that he wanted. Suddenly, he had a client who needed an office building and then a connection for another project. He had always done back-office things well, but struggled with doing business development. In 30 years, Rick’s firm fluctuated between two and twelve people.

Toward the end of the road, Rick let go of most of his employees and was writing checks to keep the firm afloat. He decided to work from home, and struck a deal with his landlord to get out of the lease early in exchange for some office furniture.

Eight months later, he realized he had actually retired. He thought, “Maybe I could make a living selling things to help other architects.” Soon after he launched ArchitekWiki.

The Blog

For the first year, Rick wrote a post every few days to share his experiences. He wanted to go back to the tools he’d developed over his career and put them into a format that might be useful to other architects, such as a how-to on Trello for project management, a calculation tool, and more.

The App

Two years into his retirement, he was out of the software that he’d used when he was practicing architecture. Rick was using a time-keeping software that he liked, but he was constantly trying to improve it for the use of architects. Eventually, the developer met with Rick to ask him to help develop something specifically for architects.

He interviewed about 75 architects and surveyed 1500 firms over six months, and they learned that there wasn’t a great way for architects to invoice.

Although their dreams were big, they encountered a lot of difficulties of how to actually develop a program for invoicing. By the end of the year, the partnership was nickel-and-diming back and forth, and a lot of the fun was taken out of the project. At that point, Rick stepped away and they began the dismantling process to move away from the work they’d done.

MyCORBU

After some time away, Rick stepped back to the table. He thought he could fund development to finally build this dream app. Rick projected the project to take a year and cost around $500K. He researched investors, kick starters, and more, getting nowhere. He stumbled upon an app builder called Knack that worked on any platform with databases and was only $39/month for the software. He decided to give it a shot.

Only a month later, Rick had a rudimentary version working and a website in the works. He’s developed help articles, figured out how to price it and how the pricing would work, and more. It got to the point where he didn’t realize that the way he was going about it from the point of how it worked was the easy part. The side of setting clients up with an account was much trickier. Finally, they found a way for clients to jump on board, sign up and be set to go.

Coming later is a paid version that will include other features! Rick also hopes to add a bookkeeping element at some point, and perhaps an invoicing version.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“You need to get a blog. Whatever you think that looks like, start putting your stuff out there. Anything on the boards, in production, being constructed. Get it out there and figure out how to send it to your list of potential prospects a few times a month. Make it visually entertaining so that they’ll look at it. The cost is next to nothing compared to the feedback and benefit you’ll get.” – Rick Wolnitzek

Connect with Rick online via ArchitekWiki or MyCORBU. You can also find him on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

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Referenced in this Episode

EntreArchitect Profit for Small Firm Architects course (unlimited free access)

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EA163: Michele Grace Hottel – The Entrepreneur Architect Series [Podcast]

31 mars 2017 | 55 min

The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Michele Grace Hottel

At EntreArchitect, you’re encouraged to share your knowledge. When we share with other architects, we all benefit. We are able to learn from one another and the profession will grow. One of the goals of EntreArchitect is to provide a platform for other entrepreneur architects to share their stories. After 162 episodes, we think we’ve succeeded with that goal.

Join us for a new series called The Entrepreneur Architect, where each guest has the opportunity to share their story and answer some questions that will provide value to each of you.

This week on EntreArchitect podcast, The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Michele Grace Hottel.

Origin Story

Michele has been practicing architecture at her own firm, Michele Grace Hottel Architects, since 1994 and is licensed in California and Texas. She is a commissioner and subject matter expert for California Architects board and the City of La Mesa planning commissioner. As an active member of the #ArchiTalk blog series, you can read her blog “I’ve never met a woman architect before…“, about the trials and tribulations of being a woman architect, wife and mother.

Michele has loved drawing since she was very young. During a kindergarten testing process, she was asked to draw a picture of a person. She chose to draw a picture of her tester, to his amusement, and they let her in. Growing up outside of Pittsburgh where everyone had art and music in school, Michele was invited with a group of students to be a part of a weekend art group with her art teacher. From then on, she was encouraged by her artistic talents.

Later in her schooling, the switch was made from girls taking home-ec and the boys taking woodworking to a more inclusive environment, Michele was able to take woodworking which included a drafting class. Throughout high school, she continued with art classes at the Art Institute, architectural drafting, and took classes at a technical school for mechanical drafting and design technology.

Her family then moved to California and after transferring to Cal Poly Pamona for a few years, she was able to go abroad to Denmark for a year for the cost of in-state tuition. After her degree, she worked in Santa Monica for a few years, worked for her stepdad for a few years and spent time on various projects, including a Metropolitan Community Church, an AIDS memorial wall, affordable housing in Santa Monica, and high-end custom residential work for people in the entertainment industry.

After having her daughter and thinking about the work/family balance, she wondered if she would be able to practice architecture in the traditional sense. She decided to do a few projects a year and has been doing that ever since.

The Entrepreneur Architect Questions

What is one big goal you’ve achieved in your career and how did you get there?

Michele’s biggest goal she’s achieved is getting licensed. When Michele was going through this process, it was only available to be taken once a year and she took them all at once. Despite people telling her that she wouldn’t pass on the first round, she studied hard and passed on her first take.

What is one struggle you experienced and how did you overcome it?

Michele never passed college algebra. Though she tried to take it last year, she found it much more difficult to do at this point in her career.

Additionally, she’s worked hard to be an architect and a stay at home mom. When she was in LA after having her daughter, she can remember being at her opening and someone telling her they could never be a part time architect. Though it took her a while to be confident in that, she’s received more acceptance from the profession and from herself.

Have you had an “aha” moment? How did you turn it into success for your career?

When Michele’s youngest was three, she had a project she was really excited about: a Point Loma home on a hillside with glass everywhere. This was a chance for her to show that she was on her own and was able to do the job well.

What’s one thing that has you most excited about your business today?

It’s exciting to have a lot of work! Michele loves doing projects that she’s excited about design-wise as well, right now she has a project where the clients want modern architecture and she’s been challenged with building restrictions.

Quick Questions

At what age did you decide to become an architect? 12 years old.
Other than architecture, what makes you happy? My family.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? No one in her family ever told her she couldn’t be an architect, her whole family was always supportive of her.
What’s one personal habit that contributes to your success? Besides coffee in the morning and coffee several times throughout the day, Michele is very self-sufficient and loves others intensely.
What’s an app or resource you’d recommend? EntreArchitect of course! Also, #ArchiTalks (Go to any social media platform and search #ArchiTalks to learn more.).
What book would you recommend and why? A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander.
What’s a quick piece of advice? Be real. Be yourself. Be empathetic.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Blogging. I’m amazed by how many hits I get on my blog. It’s easy to refer clients to and it’s a great experience. Everyone has this commonality with experiences, and blogging is a great way to learn about architecture and express yourself. Get out there and talk to people about what architects do.” – Michele Grace Hottel

Connect with Michele online via her blog or send her an email to [email protected]. You can also find her on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

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EntreArchitect Profit for Small Firm Architects course (unlimited free access)

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EA162: The Pain, the Passion, and the Process of Becoming a Young Architect with Michael Riscica [Podcast]

24 mars 2017 | 63 min

The Pain, the Passion, and the Process of Becoming a Young Architect

Let’s dive deep into what it means to be a young architect and what it takes to get licensed. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Michael Riscica of YoungArchitect.com shares The Pain, the Passion, and the Process of Becoming a Young Architect.

Origin Story

Michael is based in Portland, Oregon is the founder of YoungArchitect.com. You can hear more about his bike journey from one side of the US to the other, plus how to get licensed and pass the ARE, check out his last podcast appearance.

Young Architect

Michael started Young Architect about three years ago after he got his license, with inspiration from Mark and many other bloggers serving their community. The mission has always been to help students, ARE candidates, young architects and other candidates be more successful. More recently he’s been talking more about how to share his mission and beliefs with others.

Many young architects really need to be their own advocate, and, in Michael’s opinion, a lot of students graduate and flounder until they become a licensed architect. Although there’s a lot out there to create community with the AIA and other organizations, there’s an in-between stage that Michael wanted to address. He began writing blog posts clearly directed at those in different predicaments like looking for jobs, studying for the ARE and wanting to get licensed.

Everyone has their own path, strengths and weaknesses, and the beautiful thing about architecture is that there’s such a huge place in jobs and opportunities with people with different strengths. Everyone has different gifts and passions to offer to the world.

Different Roles

Architecture school is a place for future architects to learn how to design and problem solve. It creates a safe place for students to experiment and take risk, while learning the fundamentals of design. They can learn to express themselves by learning from theory and from the past.

Michael argues that so much growth and development needs to happen in architecture school, that having a complete understanding of how the profession works is too much to ask. You’re there to learn the basics of problem solving and design.

The second part of an architect’s education begins once they finish school. He’s always believed that the young architect’s job is to advocate for their own development, but the profession as a whole should acknowledge their role in helping engender future architects. Although young architects may take an experience and learn from it and then move onto something else, that’s a necessary component of the process.

Letting a younger intern person into your firm, acknowledges that, in some ways, they’re the future of the firm. They get to see the behind-the-scenes in the firm. In some ways, you need to treat the younger generation as though they may one day be your future client or even supervisor.

On the other hand, young architects need to acknowledge the role they’re in: observing and learning to become the best that they can. You may not start out making what you want to make, but you can give everything you have to who you’re working with to get the knowledge you need to get to the next level. When you work hard and prove your value, you’re rewarded.

Fluidity

Like many other professions, architecture has moved into a space where people are not at one job for their entire lives. They may start somewhere, gain some knowledge, and then move on to something else.

With advanced technology and greater connectivity, it’s easy to associate with people that aren’t in your local circle and do anything you want to do.

Young Architect Podcast

Michael had gotten comfortable with expressing himself through writing on the blog, and the idea of a podcast made him pretty uncomfortable. Around the end of his recent coast-to-coast bike trip, he hit the ground running and began working overtime for several months on developing the new podcast. One of the challenges he’s had is trying to keep the focus off of himself. He’s passionate about the mission, but the goal is not to tell his story, it’s to put the focus on people who are aligned with his mission. Through the process of writing an article about people, he realized he needed to use a podcast to really express the energy he was hearing in people’s stories.

The podcast features stories about how people found architecture, what their experience was with licensing, and how they got to where they were today. He’s been seeking out the little guy who’s doing great work to get varying perspectives.

It requires a lot of help to get the podcast up and running, but Michael is enjoying the process!

ARE Bootcamp

Michael wrote How to Pass the Architecture Registration Exam and began the ARE Bootcamp process. He had many inquiries about 1-on-1 coaching, but had the idea to bring a group together and treated it like a design studio: small groups of 6 gather weekly for 10 weeks to move through a syllabus of what to study, how to recall the necessary information, and figuring out how to get up to speed to study for the exam. In this model, Michael helps his group teach the information to themselves so that they can make progress on the ARE.

The Bootcamp isn’t a guarantee to passing the test because there are so many moving parts and different versions of the test. The intention is to do everything possible to be prepared for the most difficult version of the test.

If you want to be a part of the bootcamp, you’ll participate in discussions to check in on what you’re learning. You keep up with the syllabus and practice finding the time to add 8-15 hours of extra study time to your already-busy life.

About halfway through, you choose a test date and spend the rest of the time mastering the information. Michael has a ton of resources, including videos to maximize the time that the group is meeting together, a private Facebook group for people to ask questions, and a platform that spits out random practice questions. Unless you practice giving the answers back, you won’t be adequately prepared for the test.

Everyone in the program is also in charge of organizing a meet up for members of the group to gather in person or virtually to study together.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Acknowledge it’s not about you, it’s about others. Instead of looking at everyone as competition and wondering what you’ll get out of it, try to be of service to yourself, the profession, your clients, those who work for you, and young architects. Don’t wonder what you’ll get out of something, just lift up the profession as a whole.” – Michael Riscica, Young Architect

Connect with Michael online at YoungArchitect.com, on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Look for his trail of robot stickers across the US!

Visit our Platform Sponsors

NCARB is helping architects reach their goals! Get back on track with the new AXP (Architectural Experience Program) Portfolio by submitting an online portfolio and meeting your state’s requirements to get one step closer to becoming an architect! Visit NCARB.org to learn more today.

TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors that never fail to perform. They’re passionate about providing inspiration and tools to transform your designs with the most authentic and distinctive doors available. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more!

Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Learn more at FreshBooks.com.
Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect)

Referenced in this Episode

EntreArchitect Profit for Small Firm Architects course (unlimited free access)
Young Architect ARE Bootcamp

The post EA162: The Pain, the Passion, and the Process of Becoming a Young Architect with Michael Riscica [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA161: SketchUp for Small Firm Architects with Mike LaValley [Podcast]

17 mars 2017 | 52 min

SketchUp for Architects

SketchUp is a great tool for small firm architects to quickly develop 2D ideas into full, 3D models. It’s not BIM and it may not be super efficient for our whole workflow, but when used as a quick way to develop concepts, to share ideas with colleagues or to present to a client early on, that’s where SketchUp thrives. There are few programs better suited.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, SketchUp for Architects with Mike LaValley, founder of EvolvingArchitect.com.

Mike’s Origin Story

Mike has always known that he wanted to be an architect, aside from brief childhood memories of wanting to be a mad scientist. He grew up playing with legos and making things, and eventually found his way to architecture. He graduated from Syracuse University with a bachelor’s of architecture and settled down in Buffalo, New York.

He’s been through several different jobs, but is now designing spaces for K-12 schools to help kids learn and grow. After earning his license in 2015, he took the plunge into full-force blogging quickly after.

Evolving Architect Blog

Mike loves learning and sharing and has a desire to stay up with new ways of building and innovative technologies. Since architecture is always changing and evolving, he believes the most successful architects are those who really take that to heart.

More recently he’s started to teach more on his website and via YouTube by hosting Workshop Wednesdays, where he shares his knowledge on different topics for about an hour to help emerging professionals. He quickly noticed a need for skills in programs, and was able to focus a couple workshops on SketchUp. The workshop is designed to teach architects in a way that they would use it in a firm, from learning an interface to creating a house model.

Mike feels a need for varying ideas for growth depending on where different professionals are in their journeys, making Evolving Architect a constantly-changing opportunity.

Workshop Wednesdays

Each month, Mike posts a new video on the Evolving Architect YouTube channel. His goal is to bounce around different topics that people have brought to his attention, including goal-setting and ARE help. This year, Mike plans to integrate content throughout the month for subscribers where they might find short tutorials and other helpful tips.

SketchUp for Architects

Mike’s been using SketchUp since he was a sophomore in college over 10 years ago and has been using it regularly since then. He began using it because it was so simple to create 3D models in real time. It’s a great way to quickly iterate and conceptualize different concepts he wants to bring forth. It’s the first tutorial on his website because he wanted to show how to use it specifically in an architecture office.

Mike uses SketchUp primarily as a way to quickly communicate and present very raw models and ideas to clients who aren’t familiar with reading 2D drawings. It’s a practical tool that allows him to explain an idea through an image without trying to build a detailed physical model.

SketchUp has it’s limitations too. Mike prefers to use platforms like Revit or AutoCad for other aspects of his work.

Sketching in 3D

Once you install SketchUp on your device and start playing with the tools, you can get into drawing in 3D. You can extrude them and build on them to make more complicated figures, but it’s productive to start playing around with the platform and learning how to draw in three dimensions. SketchUp also allows you create shortcuts to make movements as quick and easy as possible. “Practice doesn’t make perfect; it makes permanent.”

The Course

The tutorial is broken into different chapters with sub lessons. First you’ll look at the user interface to get a feel for where things are and what tools to use when. Then, users can go straight into developing a house model. Last, you’re taken through the whole process to the final export of the images and the views. Find more more information here.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Whether it’s SketchUp or another program or skill, building upon what you already know to create a wider knowledge base for yourself is the first priority. Building skills and understanding new ways of building and interacting with the profession is something you can execute now to be better tomorrow. Over time those skills add up in a profound way.” – Mike LaValley, EvolvingArchitect.com

Connect with the Mike online at EvolvingArchitect.com or find him on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. You can subscribe to his weekly newsletter here.

Visit our Platform Sponsors

NCARB is helping architects reach their goals! Get back on track with the new AXP (Architectural Experience Program) Portfolio by submitting an online portfolio and meeting your state’s requirements to get one step closer to becoming an architect! Visit NCARB.org to learn more today.

TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors that never fail to perform. They’re passionate about providing inspiration and tools to transform your designs with the most authentic and distinctive doors available. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more!

Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Learn more at FreshBooks.com.
Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect)

Referenced in this Episode

EntreArchitect Profit for Small Firm Architects course (unlimited free access)

The post EA161: SketchUp for Small Firm Architects with Mike LaValley [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA160: Questions from The EntreArchitect Community [Podcast]

10 mars 2017 | 49 min

Questions from the EntreArchitect Community

As an active community of entrepreneur architects, we’ve come together to build better businesses. We’re working together to build a better profession. Every day, we see the willingness to share our collective knowledge every day on the EntreArchitect Facebook Group. Members are sharing their struggles and not only are they benefiting as individuals, but each business is growing stronger every day.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Mark R. LePage answers Questions from the EntreArchitect Community.

For initial client meetings on a domestic project, do you let the client take the lead with their requirements/ideas/tour of the house while drinking coffee or do you take control with a meeting agenda?

While everyone does their own thing, and you kind of have to figure out what works best for you. Here’s how Mark typically does things:

The initial meeting process starts with a telephone call to manage the client’s expectations. Use a form to make sure you’re asking the same questions every time. The more information you collect upfront, the better. Take all the information you have and qualify the client to ensure you’re not wasting your time with a project you don’t really want or by throwing away valuable time in your day.

After confirming that they’re the right fit, set expectations for your meeting including time limits, steps you’re planning to take, and what will happen after the meeting. Let your clients feel more comfortable with you in the lead since they don’t know what to expect. Let them know you want to go on a tour right away and allow them to talk; what can they tell you about what they like or don’t like about the house? Will they receive a proposal or follow up prior to the initial meeting with you?

I was inspired to make the switch from CAD to BIM, so despite a busy schedule, I immersed myself in tutorials from Lynda.com. I’ve done lots of learning, but I’m feeling overwhelmed by the depths of this program. I’m trying to take the advice to just go forward and not switch back and forth, but I am so nervous. I feel like I’ve overloaded myself with information that I won’t remember. I’m a one-woman show who works from home doing residential/condo work while raising children. Does anyone else have this anxiety about switching over?

As a small firm, Mark knows how it feels to work hard from home while raising a family. It’s painful to make the transition from CAD to BIM, you’re certainly not alone there. So far, Mark has reviewed the options and narrowed it down to Revit and ArchiCad. Now, the goal is to design a floor plan in 3D and see which program works best for him. Once you get into it, you will hopefully know which one works best for you.

To be totally transparent, Mark had to switch back to AutoCad at one point to adhere to a deadline. However, the plan is to move onto the next phase in ArchiCad. It’s okay to switch over if you need to, but don’t abandon the commitment.

It’s taken a tremendous amount of time to learn and get set up, but not as much time as it took him to decide to make the transition. The biggest fear is exactly what happened: there’s so much going on and it’s not necessarily a need to make the switch, but Mark wants to keep up with new software and be proficient in it. With perseverance, soon enough, BIM will be second nature.

My practice has gotten a lot busier lately, and, so far, I’m keeping the panic at bay. I’m noticing that carving out “maker’s time” is getting more difficult. Any suggestions?

We’re all struggling with productivity, getting things done and focusing on the things that matter the most. Her’s a few resources that may help you:

Follow Eric Reinholdt’s 30X40 Design Workshop, find him on Twitter and Facebook, and check out the 30X40 Design Workshop on YouTube
GetFocusedCourse.com is everything Mark know’s about productivity from Monday morning meetings to how he gets things done.
Eliminate, automate and delegate. Check out Rory Vaden’s Focus Funnel to find out how can you create more time in the future by taking care of the most important things today?

After being promoted to the Director of Architecture, myself and another architect here will be doing all the marketing and business development moving forward. I don’t have as much business development experience as I’d like, what are some avenues we should take to grow our firms and departments? How can we make connections and get work through the door?

Your website needs to change from a portfolio to a marketing tool that tells your firm’s unique story. It should be clear and easy to read, and should include a call to action for potential clients to take the next step.

Figure out your target market and learn everything you can about that market: Who are they? Where do they work/play/live? Become an expert. Then, go to those places online or in person and build your network.

Our Facebook group is active with architects throughout the world. Everyone can share successes and failures in an open, transparent forum that’s private for only those who are in the group. It’s free to join, but you must be an architecture student or architect of any type and any size firm.

Head over to the EntreArchitect Facebook Group and share your thoughts.

Visit our Platform Sponsors

NCARB is helping architects reach their goals! Get back on track with the new AXP (Architectural Experience Program) Portfolio by submitting an online portfolio and meeting your state’s requirements to get one step closer to becoming an architect! Visit NCARB.org to learn more today.

TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors that never fail to perform. They’re passionate about providing inspiration and tools to transform your designs with the most authentic and distinctive doors available. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more!

Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Learn more at FreshBooks.com.
Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect)

Referenced in this Episode

EntreArchitect Profit for Small Firm Architects course (free)

Photo credit: Pixabay // PIX1861

The post EA160: Questions from The EntreArchitect Community [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA159: Compensation Strategies for Small Firm Architects [Podcast]

3 mars 2017 | 59 min

Compensation Strategies for Architects

How do you get paid? How to you structure your fees as an architect? Architects love to talk about this topic!

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Mark R. LePage shares his Compensation Strategies for Architects.

Note: This episode is about how Mark structure’s the compensation strategies for his own firm. These strategies work for him. You should structure your fees in ways that work best for you and your firms. Entrearchitect.com has lots of information on understanding fees, how to be profitable, and how to figure out what your fee should be.

Inspired by the EntreArchitect Facebook Group

Our Facebook group is active with architects throughout the world. Everyone can share successes and failures in an open, transparent forum that’s private for only those who are in the group. It’s free to join, but you must be an architecture student or architect of any type and any size firm.

Every week, Mark and other EntreArchitect Facebook group members post several thoughtful questions and all members of the group are able to collaborate on varying topics such as the following:

How do you remain confident in a room full of folks with many years of knowledge and experience ahead of you?
What does everyone do for secondary/passive income?
I’m running out of cash and I don’t have a single client or project to work on. I just started, but it’s really stressful knowing that the source of cash is diminishing and soon I won’t be able to attend to my family’s needs. Any thoughts?
I’m currently working with the most dysfunctional husband and wife client of my career. They can’t make or keep decisions and they incessantly argue about the smallest things using the most brutal terms right in front of me. I always thought that a good residential architect should also be a good marriage counselor, and I’ve prided myself on those skills, but I have met my match. Any suggestions, comments or similar stories?
Are you struggling with the transition from CAD to BIM?
What’s a good construction detailing book?
What kind of car do you drive and what does that say about you as an architect?

Background

Mark has a small architecture firm, Fivecat Studio Architecture, made up of himself and his wife, Annmarie. They’re based about 40 minutes north of New York City, and they focus on high-end additions and alterations.

Fee Structures for Fivecat Studio

Fivecat Studio’s basic compensation is 12% of the cost of construction. Depending on the client or the project, they may use different types of fees.

A hybrid fee starts with an initial payment of about 10% of the project prior to the schematic design phase. At the end of schematic design and having a full understanding of the project, they get a construction cost estimate. If the client wants to move forward, they put together a scope of work and base their fees on a schedule broken into $25K increments of construction costs.

Mark’s preference, the percentage of construction fee is based on the client’s budget. Once they know what the client wants to spend, they can put together a proposal. After a schematic design is complete and approved, the project goes through to bid and the fee adjusts to the final cost of construction.

Hourly works for a lot of other architects, but for Mark, hourly has always felt like a monthly negotiation. Flat fees are too hard to predict with different clients, project, expected quality levels, contractors, and more.

Mark has learned over the years that it’s easier to develop systems around the beliefs and expectations of the clients rather than to try and convince them that he’s correct as the architect. Instead of trying to justify everything, Mark developed the hybrid fee based on the client’s existing expectations.

Compensation

For Mark’s firm, compensation is divided into 5 phases:

Schematic design – 25% of total fee
Design development – 25% of total fee
Construction documents – 25% of total fee
Bidding and selection of a general contractor – 5% of total fee
Construction administration – 20% of total fee

Construction Administration is part of the base fee for architectural services. Every architect should provide construction administration as a mandatory service for every client.

Architects perform much more work on projects that’s not in the basic scope of services. If it’s not included in your basic services, you should be paid for any additional work you do. Many architects are performing additional services that they aren’t getting paid for and leaving significant amounts of money on the table.

One way to keep up with this is to manage your clients’ expectations. If you’re clear about what a project will take and what each piece will cost, your client will be prepared to pay for it.

Some additional services provided include master planning, construction management, and more.

Coordination of Consulting

Have you been on a project when a client says they’re going to take care of some part of the project? Often, you end up consulting or coordinating on their work. If so, you should be paid for those services.

Initial Payment Retainer

Typically our initial payment is based on 10% of the total fee based on expected construction costs. Upon signing the contract, the client pays that initial 10% and it’s held until the final invoice where it’s 100% refunded as a credit to the invoice.

However, Mark is considering making a change because of a post in the EntreArchitect Facebook Group. The point of the initial payment is protection and if a project is cancelled, it’s currently refunded 100%. Recently, Mark had a project that’s dragged on for several years. The firm has been compensated for all the work that’s been done, but, after some time, the project was cancelled. Now, they have to refund the full initial 10% payment?

Moving forward, Mark plans to credit a percentage of the initial payment at the end of each phase, instead of the very end. With this model, the balance of the initial payment is non-refundable and transferred to the architect upon termination for costs related to project close out.

Strategies for Getting Paid Faster

Be consistent by billing on the same day of the month
Follow up on your invoices
Accept credit cards and electronic payments
Always send reimbursement invoices separately from fee invoices

Question: Describe your fee structure. What works and what needs improvement?

Head over to the EntreArchitect Facebook Group and share your thoughts.

Visit our Platform Sponsors

NCARB is helping architects reach their goals! Get back on track with the new AXP (Architectural Experience Program) Portfolio by submitting an online portfolio and meeting your state’s requirements to get one step closer to becoming an architect! Visit NCARB.org to learn more today.

TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors that never fail to perform. They’re passionate about providing inspiration and tools to transform your designs with the most authentic and distinctive doors available. Visit them at EntreArchitect.com/Trustile to download the New American Home case study, watch the video and learn more!

Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Learn more at FreshBooks.com.
Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect)

Referenced in this Episode

The post EA159: Compensation Strategies for Small Firm Architects [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA158 (updated): Getting Noticed Through Fun Projects [Podcast]

28 februari 2017 | 60 min

Getting Noticed Through Fun Projects

This week, you can hear the story of two young architects coming together to build their dream. These guys survived the recession by developing a company creating BIM objects for manufacturers, then designing and building tiny houses which led to getting noticed by media. Now, they’re launching their newest projects: a book, a podcast, and an architect-as-developer project. They’re not waiting for permission, they’re just getting it done.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Getting Noticed Through Fun Projects with Lance Cayko and Alex Gore of F9 Productions Inc.

Origin Story

Growing up in North Dakota, Lance always remembers constructing things with legos and drawing in his sketch book. When he was 13, he started working on the family farm and lasted a whole year. After that, he worked with a friend’s dad replacing roofs. While he didn’t take school very seriously, he loved building and wanted to become a contractor. He attended North Dakota State School of Science to earn his associates degree, with a firm understanding of construction. At that point, he actually started to like school and see a path that he could enjoy. At the end of school, they built a house. When looking at the plans, Lance wanted to know why the designer made certain designs. Naturally, he started looking at architecture school, where he landed a bunch of scholarships; he was a good student once he found something he enjoyed learning about. He attended North Dakota State University, where he met Alex.

Alex can hardly remember a time that he didn’t want to be an architect. He recalls drawing tons of photos of ants and bees at an early age.

Lance & Alex Meet

At NDSU, Lance and Alex were in the same class. They met the second year, but didn’t hit it off right away (apparently because of their different tastes in music and hobbies). Eventually, they sat across from each other in one class and got to know each other a little better. In their third year, they had to design a giant airport. Lance and Alex were both leaders of two different teams, and by the end of the project they were so tired of trying to lead such a difficult project, they decided they should try to team up in the future.

Finally, one of the most prestigious projects at NDSU was building a sky scraper. Everyone involved had to complete personality tests to get paired so that different personalities were working together, so Lance and Alex rigged the system by answering completely opposite of each other to get on the project together. They teamed up and ended up winning the competition.

In fifth year, they had two huge projects to compete on: the thesis award and the Alpha Rho Chi award. Of course, Alex won the Alpha Rho Chi and Lance won the thesis award.

After Graduation

Since they knew it would be hard to get jobs in 2008, they had a conversation that maybe they would meet back up in 10 years and get to start a firm together. They parted ways, with Lance ending up in Colorado and Alex ending up in New York.

In New York, Alex actually watched people walk out of their jobs with boxes of stuff the day the market crashed. He called Lance and they talked about ideas for alternate income. Alex wanted to get his masters in construction management and learn how to build a website to get things started for their team. Around the same time, Lance was laid off and decided he wanted to learn how to build BIM models.

Instead of trying to get manufacturers on board on a huge sell during the recession, Lance started to make speculative models. He visited a few websites and started making speculative models in such a big volume, and, through a series of connections, ended up making railings for big manufactures in the US.

Through the recession, Lance was able to fall back on his carpentry skills and make a living working on his own. He landed a big house and then a clinic, and Alex decided to move down and team up with him for at least a few months until they saw where it could go.

F9 Productions

Lance and Alex knew there weren’t going to be huge commissions, but they figured there would be plenty of small projects. Because of that, they changed the model of their company to set it up as a volume-based business to meet that demand. They found that they were getting jobs because they were quick to respond, the most professional, and they over delivered. Although it was a basic thought, most people weren’t doing that. For a couple years, they were able to scrape by doing additions and renovations.

Fun Projects

Each year, they loved to do fun projects. The parameters were basically something fun that they can both agree on. One year, they created four different houses that could fight against the apocalypse (you can check it out here). Another time, they offered to build a friend a tiny house (see it here). They worked on it for about a year and found a crazy organic following. They had multiple offers to do a show on tiny houses and a ton of momentum grew. Though it was a nightmare to manage the process, they did it and their project went on to be featured on HGTV. They were soon approached by a local company who commissioned them to build two more tiny houses for a Fortune 500 company.

The Renaissance

Lots of architects discuss what they get paid for. Instead, Lance and Alex have decided to take on more responsibility and risk and use that to eventually get paid more.

Now, they work hard to increase their value by taking on increased responsibility. They’d put a backup offer on a piece of land that they ended up being able to purchase, and now they’re starting the whole development process on two buildings with residential town homes and their new offices.

Next Steps

The fun project this year is to start a new podcast, called Inside the Firm, which will include conversations about past experiences with good and bad stories as well as the journey with their current design project.

They’ve also started a Facebook album to share a visual representation of constraints they encounter and how they’ve solved that particular problem.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Be fundamentally responsive. It’s so simple, even when you’re busy, to respond quickly even just to say you’ll get back to them tomorrow. It shows you respect and value that they’re a client or potential client.” – Lance Cayko, F9 Productions

“Do something fun that you can put your heart into. If you don’t have the time to do that, there’s so many little ideas you have that you can think about how to put out into the world. Even a website costs almost nothing. So many of the fun ideas we’ve put our effort into have come back to pay off down the road. We all have talents and ideas, so figure out how to put them out into the world.” – Alex Gore, F9 Productions

Connect with the Lance and Alex online at F9Productions.com or find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Visit our Platform Sponsors

NCARB is helping architects reach their goals! Get back on track with the new AXP (Architectural Experience Program) Portfolio by submitting an online portfolio and meeting your state’s requirements to get one step closer to becoming an architect! Visit NCARB.org to learn more today.

TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors that never fail to perform. They’re passionate about providing inspiration and tools to transform your designs with the most authentic and distinctive doors available. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more!

Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Learn more at FreshBooks.com.
Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect)

Referenced in this Episode

EntreArchitect Profit for Small Firm Architects course (free)
The Creativity Code (Book)

The post EA158 (updated): Getting Noticed Through Fun Projects [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA157: Modern Architecture and Design for the Masses with Architect Ben Uyeda [Podcast]

17 februari 2017 | 62 min

Modern Architecture and Design for the Masses

Throughout the profession, a common theme we hear is how to leverage what we do as architects. How can we leverage what we do for the good of more people? How can we take our unique skills and talents and use them to better serve the entire population? How do we benefit all of society as architects?

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Modern Architecture and Design for the Masses with Ben Uyeda of HomeMade Modern.

Ben’s Origin Story

Ben grew up in Southern California and remembers buying a raft out of two liter soda bottles after reading Huckleberry Finn. Design was something he found he was able to do by combining adventure with resourcefulness when there wasn’t access to something or you couldn’t afford to buy it.

He attended Cornell University for both undergrad and his Masters, where he quickly learned that architecture is a little bit more than just building cool stuff. He loved the strong subculture within the university that really immersed him in the world of architecture. As he neared graduation, he wondered how he was going to make a living. When he talked to other recent graduates, the picture they painted was slightly less glamorous than what he expected. Though the faculty at the university made it out to be an upscale lifestyle, people a couple years out of college weren’t having the same experience.

He then decided to take some risk earlier in his career when the personal risk was lower by learning as much about buildings as possible. Since residential is the most common type of buildings, they put their focus there. In 2005, Ben and his friend, Stephanie, entered a competition to design and build a solar-powered house and came in second out of twenty teams. Mostly importantly, they learned a ton and felt confident that they knew how to design a building.

At that point, they were as ready as they could ever be. They knew there was a competitive advantage to being young and inexperienced, so they leveraged what they had: the internet. Though they didn’t have a portfolio, they focused on simple SEO centered around green and sustainable design. They found a strong community that could be focused around sustainable design, but didn’t have a lot of architects doing that. They built their website and worked to convert 1 out of 1000 website visitors. They were very honest with potential clients, letting them know that they didn’t have a lot of experience but that they could promised to work hard and use state-of-the-art tools like Revit.

Do you think your early focus on the internet was the big break?

Ben wouldn’t consider himself a hugely technological person, but he made a decision not to wait and to jump in feet first. The internet wasn’t some trick, he just knew that it was something he could use to his advantage over those who were older than him and may not have the technological edge.

How did you get past the hurdle of not having a license?

When they teamed up for their first big projects, a lot of the contractors had a licensed architect in house. They collaborated with licensed architects as consultants and gave them credit for their parts in the design. Each licensed architect brought their own unique skills to each project, offering yet another advantage.

Are there any areas now that young architects can take advantage of now?

If you can produce content that’s visually compelling and that people can understand how it fits into context, you can find lots of social media followers. If you can make it something that addresses people’s needs and concerns. Even more, if you can create content that shows people how to do something and that they have to spend money to do, then you start making a profit.

You can make interesting things for YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook. Take it deeper than what you already see. If you see a need and can find a unique way to fill it, you can create information that’s behind the renderings that make people loyal to your content feeds. They know you don’t have every answer, but they see that you can provide research value.

Do the research, make some diagrams and drawing, educate yourself and others, and people will start to come to you for help.

What does today look like for Ben?

Ben is still a partner in the firm, but he doesn’t practice architecture at this time. Around 2007, they were seeing a ton of success with their firm, Zero Energy Design, but Ben realized that he wasn’t doing what he got into this for: sustainability. Unfortunately, architect designed homes are mostly for the wealthy who can afford the services. Ben realized that it takes just as much time to design an affordable house as it does to design an expensive house, but it doesn’t provide a systemic way to make a real change.

He wanted to figure out how to design affordable, energy-efficient homes that didn’t need to charge the consumer for the designs. From there, he and another business partner decided to make house plans with stock construction drawings with energy modeling and give them away for free. How would they make money? They were distributing architecture as a type of media and monetizing it as marketing by pointing clients toward the recommended companies that provided the components to execute the free plans.

He wanted to have a major impact on a lot of people, and design things that his family could have afforded when he was a kid. Since he could distribute media and monetize it through marketing, and that the new home construction industry was very cyclical to market whims. He started designing affordable, modern furniture and making YouTube videos out of it, which lead to Homemade Modern. The whole process is a lot faster than traditional architecture, which can span over several years. Here, Ben can have an idea, sketch it out, build it, film the process, make some edits, publish, and receive feedback in a matter of days and in a cost-effective manner.

Ben realized that he was influencing and providing architectural design digitally without the difficulties of outsourcing, manufacturing, capital risk, marketing, and more. He has an idea, he makes one version of it and then gives the idea away for others to use.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Build a piece of furniture, or something where your capital risk of your time and cost of materials is minimal. Architects are really good at this and the public isn’t, so use this as a way to share something that people will love that’s really easy for you to do. Make something you can do in a weekend with less than $100 in materials. Don’t reinvent the wheel, just make something that’s a little cleaner than something else out there. Do an Ikea hack. If you have an iPhone, you can record it. Share something that can make someone’s home nicer that you can do in a weekend, and I guarantee that it’ll have a positive impact on you.” – Ben Uyeda, HomeMade Modern

Connect with the Ben online at ZeroEnergy.com and HomeMade-Modern.com or find him on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Visit our Platform Sponsors

NCARB is helping architects reach their goals! Get back on track with the new AXP (Architectural Experience Program) Portfolio by submitting an online portfolio and meeting your state’s requirements to get one step closer to becoming an architect! Visit NCARB.org to learn more today.

TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors that never fail to perform. They’re passionate about providing inspiration and tools to transform your designs with the most authentic and distinctive doors available. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more!

Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Learn more at FreshBooks.com.
Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect)

Referenced in this Episode

EntreArchitect Profit for Small Firm Architects course (free)
Ben’s TedX Talk: Why I Give My Best Designs Away for Free

The post EA157: Modern Architecture and Design for the Masses with Architect Ben Uyeda [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA156: The Architect Specialist with Alan Stein [Podcast]

10 februari 2017 | 40 min

The Architect Specialist

This week on the podcast we have an architect pursuing his dreams, following his passions, serving a market outside the traditional design studio business model and building a successful company.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, The Architect Specialist with Alan Stein of Tanglewood Conservatories.

Alan’s Origin Story

As a kid, Alan always loved building things in his dad’s workshop out of anything he could think of. He loved to draw after being enrolled in some anatomical drawing classes; the idea of bringing life to something on a page was fascinating to him. Much later in life, he did a lot of wood working, home construction and cabinet making. He recognized that his skill as a craftsman was lacking the design side.

He went through the architecture program at the University of Maryland and graduated with a degree as an architect. Because he loved making things himself, he didn’t love the traditional architecture path. After working with a design-build firm, he launched into his own design-build practice for some time. One day, a client showed him a picture of an English style conservatory and asked if he could build it. Alan said, “Sure!”

Once they had the job, they hopped on a flight to England to do some research and then completed the project successfully. Following that, they had the same request from a different client. They quickly recognized a market niche and rebranded to go full fledged toward conservatories.

In the beginning, they began by buying parts and pieces from manufacturers, and now they’ve integrated the company to a place where they do the design, engineering, installation, and more for projects all over the world.

How does your process work?

Most of the time, an architect or client approaches Tanglewood Conservatories with an idea. Their design department takes the concept and applies their specialized knowledge. Either the designer has conceived something that’s complicated and unbuildable, creating the difficult task of keeping the concept and making it doable, or architects don’t realize the full capacity of options they have, giving Tanglewood the collaborative process of showing them the different routes they can go from a simple design.

Usually they go from conceptional design to design development as a precursor to construction and manufacturing documents. Once everyone’s in agreement with the design concept and costs, then they can move forward.

Who’s your typical client?

Most of the time architects are clients. The owner calls an architect to build a new house or do a renovation, but Alan’s team is brought in to do the conservatory aspect.

What inspired you to start a company specifically focused on a target market?

The more Alan got to know the rooms and the more research he did on conservatories, the more he fell in love with the concepts. They were the coolest spaces around with tons of glass in the roof and the expressive structure; he loved the fact that one can grow an orange tree in the middle of winter. There’s a wonderful history that he got to know and he fell in love with it. His specific focus and love for the concept allowed him to become an expert in the field.

What were some of the biggest barriers you encountered?

Conservatories were not well-known on this side of the pond, so it was a young market at the time. As they found a measure of success, the competition from the UK became very fierce; at one point they were competing against a handful of companies that were all trying to sell their product to a limited market in the US. Many of those companies no longer exist, which is a true testament to the work that Alan and his team are doing.

Tanglewood Conservatories has always been willing to think outside of the box. Although there’s a typical conservatory image, they began to push the envelope there by working more with steel structures in wood rooms or doing interesting work with copper or bronze, always looking for things that were more unique. One project they completed was a greenhouse outside of Boston, using some techniques that had never been used before. The client wanted references for similar projects, and Alan had to let him know that he wasn’t able to because that was the first time they were creating that type of project. Though many of their ideas are innovative, they’ve developed the awareness and the systems to allow them to successfully pursue new technologies and design features and be able to consistently pull them off successfully.

Do you think some of your success was the result of you being an architect first?

Because Alan was focused on design first, his architecture background has driven a lot of success. It’s also differentiated his team in the market between companies who are in manufacturing more than the foundation of design. There have been times they’ve sacrificed potential profitability for the sake of design.

Was there a turning point going from a startup to a successful company?

There wasn’t one specific point, but rather a gradual path. As they’ve developed the steel side of the business, a lot of small steps have made the journey possible.

What does your team look like?

There are 30 people in house and many outsourced partners. There’s a drafting and engineering staff, two other designers, a production team and outsourced help for installation and production of parts along with the administrative side of the business.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Bring in experts early. Don’t think you can do everything yourself. The world has changed; building and business are much more complicated. On the technical side or or the business side, bring in someone who can help push things forward, reach out and get the help that you need early. By yourself, you have limited capabilities. If you want to grow a successful business, you have to bring in a lot of people with a lot of experience to help you.” – Alan Stein, Tanglewood Conservatories

Connect with the Alan online at TanglewoodConservatories.com or find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Visit our Platform Sponsors

NCARB is helping architects reach their goals! Get back on track with the new AXP (Architectural Experience Program) Portfolio by submitting an online portfolio and meeting your state’s requirements to get one step closer to becoming an architect! Visit NCARB.org to learn more today.

TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors that never fail to perform. They’re passionate about providing inspiration and tools to transform your designs with the most authentic and distinctive doors available. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more!

Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Learn more at FreshBooks.com.
Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect)

Referenced in this Episode

EntreArchitect Profit for Small Firm Architects course (free)

The post EA156: The Architect Specialist with Alan Stein [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA155: Developing Specifications for Small Projects [Podcast]

3 februari 2017 | 56 min

Developing Specifications for Small Projects

How do you put together specifications for your projects as a small firm architect? Do you put them on drawings? Do you use a separate project manual? Should you use outline specifications? What are the different options for small firm architects putting together construction documents for a small project? Is there anything out there to make this process easier?

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Bill Jannott from ARCAT.com discusses Developing Specifications for Small Projects and the Future of Technology!

Bill’s Origin Story

When Bill was growing up, his dad was running Sweets catalogs publishing building and construction materials. Following that, he created the Architect’s Catalog in 1991 with just a few sales reps. One thing led to another, and Bill ended up taking a position with ARCAT.com, then a small website with only 13 pages. Aside from the home page, there were 12 pages of specifications that architects could access and use in their projects.

Through a series of developments taking short, concise specs and adding a user interface around them, they created a program where someone could spec out an entire project in about 4 minutes.

Why is ARCAT a free resource and how do you make money?

They make money because every manufacturer pays to have their content on the website. Historically, architects don’t want to spend money on stuff like this and, if they are being charged, they’re not likely to keep up with the latest version.

What’s the difference between outline specifications and short form?

Short form is a smaller, 3-part spec. The outline is mostly where you define the product and its attributes and characteristics.

What’s included in a typical outline specification that could become the document for a project?

For example, in a residential project you may need several different kinds of paint: exterior, interior, and maybe a stain for the deck. The outline spec will have three parts, one for each product. You may or may not want to assign manufacturers, but the option is there.

What’s the advantage to having specifications?

If you don’t, the quality of your project will not be as high as you want because you won’t get the products and manufacturers that you want to use. If something goes wrong, a lot of finger pointing tends to happen. If you know your manufacturer and the quality of their project, you’re not going to get a call from the homeowner down the road that something isn’t holding up. If you have high quality materials specified in your plans and someone decides to go with a different material, you have a legally binding document to protect you.

What’s in the future for architecture and specifications?

Spec writers seem to be a dying breed, which is a shame as it’s such an important part of the process. ARCAT is updating their version of outline specs, and part of the new system is something along the lines of Trello where users have the ability to create new tasks, invite team members to be a part of projects, kick around ideas, add photos, and more.

How do you see virtual reality changing the way architects design?

Bill feels that virtual reality will completely change how architects work through the initial concepts of design. Right now, we start with pencil, pen and paper. The only negative of that, is the great sketch you’ve made is 2D. Virtual reality allows for the same process, in 3D. Where sometimes software can get in the way of creativity, the option to create a sketch in virtual reality doesn’t get in of your way but allows you to express your creativity without barriers.

What else is coming toward the architecture world in the future?

The goal of technology advances like virtual reality is to create ways for things to be done more efficiently and effectively. Things like artificial intelligence and virtual reality both have the possibility to change every industry, including the architecture industry, for the better. Machine learning is able to do tedious and mundane tasks quickly, allowing the human to think more creatively.

As an architect, imagine if you take the information from your clients and your sketches and the information you have and throw it all in a box. If that box can take the information in and spit out a digital set of documents, how much easier would your job be? How much more free would you be to figure out more creative, human pieces that make each project unique?

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Listen to podcasts. There’s a bunch of good architectural small business, and “how to make yourself a more performant person” podcasts out there. Podcasts are very niche, you won’t find the same information on the radio or on TV. Every podcast I listen to serves my interests and my needs. They’ll enlighten you in so many ways, expand your thinking, and make you a better architect and person.” – Bill Jannott

Connect with the Bill online at ARCAT.com or find them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.

Visit our Platform Sponsors

NCARB is helping architects reach their goals! Visit NCARB.org to learn more today.

TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more!

Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Learn more at FreshBooks.com. Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect)

Referenced in this Episode

EntreArchitect Profit Plan Course (free)
EntreArchitect Podcast Episode 127: 6 Technologies That Will Radically Change the Architecture Profession in Less Than 10 Years (Podcast)

Photo Credit: Shutterstock / NicoElNino

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EA154: How to Succeed as a Married Couple in Architecture [Podcast]

27 januari 2017 | 53 min

How to Succeed as a Married Couple in Architecture

“Being a married couple in architecture may be the most difficult, the most satisfying and the most successful approach at being small firm architects. It’s not always easy and it’s not always pretty, but I wouldn’t trade my life as an architect with my wife and partner Annmarie for anything. How we’ve established our roles and responsibilities for both our firm and our family is how we’ve become successful.”

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Mark R. LePage speaks with Claire and Cavin Costello from The Ranch Mine to share their story about How to Succeed as a Married Couple in Architecture.

Cavin’s Origin Story

Cavin is originally from Connecticut and attended Northeastern University for his undergraduate and graduate degree while working over two years in firms in Connecticut and Boston. After graduating, he felt a change was necessary and he packed up and moved to Phoenix, Arizona. A friend introduced him to Claire the first day he arrived, and the rest is history.

Listen to episode 138 to hear Cavin’s full origin story and How To Design and Sell Modern Architecture.

Claire’s Origin Story

Claire was born and raised in Phoenix, and grew up studying furniture catalogues. Her grandfather built his own home and farm in Indiana; the pride he had and the stories he told about the building process painted a dialogue about creating a home. Similarly, her uncle in Tucson built a rammed earth house and, during a visit, she learned a lot about that process. Both people played a big part in fostering an interest in Claire about creating a home.

Her degrees are in English and communication, but her personal relationships followed the design world. A mutual friend introduced her to Cavin, who was obviously very rooted in architecture, and the conversations they had about the built environment and what someone could do with design drew her in.

They took a leap to purchase and renovate a foreclosure, and having survived that challenge early on makes other challenges that come their way surmountable.

Would you recommend a foreclosure renovation to other married couples?

The sequence of building their own designs was such a hands-on experience that Claire found a lot of value in the experience, though it did put them through the wringer. Cavin remembers the process being taxing from both a financial and emotional standpoint, and mixing both of those strains is not for the faint of heart. Jumping into the most difficult thing accelerated their growth and made everything down the road possible. For the Costellos, it was easier to take the risk at the beginning.

By diving straight in, do you feel you were able to get some systems in place?

It was eye-opening to see the architectural components of moving walls and doing additions, and then you have the interiors of cabinets, tiles, and other finished items. Some things don’t have to be decided at the design part, which they learned along the way. Now, there’s two sets of documents the clients receive including the architectural construction documents and the interior specifications book, which is easily changed if needed. It’s more manageable for clients to have all of the information in front of them with a timeline of the decisions and priorities.

How is The Ranch Mine business structured?

The Ranch Mine includes Cavin as the Registered Architect and Claire as the Chief Executive. Cavin is the lead on design, but the Costellos collaborate a lot by visiting projects for initial visits, working to wrap both of their heads around existing conditions, and joining together for different design elements. They work with independent contractors on certain projects from time to time.

If there are hard choices to be made, if it’s a business decision Claire has the final say and if it’s an architecture decision then Cavin has the final say. Cavin usually starts from the big picture and Claire starts from the details and the perspective of the homeowner, and then the work to meet in the middle. The flexibility comes from the thought that each project is geared more towards their clients’ needs than what Claire or Cavin might personally prefer in the end. Differences of opinion often give their clients two different viewpoints to choose from and push both of them to challenge each other along the process.

If you didn’t meet, do you think you would have succeeded as quickly?

If Cavin and Claire didn’t meet, Cavin doubts he would have been able to make the business end of it work as well. The success in how fast they’ve grown wouldn’t have been the same, because the speed, efficiency and growth is a direct result of their relationship. The mixing of alternating strengths has been a huge benefit.

How do you balance your work and personal life?

At the beginning of their partnership, the business took over and it was hard to create boundaries. After a few years, they started getting more firm about boundaries and began to create time for themselves on evenings and weekends. During working hours, Cavin and Claire work in their own spaces to complete their own work. They’ve also found that it helps to find activities that they both enjoy outside of work to disengage.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Be grounded in the right projects for you and what those criterion would be. Be empowered to turn down projects that aren’t the right fit. Identify your ideal projects and what those terms are. Then, find a network, including a landscape architect or an interior designer, so that when you say no to a project for whatever reason, you can still be a resource because you have a network of people you feel comfortable referring to.” – Claire Costello

Connect with the Cavin & Claire online at TheRanchMine.com or find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Visit our Platform Sponsors

TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more!

Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Learn more at FreshBooks.com. Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect)

Referenced in this Episode

EntreArchitect Profit Plan Course (free)
Episode 138: How to Design and Sell Modern Architecture with Cavin Costello

The post EA154: How to Succeed as a Married Couple in Architecture [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA153: Pursuing Your Passion as a Small Firm Architect [Podcast]

20 januari 2017 | 42 min

How to Pursue Your Passion as a Small Firm Architect

Most architects are born dreamers, but we tend to be afraid to pursue those dreams. Often our dreams are stuck in our head and it’s hard to find a way to reach them. Success in achieving our greatest goals can only occur if we… start. Make a plan and take the first step to move toward your dreams!

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Victor Caban-Diaz talks big ideas and Pursuing Your Passion as a Small Firm Architect.

Astronaut or Comic Book Artist?

Victor didn’t make the decision to study architecture until he was ready to make a decision about where he wanted to go to college. Growing up, various professions like being an astronaut or a comic book artist were more appealing to him. In high school, he was great at math and art and wanted to pursue both skills, eventually landing on architecture and attending the University of Miami in Florida. He received his bachelor’s degree there and began his degree.

In the beginning, he didn’t feel like he was doing anything of value. He ended up jumping around from firm to firm every two to three years because of the recession. He struggled with feeling like he was advancing and growing in his own value. Most recently Victor had been working for Fort Lauderdale and decided to go out on his own.

Victor had the idea for Building Ingenuity for the last five years in his mind from the buzz surrounding the architect-as-developer concept. He had some previous experience with the direct marketing world, and it left an impact on him. The thought that someone could control a project and reap the rewards from it with residual income was amazing to him. He wanted to replicate the concept within the architecture world.

The thought behind Building Ingenuity is to help other architects by offering traditional architecture, including residential, mixed-use and commercial, BIM consulting for architects, and development services.

Investing in Other Architects

After reading the Richest Man in Babylon, Victor’s main take-away was to invest in other people’s talents. In his opinion, the best people to invest in architects are other architects. Through the architect-as-developer concept, he wants to perfect that business model and teach others how to do it and invest in their business. Victor wants to use the profits he makes on his business and reinvest them, with the goal to create growth and residual income for the whole network involved.

As Victor points out, architects are constantly being taught how to grow and improve, but they aren’t reaping any of the rewards. We are not taught how to pursue your passion as a small firm architect. If you have a mentor who’s invested in your success who’s showing you the way, you have a greater chance of achieving your dreams.

What’s Next for Victor?

Victor’s plan is to continue building funds and recruiting architects to join the franchise. Currently, he’s done some work to acquire a property in a neighborhood that’s great for what his target audience is looking for, and he now has one property that he is working to develop and build.

Down the road, Victor hopes to have a large coworking-type office, filled with a wide variety of architects using their talents to enable greater investments in development for their clients. This industry is one that is ripe for disruption!

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Get involved with your community: associations, local chamber of commerce, AIA. One of the reasons I’m succeeding is because of the mentorship I receive from other architects and the help I get from other colleagues. Don’t sit there alone trying to make business from your office. Get back to the profession and get involved. ” – Victor Caban-Diaz

Connect with Victor online at BuildIngenuity.com or on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more!

Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Learn more at FreshBooks.com. Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect)

Referenced in this Episode

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EA152: 10 Steps for Creating Standard Operating Procedures for Architects [Podcast]

13 januari 2017 | 43 min

10 Steps for Creating Standard Operating Procedures for Architects

Michael Gerber, the author of The E-Myth Revisited, said, “Organize around business functions, not people. Build systems within each business function. Let systems run the business and people run the systems. People come and go, but the systems remain constant.”

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Simple SOPs: 10 Steps for Creating Standard Operating Procedures for Architects.

In business, standard operating procedures are the answer to your questions. How do you make more money? How can you find more work? How can you get your employees or contractors to do what you want them to? How do I get more done?

The answer is SOPs; Standard Operating Procedures for Architects. They make you a stronger, more effective leader. They clarify your vision and communicate, support and help with decision-making for realizing that vision. SOPs build a better culture. They’re an intentional reinforcement of the behaviors that help us realize our vision and the kind of workplace that we want our firms to be. SOPs allow us to build better businesses, so we can be better architects. Once they’re developed, they allow us to focus on what matters most to us and spend more time on the things that we love to do. Creating SOPs might be the most important task we have as entrepreneurs.

Unfortunately, most of us don’t have standard operating procedures. Why? Because we feel that the systems will hinder our creativity? That if we great a standard process we’ll start to create standard projects?

Of course not! They’ll allow us to have more time to spend on developing our creativity and give us more opportunities to be better architects.

Or maybe we don’t create processes because we were never taught. We’re not business people, we’re architects.

What are the 5 components of every SOP?

A process, the manual methods used for accomplishing a task. Effective processes are clear, replicable, documented, supported by tools, and easily accessible.
Systems, or automated methods for accomplishing tasks.
Roles are the expectations for how someone doing the work should use his/her skills to achieve the goals.
Skills are complete sets of knowledge that are used to execute the processes.
Structure is how the different roles interact.

“For the first 25 years of my life, I wanted freedom. For the next 25 years I wanted order. For the next 25 years I realized the order is freedom.” – Winston Churchill

10 Steps to Creating Standard Operating Procedures for Architects

1. Company Identity // Your firm’s name, logo, letterhead. Maybe you want to document your firm’s mission and vision to remind your firm of the purpose of your work.

2. Introduction // Have clear communication about the background for the SOP. What is the purpose and scope? Why are you creating it? If your SOPs are digital, you can have keywords that are searchable for future reference.

3. Role // Which role is responsible for this SOP?

4. Responsibilities // What is included in performing this SOP?

5. Skills // What is required to accomplish this task? You want to align the skills with the responsibilities and roles, so pick someone who possesses the strengths needed for this role.

6. Resources // What do you need to accomplish this SOP? Organize a list of links, a book, a specific section in a book, etc.

7. Instructions // A written, step-by-step procedure including every single step, no matter how small the detail. If it works for what you’re doing, create a screen-share video of the task as you’re completing it. The more time you spend on developing the clarity, the more time you’ll save in the end.

8. Monitoring // Check in for the effectiveness and efficiency of the process. As it’s being carried out, someone should be reviewing how it’s working.

9. Correction // We want things to improve and evolve as technology changes and you have more experience. How can you correct your procedures as you know more?

10. Verification // This is where accountability comes in. The process gets assigned to the implementor who confirms that the process has been completed. Then, the reviewer confirms that the work was done effectively.

It sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it? Use whatever works for you: Evernote, Google Docs, Trello or something else that fits with your firm’s culture.

You can create a system for anything: CRM, marketing, website maintenance, advertising, social media, sales, technology processes, hiring and performance reviews, communications, and more.

Homework: This week, pick one procedure and document it. Use these 10 steps to develop your first SOP and you’ll see: it’s not that hard!

Don’t miss this week’s blog on my one word for 2017: Simplify. Visit EntreArchitect to learn more!

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TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more!

Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Learn more at FreshBooks.com. Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect)

Referenced in this Episode

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Mentioned in this episode:

EA151: How to Grow Your Architecture Firm [Podcast]

6 januari 2017 | 44 min

How to Grow Your Architecture Firm

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, How to Grow Your Architecture Firm with Todd Reding, President and CEO of Charrette Venture Group and Rena Klein, founder of RM Klein Consulting.

What is Charrette Venture Group?

Charrette Venture Group (CVG) is a firm that provides a wholistic approach to building a business; they provide services from management, leadership, finance, marketing, business development, and more to architecture firms who are seeking to build a strong business in the design space.

What’s new for Charrette Venture Group?

CVG is thrilled to announce a merge with RM Klein Consulting. The parallels with of Rena’s mission and CVG and with EntreArchitect led her to want to share what she knows with those around her, building a consulting practice to help architecture firms succeed. She was excited to meet the founder of CVG, Matt Ostanik, and join in an innovative approach to helping small firms succeed. She found that one of the barriers to success is having the money to invest and the help you need, so CVG’s model of investing as a team to help small firm architects appealed to her. Because her expertise is in operations and finance, it’s great to be a part of a team of experts with skills in different areas.

As a consultant with CVG, Rena has enjoyed having a more “long term relationship” with clients to help them grow. After some time, it made sense to both Todd and Rena to merge their similar missions and specialized skills into one company. Rena brings some larger clients to the table, helping them to accomplish goals after initial growth like sustainability and value growth.

One of the most exciting things about this merger is the creation of the CVG brand message. As kind of a startup going through a merger, they’re working to model the opportunities and decisions that investment partners are having to make these days.

When CVG invests in a new partner firm, what happens?

It’s different with each firm, but before even beginning CVG works with each firm to map out a five year plan. What do they need? When do they need it? One firm may need a lot of bookkeeping help right off the bat. Another may need a rebrand with a new website that fits them better. Then, the firm owners participate in a biweekly assessment to keep up with the progress that’s being made. Those are the kinds of services that are constructed and members of the team get involved at different parts of the process.

Can you tell us about the ideal CVG partner?

Typically it’s a firm under 10 employees with $500K in annual revenue, but they’re always interested in talking to firms larger than that. There’s a thorough assessment process, but it always comes down to the answer to, “What do you want out of this business?” Do you want to build a sustainable business that will allow you to do the work you enjoy and provide for you and your family?

CVG is looking for firm leaders who have aspirations for growth. While there’s nothing wrong with having a small firm and wanting it to stay that way, if you have a desire to grow you need to be willing to professionalize and give up control in certain areas to broaden what you imagine is possible for your business.

If someone’s interested in taking the next step with CVG, how can they do so?

There’s a space on the website to schedule a free consultation for a general inquiry or for any of CVG’s products/services.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“I’m so confident in our team that I’d say you should contact Charrette Venture Group. That’s not a commercial, I’m not trying to sell you anything, but the people on this team are really good at what they do and the firms we work with would reinforce that. If you want to grow a great business, give us a call – no obligations. We’re looking to help firms grow.” – Todd Reding

“Take a look at your 2016 results, see how you actually did, and do some planning with your staff for 2017. This is a moment in time where you can think about your goals for your work culture, financial benchmarks, and your design aspirations.” – Rena Klein

Connect with Todd & Rena online by visiting Charrette Venture Group and RM Klein Consulting, or by connecting on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Visit our Platform Sponsors

TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more!

Tanglewood Conservatories combines the romanticism of the 19th century glass architecture with state-of-the-art technology today. Learn more at TanglewoodConservatories.com.

Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Learn more at FreshBooks.com. Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect)

Referenced in this Episode

The post EA151: How to Grow Your Architecture Firm [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA150: Beautifully Simple Websites for Architects with Robert Yuen [Podcast]

23 december 2016 | 37 min

Beautifully Simple Websites for Architects

How can you find more work? How can you convert more proposals into projects? Tell your unique story to your target audience. That’s brand building, the essence of marketing. The best and maybe most important tool we have to accomplish this strategy is our website.

When our potential clients start the process of seeking an architect, the first step is to search online for someone in their local region. Are you on the first page of Google? If not, you’re invisible. You need a website that can find its way to the first results of a search engine. When your prospects find your website, it has to be beautiful and clear, and it must tell your unique story as the first impression of your brand. We know you have so much to do and so little time.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Beautifully Simple Websites for Architects with Robert Yuen of Monograph.io.

What is Monograph.io?

Monograph is a website builder with a concierges’ service. As three previous architects diving into technology, we’re trying to build specific tools for architects. Three months after being launched, we have 150 architects on board already.

What inspired you and your partners to leave architecture and start a company providing services for architects?

Robert and his two partners were usually in charge of building websites for the architecture firms they were at for the first five to ten years of their careers. When they got to know each other, they felt they had a larger value to give back as digital designers verses traditional architects. After doing that on a freelance basis for a while, they came together to form an agency to provide digital tools for project management, team management, and processes for the back end of websites.

Monograph is the evolution of that work. Since often architects can’t afford the fees of an agency model but the need is there to have a great way to represent their work, they could leverage the same technology and put it into Monograph.

What does Monograph offer that models like WordPress, Wix, and SquareSpace don’t?

Monograph starts with a product and then incorporates a concierges’ service. That means that any client gets round-the-clock service from the team regarding resolutions, responsiveness, optimizations, SEO, digital representation, what is possible and what isn’t, etc.

Monograph also allows a feature to categorize for architects, to show the different types of work. If you’re doing residential and small commercial work, you can categorize your projects into whatever section is relevant.

What is website responsiveness?

A responsive website adapts to whatever device you’re using. If you change the size of your browser window and things don’t optimize, that means it’s static and doesn’t present as well as it could for a small business.

How does Monograph work to get your website optimized so Google can find you?

Fundamentally, Monograph is designed with a lot of things done automatically for every user. All the visuals and images are also pushed to the top as new clients may be looking for architectural inspiration. As a part of the concierges’ service, Monograph helps clients understand Google analytics and webmaster services, which essentially assess the website’s performance.

Once the website is finished, how do you maintain and update it with Monograph?

There’s no maintaining on the technical end, because that’s what Monograph does. If you want to update something, you just add a new project, upload the photos and text, and let Monograph know that you’ve got something new. The user interface is set up to be as simple as possible to use.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Find the nearest events and go and have fun! Especially this time of year, take opportunities to meet new friends, colleagues and leads. The hardest part is telling yourself you can and the easiest part is just doing it.” – Robert Yuen

Find Robert online at Monograph.io, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or get in touch with him at [email protected].

Visit our Platform Sponsors

TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more!

Tanglewood Conservatories combines the romanticism of the 19th century glass architecture with state-of-the-art technology today. Learn more at TanglewoodConservatories.com.

Referenced in this Episode

EntreArchitect Profit Plan Course (free)
Hear Robert’s origin story on EA Episode 133
Review us on iTunes
For EntreArchitect listeners, receive $50 off the annual plan with Monograph from now until the end of the year!

The post EA150: Beautifully Simple Websites for Architects with Robert Yuen [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA149: Copyright Protection for Architects [Podcast]

16 december 2016 | 39 min

Copyright Protection for Architects

A question often raised is, “How do we protect our designs?” How can we deter a client from overextending their license to our ideas and using our designs beyond their initially intended or contractually bound uses? As creatives, how do we protect our creativity?

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Copyright Protection for Architects with Abe Cohn of Howard M. Cohn & Associates.

Abe’s Origin Story

Abe has always been interested in entrepreneurship, and finds it fascinating to deal with so many people in so many different areas who have such different and novel ideas. He started a tech company a few years ago and after dealing with a ton of intellectual property law there, it made sense for him to move over to the legal sides of things.

What’s the difference between copyright, trademarks and patents?

Intellectual property is a broad category that includes the intangibles involved in a new creation. Depending on what that is, you can turn to a specific piece of that property.

If you were to walk into a shoe store and saw a swoosh; you would immediately recognize that product as a part of the Nike corporation. In that case, the swoosh is a trademark: a mark that serves as an identifier for a good. There’s also a servicemark, which is attached to a service being provided. Legally, the process is exactly the same.

Next, you walk into a car shop and saw a gorgeous engine inside a Lamborghini. That engine is a creation that someone has invested a lot of time, money and talents into making. How do we protect that person’s rights? Patents protect novel processes, things that people are building and the ideas behind them.

In any Harry Potter book, JK Rowling turned to copyrights to protect her creative manifestations. Copyrights protects her literary work and ensures that others can’t steal, use or copy her brilliant ideas.

How are architects protected by copyright law?

Architects have claims to different copyrights, like the drawings and designs of the building. About 25 years ago, Congress passed the Architectural Works Copyright Protection Act to expand the scope of what it is that architects can actually copy, which states,

“An original design of a building created in any tangible medium of expression, including a constructed building or architectural plans, models, or drawings…Protection extends to the overall form as well as the arrangement and composition of spaces and elements in the design but does not include individual standard features.”

Now not only are the plans and drawings covered, but the building itself can be copyrighted. You can’t get a copyright on the door itself, but as it relates to some other features because your creative work is novel in that each composite features interacts with the adjacent features.

What if you’re designing something that isn’t novel, like a standard Colonial house?

Works that are copyrightable have to be in concrete form and have to be substantially unique enough. Part of the design could be copyrightable, while others are not because they aren’t unique.

Why do you need a copyright?

The moment you put your unique enterprise down, there’s a preliminary set of rights. You can’t stop someone from using it until you register with the copyright office. The legal distinction of registering your copyright is having it on paper is a notice from the government to prove that you own it so you can stop someone from stealing it. You can submit the forms via the mail or online at Copyright.gov.

What if I’ve done one design for one home, and then someone wants to build twenty more with the same design?

From the client’s point of view, the intuition is that since they’ve just payed the architect to do something, they own that thing that’s been done for them. The truth is that the client has payed for the end result, and doesn’t necessarily own the copyright on the whole thing he’s bought. Think of a wedding photographer: the couple hired the photographer for pictures, but what are they getting? They’re getting the physical copies of the pictures, but they don’t own the rights to the photos.

If you’re an architect who wants to be sure you’re getting paid for specifically for one home or for twenty renditions, you want to make sure you negotiate those rights into that contract in advance and in tandem with a competent attorney.

What do you do if someone does infringe on your rights?

Hire an attorney and have them send a letter or email to cease and desist. The sticky point can come when the architect might not have the resources to go after a huge developer. If you’re confident enough in your case and you have the resources to take them to court, then you do. The most important thing is to set yourself up in the beginning so you’re protected.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Don’t neglect being on the web: get an amazing website, YouTube channel, etc. Start speaking about what you’re passionate about and how people in your particular industry can benefit from your services. Be involved and get excited.” – Abe Cohn

Connect with Abe directly at [email protected], online at CohnPatents.com or on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Visit our Platform Sponsors

TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more!

Tanglewood Conservatories combines the romanticism of the 19th century glass architecture with state-of-the-art technology today. Learn more at TanglewoodConservatories.com.

Referenced in this Episode

EntreArchitect Profit Plan Course (free)
Review us on iTunes

The post EA149: Copyright Protection for Architects [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA148: Public Interest Design Firms [Podcast]

9 december 2016 | 42 min

Public Interest Design Firms

At EntreArchitect, we’re learning that we need to build a better business so we can be better architects. We want to make the work a better place. That’s why we became architects in the first place. We want to provide a positive social impact. What if by building better businesses we built a better world? What if a part of what we do benefits the public in an impactful way? Stay tuned as we share a new online resource to learn more on this idea.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Public Interest Design Firms with Mia Scharphie and Gilad Meron of Proactive Practices.

Mia’s Origin Story

Mia has a masters in landscape architecture but feels that she’s secretly a social worker with designer skills. She’s always been interested in people who get left out and how to bring them back in for most of her life. She worked at a nonprofit in San Fransisco, Public Architecture, that takes on design challenges that the private market doesn’t have an incentive to be involved in.

Today she runs Creative Agency, a research and design consulting practice that works with affordable housing and arts organizations focusing on projects that use creative tools to make change and Build Yourself Workshop, an empowerment workshop for women in creative fields teaching women how to negotiate, be an advocate, and be proactive.

Gilad’s Origin Story

Gilad has a background in design from a program called Design and Environmental Analysis, an interesting mix of social science research and architecture and design. He got involved in participatory planning and design as a method to shake the environments we live in. That led to public design or community design, as some like to call it.

Currently he’s on the board at The Association for Community Design doing research writing with nonprofits and foundations who do different types of community development work. Living in New Orleans, he started a small coworking space and design collective, The Blue House, where others can come and have dialogue about civil issues.

What is Proactive Practices?

Proactive Practices is a web publication that collects case studies on socially impactful design firms. They’re mostly looking at the different ways that designers design for social impact and find ways to do that within their business models. They aren’t just telling the stories and the beauty of the project, but to look at the organizations that make these projects possible. They want to know how you can build a business where you can create social impact over and over again.

What inspired you to do this?

Mia, Gilad and Nick, their third teammate, had all previously worked or interned at Public Architecture in San Fransisco. At the time, with a limited amount of experience, they had to figure out what pieces were relevant for them to begin the work. Through that organization, they were connected with many people in the growing field of public interest design. There were a public interest projects in that area, but no examinations of the practices behind those projects. They wanted to understand how firms were being built to sustain practices that focused on this kind of work instead of doing just one random project. When they dove in further, they realized the complexity of research they needed to build an understanding. Over the last few years, they’ve gathered lots of insights as to what would be needed and useful to understand the full scope of how these firms practice.

A personal incentive came from the motivations to work at or run a firm like some of the ones they’ve studied. From an up-and-coming professional who wants to start a firm or a mid-career professional shifting practices, they wanted to understand how to build a practice around this type of work.

Since each of them has different strengths, they push each other and come to a better synthesis of what’s going on and what they can take from it to grow.

How did you decide what kind of firms to include in your research?

As they were trying to figure out what types of firms to profile, they wanted to get a wide range of the types of ways that public interest design is practiced. There are for-profit firms, non-profit firms, hybrid firms, as well as a range of different sized firms.

Are you seeing a lot of firms that want to have social impact as a part of their model?

One firm they work with didn’t intend to have a socially impactful firm, but realized that was the kind of work she wanted to do through her experience working with Architecture for Humanity and other socially impactful projects. Since they have a whole set of approaches, they can connect with different types of firms that may not have started out in this direction. It’s been interesting for them to see how different first get into this kind of work; some are there “right out the gate” and sometimes it’s a personal commitment that finds an expression later. They specifically worked to profile a huge diversity for a reason so their readers can connect no matter what kind of firm they’re intesrested in exploring.

There’s a fundamental shift in the way that professionals are thinking about impactful design: less as an idealistic goal, but more a third leg to sustainability.

This is no longer something people just want to do, it’s a smart business decision to attract young professionals who have an interest in doing this.

Will there be a Proactive Practices model for businesses to utilize?

As they’ve been generating the project, they’ve realized there’s strategies for everything. How will your staff work? What skill sets do you have? Who will you work with and what can you offer them? How might you be different than a traditional firm?

Part of what they’ve done with the design of the case studies is to encourage people to figure out what they can take away from it in order to benefit their firm. Sometimes people forget that whether you’re a nonprofit or for-profit, you still have to have more revenue than you have expenses or you’re out of business. Proactive Practices wants to look at sustainability, and that can take some time to build. At the end of the day, you have to be providing value that someone is willing to pay for and translate that to your target audience.

What’s next for you?

They want to continue producing case studies and have also thought about turning the research into teaching tools for students. Right now, they’re focused on finishing the first set of ten case studies.

Connect with Mia, Gilad and Nick online at ProactivePractices.org or on social media by keeping up with #ProactivePractices on Twitter @MiaScharphie and @GiladMeron.

Visit our Platform Sponsors

TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more!

Tanglewood Conservatories combines the romanticism of the 19th century glass architecture with state-of-the-art technology today. Learn more at TanglewoodConservatories.com.

Referenced in this Episode

EntreArchitect Profit Plan Course (free)
Inscape Publico
Leighton Design Group

The post EA148: Public Interest Design Firms [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA147: Profit First for Architects with author Mike Michalowicz [Podcast]

2 december 2016 | 57 min

How to Build a Profitable Architecture Firm

Profit… Then Art. In order to be a better architect, we must first be better business people. We need to build better businesses. This week’s guest is the author of Profit First, a book outlining the simple process of transforming any business from a cash-eating monster to a money-making machine. Accounting can be overwhelming and complicated, not to mention difficult to understand. This week, you’ll learn a step-by-step process to guarantee that you’ll be profitable.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, How to Build a Profitable Architecture Firm with author Mike Michalowicz.

Mike’s Origin Story

Mike was a Jersey boy all his life who worked at a computer store right out of college. He had a drive to start his own business and quickly realized that managing a business wasn’t as easy as he thought. It took him a few years of trial-by-fire to fall in love with entrepreneurship. He learned that as the solo-guy, you only eat what you kill; the fear kept him going. He sold his first business to a small private equity firm and then started a computer crime investigation company in the right place at the right time.

Although a lot of people face struggles, few people talk about them. After selling his second company, Mike felt he was an expert entrepreneur, he thought he knew all there was to know about running a business. He went on a spending spree and became an angel investor… where he killed every business he invested in. After struggling to pay off his debts slowly, a fire was reignited in him to discover entrepreneurship the right way; he wanted to live a satisfying, sustainable life. He began writing books, at first to process and solve the problems he was personally facing.

After hitting rock bottom and losing all his money, he went through a two-year bout of functional depression. Someone suggested journaling to vent, and it inspired him to not only write his problems, but log his solutions.

Can you share your thoughts on small firm accounting?

It boils down to our behavioral wiring. Many business owners follow certain practices, and GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) teaches us to use a system that counters our natural behaviors. For example, logically we should pass on desert, but behaviorally we eat it anyway. GAAP says that sales minus expenses equals profit. The problem is that when we put the profit last, it’s our behavior to disregard it. In order to prioritize profit, we have to put it first. Every time a deposit comes in, take a predetermined percentage for profit and put it somewhere safe. Then, run your business off of what’s remaining. Pay yourself first. Businesses that do this are all more profitable than they were in the past because the fundamental law says that what we have is what we use. If you have a small amount of food, you’ll eat that.

What if someone says, “I already don’t make enough, how can I set anything aside?”

If you’re making due with what you have now, you’re still scraping by. By taking the money off the table first, you’ll continue to scrape by but the difference is this time you’ve put money away for profit. Think of 401K: you get a gross payment for your job, but a percentage is taken for your 401K. You never think about the percentage that was taken away because you never see it, your life is already adjusted to live off of the remainder. When you take your profit first and don’t have the money to pay your bills, that’s a direct sign that you need to be more frugal and make some different decisions on your finances. Find the things that bring profitability, and get rid of the things that don’t.

How do you suggest putting the money away?

You can start by setting the money aside every time a deposit comes in. Get into a rhythm where all the money accumulates and then every other week you allocate the money to profit and other expenses.

What are the other accounts you allocate toward?

Owner’s pay and taxes are the two primary things. Sometimes there’s manufacturing costs or income or operating expenses too. Think of it as a serving tray: all of the money accumulates on the serving tray, then you allocate it to different accounts based on predetermined amounts.

Profit is a celebratory reward for the equity owners who had the courage to take the risk to start this firm. Do something that you get joy out of, do not put it back into the business. If you use it like that, it’s a deferred expense.
Owner’s Pay is for the owner/operator who’s sacrificed a lot to keep the company going, often for no pay. Another percentage is allocated here for lifestyle. You don’t go above that, you don’t use credit cards, your extra money is your profit.
Taxes need to be set aside for your corporate responsibility and your personal tax responsibilities. Instead of scrambling in April when you owe more than you expected, set your business up to pay your taxes for you. Put money into your tax account so that you’re ahead of the game.
Run your business off of operating expenses. From what comes in, allocate a percentage to run your business off of what you have left.

What if your accountant pushes back on this plan?

The goal is to be more profitable. If your accountant’s clients are all consistently not profitable, adhering to that system is insane. It’s time to start taking your profit first.

Can you tell us about your new book, Surge?

No one can nail the timing of the markets perfectly, but we can radically improve the odds. Surge is an acronym for the elements:

Separate out a community: speak the language of the community that you’re in and anticipate their needs.
Unify: cater to your clients’ needs, but stay true to who you are. If you don’t, you’ll resent your business.
Rally cry: find the greater purpose and mission you’re serving and speak to it.
Gather: find knowledge of what your clients want and improve your offering.
Expand: once you’ve mastered the above and surpassed your goals, look at your community and find others like them that you can serve.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“The system can feel overwhelming, so many people hear and think it could work but they never do it. Don’t set up five accounts today, set up one account today and label it profit. Allocate 1% of your deposits to that account. You won’t feel it, you won’t become rich over night, but you’re confidence will explode because you’ll see that you can allocate money to profit. Start slowly, but definitely start. ” – Mike Michalowicz, Author of Profit First

Connect with Mike online at MikeMichalowicz.com or on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Visit our Platform Sponsors

TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more!

Tanglewood Conservatories combines the romanticism of the 19th century glass architecture with state-of-the-art technology today. Learn more at TanglewoodConservatories.com.

Referenced in this Episode

Profit First by Mike Michalowicz (book)
Surge by Mike Michalowicz (book)
EntreArchitect Profit Plan Course (free)

The post EA147: Profit First for Architects with author Mike Michalowicz [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA146: Design-Build is the Future of Architecture with Luis Jauregui [Podcast]

25 november 2016 | 61 min

Design-Build is the Future of Architecture

Architecture, construction, interiors and furniture. This week’s guest is a successful architect from Austin, Texas serving the high-end residential market. He started his firm with a single speculative project and grew it into a $20 million integrated design-build firm.

How does a design-build firm like this work? How do they structure their fees and communicate with one another? How do they ensure that every project is built to the exact standards promised by their powerful brand?

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Design-Build is the Future of Architecture with architect Luis Jauregui.

Luis is originally from Mexico, and his family moved often when he was a child giving him great exposure to different architecture styles throughout the country. His father was a civil engineer, so the construction concept was already built into him. In high school, he discovered how exciting building was to him. He enrolled in the school of architecture in Mexico City, and within two months of starting school the teachers went on a strike that lasted for months. He then came to the US and attended Texas A&M with a degree in Environmental Design and a Masters in Architecture. He felt fortunate to have a professor who saw some of his work and helped him find a job with an architect. By the time he graduated with his Masters degree, he had six years of experience working with four different architecture firms.

One of his mentors began developing his own projects as an entrepreneur and influenced Luis greatly. In Mexico, architects typically run their own construction companies and the consumer comes directly to them for a building. Within two years of graduation, Luis was ready to start his own design-only firm. Soon after, he pulled together some money for a lot and began developing properties in Austin and San Antonio. In 1986, the market crashed and and he felt really fortunate to still find some great commissions despite the downturn.

Currently, Luis’s firm practices in Houston and Austin, and serves design-build clients throughout the Dallas area as well.

Why did you decide to pursue client-service projects, rather than continue with spec buildings?

Design came from a lesson learned: the speculative market has a lot of ups and downs. The custom business emphasized great design, and built them into a great, well-known brand which allows them to spread to other cities. They started the interior design branch of the company, which hurt the brand a bit with a lack of control of the interiors. When a client asked if they could offer furniture recommendations, the interior design team kicked Luis under the table so they jumped into furniture design despite the fear to try something new.

Where did your initial fear with selection furniture come from?

The fear came from it being an unknown thing and the fact that there were others in the market who were doing a great job. The entrepreneurial spirit pushed Luis forward to being a leader in the industry.

How does your fee structure work?

The speculative work is one price for everything. Because they’re selling a product, everything is included in the sale price. Client services are the custom part of the business so it works very traditionally. Instead of “architectural services”, Luis wants his clients to understand that they’re engaging a design-build enterprise; the final project is not going to be a design only. In the contract, they specify that they have ownership of the drawings until they go to construction. From that point on, they move to the “pre-construction” and then the construction contract from the state of Texas.

Can you walk us through your process?

The preliminary stage prepares a cost estimate with every specific piece of the project projected. That way there’s no mystery of cost, so they can move forward to the construction process and continue to fine-tune the cost as they go. Having control of the cost allows them to manage the experience that the client has.

How do you create an experience for your clients?

Luis feels the responsibility and burden of the control that they have, and uses it strictly for the benefit of the client. In order for their brand to work well and maintain trust with their clients, Luis is very conscious of the fears that the client may arrive with and works to put those to rest with his presentation and process.

How does your marketing work?

Luis deemphasizes referrals because he doesn’t want to have to rely on his busy, wonderful clients to get his next client; that’s not a very reliable way to do it. What makes the phone ring is having a great brand (a great website, advertising in magazines, hosting events at homes, etc.) that you can spread around to others.

Do you have a specific sales process?

Over many years, Luis has tried to have someone strong at sales by his side throughout the process. His wife (who is his partner and a real estate specialist) knows the company, the costs and the firm’s story. She is a great person to pick up the phone and work with the client. It’s important to recognize what your strengths are and allow everyone to work in their area of expertise.

What’s one of the biggest challenges you have?

Because they control the design and the construction, it’s too easy for the construction arm to talk to the design team and ask them not to throw in any difficult designs. It’s important to Luis that the architectural design stays in tact. While everyone needs to listen to one another, it needs to be the right balance that ultimately clients benefit from. It’s a constant process of fine-tuning to prepare for and move through each aspect of the project.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Communication is key. Talk to your team, learn about construction, be involved and create those kind of networks. Step away from the keyboard and the design table and spend time in the field. Pay attention and connect to other networks of people.” – Luis Jauregui

Connect with Luis online at JaureguiArchitect.com or on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Visit our Platform Sponsors

TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more!

Tanglewood Conservatories combines the romanticism of the 19th century glass architecture with state-of-the-art technology today. Learn more at TanglewoodConservatories.com.

Referenced in this Episode

Cyber Monday 50% Off! Check out our Hybrid Proposal Course, Construction Management Course, Get Focused Productivity and Foundations Business Forms and Checklists from the Black. Available Friday, November 25 through Cyber Monday, November 28, 2016. Offer is available only to subscribers of the EntreArchitect Report. Not subscribed? Visit EntreArchitect.com/newsletter to sign up and take advantage of this great deal before Monday!

EntreArchitect Profit Plan Course (free)
CRAN (Custom Residential Architects Network)

The post EA146: Design-Build is the Future of Architecture with Luis Jauregui [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA145: An Architect on the Inside at HGTV with Dawn Zuber, AIA [Podcast]

18 november 2016 | 54 min

An Architect on the Inside at HGTV

HGTV To many of us residential architects, that's a four letter word. Promoting unrealistic expectations for most projects regarding time, quality and budget, HGTV has made our tough job as architects even more difficult.

This week's guest is a successful residential architect serving the southeastern region of Michigan. One day, about a year before we recorded this episode, she received a mysterious telephone call, which lead to her being the lead architect for the most recent HGTV Urban Oasis giveaway home.

She shares the story of her experience of being on the inside at a HGTV project, how she landed the job and her quest to be a faithful representative of us small firm architects.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, An Architect on the Inside at HGTV with the founder of Studio Z Architecture, Dawn Zuber.

An “Architect” Since She Was 11 Years Old: )

When Dawn was five, her grandparents moved to Florida from Ohio and they moved back when she was 11. They bought a house that worked for where they were, but they didn’t love it. Dawn, her mom and her grandma would visit open houses every weekend and she would collect the fliers in a folder. She began to redesign them and think about how to fit things into the spaces she saw.

In high school, Dawn found herself lucky to have an art teacher who was from a generation that told her she could be a nurse or a teacher, but had a passion for architecture. During her junior year, they spent time looking at slides of homes to learn how to identify the different styles of architecture. When a pipe burst in the gymnasium floor, her drafting teacher invited her to use his drafting table and machine to draw up the painting of the gym floor so that the art students could transpose it onto the floor.

After spending a semester in London and graduating from University of Cincinnati, she met her future husband. In a five-month period, she got married, took the architecture license exam, and moved to southeastern Michigan. There she worked for a small firm that did mostly custom residential, and then moved to another company who did office and school buildings.

How did you find your way to leadership with CRAN?

Dawn was with CRAN (Custom Residential Architects Network) when they first started in Los Angeles almost 15 years ago at a pre-convention workshop about residential architecture. CRAN is a Knowledge Community that started as a grassroots movement allowing members to organize around specific interest areas, and eventually brought the idea to AIA. She’s been involved in the advisory group since 2009.

How is the CRAN symposium organized?

Typically the event is 3 days that starts with a home tour and includes cocktail receptions almost every evening and sponsor-hosted networking dinners. There are educational sessions and sponsor showcases for residential architects, and the event is also streamed online via Houzz and available on AIAU for people to watch later for credit. Everyone that attends is on the same track and enjoys the same experience, so it’s a great opportunity to connect with a network of support for residential architects.

Tell us about your experience with HGVT.

Dawn received a voicemail from a contractor who wanted her help designing a house in Ann Arbor. With her busy schedule, she pushed it aside and planned to call him later. Days later, a friend encouraged her to call him back saying, “If you’re really busy, it’s fine. You should call him back…you won’t regret it“. She met the contractor the next day for 30 minutes and made some jokes about salvaging the 1970s wallpaper, and was hired the next day to complete the project. Then she was let into the secrecy of the project. It took her some time to understand what they wanted to do, the great need for secrecy, the whole process and the speed of how quickly things would unfold. In the span of five weeks she completed several months’ worth of work to meet each deadline; she measured, did the as-builts, nailed down the design and completed construction drawings. Dawn did her best to represent residential architects, reminding those she worked with that HGVT often tends not to mention how much things cost and how long projects actually take.

What is your experience with Houzz?

Dawn is a Houzz Pro-Plus user, which provides a lot of support and help to create a strong profile. If you’re investing in Houzz as a tool for marketing, it’s probably a wise choice.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“Get involved in whatever you choose to get involved in. CRAN is a great opportunity for people to meet other architects who do what they do. That network is wonderful for people to connect with others they can work with and ask questions to. Being involved is a great way to get leads and find teammates for projects.” – Dawn Zuber, AIA

Connect with Dawn online at StudioZArch.com or on Houzz, or on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Visit our Platform Sponsors

TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more!

Tanglewood Conservatories combines the romanticism of the 19th century glass architecture with state-of-the-art technology today. Learn more at TanglewoodConservatories.com.

Referenced in this Episode

The post EA145: An Architect on the Inside at HGTV with Dawn Zuber, AIA [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA144: 3 Proven Public Relations Strategies for Small Firm Architects with Julie Taylor [Podcast]

11 november 2016 | 46 min

Public Relations Strategies for Architects

You’re out there hustling, shaking hands and responding to all your RFPs, you’ve got your business development down. At the other end, you have a strong brand, your website is working and your marketing material is telling your story. Somewhere in between the two, lies a critical step to your success as a small firm architect: public relations. If you get it right, your phone will ring off the hook with your next best clients.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, “Design Evangelist” Julie Taylor joins Mark to share 3 Proven Public Relations Strategies for Small Firm Architects.

With a background in art history and fine arts, Julie was always drawn to creative expression. As a secretary receptionist just out of college, Julie worked at an architecture firm in Chicago, learning various aspects of the industry. Following that, she worked for a magazine for interior designers and continued to pursue her own writing. When she decided to go into PR running the marketing in a large design center, she worked with architects and designers and began loving the industry.

She began her own firm, Taylor & Company, shortly afterward and immersed herself in the architecture world. The art of taking something and creating a building that stands on its own and functions correctly was something she was unfamiliar with, so Julie loves being on the side of being an advocate for those who are able to create art in the business context of architecture.

What is PR and how is it different from marketing?

Marketing is more of the overall category. Public relations is your communications to the outside; it could be anything from how the phone is answered to publishing thoughts in magazines or online. Anything that you would put out to the public for clients to see. There are aspects like media relations, print or online, awards, where you present your work to be judged, speaking engagements to make connections in your certain area of expertise.

What are 3 simple PR strategies for architects?

Be consistent with your strategy and create a plan to allocate your time, effort and budget.

Invest in professional photography and have enough photos at various angles. Partner with your clients. If you know your client is working on a press release, communicate to get your name in there. Finding out how to photograph and publish a project requires a human conversation to figure out how best to do these things. (Hint: It should be a part of your contract upfront!)
Post a sign on your job site! It’s a simple, inexpensive way to get your name out there… and not enough of us do it.
Develop your story and know how to talk about it. Often architects allow the writing and speech to be laden with archispeak. Speak to your clients at their level of understanding.

Publishing: regional vs national?

Regional publishing will talk to your local market more directly and can sometimes be a little easier to access. Since the editors and writers are in your area, you can work to make a connection and form a relationship with them. The competition for projects is very difficult with national publications, and often a project being good isn’t enough; it has to have a story behind it. Find publications with active online portals to gain a wider audience. Leverage any media you get. Let your potential and existing clients know what’s going on with you!

What about design awards programs?

Find out what competitions will give you the most exposure and plan out your budget according to your chances for notoriety. Know that if you don’t win an award or you don’t get published, it’s not personal. Often there are so many submissions and so many moving parts, that it makes it difficult to filter out great projects.

What are your thoughts on working with a scout?

Local people that you can form a relationship with will go to bat for you. They’re always going to want to know what you have that’s good for them to bring to one of the many publications they work with.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“AIA National provides a tool called the AIA Message Book. It has topics like how to tell your story, what kind of words to use, how to talk to your clients, what’s important about the message of what you do and how to connect.” – Julie D. Taylor

Connect with Julie online at Taylor-PR.com, or on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Visit our Platform Sponsors

TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more!

Tanglewood Conservatories combines the romanticism of the 19th century glass architecture with state-of-the-art technology today. Learn more at TanglewoodConservatories.com.

Referenced in this Episode

EntreArchitect Profit Plan Course (free)
Marketing bluePRint
AIA Message Book

The post EA144: 3 Proven Public Relations Strategies for Small Firm Architects with Julie Taylor [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA143: 3 Steps to Happiness as a Small Firm Architect [Podcast]

4 november 2016 | 31 min

How To Be Happy as an Architect

Architecture is a tough profession. We work long hours for years with passion and dedication to become architects. We struggle to launch our firms without basic business fundamentals. We search for the best clients and then work to serve them to the best of our ability.

Being entrepreneur architects gives us so many freedoms that we wouldn’t have if we were employed by another firm. It’s tough, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Still, sometimes we question whether or not we made the right decision. Would we be happier working for someone else? True happiness is the result not of your profession, but of the choices you make and the person you choose to be.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Mark R. LePage shares his 3 Steps to Happiness as a Small Firm Architect.

Love

Love has a lot of meanings to a lot of different people. Love is about respecting and caring for one another.

How can you be there for others and support them? Not just your spouse, kids or friends, but your fellow human beings that you encounter in the world.
How many ways could you find in the day to be more patient, to be kinder? When you choose to be impatient or unkind to someone, it doesn’t only change their behaviors, it changes who you are.
How can you love people with opposing view points? Our individual experiences lead to different ways of viewing the world, and it’s possible for us to come together and love one another.
How does it make others feel when you love them? When you respect and care for someone, they will be more likely to follow your lead.

Learn

You’re probably visiting this podcast to learn. When you focus on a new skill, your mind grows and you become a better person. Imagine if you chose to focus on mastering the business of architecture. Would your home life be better? Your life as an architect? Your designs?

Set a goal to learn something new every day. Be intentional and make a habit of it.
What can you set out to learn that might change your life? You can work to master a new skill that will make you a better person.
Commit to exercise or meditation, maybe learn a new form of keeping yourself in shape.

Share

This is where the world gets to benefit from what you love and what you’ve learned. What’s the point of having all the knowledge if you’re not going to share it? If the goal is to be happy, keeping it to yourself is only halfway there.

If you learn something new, teach someone about it.
When you find something that works, share it with other architects so that everyone in the profession can be more successful.
When you share, others are inspired to share too.
The more you give away, the more you get in return, the more fulfilled and happier you will be.

Love, learn and share what you know.

Do you serve your local community? How has that service resulted in your success? Visit the EntreArchitect Facebook Group and share your thoughts.

Visit our Platform Sponsors

TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more!

Tanglewood Conservatories combines the romanticism of the 19th century glass architecture with state-of-the-art technology today. Learn more at TanglewoodConservatories.com.

Referenced in this Episode

Photo credit: Pixabay / asi24

The post EA143: 3 Steps to Happiness as a Small Firm Architect [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

Mentioned in this episode:

EA142: How To Succeed as a Residential Architect with Dale Mulfinger, FAIA [Podcast]

28 oktober 2016 | 52 min

How To Succeed as a Residential Architect with Dale Mulfinger, FAIA

It’s a difficult choice to pick a target market and focus all your energy, resources and effort on one market. It’s a decision many small architects are afraid to make because we’re afraid of missing out on other opportunities and we don’t want to have all our eggs in one basket. When you pick a target market and become an expert on it, you’ll find that your next best client will find their way to you.

Our guest this week has succeeded in making that decision and focusing on a target market early on in the development of his firm, and he’s thrived for over thirty years because of that.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Dale Mulfinger, FAIA of SALA Architects joins me and he shares his knowledge about How to Succeed as a Residential Architect.

A Minnesota Farm Kid

Dale grew up as a farm kid in rural Minnesota. After discovering his lack of desire to pursue farming, he excelled in a drafting program in high school. He succeeded in getting into the university and chose to study architecture. Through the help of amazing friends, many of whom are still friends now, he was able to complete his degree and graduate six years later.

Early in Dale’s career he was focused on urban design, working on campus planning, large city developments, and more, but came to the realization that it takes a long time to be implemented. He began working for various architects, and found that as the projects got smaller, he enjoyed them more. Out of that came an understanding that he might really enjoy residential architecture.

A Pattern Language

In 1983, he received an opportunity to design a house according to the ideas of Christopher Alexander’s book, A Pattern Language, and invited one of his graduate students, Sarah Susanka, to help him on the project. He wrote an article about that project and found a love of writing, which has stayed with him throughout his career.

After being asked to design a cabin, with little knowledge he began his research and wrote articles about cabins for a local magazine. Seventy-two articles later, he began writing books on the process of building cabins. He noticed that nobody had really looked into cabins in depth, and worked to fill the void with architectural discussion around cabins. Cabins are rewarding to him because each cabin is uniquely different, because each person is so uniquely different. Many people build cabins as a legacy project, where they hope their children will seek to inherit for generations to come.

How To Succeed as a Residential Architect

SALA Architects began 30 years ago when Dale and Sarah realized that there wasn’t really anyone focused exclusively on residential architecture in their area. They hoped if they got the word out to the public about their interest in doing houses, that the public would be anxious for them to jump in. Because of that void, they grew rapidly. Yet, there are still unserved clients in their area who want to a create better home, whatever that may mean to them: more energy efficient, more beautiful, smaller or larger, etc. If you’re willing, as an architect, to help them do that, then they’re more than willing to pay for your service.

When the decision came around to focus on residential architecture, their fear wasn’t how to grow the company, but how to serve their clients well.

Because there’s a wealth of other talented architects serving other markets, Dale doesn’t feel as though he’s missed out by choosing to focus on a targeted area. SALA continues to do other projects outside of the typical scope.

To get the word out about their business, they did two things: publishing and teaching. Dale and Sarah wrote articles for local publishers about remodels and additions and started courses for the public about residential architecture. They found ways to connect with the public and show them that they were proud of the work they were doing.

Furthering the ideas of writing and teaching, they did a few other innovative things in their community:

Started a Home of the Month at the local newspaper // They suggested the idea to the editor and offered to help with the article and photography, and the newspaper jumped right on it.
Adult education // There they were able to communicate theories and ideas. Instead of just sharing a project in a newspaper, you can introduce the public to innovative architecture ideas that they may not be familiar with.

Because SALA is organized horizontally, each architect has their own clients, does their own designs, and complete their own projects with the support of the firm. They’ve learned that what keeps people in an office is camaraderie, that some people enjoy doing what they do in a group. At SALA, young professionals are nurtured and encouraged to go out and find their own ways to connect. When hiring, SALA looks for people who have a diverse set of talents and have a good sense of how to meet the public where they are.

Dale’s biggest suggestion for struggling architects is to share the work that they are proud of with the local or national media around them, depending on the work they’re searching for. While many architects don’t consider themselves writers, architects have all learned to talk about their projects. Write from the basis of how you talk about your projects and get your ideas out there.

What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow?

“You may think that you’ve been reasonably successful working as a single person, but you may be wondering if you’ll be successful with more people, with a staff around you. You need to look at that staff and see if they’re going somewhere they’re comfortable with and how can you go there together. Recognizing that all architects who get into this profession are educated in a way that promotes entrepreneurism, so almost everyone around you are there to support what you do and to grow themselves. By growing others, you also grow yourself.” – Dale Mulfinger, FAIA

Connect with Dale online at SALAarc.com, or on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Visit our Platform Sponsors

TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more!

Tanglewood Conservatories combines the romanticism of the 19th century glass architecture with state-of-the-art technology today. Learn more at TanglewoodConservatories.com.

Referenced in this Episode

A Pattern Language (book)
Cabinology (book)