As Built: Recent Episodes
Brian Jones and Patience Jones
The professionals who build buildings also need to build their practices. The key to business development in the built environment is understanding the relationship between architects, building materials, contractors, and clients - and how each group makes decisions. In As Built, you’ll hear from industry leaders about how they built their practice. Hosts Brian Jones and Patience Jones will also provide insights from their experiences helping firms in the built environment industry grow and succeed.
"Business development" isn't a department; it's a mindset every person at your firm should embody. Patience and Brian discuss why BD can't be isolated to a dedicated team, how to train staff to recognize opportunities without turning them into salespeople, and why handing employees an AI-generated SOP is no substitute for real conversation and buy-in.
Are you a large architecture firm with a deep bench, a commitment to sustainability, and a passion for impactful design? So is everyone else!
How does a prospective client actually tell large firms apart when everyone's saying the same thing? The answer isn't a better tagline. It's putting the focus on the people inside the firm. Listen to this episode and find out why you should treat your departments like their own smaller firms, why your firm leaders are probably your most underused marketing asset, and how firms can keep from getting hoisted on their own petards.
Most marketing teams in the AEC industry are stuck paying a tax they never agreed to. Nearly a third spend less than a quarter of their time on strategy and brand building, even though that's exactly what firms hired them to do. In this episode, Patience and Brian break down why this keeps happening, why it's a structural problem and not a people problem, and what firm leaders can do to give their marketing teams the time and trust they need to actually build the brand, not just check boxes.
AI search isn't coming soon - it's here. People are already shifting from using "traditional" search engines like Google to AI agents like Gemini and Claude. How does that impact business development for architecture firms? In this episode, we reveal what answer engine optimization (AEO) means for architecture firms, why it affects far more than just clients (think RFP committees, lenders, press, and job seekers), and what it actually costs a firm to be invisible to AI. They walk through how people phrase AI searches differently than traditional ones, how LLMs decide which firms to trust, and how to make sure your firm doesn't get overlooked.
CannonDesign CEO Brad Lukanic, AIA, LEED AP and Principal Natalie Petzoldt, AIA, LEED AP, EDAC join As Built to discuss how the firm scales without losing its identity. They discuss the Ennead Architects and Cityfi acquisitions, internal programs like Open Hand Studio and AMP, the firm's employee ownership model, and how their guiding maxim "do good, do right" shapes real decisions. They also share how Billie, their in-house AI platform, supports the team without replacing human judgment.
One of the most common questions architecture firms ask themselves is also one of the hardest: should we niche down, or stay generalized?
On Episode 128 of As Built, Patience and Brian discuss the fears that hold firms back from committing to a niche, the real advantages of staying generalist, and how to tell the difference between a strategic pivot and chasing a trend.
One key insight from the conversation: the decision doesn't have to be a leap of faith. Your firm's project history, client relationships, and staff structure are already pointing in a direction. The goal is to read that signal clearly before making a move.
They also address the temptation to niche down when billings are slow, the risk of over-niching into too narrow a market, and why niched firms aren't inherently better than generalist ones.
Whether you're leading a firm, managing its marketing, or both, this episode gives you a practical framework for approaching the decision with your eyes open.
Ten years into building one of the most unique AEC firms in the world, City Collective Managing Partners David Cooke, RAIA, MPIA and Justin Kearnan, AIA talk about what it actually takes to move the needle on the problems cities can't seem to solve.
City Collective was built around a simple but radical premise: that the only way to solve a city's toughest challenges is to bring every discipline into the same room. In this conversation, Managing Partners David Cooke, RAIA, MPIA and Justin Kearnan, AIA walk us through the firm's holistic design approach, from writing their own economic pro formas to unlock housing deals, to championing the "missing middle" housing typologies that were effectively regulated out of existence for half a century. They share how City Collective operates as a single design culture across Australia and the United States, why they hire for people with roots in at least two disciplines, and what it looks like to bring sports and community infrastructure into the same equity-driven framework they apply to affordable housing.
If your architecture firm's About page sounds like every other firm's About page, this episode is for you. Hosts Patience Jones and Brian Jones break down why so many firms end up with generic, forgettable positioning statements and, more importantly, how to write one that actually works.
We discuss:
- Why vague language like "excellence" and "collaborative" fails to differentiate your firm from competitors
- How to identify what makes your firm worth hiring
- How to create a framework for building an effective positioning statement that doesn't copy from competitors
Whether you're writing your About page for the first time or overhauling one that's been collecting dust, this episode gives you a clear starting point. Subscribe to As Built for more practical marketing guidance built specifically for architecture and construction professionals.
Wanting to break into a new building type or market sector is exciting, but it comes with a real challenge: how do you win work you or your firm has never done before? In this episode of As Built, Patience and Brian tackle one of the most common growth obstacles for architecture and construction firms, and lay out a practical roadmap for making the transition.
We explain how to:
- Identify transferable skills and processes from your existing portfolio
- Use photo and video storytelling
- Quietly expand into a new sector without alarming your current clients or signaling inexperience to prospects
If you're feeling like you're stuck in a cycle of "wanting to do it but haven't done it to prove you can do it," this episode is for you. Subscribe to As Built so you never miss an episode.
Project sheets might not get your blood racing, but they can make or break your next RFP response. In this episode of As Built, co-hosts Patience Jones and Brian Jones dig into what it actually takes to upgrade your project sheets from a static archive into a strategic tool that wins commissions.
Episode Highlights:
- The two core purposes every project sheet must serve
- Why a "kitchen sink" version is the right starting point for tailoring submissions to specific RFPs
- How storytelling, context-driven photography, and linking to dedicated project pages online can help your firm stand out from the competition.
Patience and Brian also tackle why listing your project partners is a sign of strength, not a liability, and how to think about QR codes and hyperlinks that extend your document beyond the printed page.
If you want to stop scrambling every time an RFP lands and start submitting materials that actually communicate your value, this episode is for you. Subscribe to As Built so you never miss an episode.
In this episode of As Built, co-hosts Patience Jones and Brian Jones tackle the most frequently asked marketing questions they hear from professionals across all industries and leadership levels, no live audience required.
They cover which social media platforms your firm actually needs to be on (and why cross-posting the same content everywhere is a waste of time), whether social media is truly non-negotiable for firm growth, and the real reasons your award-worthy project might not be getting published. They also dig into the "easy button" question every firm asks: what's the single most impactful thing you can do for marketing when time is limited?
Whether you're just getting started or refining an existing strategy, this episode offers honest, practical guidance rooted in years of experience working with architecture and design firms. Subscribe to As Built wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode.
We're almost two months into 2026, and most likely you are in the majority of people who feel like they're not as far along on their goals as they envisioned they would be. Don't beat yourself up! Listen to this episode and learn how to objectively determine how successful you've been, what to do to get back in gear, and when to abandon what now longer sounds like a good idea.
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones:
• https://www.graphicmachine.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones
Resilience might be the thing your firm needs most right now: the ability to withstand hardship and to come back. Resilience is not never having a bad day. Resilience is not never being upset or never disappointed or never sad. What is resilience? Why does being resilient matter? How can you become more resilient?
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones:
• https://www.graphicmachine.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones
Competitions can be a very big part of an architect's professional life. Are they the right thing for your firm? How do you know? What can you expect to get out of entering, and more importantly, what will you need to put in to achieve that goal? In this episode, we unpack how to know if the competition approach is right for your firm.
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones:
• https://www.graphicmachine.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones
Instructions getting missed? Announcements being misunderstood or ignored? It's likely not what you're saying, but how you're communicating it. Each generation expects to receive information in their preferred formats, so how do you reach everyone? Spend 10 minutes listening to this episode and find out.
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones:
• https://www.graphicmachine.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones
Acquisitions can cause a lot of panic, uncertainty, and confusion. They never go smoothly, so what we talk about in this episode are things to keep in mind so that it goes more smoothly. From how and what to communicate to how to be a good team player, this episode will help both acquirers and acquirees.
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones:
• https://www.graphicmachine.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
The architect stereotype of a bespectacled, tote bag-carrying curmudgeon makes for great insider jokes, but that can seep into how prospective clients think about both your firm and the profession. In this episode, we unpack the architect stereotype, what's really behind it, and how to be aware of it so you can use it to your advantage.
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones:
• https://www.graphicmachine.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
There's currently no universally accepted definition of terms like "green" and "eco-friendly." This can lead to misunderstandings and project issues when clients interpret those terms to mean something that you don't. In this episode, we explain how to convey sustainability features in a way everyone can understand and why that trust is vital to your firm's success.
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones:
• https://www.graphicmachine.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
We're nearing what feels like perpetual award season. How can your architecture firm make the most of award opportunities? How do you know which ones to enter, and how do you maximize your chances of winning one? Most importantly, how do you keep award submissions from hijacking the rest of your firm's work? In this episode, we walk you through what you need to know.
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones:
• https://www.graphicmachine.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
More and more people are using AI to search for things. Does this mean "traditional," web-based search engine optimization is dead? In this episode, we explain why SEO is still important and the new functions it serves.
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones:
• https://www.graphicmachine.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
Visual content can be a headache for architecture firms and building materials. A lot of effort goes into one or a couple of "signature" images that can become stale quickly. While firms have a lot of work, they don’t always have the variety and depth of visual content to “prove” it. Based on our knowledge of the needs firms have and the best ways to portray their work, we've developed a process by which firms are able to have exponentially more ways to showcase their work, with no extra effort from the firm and no AI. We call it Dynamist. Listen for more details.
Episode Resources Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones:
• https://www.graphicmachine.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
We are very pleased to welcome back Marion Weiss, FAIA, and Michael Manfredi, FAIA, Partners and Cofounders of WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism. When we last spoke, WEISS/MANFREDI was a finalist for the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Expansion Competition. Since then, they won the competition and published a book: Drifting Symmetries: Projects, Provocations, and Other Enduring Models. In this episode, we talk with Marion and Michael about their unique approach to the practice of architecture, the reason they decided to highlight the work of other architects in their book, and why they continue to teach.
Episode Resources:
Connect with Marion Weiss, FAIA
- https://www.weissmanfredi.com/studio/people/94-marion-weiss
Connect with Michael Manfredi, FAIA
- https://www.weissmanfredi.com/studio/people/92-michael-manfredi
Read the Book
- https://www.weissmanfredi.com/research/3932-drifting-symmetries-projects-provocations-and-other-enduring-models
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
If you inwardly groan whenever social media is mentioned, this is the episode for you. We discuss how architects can use social media to grow their practices without being gross or becoming consumed by who liked what. Social media might not be your most favorite thing, but we’ll show you how it doesn’t have to be punishing.
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones:
• https://www.graphicmachine.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
There are anywhere from two to four generations of people currently working for your client prospects. To have the best chance of winning projects, you need to be able to market effectively to each generation. What does each generation look for, and how can you deliver that information so it resonates with them?
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones:
• https://www.graphicmachine.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Do you want more control over your career? Whether you’re looking to climb your firm’s leadership ladder, bring in new clients, or shift your career focus, people need to understand who you are. That’s where personal branding comes in. In this episode, we talk about what personal branding is – and isn’t - and how to get started.
Episode Resources:
- Profile Elevation: Personal branding for architects
- Material Growth: Personal branding for building materials
- Focused Acceleration: Personal branding for construction
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://www.graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Kay Sargent, FASID, FIIDA, CID, LEED® AP, MCR.w, WELL AP, is a Principal at HOK and the firm’s Director of Thought Leadership, Interiors. She has recently published her first book, Designing Neuroinclusive Workplaces: Advancing Sensory Processing and Cognitive Well-Being in the Built Environment, based on her extensive research and firsthand experience designing interior spaces. In this episode, Kay explains how her passion for the work led to the writing of a book and how she balanced that with her role as a firm leader. She also explains the approach behind neuroinclusive design and how to begin to optimize workplace environments.
Episode Resources:
Connect with Kay Sargent, FASID, FIIDA
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/kay-sargent-53b2431/
- https://www.hok.com/people/leadership/view/kay-sargent/
Read the Book
- https://www.inclusiveworkplace.design/
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
If the only contact a person ever had with the outside world was in browsing the internet, SEO (search engine optimization) would be enough. You could optimize your site and know that the right people would find you. But – hopefully – that isn’t the only way people gather information. Social media, reviews, blogs, conferences, in-person meetings: they are all opportunities for prospective clients to find your firm.
That’s where discoverability comes in. How discoverable your firm is will directly impact its growth.
Listen now to find out how to make your firm more discoverable.
Episode Resources:
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
While the world of AI is still relatively new, it’s spreading rapidly. From a quick search on ChatGPT to a batch of renderings generated with Adobe Firefly, people are already using AI in big and small ways. That’s why it’s more important than ever for your company to adopt an AI policy, even if that policy is simply “no AI.” A clear, simple policy can protect your team, your clients, and your reputation.
Tune in now to learn why having an AI policy isn’t optional anymore.
Episode Resources:
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
How does an architect become a firm leader without losing their passion for the work itself?
Matthew Mueller, AIA, Partner at PBDW, shares his experience with work-life harmony and how three core firm values have kept him at the same firm for 25 years: thoughtfulness, mentorship, and hands-on involvement.
Listen now to hear how Matthew shaped his career path and his firm.
Episode Resources:
Connect with Matthew Mueller, AIA
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewhmueller
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Too busy to attend New York Design Week? Maybe the crowds at NeoCon were just too much to handle this year. Or maybe you didn’t know these shows existed at all. Whatever the reason, no worries, we went for you. Tune in to hear about this year’s trends, standout products, and companies that truly know how to brand.
Episode Resources:
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
In this episode of our series about the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art International Design Competition, As Built co-hosts Patience Jones and Brian Jones speak with competition finalist Brian Butterfield of the firm WHY Architecture.
Photo of Brian Butterfield courtesy of WHY Architecture
In this episode of our series about the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art International Design Competition, As Built co-hosts Patience Jones and Brian Jones speak with competition finalists Marion Weiss, FAIA and Michael Manfredi, FAIA, of the firm Weiss/Manfredi.
Photo of Marion Weiss, Michael Manfredi courtesy of Shuli Sadé and Weiss/Manfredi
In this episode of our series about the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art International Design Competition, As Built co-hosts Patience Jones and Brian Jones speak with competition finalist Jeanne Gang, FAIA of the firm Studio Gang.
Photo of Jeanne Gang © John David Pittman
In this episode of our series about the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art International Design Competition, As Built co-hosts Brian Jones and Patience Jones speak with competition finalists Elisabetta Trezzani and Kerry Joyce of the firm Renzo Piano Building Workshop.
Photos of Elisabetta Trezzani and Kerry Joyce courtesy of Renzo Piano Building Workshop
In this episode of our series about the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art International Design Competition, As Built co-hosts Patience Jones and Brian Jones speak with competition finalist Annabelle Selldorf, FAIA of the firm Selldorf Architects.
Photo of Annabelle Selldorf © Stephen Kent Johnson courtesy of Selldorf Architects
In this episode of our series about the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art International Design Competition, As Built co-hosts Brian Jones and Patience Jones speak with competition finalist Kengo Kuma of Kengo Kuma & Associates.
Photo of Kengo Kuma courtesy of J.C. Carbonne and Kengo Kuma & Associates
In the second episode of a new series about the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art International Design Competition, As Built co-hosts Patience Jones and Brian Jones speak with Malcolm Reading, LVO, RIBA, Hon FRGS, Chairman of Malcolm Reading Consultants, about how the competition process works and what architects should consider when entering a design competition.
Photo of Malcolm Reading courtesy of Malcolm Reading Consultants
In the first episode of a new series about the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art International Design Competition, As Built co-hosts Patience Jones and Brian Jones speak with Julián Zugazagoitia, the Museum’s Director & CEO, about the competition and the need for community involvement.
Photo of Julián Zugazagoitia courtesy of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Mark Wagner, AIA, is a Principal at Davis Brody Bond, a Page/ Company. Based in New York City, Mark has deep experience in the design of cultural and public spaces. His portfolio includes the National September 11 Memorial Museum, the World Trade Center Archive, the National Park Service Ellis Island Emergency and Long-Term Museum Collections and Storage, and the Hall of Gems at the American Museum of Natural History. In this episode, Mark talks with Patience Jones about the roles that empathy and memory play in the design of public cultural spaces. They also discuss Davis Brody Bond’s own history of work and founding architect J. Max Bond, Jr.’s role in designing the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta.
Highlights:
- What inspired Mark to become an architect
- A leadership view of the organizational transition when Davis Brody Bond joined forces with multidisciplinary design, architecture, and engineering firm Page/
- How intentionality is expressed in design
- Managing dual states of empathy and emotional distance to achieve design goals
- The ways in which cultural buildings both reflect and shape our memories
- What public ownership of a space really means
- How cultural space design has changed over the last five years, and where it's headed in the next five
Episode Resources:
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Connect with Mark Wagner, AIA
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-wagner-8a1242a/
- https://www.davisbrodybond.com/mark-wagner
Read More About Mark’s Work
- “Preserving Emotion and Memory: The Case for Combining Memorials and Museums”
- “Beyond the Rubble: How the 9/11 Museum Redefined Building Impact and Cultural Resonance”
Thinking about print and digital as two separate media formats that never overlap can shortchange the impact of both. In this episode, we talk about the ways in which digital efforts can support print marketing - and vice versa. Whether it’s a QR code for an ad or changing up your website to mirror editorial coverage, we help you find ways to connect the dots for your audiences.
Highlights
- What it takes for a prospect to mentally connect your firm with its print coverage
- How to be consistent across media without being dull
- Working within advertorial parameters
- The different ways in which architects and clients view consumer publications
Episode Resources:
- Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Google has been found in violation of U.S. anti-trust laws, and now it’s time for ... “the punishment.” We walk through what the case means, what the Department of Justice is proposing for a penalty, and whether firms need to start changing their digital strategies in anticipation of the outcome.
Highlights
- The four prongs of the DOJ’s proposed punishment
- The timeline for the court’s decision and implementation
- Why the ultimate outcome shouldn’t drastically impact marketing
- The importance of creating a good user experience and search optimization regardless of platform
- Why a “marketing mix” is vital for business growth
Episode Resources:
- The Court’s decision in US v. Google
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Considering a new firm name? Historically, whether to change – and what to change to – was impacted by a limited number of factors. Now that we live in a digital age, and as trends have shifted away from using principal names for the firm name, there are more things to consider: Is the name you want available as a domain name? How easy is it for people to spell and say the name? Does the proposed name make your firm more or less discoverable? In this episode, we outline modern criteria for architecture firm names and explain their importance.
Highlights
- How a firm name can promote – or impede – firm growth
- The firm name as a tool for legitimizing the firm
- Avoiding confusion with competitors
- Helping your firm be more discoverable by ideal clients
- How to think about a URL
- What the increased use of vocal search means for firm names
Episode Resources:
- Firm naming checklist
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Marketing calendar tools: not super exciting, but super necessary. In the newest Tech Stack episode, we explain how these tools work, why you need them, and how to choose the best one for your firm.
Highlights:
- What marketing calendar tools do
- Why your firm needs one
- How to identify your firm’s calendaring needs
- How to choose the best marketing calendar tool for your firm
Episode Resources: Marketing calendar resources (These are not endorsements, just a few options to kick-start your research and evaluation process)
- Free templates from SmartSheet
- Free templates from HubSpot
- DivvyHQ
- Trello
- CoSchedule
- Planable
- Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Are all of your marketing efforts stuck in an eternal feedback loop? If you’re constantly revising based on new opinions and can’t get anything out the door, the answer is, “Yes.” Iterative processes have their place, but there comes a time when your marketing can’t do anything for you because nothing can get final approval. When your marketing flow starts to look like an M.C. Escher drawing, it’s time to break out of the eternal feedback loop.
Highlights:
- Why the pursuit of elusive perfection is your enemy
- How knowing something can be changed can keep it from being finalized
- The downside of creativity: nothing is ever “done”
- How to get out of the feedback loop and marketing efforts reflect priorities
- Remembering your marketing output is not your legacy
Episode Resources:
- Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Preparing RFP responses can feel like all you're doing is working off of someone else's checklist. In truth, RFP responses can be great opportunities for educating prospective clients about your firm's strengths. The key is to use details in every response to focus the readers on what's important. This turns RFPs into a marketing tool for the immediate project - as well as future projects from the same clients. Opportunities are in the details, and details create opportunities.
Highlights:
- The importance of closing the loop for RFP reviewers
- Focusing on what makes your firm uniquely qualified to do the project
- How architecture firms are like Moleskine notebooks
- Why you can't rely on people looking at your website
- Making the RFP a self-contained document
- How to ensure your RFP response is effective no matter the prescribed format
Episode Resources:
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Does your firm have that One Great Image that gets used everywhere? In this episode, we unpack the limitations of relying solely on static images in architectural marketing. Learn why embracing video, diverse visuals, and storytelling can set your firm apart.
Highlights:
- How the way people consume information has changed
- The struggle for differentiation
- Why "perfection" is truly your enemy
- Where single images fall down
- The importance of telling the whole project story
- The need to prioritize image creation and collection
Episode Resources:
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
All of the marketing skills in the world won’t matter much if you don’t have the most important ingredient: curiosity. Being interested in how people think, behave, and make decisions is what helps you identify how, when, and where you need to present information. In this episode, we discuss what it looks like to be curious in your marketing and how to cultivate curiosity.
Highlights:
- What curiosity does for your marketing
- How to channel the curiosity already present in design work into marketing
- Cultivating curiosity as a firm differentiator
- How to go from not-at-all-curious to at least somewhat curious
Episode Resources:
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Do you find yourself discounting ideas or data because you don't believe something works, it's not how you use the internet, or you've just never "liked" a particular thing? This is how bias works, and it can harm your marketing and your firm growth. In this episode, we discuss how to be aware of these biases and make more informed decisions.
Highlights:
- Biases in data interpretation
- Clarifying the value of data points
- The importance of asking "so what"?
- Why it's important to identify goals before you identify tools
Episode Resources:
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Don Semple, AIA, Partner at Chicago-based architecture firm Krueck Sexton Partners, talks with Brian Jones about the role of technology in design and in the architecture profession. Don also discusses the evolution of his career and the approach Krueck Sexton Partners takes to discovering a project’s hidden potential. With a project portfolio that includes the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning & Leadership, the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, and the Benjamin P. Grogan and Jerry L. Dove Federal Building, Don shares his design inspirations and the educational experiences that have shaped his career to date.
Highlights:
- What it’s really like to make the transition from architect to partner
- Technology’s role in evolving building and drawing methods
- Mentorship and fostering growth in multi-generational firms
- Design’s role in climate change mitigation
- The future promise of AI in architecture
Episode Resources:
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Connect with Don Semple, AIA
- https://ks.partners/people/don-semple/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-semple-aia-5596429/
Images showcase the amazing work your firm does, but using the wrong format or size can cause issues for your website – and the people visiting it. So how do you fix that? In this episode, we talk tips on balancing aesthetics and practicality to make your firm’s projects stand out.
Highlights:
- Oversized project images on architecture firm websites.
- User frustration with giant images.
- The need for dynamic imagery, including video.
- Importance of optimized image sizes for load time.
- Challenging the default “above the fold” design strategy.
Episode Resources:
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
You might hear from close friends when they get a promotion or leave a company, but what about the people you don’t keep in touch with as much? You might reach out to someone to find a bounce-back email, or someone you don’t know answering the phone. That’s why it’s important to keep up to date with the people around you and be aware of when they change job titles or leave a company. In this episode, we go over the best practices to keep in contact with everyone through social media, and best practices to reach out to someone after a career move.
Highlights:
- Consequences of Outdated Information.
- Using LinkedIn for Contact Updates.
- Opportunities Arising from Congratulatory Outreach.
- Value of Helping and Connecting Others.
- Observing Market Trends from Job Movements.
- Step-by-Step on Keeping Contacts Updated.
- Reaching Out for Belated Congratulations.
- Expanding Network During Reviews.
Episode Resources:
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Patience and Brian Jones tackle the vital yet tricky task of building consensus within architecture firms. They explain why consensus is crucial for firm growth and decision-making, even if it means harder conversations and navigating differing opinions. Perfect for firm leaders striving to keep their teams aligned and progressing. Tune in to grasp practical tips for fostering agreement and making smoother, collective decisions!
Highlights:
- Importance of consensus: Diverse ideas and comfort.
- Firm spectrum: Dictator model to flat structure.
- Small decisions: Practice to build consensus.
- Example of redoing a website: Importance of consensus.
- Different backgrounds in a company: Different viewpoints.
- Consensus process: Agreeing on direction and strategies.
- Addressing obstructionists: Clear goals and paths.
- Articulating plans: Communication is key.
- Flat structures: Time and complexity in decision-making.
Episode Resources:
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Host Brian Jones sits down with Jakeb Novak, partner at Specht Novak. Jakeb shares his journey from Chicago firms to thriving in Austin, Texas, and delves into his passion for timeless, elegant architecture. Discover how Specht Novak’s thoughtful design philosophy and dedication to client collaboration set their projects apart. Tune in for insights into the blend of tradition and modernity, the impact of evolving technologies on architecture, and the exciting transformation challenges they embrace.
Highlights:
- Firm philosophy: elegant, timeless buildings.
- Unaging designs: The Miller House as inspiration.
- Analyzing site conditions: from challenges to design features.
- Hurricane-proofing and design: projects in coastal areas.
- Visual communication: advances in rendering technology.
- Leveraging 3D scanning: site-specific design solutions.
- Project documentation innovation: use of Multivista.
- Architizer recognition: impact on firm’s outlook.
- Design variety: from micro lofts to large-scale projects.
- Typology exploration: boutique hotels and experimental design.
Episode Resources:
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Join hosts Patience and Brian Jones on “As Built” as they unpack Google’s flip-flop on third-party cookies. Learn the impact on advertisers and why first-party data is the future. If you want to stay ahead in marketing, this episode is a must-listen!
Highlights:
- Creative endeavors for first-party data.
- Value in first-party data for consumers.
- Google’s course change implications.
- The benefit of owning customer relationships.
- The impact of user behavior on cookies.
- Predicting user demographics based on cookie acceptance.
- The future trend in cookie rejection.
- Digital buyers’ growing savviness with cookies.
- Businesses need to prepare for cookie-less future.
Episode Resources:
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
So you’ve decided to expand your geographical territories? It’s a great opportunity for new business, but there’s a lot more that goes into it than posting an announcement to your website. With businesses who already have the community’s trust, and different cultures to think about, new regions aren’t going to welcome your business with open arms. But with some work, and commitment an unexplored region could eventually become a second home for your firm.
Highlights:
- How to leverage existing work to enter new markets
- The importance of in-depth market and cultural research.
- The value of long-term investment in new communities.
- Challenges with superficial market entry announcements.
Episode Resources:
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones
Patience and Brian Jones guide you through choosing the right publishing platforms for your firm’s projects. Understand the pros and cons of print vs. digital publishing, why reevaluating strategies is crucial, and how to showcase your work effectively. Perfect for architecture firms eager to make strategic marketing moves!
Highlights:
- Case study: Client project embargoed from publication.
- Importance of re-evaluating publishing strategies.
- Balance between print publication prestige and social media immediacy.
- Negotiating with print publications for alternative content.
- Tracking impact: Social media vs. print publications.
- Introducing new technologies like VR in future publishing.
Episode Resources:
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Patience and Brian Jones tackle the “washing problem” in architecture—deceptive practices like greenwashing or care-washing where firms say one thing but do another. They explore its impact on growth, employee trust, and client relationships. Tune in to learn how to stay authentic and back up your statements with real actions. Plus, get tips on creating genuine marketing messages that truly reflect your firm’s values!
Highlights:
- Explanation of green washing and care washing
- Importance of consistency between words and actions
- The danger of employees discovering inconsistencies
- Project owners’ expectations aligned with firm professed values
- Reflecting firm values accurately
- The importance of authenticity in firm statements
- Boilerplate language vs. uniqueness
- The risk of universal statements carrying unfulfilled promises
- Encouragement to differentiate with genuine, relatable examples
Episode Resources:
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Malcolm Reading, RIBA, Chairman of Malcolm Reading Consultants (MRC), talks with Brian Jones about architectural competitions. Based in London, MRC runs both open and invited international design competitions. The firm has worked with clients across the globe, including the V&A, Gallaudet University, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, Houston Endowment, and the Royal Opera House. Malcolm shares the details of his career evolution from architect to architecture consultant to firm owner, and gives listeners an insider’s view of the ins and outs of competitions.
Highlights:
- How identifying a gap between client needs and architecture firms sparked a career
- The design perspective that comes from working on the client side
- The importance of channeling learning back into the design process
- Why being an enabler is a good thing
- What architects need to be successful in a design competition
- Why firms shouldn’t submit to every competition
- The two stages of a successful competition model
Episode Resources:
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Connect with Malcolm Reading, RIBA
- https://malcolmreading.com/about/malcolm-reading
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/malcolm-reading-b2867a6/
In the latest installment of our Tech Stack series, we break down the latest LinkedIn updates and how they affect your post visuals. Learn practical workarounds to maintain impactful posts despite LinkedIn’s shift in prioritizing internal content. Whether you’re an avid LinkedIn user or just starting on the platform, this episode is packed with tips to keep your content engaging and effective.
Highlights:
- What LinkedIn’s updates are
- Explanation of LinkedIn’s prioritization of native content
- Several workarounds (for now)
Episode Resources:
- Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
If you’re thinking about attending or exhibiting a trade show, this is the episode for you. Inspired by Patience’s recent visit to the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, we build on what we’ve experienced - and done- at trade shows over the past decade. We discuss ways to ensure your firm stands out (in a good way) and makes meaningful connections.
Highlights:
- Thinking about trade shows as three distinct parts: before, during, and after
- The importance of every piece of information provided to the show organizers
- How to promote your attendance before the show
- Do’s and don’t’s of booth design and swag
- How to not inadvertently repel prospects
- Making the most of post-show follow-ups
Episode Resources:
- Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
You know that scene in almost every movie set in a creative firm, where someone just realized something is due and everyone runs around in a state of total panic while frenetic background music plays?
That shouldn’t be how your marketing works. We’ve been duped into believing that doing things frantically at the last minute is somehow a sign of success. It isn’t. It’s a symptom of a problem, and left to worsen it can lead to loss of clients, drying up of potential work, and employee unhappiness and illness. In this episode, we discuss panic and how to develop a marketing strategy that isn’t based on anyone’s hair being on fire.
Highlights:
- What can cause panic to take over
- How movies and cocktail banter convinced us panic was a good thing
- Being able to adapt and change is not the same thing as courting panic
- The importance of putting systems in place for yourself
- Your future self does not have as much time as you think they will
- The effects of panic on yourself, your health, and your firm
Episode Resources:
- Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
One of the most important things your firm can be is discoverable: by prospects, employee candidates, search engines, and now, AI. With recent updates from Google, Apple, and others in the digital space, how artificial intelligence sees and understands who you are and what you do is becoming increasingly more important. In this episode, we discuss what the new “fourth audience” of AI means for how discoverable your firm is – and how to turn this new development into an opportunity.
Highlights:
- How recent integrations of AI are simply extensions of the organic search engine model
- The mistake of outsourcing your firm identify to AI
- Even when companies like Google do short-term walkbacks of AI, the approach is not going away
- Ways firms can be successful in this new model
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
When you look around your social media feeds, do you see a lot of the same thing? How does this happen, why is it unhelpful for your firm, and how can you break out of the “also” rut? In this episode, we talk about social sameness: the phenomenon that results in one or two social personas being adopted as the way everyone shows up. While being the same as everyone else on social media can feel like the right thing to do, it can hamper your growth and make you less inclined to use social media. Here’s how to fight against the same-as approach.
Highlights
- Why it matters if people outside your industry understand how you’re different
- How emphasis on project imagery got us to this place
- Turning your social media into a viewport
- The value of doing “the bad thing”
- How only showing the final outcome can undervalue your work
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Your firm has an asset that’s often overlooked: its intellectual property. Broadly, this means the things you know individually and collectively as a firm. This knowledge can be used to differentiate your firm from competitors, earn client trust, and even create new service lines. In this episode, we explain how to identify your firm’s IP and put it to use.
Highlights
- How to identify your firm’s IP
- The mistake firms make when thinking about their IP
- How to use your IP to grow your firm
- What your firm’s IP and Pilates have in common
- The danger of treating your IP like a secret
- How to think about making your IP work for you while also battling fears of making it public
Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Diane Hoskins, FAIA, NCARB is Global Co-Chair of Gensler, the largest architecture firm in the world by both revenue and number of architects. She also serves as the Global Chair of the Board of Directors for the Urban Land Institute and as Trustee for The MIT Corporation. Most recently, she co-authored the book Design for a Radically Changing World, which explores the role that design in shaping the human experience amidst changing global conditions. In this episode, Diane discusses how her multi-disciplinary background has influenced her career, the discoveries that came out of the book’s creation, and why now is the best time to be a practicing architect.
Highlights
- What the crisis multiplier is, and how design is an ideal tool for addressing crises
- How the ways in which we think about workspaces continue to evolve
- The role COVID played – and didn’t – in changing workplace expectations
- The concept of the worker as consumer
- How Gensler’s “one firm” firm culture positions the firm to work from a place of expertise and empathy
Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
- Connect with Diane Hoskins, FAIA, NCARB:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianehoskins/
- Read Design for a Radically Changing World:
- https://www.amazon.com/Design-Radically-Changing-World-Gensler/dp/1957183845/
Reporting: You know you’re supposed to do it, but you’re not sure why or what to do with what you collect. As your firm grows, it will become more important for you to understand what marketing metrics you’re measuring and how to make use of that data. In this episode of our Growth Challenges series, we explore setting up reporting that actually matters.
Highlights
- Why reporting on everything is as bad as reporting on nothing
- How to ensure you're reporting on the right things
- The one question that will tell you if you should be reporting on a particular item
- The lure of pretty data
- Why you also need to track sales data
Episode Resources
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Brian and Patience explore the ways individuals can hinder their progress towards goals, distinguishing between simply not taking actions needed to achieve goals and actively creating obstacles that prevent goal attainment. For instance, when someone overcomplicates processes, such as insisting on using a certain tool or system that isn't necessary, they are impeding their progress. The conversation delves into psychological aspects, such as the comfort level with goals, confidence, and fear of the unknown that can cause such self-imposed barriers.
One of the key insights is that acknowledging when you're obstructing your own goals is crucial because it can either lead to completing the intended task or realizing that your goals have changed and need to be re-evaluated.
Highlights
- The concept by introducing the Russian nesting doll analogy, where one creates more and more layers of complexity that impede progress towards a goal.
- The role of comfort, confidence, and the desire for certainty in the processes that lead to self-sabotage.
- A hypothetical situation involving office software to illustrate how steadfastness in beliefs can be a form of getting in one's own way.
- How to identify when you’re getting in your own way by looking at procrastinations, such as outdated items in your inbox, and how this could indicate a problem with your process.
- The big takeaways: recognizing how you might be hindering your own goals and the necessity of facing uncomfortable truths, whether that means changing goals, relinquishing control, or adjusting your process.
Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
No, not the fatigue that comes with working on a seemingly unending project. In this episode, we’re talking about the fatigue that your audiences feel when your firm talks about the same one or two projects to the exclusion of others. This can happen because a project has won awards, received press, or is a personal favorite. When a few projects consistently carry all of the marketing weight for the firm, people get tired of seeing them – no matter how great those projects are. Here’s how to keep people engaged without diminishing the firm’s accomplishments.
Highlights
- The importance of showcasing all aspects of your firm – not just the completed work
- Avoiding the “slideshow from my vacation” problem
- How singular project focus can create employee anxiety
- The value of thinking like an outsider
- Using the coffee shop approach
Episode Resources
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
The word "consistency” can bring to mind drudgery and the removal of any creativity. This thinking, however, will limit your business growth. In this episode we explore why consistency in external communications is so important and what to do when being consistent seems impossible. We also refute the idea that consistency has to mean doing the same exact thing all the time – or more often than you really should be.
Highlights:
- Being creatively consistent
- How to remain consistent when you don’t feel like it, are overworked, or dealing with personal issues
- The importance of having a generous mindset
- “More consistent” does not mean “more often”
- How being consistent is similar to routinely visiting your favorite coffee shop
Episode Resources
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Building your business is easier if you also build your personal network. Whether you're just starting out in your career or leading a firm, it's vital to make connections with new people. People in your network may end up being a source of new business, but the focus shouldn't be on selling - it should be on meeting people whose work you admire, who you find interesting, or with whom you share interests. Don't look at growing your network like another "must do" on your list. Instead, try to see if for what it is: an opportunity for a positive interaction with another human being.
Highlights
- The importance of having an updated LinkedIn profile.
- Where to find people you'd like to meet.
- Being approachable, respectful, and oriented towards creating genuine relationships rather than solely focusing on sales and leads.
- Why it's never as scary or onerous as it seems.
- What 'open to connect' means on LinkedIn and why it matters.
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
In the latest edition of our “Tech Stack” series, we cover the technical aspects of image assets. Photos and video are arguably the most important assets your firm can have. What needs to be considered to make sure you end up with results that are usable for what you're trying to accomplish? Do you have what you need to effectively communicate about your project?
Highlights:
- Composition isn’t the only consideration
- Why you need to know how a photo will be used before it’s taken
- The role of the relationship between the photographer and the viewer
- The importance of knowing the current requirements for relevant social media platforms
- Why cropping should only be a last resort
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Fogarty Finger Co-Founding Principal Chris Fogarty, AIA, RIBA, talks with host Patience Jones about starting his own firm as he looks forward to celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Chris and Patience discuss his career beginnings at SOM, the experience of growing Fogarty Finger by almost double the headcount, and the firm’s new project The Eliza, an innovative mixed-use development that combines affordable housing with a cutting-edge public library. Highlights
- How unsuccessfully trying to quit a job led Chris to more opportunities
- The reasons Chris and his business partner Robert Finger work so well together
- The role of storytelling in the firm’s work
- How to measure “success” in an architecture firm
- The difficulty of simplicity, and how Chris conveys the concept to the design team as well as clients
- The importance of being able to start over
- Why self-storage units are a problem for cities, and the larger problematic issues they represent
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Connect with Chris Fogarty
- https://fogartyfinger.com/people/chris-fogarty
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-fogarty-aia-264b3414/
At some point, your business will reach a point where you can’t figure out what to do by yourself. This could be the first day you open, at the one-year mark, or twenty years on. No matter when the realization hits you, the answer is to bring on advisors who can help you think through – and make better decisions about – various issues facing your firm. In this episode, we discuss what it takes to find trusted advisors and how to work with them successfully.
Highlights
- How to know when it’s time to start working with advisors
- The importance of working with someone you can trust
- Why advisors should never be sales prospects
- How advisors are different from employees, friends and family
- Recognizing that having advisors doesn’t mean you’ll never have to make tough decisions
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Brian and Patience discuss how architectural firms can venture into new sectors, geographies, or fields of operation where they lack experience but see business opportunities. They propose three ways to ensure successful expansion: Scale, Opportunity, and Relationships.
'Scale' involves starting with smaller scale projects, showing expertise in problem-solving, and then leveraging this to secure larger scale ones. 'Opportunity' entails showcasing the firm's experience and skill set in a manner that convinces potential clients of their ability to handle different types of projects. 'Relationships' relates to using your connections in the industry to get an inside track into new business avenues and differentiate from competitors.
Highlights
- How scale matters in architecture projects
- Ways to convey project capabilities to potential clients
- Tips on how residential firms can transition into larger scale projects
- The role of opportunity in expanding a firm and how related experiences can be presented as unique qualifications
- The importance of firm-client relationships in pitching for new projects.
- Making decisions on market sector expansion choice when firms are not sure of the direction they want to take
- The importance of evaluating existing relationships when making market sector expansion choices.
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
HOK Co-CEO and Design Principal Eli Hoisington, AIA, LEED AP, talks with host Brian Jones about his journey to co-CEO of a global architecture firm and how that impacted his view of leadership. Eli speaks generously and candidly about the challenges of balancing leadership and design and what an “interdisciplinary approach” really means to the firm. He also discusses how the firm embraced a global mentorship approach that allows for cross-border mentor-mentee relationships. Noting that at the time of the recording, it's 70 degrees in February in Saint Louis, Eli provides insight on sustainability, explaining that the term needs to expand to include both wellness and equity.
Highlights
- How important it is for leaders to be able to view issues through different lenses
- The importance of involving multiple disciplines in a project from the very beginning (or getting everyone “in the mosh pit”)
- Why “collaboration” is easy to say but hard to do, and how the firm prioritizes it
- How the firm nurtures and promotes design across its many offices in many time zones
- How the pandemic spawned a new global approach to mentorship
- Why it’s vital for architects to make sure their process drives their choice of technology tools, and not the other way around
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Connect with Eli Hoisington
- https://www.hok.com/people/leadership/view/eli-hoisington/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/elihoisington
Internal communications channels have changed substantially over the past 20 years. We’ve gone from phone calls and intra-office memos to emails, texts, group messaging like Slack, internal e-newsletters, and video conferencing – not to mention tools like Google Docs and Workfront with ancillary messaging capabilities.
Without guidance from firm leadership on which channel should be used for what, you’re at risk for a lot of miscommunication. One person may think the best place to note a deadline change is in the group chat on Zoom, while another was expecting an email and now the project’s in jeopardy. In this episode, we break down best practices for using and managing internal communication channels.
Highlights
- How to create internal communications channel guidelines
- Assigning levels of importance and/or urgency to each channel
- The importance of consistency
- Making peace with people preferring a different channel than you would have picked
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
In this very dramatically named episode, we examine the lie we all want to believe: that marketing is something that you can set and then forget about if you can just find the right tools/agency/message. We look back at how we came to be sold this lie and how it’s altered our views of what we have to do to have successful marketing. Most importantly, we identify the ways to get away from this dangerous mindset.
Highlights
- The ironic origins of our “set it and forget it” beliefs about marketing
- How advances in technology can fuel the belief that people don’t need to be involved
- What can happen when you “forget it”
- How to create a marketing approach that doesn’t require constant attention
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Patience and Brian Jones discuss the issue of “too many meetings” in a firm or workplace setting. They emphasize the need to establish a balance in creating meetings that do not overburden the schedule or diminish work morale. They point out that excessive meetings can lead to a culture that inadvertently necessitates meetings for every scenario, including follow-up meetings and recapping meetings, which may consume employees' entire workday. They advise firm leaders to calculate the financial cost of each meeting. This includes both the lost revenue due to the meeting time and the potential opportunity costs of work not done due to the meeting.
Highlights
- How to manage and reduce an overwhelming amount of scheduled meetings
- The negative impacts of meeting culture, such as affecting productivity and causing burnouts
- How to carefully select important meetings
- Criticism on default meeting time-frames and the negative impacts of unnecessarily long meetings
- The importance of an agenda in a meeting, and tips to keep meetings productive and short
- Respecting agreed meeting time and avoiding running over the scheduled time
- Advice on auditing the calendar for meetings and reflecting on their importance
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
With apologies to Tina Turner and Schitt’s Creek, in this episode we talk about the importance of focusing on what you do (simply the) best. This isn’t about indulging yourself or finding your bliss; it’s about identifying the thing that you could do in your sleep, the thing that causes people to search you out, and the thing that keeps them coming back. Once you’ve identified This Thing, marketing, sales, and delivery of your work become much easier.
Highlights
- Why what you do best matters
- What you do best and what you enjoy the most are not always the same thing
- How to identify what you do best
- The benefits of doing what you do best
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Patience and Brian Jones delve into the topic of website hosting, discussing its importance, features, and how it often gets overlooked due to its technical nature. They stress the vital role of a website as the first point of contact people have with a firm, and the importance of reliable web hosting in ensuring continued accessibility. They also advise listeners to analyze the backup process offered by the hosting plan, the ability to set up an offline backup, and the possibility of accessing a production and staging environment.
Highlights
- Who should be responsible for understanding web hosting within a company
- The distinction between URL, website hosting, and email
- Backup process, staging environment and how that impacts the website functionality
- The geographical location of web servers and how that could affect certain aspects of the website
- How server location can impact site speed
- How site loading speed can affect visitor experience and site ranking on search engines
- The importance of investing in a good hosting plan
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
In the latest installment of our checkup series, we cover what marketing and promotion items you need to collect at the time a project closes out. Yes, you can always collect them later, but you risk information not being able to be found or the people who worked on the project have forgotten or moved on. The assets you need are vital for your website, social media, and future RFPs. We walk through what you need to collect so you don’t have to remember.
Highlights
- The importance of project closeout checklists for firms and their significance for marketing and promotion
- The difference between a standard close-out list and a marketing close-out list
- Why you don’t want to put it off until later
- Setting reminders for what you’ll need later
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
"Thank God for me." - Jennifer Lawrence as Rosalyn Rosenfeld in American Hustle
Do you frequently feel like you're the only one who can do [fill in the blank]? Do you worry about what would happen if you weren't available? Do you loathe working in groups and suspect that no matter what people promise, they won't deliver? Congratulations! You probably have Lone Wolf Syndrome. In this episode, we discuss what it is, why it's bad for your business, and how to work through it.
Highlights
- How to recognize if you have Lone Wolf Syndrome
- How education models can encourage Lone Wolf Syndrome
- Recognizing that traits that previously served you might now be standing in your way
- The difficulty in choosing to count on others
- How structure can help mitigate Lone Wolf Syndrome
- The role of advisors in helping to create structure
- How to lean on professional business coaches and even employees
- What it looks like to be a recovering Lone Wolf
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
You've got so many great things to say about your firm - but are you saying them in a way that any of your prospects are listening or care? It's easy to slip into the mode of talking to the same small group of people without even realizing it. What we talk about and the way we say it has a direct effect on who - and how - people hear the message. Over time, you can inadvertently end up living in a marketing bubble. In this episode, we talk about how to recognize if that’s happened and how to change.
Highlights
- How being in a bubble can hurt you
- What happens when your preferences get in the way of making progress
- How to use testing and data to make sure your message isn’t too insular
- The times it makes sense to intentionally create a bubble
Episode Resource
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
The New Year can be a time of renewal, clean slates, and motivation. Frequently, though, it can also be a time of pressure to DO MORE! BE MORE! BE BETTER! It’s hard to feel like you’re doing enough when it seems like everyone around you has miraculously improved tenfold overnight. And for those who do set and achieve lofty goals, the pressure to sustain them for another 11.5 months can be overwhelming. In this episode, we unpack the internal and external pressures of the New Year, and how to use what’s helpful and leave the rest.
Highlights:
- The importance of identifying what your business goals are for the New Year
- How not to get caught up in other people’s goals and achievements
- Resisting the pressure to achieve MORE just because
- How to turn the New Year into something helpful instead of a source of dread
- What to do to sustain the changes you decide to make
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
In this episode, we’re getting into the holiday season by thinking about that selfish green character who shall not be named lest we infringe on someone else’s trademark. Is your marketing also selfish? Do you talk only about yourself and how accomplished you are? Is everything on your terms? Whether it ended up this way because you were short on time or didn’t realize how the marketing was coming across, you’re living in the realms of that certain green character. We explore why that’s harmful to your firm and your culture, and how to make your marketing something Cindy Lou You-Know-Who would be proud of.
Highlights:
- What it means to be selfish in your marketing
- How thinking about your clients’ pain points can lead to less selfish marketing
- The selfish traps that are easy to fall into
- How to make your marketing more generous
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
This isn’t the episode about “leading a balanced life” (whatever that means to you). Instead, we’re talking about whether your practice itself is balanced - what that means, how to assess your practice, and what to do if it’s not in balance.
We dive into the three aspects of a balanced practice: The Work, Marketing and Sales, and Firm Culture. When each one is taking up the time and effort it should, no more and no less, your firm will grow with ease. If your practice is out of balance, here’s how to recognize and remedy.
Highlights:
- Time is a finite resource
- Spending more time in one area necessarily means another area gets less time
- Allocating time and resources equally to the three areas of practice will yield more consistent and effective results
- The importance of viewing the balance of the firm as a whole over time, not whether an individual’s daily or weekly schedule is in balance
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
If you’ve ever lain awake at night worrying about your daily website traffic, this episode is for you. With so much data readily available, it’s easy to become consumed with constant check-ins and worries about hourly shifts in performance. For B2B businesses with longer sales cycles, though, this can lead to bad business decisions made on faulty assumptions about future performance. There’s a time to act quickly, and there’s a time to allow things to unfold and follow your long-term strategy - and we explain how to know what to do when.
Highlights:
- The importance of fighting the urge to check in on your marketing data more often than is necessary
- How focusing on daily or hourly performance can lead to bad marketing decisions
- Knowing when it’s time to draw conclusions and when it’s time to hold
- The tendency to drive for instant results and the importance of patience in marketing strategies
- Recognizing hyperactivity as a form of panic
- How to create a check-in calendar that makes sense for how your business operates
- Why understanding what data to review and what you’re hoping to learn is so important
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
This episode kicks off the new “Checkup” series, where we discuss things that need, well, a checkup. Hosts Patience Jones and Brian Jones discuss how to maintain your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. While it would be nice if a CRM never had to be maintained and ran on autopilot, that is not (yet) the way things work. We discuss what needs to be checked on and how often, and how to keep the checkup process from creating more work.
Highlights:
- The limitations of CRMs and why regular updates are needed
- Tips on how to update and verify contacts in the CRM
- How to keep the updating project from spiraling
- What your CRM might have in common with plastic storage bins
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Learn how a CRM works:
- Episode 2: TechStack: CRMs (Client Relationship Management Systems)
Brent Buck, Principal of Brent Buck Architects, talks with host Brian Jones about the evolution of his career from Project Architect at Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects to founding his own firm and pushing the boundaries of architecture through design and material choices. He explains how the firm’s work is driven by a desire to take on new problems that haven’t been solved, and how this led to the design of Frame 122, a five-story residential building in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn made from cross-laminated timber (CLT).
Highlights:
- The importance of not only being able to create beautiful designs, but also being able to get your project built
- The struggle architects face when schools don’t teach the business aspects of building a practice
- How the firm uses social media to share its process
- The role New York City has played in shaping the firm
- How to attract prospective clients who share your view of design
- Potential differences in projects within NYC and in other locales
- Misconceptions about how “green” or “reclaimed wood” buildings have to look
- The risk the firm took with Frame 122 and how it paid off
- The best advice Brent received when he left Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects
Episode Resources Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Connect with Brent Buck
- https://www.brentbuckarchitects.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-buck-264b7093
About Frame 122
- https://newyorkyimby.com/2023/11/frame-122-tops-out-at-waverly-avenue-in-clinton-hill-brooklyn.html
- https://murray-engineering.com/portfolio/122-waverly-avenue-clt/
Most likely, everyone in your firm has opinions about marketing. These can range from “here are the 12 things I want the firm to do” to “everything you’re doing is wrong.” In this episode, we offer some tips on how to receive all of the input from … well, everyone about your firm’s marketing - and how to respond to it in a way that is both compassionate and efficient.
Highlights:
- “Everyone’s a marketer” is something firms of all sizes deal with
- Finding a system that works for you in how suggestions are given and responded to
- The importance of recognizing people’s passion and respecting that in how you respond
- Why email is not the best way to address suggestions or concerns
- Being open to good ideas coming from anywhere - not just within the marketing department
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
The term “marketing strategy” often gets a bad rap. Over the years, it’s become dangerously synonymous with “busy work” or “pointless thing we don’t want to do.” In this episode, we discuss why firms need marketing strategies - and a straightforward way to create a marketing strategy that helps your firm reach its goals.
Highlights:
- Why trying to boil the ocean won’t get you much
- What a marketing strategy does for your firm
- How a strategy helps you make better use of your resources
- The importance of knowing who you want to reach and why
- A brand template is not a substitute for a marketing strategy
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Patience Jones interviews Jonathan Marvel, FAIA, ASLA Affiliate, ANFA, the Founding Principal of Marvel Designs. As the firm celebrates its 10th anniversary this year and the recent opening of its new office in Barcelona, Jonathan shares his professional journey and the growth of the firm over years and continents. He stresses the importance of collaboration, both internally and with external project partners and developers - as well as the grit needed to see a project through from start to finish. When faced with project or design challenges, Jonathan reminds us, “The driver for a designer is the hope of being able to make a difference.”
Highlights:
- Marvel Designs' growth over the past decade, including its offices in New York City, San Juan, Richmond, and Barcelona
- How the firm communicates and collaborates over multiple time zones
- The commitment made in every project to do the right thing for the community
- Making the digital world into opportunities for inclusion
- The story of the ACACIA Resilient Homes
- PrototypeMentoring young architects and promoting the importance of design as a profession
Episode Resources Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Connect with Jonathan Marvel, FAIA, ASLA Affiliate, ANFA
- https://marveldesigns.com/leader/jonathan-marvel-faia-asla-affiliate-anfa/1
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-marvel-faia
Built into every marketing effort, it seems, is an inherent bias toward talking about yourself and your firm from your perspective: the challenges that you faced, the way that you overcame them, what you’ve achieved. This is natural - but there’s a better approach that’s rooted in talking about all of the same information from your client’s perspective. In this episode we explore the marketing approach of making everything about them, not you.
Highlights:
- How consumer trends are impacting B2B purchasing
- The increased expectation of personalization
- The tension between how people want to shop and how firms present information
- Why framing your products and services from a client’s perspective is vital
- How we got to the current “me first” marketing and how to get out of it
Episode Resources
Cited in this episode:
- “The B2B Buying Journey,” Gartner
- “The Ways And Means Of B2B Buyer Journey Maps,” Forrester
- “Rethinking Retail,” Infosys
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
In the life of any firm, there may come a time when one or more leaders decide to exit the firm for non-retirement reasons. They may give you a heads up, or they may announce one day that this is their last day at the firm. While it won’t feel like it right then, this is a survivable event. Here’s how to navigate your way through.
Highlights:
- Friendly exits vs adversarial ones
- How to push through panic if the announcement is sudden
- Considerations for internal and external messaging
- What this means for projects in process
- Working through the changes in firm morale - positive and negative
- When to consult with professional advisors
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Just like your website or social media channels, video calls are another opportunity to strengthen your firm’s brand. When multiple employees are on a call, does it feel like they all work for the same company, or is it every person for themselves? In this Tech Stack episode, we offer some tips to ensure your company’s video calls reflect your brand - without thwarting individuality.
Highlights:
- Why your video call standards matter
- The do’s and don’t of digital backgrounds
- Avoiding naming mishaps
- Why it’s important to set standards and communicate them
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Background resources
- Information about Zoom backgrounds
- Information about Microsoft Teams backgrounds
In this episode, host Brian Jones talks with Paul Clayton, architect and principal at the Austin and San Antonio-based architecture firm Clayton Korte. Paul discusses the evolution of his career, including the decision he made to purchase the firm formerly known as Emily Little Architect and its evolution into Clayton Korte. He also shares what he’s learned about mentoring and guiding employees in a post-pandemic climate, and how those insights shape the firm’s work.
Highlights:
- Taking steps to change your career when it isn’t what you want
- Allowing a firm to organically develop over time vs. trying to force change
- Expanding into new services as a result of project demand
- How the most successful projects Clayton Korte has been involved with are those that involve the harmony of architecture, interiors, and brand
- How to approach changed attitudes toward career and work-life balance
- The benefit of understanding the “span of control” concept
- The role of mentorship and communication in maintaining the quality of the work as the firm grows
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Connect with Paul Clayton, AIA, LEED AP
- https://claytonkorte.com/team/paul-clayton/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-clayton-0bb6a34
Patience and Brian Jones discuss the process of promoting or hiring new partners in architecture firms as they grow. It emphasizes the importance of clear communication, set expectations, and identifying the unique skills each prospective partner brings to the table. The hosts stress the importance of celebrating such promotions and continuously showcasing the new partners' skills and talents.
Highlights:
- Growing a firm and adding new partners.
- Conveying the roles and responsibilities of a new partner to the rest of the team.
- Operational challenges when bringing on an external partner.
- The importance of transparent communication.
- Presenting and celebrating partnership promotions positively.
- Addressing potential resentments when an external person is brought on as a partner.
- Understanding and appreciating individual capabilities with your internal team..
Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Patience and Brian Jones discuss e-newsletters for architecture firms. They point out the three types of e-newsletters that are typically utilized: One featuring a project with a brief description, another summarizing all activities of the firm over a certain time period, and the third follows a strict cadence whether or not there is significant content. They draw attention to the fact that these newsletters tend to primarily serve the firm's benefits and fail to consider the interests of the recipients. They emphasize that the newsletters should function as a means to build meaningful communication with the recipient audience.
Highlights:
- Common types of e-newsletters within firms
- Comparison of e-newsletters to digital billboards
- Knowing the reason behind sending e-newsletters
- The risks of sending e-newsletters through personal emails
- Tips to optimize e-newsletter for avoiding spam filters and increasing opens
- E-newsletters as a communication tool rather than a press release
Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Patience and Brian Jones discuss the complexities of merging two different architecture firms. They highlight the challenges that come with the integration process, such as defining who is in charge, determining which projects to undertake, and deciding when to hire new people. Their insights aim to guide other firms going through similar transitions, emphasizing the importance of tackling potential issues beforehand rather than dealing with the fallout in the end.
Highlights:
- The difficulties of merging two different architecture firms
- Having conversations before and after the merger
- Key areas of focus during merger conversations
- Role of involving all parties in merger discussions to ensure smooth transition
- Mergers and firm integrations as opportunities for growth and improvement
Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
It’s not even Halloween yet, and it’s time again for holiday prep season. So, you don’t end up with that “it’s December 10 and we don’t know what we’re doing” feeling, we’ve got timelines and tips so you can delegate the holiday work.
Highlights:
- Why you shouldn’t do something just because someone else is
- How to decide what holiday activities are right for your firm and budget
- What to do now so the holidays don’t get out of control
Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Holiday Checklist
https://info.graphicmachine.com/hubfs/holiday-checklist.pdf
Almost every firm has at least one competitor - this is a normal part of business. Whether - and how - you consider that competitor when making business decisions can run the gamut from “I don’t even know who my competitors are” to checking up on them every day.
We’re taught that we should keep an eye on the competition, but when does that cross over into something that isn’t helpful? Is obsession with the competition healthy?
- Time obsessing over your competitors is time you’re not obsessing over your work or your clients
- The importance of identifying your competitors: Are they really your competitors, or you’ve just decided they are because of some small thing (you went to school together, they received an award, ten years ago you lost a project to them)
- What are you hearing and seeing about them?
- What’s different about what each of you do or sell?
- How to use data points to get a clearer picture of how your firm compares
Episode Resources:
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- graphicmachine.com
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Architect Carolyn Kiernat, AIA is a Principal of architecture, design, planning, and preservation firm Page & Turnbull. In her work, Carolyn strives to balance innovative new design with complex regulatory requirements for historic buildings. She has been both prime architect and preservation consultant on major adaptive reuse projects, and has been involved in such projects as the Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio of San Francisco and the new Exploratorium at Pier 15.
As Page & Turnbull celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, Carolyn shares how the firm was established largely as a reaction to the demolition and rapid redevelopment that was occurring in 1970’s San Francisco. The firm developed a “preservation, with needed change” approach that combines reuse with modern design and technology to support the way people live and use spaces now. Carolyn also explains the origins and roles of the firm’s Cultural Resource Studio and Preservation Technology Studio.
Highlights:
- The idea of “an architect who works on historic buildings” vs. “a preservation architect”
- The firm’s work on the Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio
- How to work with project stakeholders who have competing views
- The importance of being able to convey to clients where the opportunities are, especially when they aren’t always possible at first glance
- Why the best way to preserve a building is to use it
- The role of reuse in today’s market
Episode Resources:
Connect with Carolyn Kiernat, AIA
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyn-kiernat/
Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Retirement, while not a significant issue for the person leaving, can present challenges for those remaining in the firm as it necessitates adjustments and changes. Brian and Patience delve into the different dimensions of managing retirements, from the financial to the administrative, and more significantly, the opportunities that such transitions bring, such as redefining the firm's direction or modifying certain practices that may no longer serve the business's interests.
Highlights
- Challenges that come during retirement
- All aspects of the firm’s structure after retirement
- Reevaluating the firm's visual identity
- The emotional impact of retirement
Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
People make decisions by making comparisons. If you don’t tell them how you want to be compared, they’ll default to the one thing that they can easily understand: Price.
Once your architecture firm is competing solely on price, it’s a race to the bottom. As soon as someone else offers a lower price, you’re stuck having to take even less to keep getting work. No one wins.
The better course is to identify and communicate your firm’s true differentiators. In this episode, we help you identify what really separates you from other firms and communicate that to prospects.
Highlights
- How prospects evaluate firms
- Why where you went to school isn’t enough of a differentiator
- Criteria you can use to differentiate your firm from others
Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Architect Carol Ross Barney, FAIA, HASLA is a Design Principal and Founder of Ross Barney Architects. She is also the 2023 recipient of the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal, the highest honor the AIA can bestow and a recognition of individuals whose work has had a lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture.
In this episode, Carol discusses her career path and how it informed the driving principle behind her work and her life: that excellent design is a right, not a privilege. From her Peace Corps work saving ecologies in Costa Rica to her first architecture projects at Holabird and Root to founding her own firm and delivering such notable public architecture as the Oklahoma City Federal Building and the Chicago Riverwalk, Carol shares her insights into the practice and business of architecture.
Highlights
- The role of a “citizen architect”
- Design as a way of making solutions
- What architecrs have to know to make a project successful
- The critical need for sustainability and how it functions as a means of course correction
- What consensus really means in public projects and how to achieve it
- Mentorship in an era of remote working
Episode Resources
- Connect with Carol Ross Barney, FAIA, HASLA
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-ross-barney-faia-a11751a/ - Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
When your business is interwoven with the supply chain, you have the unenviable task of explaining to customers why something costs more today than it did yesterday. While you can’t do much about the costs themselves, there are ways to address changes with your customers that can help keep and grow your business.
Highlights
- The importance of identifying cost-saving benefits of using your products - and how not using your products will cost more in the long run
- What’s relevant and what isn’t when explaining cost increases
- Breaking down rumors and calming panic
- Helping your client value-engineer their product
- Being empathetic goes a long way
Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Everyone’s tired. Everyone’s over it. Life is hard, and no one cares. Amidst this backdrop of existentialist crisis, how do you keep your team - and yourself - motivated?
In this episode of As Built, we discuss what does - and doesn’t - work for architecture and building materials firms trying to keep everyone going even when you don’t feel like it.
Highlights
- Everyone is motivated by different things, so universal solutions don’t work for everyone
- Don’t focus on the task, focus on the big-picture reason you do this work
- If you can, avoid people and projects that drain you
- Consider radical shifts in workloads and expectations, like the 85% effort model
Episode Resources
“To Build a Top Performing Team, Ask for 85% Effort,” Harvard Business Review
Connect with Brian and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Connecting with people outside your firm is essential to your health, wellbeing, and business. When you’re running a firm, though, this is something that can easily take a backseat to daily operations. Before you know it, you’re trying to remember the last time you talked with someone about something other than a project. In this episode, we offer some tips on building relationships outside of the office.
Highlights
- Turn off your sales mode
- Be authentic
- Ask about the other person
- Put yourself in environments where you’re already comfortable
- Accept that relationships of any kind take time to build
- Building relationships is not the same as networking
Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Brian Jones interviews Anthony Pope, founder of Atelier 7, about his transition from traditional architecture to using shipping containers for innovative and cost-effective design solutions. Atelier 7 focuses on developing affordable housing and has collaborated with container companies to create modular buildings. They have also acquired a 95,000 square foot warehouse in Georgia to further their mission of creating affordable housing through workforce training programs. Anthony shares the challenges faced with code regulations and his growth as an architect, with a more hands-on and humble approach.
Highlights
- Inspiration for shipping container architecture
- Initial success with shipping container park in Atlanta
- Transition to modular building and warehouse development
- Taking control of a 95,000 square foot warehouse in Atlanta
- Improving the modular building process
- Importance of hands-on work in architecture
- Successful community projects on previously unused land
- Advocating for a container code in the state
- Reflecting on career achievements in architecture
Episode Resources * Connect with Brian and Patience Jones * https://graphicmachine.com/ * https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/ * https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/ * https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/ * Connect with Anthony Pope * https://www.atelier7llc.com * https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyvincentpope
Whether you’re trying to grow your firm or it’s already in growth mode, you’re likely trying to figure out how to pack 36 hours of thought and activity into a 24 hour day. If it feels like the more you do, the more you have to do, this episode is for you. In this installment of “Growth Challenges,” we discuss how to take control of the time you have and stop feeling bad about things left undone.
Highlights
- Time is a finite resource
- You may not be able to do the same things you’ve always done
- Everything is not equally important
- Delegation is difficult but necessary
- Timeblocking can be useful but it doesn’t work for everyone
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Getting published has long been considered the pinnacle of architecture success. If your firm’s work gets published, the assumption goes, you’ve “made it” - and you don’t have to do anything else but sit back and wait for the work to roll in.
In this episode, we unpack what it really means to get published, what to do to make sure you have the best chance of getting your work published, and why it isn’t the only thing you should be focused on.
Highlights
- What publication can - and can’t do - for your firm
- How to know where to pitch
- The importance of images and descriptions
- Making it easier for a publication to say “yes”
- How to not rely solely on publication for your firm’s growth
Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
In this episode, Brian Jones interviews Daniel Piselli, Principal and Director of Sustainability at FXCollaborative, an architecture firm with a strong focus on sustainability and social responsibility.
Daniel’s career path to sustainable architecture began with a love of the outdoors and an awe-inspiring first-grade trip to a hockey rink designed by Eero Saarinen; today, he helps shape the firm’s approach to sustainability both as a practice and as a business. He walks listeners through how his firm implements its commitment to sustainability and offers insights into the future of sustainable design.
Highlights
- Implementing sustainability practices
- Sustainability challenges presented by large buildings in urban environments
- Collaboration and knowledge-sharing among architecture firms with sustainability groups
- Advice for architecture firms starting to build up their sustainability practice with a sustainability action plan
- Adapting a sustainability plan for your firm’s size and practice areas
- The future of sustainability in the architecture field
Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Connect with Daniel Piselli
- https://www.fxcollaborative.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielpiselli
Your firm has a lot of great image resources - congratulations! Now you need a place to store them so you can find what you need, when you need it, and give other people in the firm access as well. In this TechStack episode of As Built, hosts Brian Jones and Patience Jones explain the wonders of the DAM - or Digital Asset Management system.
Highlights
- What a DAM is and how it works
- How a DAM is different from other file storage systems
- The role a DAM plays in making sure you’re not trying to remember where you saved those images you need for the
- RFP that’s due in an hour
- How to get started with a DAM
Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.instagram.com/bjonesoriginal/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/ DAMs to consider (these are ones we’ve used; we don’t receive any compensation for listing these)
- Air
- ResourceSpace
- Filecamp
Good photography is a crucial part of your marketing and sales. It can help you get published, specified, and recognized as "the" firm to go to. Too many firms, though, forego professional photography or try to DIY it in-house. In this episode, co-hosts Patience Jones and Brian Jones discuss the importance of professional photography for architecture and building materials firms. They explain why photography is a worthwhile investment, why it's a mistake to do it yourself, and how to understand what you're buying when you hire a photographer.
Highlights
- The mportance of professional photography for architecture and building materials firms
- In-house photography is ideal for documenting your process and collecting "behind the scenes" shots
- Publications prefer to see professional photography when evaluating your work, and some publications won't even consider projects that aren't professionally shot
- The way you communicate with the photographer will shape the final photos
- It's important to have photos that meet different needs: publication, website, award submissions, social media, etc.
- Make sure you understand the photographer's pricing and licensing models
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian and Patience
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
There's an old advertising adage that a mattress store doesn't sell mattresses - it sells a good night's sleep. By positioning your products and services as solutions, you help your potential customers understand what you can do for them - and why they shouldn't go to anyone else. In this episode, hosts Brian Jones and Patience Jones explain the importance of talking about the problems you solve and how to do it across different channels. Highlights
- Put yourself in your customers' shoes: what's the "good night's sleep" problem they're trying to solve?
- Use language that customers use when they search for solutions
- Photos and drawings are vital - but they should be accompanied by text that explains the problem your products solved
- Don't fall into the trap of forgetting to show your work
Episode Resources
Connect with Brian and Patience
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Hosts Brian Jones and Patience Jones are kicking off “Growth Challenges,” a new series focused on the challenges faced as they grow. In this episode, we talk about how internal communication can break down and what to do to guard against that.
Highlights
- All the ways your firm communicates - even the ones you don’t think about
- The telltale signs that communication isn’t working
- Why communication matters - it’s not just about feelings
- How to fix broken communication
- The ways to keep communication breakdown from happening in the first place
Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
In this episode, Brian Jones and Patience Jones discuss the importance of business development in architecture firms and how to involve the whole team. They argue that relying on just one or two people for business development can lead to missed opportunities and instability in the firm, especially if those key individuals leave.
Instead, they suggest integrating business development duties into everyone's roles and promoting a sense of ownership and responsibility within the firm. By encouraging employees to cultivate relationships and bring in new business, the firm can build a bench of talent for its future growth.
Highlights
- Traditionally, architecture firms have one or two people, usually the principals, involved in business development.
- Discussion on the potential value of having a dedicated business development person
- The risk of putting all responsibility on one or two people for business development and relationships
- Suggestion to make everybody in the office a part of business development efforts
- Starting small with getting employees involved in expanding their networks and cultivating new business leads
- Different compensation models for employees involved in business development
- How to overcome resistance to business development within the firm
- Engaging in networking events and joining organizations to cultivate new clients
- The importance of support from the firm for employees involved in business development
- The need for a sustainable business development model and future-proofing the firm. Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
In this episode, Brian Jones and Patience Jones discuss information expectations in marketing, specifically in the architecture and building industry. They talk about how clients expect to find information easily and quickly, and how businesses must adapt to meet these expectations. By focusing on meeting clients' expectations and providing them with easy access to information, businesses can improve customer satisfaction and increase their chances of securing leads and building long-lasting business relationships.
Highlights
- The importance of providing information to clients on different levels.
- The impact of not providing information as expected or desired by clients.
- Adapting to shifting client expectations for information delivery.
- Balancing information requests with the need for efficient customer service.
- Tackling the frustration and the happiness of the client.
- The role of FAQs in improving accessibility to information.
- Analyzing website data, bounce rate, and navigation patterns to understand user behavior.
- Evaluating user feedback on website experience.
- The importance of search engine optimization for easier information retrieval. Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
In this episode, Brian Jones interviews David Thompson, AIA, founder of Assembledge+, an architecture firm based in Los Angeles. Thompson shares his journey of starting his own firm and his initial interest in designing furniture. He discusses the importance of having a firm culture, collaboration, and an entrepreneurial spirit to fuel growth. The conversation highlights the firm's core principles, their communication with clients, and bringing a Southern California sensibility to projects in different geographic locations. David also shares the importance of restraint during the design process and how collaboration helps maintain a successful practice. Also, he emphasizes the importance of teamwork in architecture and the essential role collaboration plays in executing projects effectively.
Highlights
- David’s beginnings in the industry and how he developed an entrepreneurial spirit through furniture projects
- Establishing the vision and core principles of the firm
- The importance of firm culture and maintaining a collaborative environment in the studio
- The role of clients in the collaboration process of projects
- Developing a strong relationship with builders in the construction process
- Adapting the firm's Southern California aesthetic to different geographic locations
- Communicating design intentions with prospective clients
- The idea of restraint in designing projects and how it plays a role in the internal process
- The importance of a collective approach to finding the right answer in a project
- The most important lesson in building a practice: The crucial role of a collaborative team
- The challenge of the traditional educational process, teaching a singular leadership approach that may not always work
- Acknowledging that one is only as good as their team in executing architecture projects
- Scaling a practice requires a strong team of people to handle the increasing complexity of projects
- The power of having the right people in running a practice, a lesson he learned early from his parents Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
- Connect with David Thompson, AIA
- https://www.assembledge.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-thompson-8274b47
In this episode, Brian Jones and Patience Jones discuss the importance of creating a social environment in the workplace that aligns with the values of the firm and that meet the needs of employees. They suggest firms be flexible and ask for employee input, stay true to company values, be open to change, and be intentional in creating a supportive environment that fosters relationships. They also talk about the importance of mentorship in building social connections.
Highlights
- The importance of creating a social environment within a company
- A company's social media presence may not reflect its real social atmosphere
- How people interact with each other in the workplace is crucial to a social environment, including workplace design and open communication
- The social atmosphere should be intentional and should take into account the needs and interests of the employees
- Consistency is key when creating a social atmosphere, and it is important to start small and get feedback from employees
- Creating a social atmosphere can have positive effects not only within the firm but also outside the firm, such as building relationships with the community and potential clients Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
In this episode, Brian Jones and Patience Jones discuss the concept of hybrid selling and business development for building materials and architecture firms. They explain that it combines traditional in-person sales with digital and virtual options to save costs and expand reach. They offer tips for implementation such as obtaining information from the sales team on what works and what doesn't in terms of images, language, and delivery methods.
Highlights
- Hybrid models offer convenience, cost savings, and expanded reach for companies, while also meeting prospects' expectations of how they want to be approached and sold to
- Active components of hybrid include in-person meetings, conferences, trade shows, and social events, as well as digital options like emails, virtual presentations, and virtual calls
- Passive components of hybrid include branded materials, signage, advertising, website content, downloads, and pre-recorded elements
- Hybrid models allow for presale education and multiple means of reaching prospects, and are a customer-focused way of selling
- Collaboration between sales and digital efforts can lead to increased sales and better outcomes overall
- Listening to sales teams is crucial for creating effective marketing and sales strategies Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
In this episode, Brian Jones and Patience Jones emphasize the importance of incorporating feedback into the company culture of architecture firms. They recommend making feedback a normalized and frequent part of everyday work interactions instead of waiting for annual reviews. Frequent and actionable feedback should be offered to allow for clear directions for improvement. By normalizing feedback as a regular part of communication, firms can attract employees who thrive in that kind of environment and continually improve their work.
Highlights
- Feedback can be both positive and negative, and it's important to give it as often as possible
- How and when to give feedback is important, and communication should be clear and open
- Being open to feedback can lead to better results and help retain great employees
- Feedback should be normalized and integrated into everyday meetings
- Structured moments, such as a project wrapping up, can provide natural opportunities for feedback
- Anonymous feedback can backfire and be one-sided, and it's important to have an opportunity for dialogue
- Leaders should make sure they’re ready to hear feedback before soliciting it Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
In this episode, Brian and Patience Jones welcome Shawn Basler, Co-CEO and Executive Director of Perkins Eastman, to talk about the challenges and excitement of running your own firm, as well as the professional practices that have helped him in his current role. He described how he has achieved success in the architecture field. Shawn also shares how they managed a firm even with three CEOs and how they created an ethos of collaboration and partnership that will help the firm grow.
Highlights
- The different roles that Shawn Basler performed upon joining Perkins Eastman
- International practice and design management evolution
- Decision making process at the Perkins Eastman with three CEOs
- Maintaining a firm culture across all offices and timezones
- Engaging with staff and knowledge management in a firm
- Habits and processes that helped Shawn professionally
- Maintaining client relationships in architecture firms Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
- Connect with Shawn Basler
- https://www.perkinseastman.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-basler-aia-50069098/
In this episode, Brian and Patience Jones emphasize the importance of understanding who you are marketing to and not defaulting to marketing to other architects. They provide the three scenarios when it is okay to market to other architects: such as if you're selling to them, recruiting staff, or going after professional certifications. It's important to tailor your marketing materials in a way that makes sense for your target audience and to get an outside perspective on your work.
Highlights
- Knowing the right audience: Who are you marketing too?
- Exploring the impact of default thinking on decision making
- Understanding your client’s needs
- Importance of using clear language in architectural marketing
- When and how do you market to other architects?
- Three scenarios when it is okay to market to other architects
- Creating discrete assets for professional awards
- How you can tailor your marketing materials
- Getting an outside perspective on your work Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience Jones
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Architect Yen Ong is a partner and co-founder in the award-winning, international architecture and interior design firm 5G Studio Collaborative. Since 2005, 5G Studio has produced a significant body of work across the world as well as skyline-defining projects like the Omni Dallas Hotel, The Stack office tower in Deep Ellum, and Virgin Hotels Dallas in 5G’s headquarter city.
In this episode, Yen gives a candid behind-the-scenes view of what it took to take his firm from four architects working on their first healthcare project to a multi-faceted studio with a special projects division focused on new kinds of work. With perspective as a co-founder, a designer, and a firm leader, Yen provides valuable insights for anyone in an architecture firm, regardless of role or title.
Shortly after this episode was recorded, Yen was elevated to the American Institute of Architects’ College of Fellows in recognition of the body of design work that he has produced. Congratulations, Yen, on this well-deserved recognition.
Highlights
- The creation of 5G Studio Collaborative
- The growth and transition from a small firm to designing large-scale, global projects
- Design approach and vision
- Supporting collaborative ideas and design processes as leaders
- Creating and preserving company culture
Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/ Connect with Yen Ong
- https://www.5gstudio.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/yeno2t2/
This episode discusses how to modernize marketing for architecture firms. It outlines the necessary hard skills needed, such as knowledge of SEO, web design, and CRM platforms, as well as soft skills like listening, empathy, and understanding the firm's target market. It also emphasizes the importance of the marketing team feeling integrated into the firm and passionate about the work, so they can ask the right questions and tell the stories of projects effectively.
Highlights
- Discussing how to modernize marketing for architecture firms
- Necessary hard skills needed, such as knowledge of SEO, web design, and CRM platforms
- Soft skills needed, such as listening, empathy, and understanding the firm's target market
- Marketing team needs to feel integrated into the firm
- Passion for the work is essential
- Asking the right questions and telling the stories of projects effectively
- Knowing the fundamentals of marketing
- Identifying the target audience
- Utilizing various digital platforms
- Creating an effective marketing strategy
Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
In this episode, Brian Jones and Patience Jones discuss how to overcome the boom and bust cycle in architecture firms. This cycle (or more accurately, this trap) happens when firms become so busy that they don’t allocate time for business development or marketing (the boom), leading to a lack of incoming projects (the bust).
The way to get out of this cycle/trap? Consistent marketing effort, whether you’re in the boom part of the cycle or the bust part.
Highlights
- How to tell if your architecture firm is in a boom and bust cycle
- Why boom and bust is bad for your business
- How to use marketing to get out of the boom and bust cycle so you get better commissions and the business growth you want Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
In this episode, hosts Brian and Patience Jones talk about the importance of evaluating the value of programs, initiatives, and investments. They discuss an example of Google+, which was once popular but had no value for many firms. They encourage firms to ask if their time and monetary investments in firm growth are still delivering value, and if not, to consider if they can be salvaged or need to be jettisoned.
Brian and Patience also talk about the importance of taking a step back to evaluate why certain tasks are being done, especially when it comes to social media. There should be a focus on value, not just on mindless checklists. It is important to consider whether the focus should be on business growth or human resources, as this will affect the voice and content that is shared.
Highlights - The value of firm initiatives - Evaluating social media for business growth - Social media strategies for architecture firms - Strategizing for successful platforms and websites - Evaluating your website and presentation materials for optimal performance - Assessing the value of professional associations - Sending junior employees to networking events - How to get out of a tricky situation - Strategies for evaluating and improving performance
Episode Resources - How Inbound Marketing Works for Architecture Firms - Connect with Brian and Patience Jones - https://www.instagram.com/graphicmachine/ - https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/ - https://www.instagram.com/bjonesoriginal/ - https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/ - https://graphicmachine.com/ - https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
To attract customers, inbound marketing is a great business methodology to use. Creating valuable content and experiences tailored to your ideal market can draw potential customers to your business.
But how can you start?
In this episode, hosts Brian and Patience Jones discuss inbound marketing, which is the process of attracting people to a business without having to go out and directly sell to them. Inbound marketing is like being in a cocktail reception: Instead of having to go up to every person to introduce yourself, you are the one that people are attracted to for your expertise or the information they have learned about your firm. This is a more efficient and effective way of marketing compared to cold calling and trying to convince someone to buy a product or service. Plus, it can be done through various methods such as blogging, videos, and social media. By building up an inbound marketing strategy, businesses can attract potential customers while simultaneously increasing their brand awareness.
Start by figuring out what your ideal clients are looking for and create content around that. Invest time in creating content as it pays off over and over again. Get started today!
Highlights
- What is inbound marketing?
- Inbound marketing for architecture firms
- Exploring the benefits of inbound marketing for firms
- Importance of professional photography in architecture marketing
- Using the type of marketing to drive business growth
- Content Strategy: Working Smarter, Not Harder
- The benefits of business development for small firms Episode Resources
- How Inbound Marketing Works for Architecture Firms
- Connect with Brian and Patience
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Decisions!!
How important is it to start making decisions, especially for a growing firm? Who should be the main decision-maker and what are the decision-making processes that you need to follow?
In today's episode of the As Built Podcast, hosts Brian and Patience Jones talk about how decisions change as a firm grows and how to adapt the decision-making process accordingly. This involves delegating authority, setting up committees, and creating ground rules that everyone understands.
Highlights
- Exploring decision-making processes for growing architecture firms
- Delegation and decision-making in growing firms
- Adapting the decision-making process depending on the number of team members
- Delegating authority
- Creating ground rules
- The best time to delegate the most important tasks
- Enhance community feel in a growing firm
- Delegating the decision-making authority
- Evaluating the decision-making processes Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience Jones
- https://www.instagram.com/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.instagram.com/bjonesoriginal/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Changes are scary. When an architecture firm is thinking about - or in the middle of - a leadership change, what are the most important marketing considerations?
In this episode of the As Built Podcast, hosts Brian and Patience Jones discuss the importance of communicating changes in architecture and building material firms to clients and other stakeholders in order to avoid confusion and rumors. They also talk about how these changes can be an opportunity to get people excited about what the firm can offer and the importance of putting yourself in the shoes of others when communicating these changes.
Highlights
- Reasons succession planning occurs
- How and when you should communicate succession planning
- Importance of communicating changes to your audience and team members
- Using changes as an opportunity to get people excited about what the firm can offer
- The importance of putting yourself in the shoes of others when communicating changes
- The Succession Planning Process Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience Jones
- https://www.instagram.com/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.instagram.com/bjonesoriginal/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
Customers are the lifeblood of every business. Your relationship with your customers can determine your future success — and that can be achieved using a CRM.
For this As Built Podcast episode, hosts Brian and Patience Jones talk about the Customer Relationship Manager, more popularly known as CRM, and how it helps businesses keep track of their clients and customers. They also break down what to look for in a CRM and how it can help businesses grow and be more effective in their marketing.
Highlights
- What is a Customer Relationship Manager?
- CRM as the brain of your firm
- Benefits of using a CRM for your business
- Importance of a CRM in business development
- How to help businesses be more efficient in selling
- How to be less annoying when following up with clients Popular CRM tools
- How to get started with CRMs Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience Jones
- https://www.instagram.com/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.instagram.com/bjonesoriginal/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
For this very first episode of the As Built Podcast, Brian and Patience Jones talk about the integral part of any business: Websites.
Together, they discuss the importance of websites in digital marketing and business. They argue that a new website is not always the right answer and that sometimes other factors may be more important.
Brian and Patience also discuss the importance of having a website for an architectural firm that accurately represents the firm's work. They note that potential clients and employees often use websites to learn about a firm and its work and that it is important for firms to be upfront about what kind of work they do. In order to be effective, an architecture firm's website needs to answer four to five key questions. These include what type of work the firm does and who they work with, as well as providing detailed descriptions of the work they have done in the past. By answering these questions, potential clients will be able to better understand what the firm has to offer and whether or not they are a good fit for their needs.
Highlights
- The role of having a website for any business
- Key questions to ask yourself when building a website
- Importance of showcasing your work
- Who are the people in charge?
- Curating your profile and portfolio
- Having a website for your project portfolio Episode Resources
- Connect with Brian and Patience Jones
- https://www.instagram.com/graphicmachine/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
- https://www.instagram.com/bjonesoriginal/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
- https://graphicmachine.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/
The professionals who build buildings also need to build their practices. The key to business development in the built environment is understanding the relationship between architects, building materials, contractors, and clients - and how each group makes decisions. In As Built, you’ll hear from industry leaders about how they built their practice. Hosts Brian Jones and Patience Jones will also provide insights from their experiences helping firms in the built environment industry grow and succeed.