EntreArchitect Podcast with Mark R. LePage

How to Establish a Lasting New Habit Do you have a goal you want to accomplish? A new strategy or business process? A life change you want to make in your personal life? Are you keeping that goal locked away in the back of your mind instead of sharing it with others? Let’s accomplish our goals together! This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, How to Establish a Lasting New Habit. Maybe you’re listening to this podcast in a transitional season: from one season to another, out of a vacation and back into your regular routines, back to school, or otherwise. Recently, Mark began a project to figure out how to live a healthier lifestyle and wrote about it in a blog post: 10 Simple Steps to Develop a Lasting New Habit. It’s not hard to establish bad habits. Mark could roll out of bed and into his comfy computer chair, where he could stay the whole day. Instead, he wanted to create a new, healthy lifestyle. As the summer got started, Mark decided to make some new commitments. Over the last 10 weeks, he has worked through a process to create a healthier lifestyle. 10 Simple Steps to Develop a Lasting New Habit Step 1: Understand Your Why In the past, Mark has tried to establish healthy habits like meditation and running with little success. So why now? Mark is ready to create a healthy lifestyle, a mindset shift, and a way to integrate this lifestyle into his identity.   Step 2: Keep It Simple Your new habit should be something that is hard to fail. We have so much going on, and if things are too complicated, you’re more likely to resist the change. For Mark’s 10X Project, he created a simple goal: each day do 10 minutes of stretching, 10 pushups, 10 crunches, walk for 10 minutes, run for 10 minutes, and meditate for 10 minutes.     Step 3: Give your Project a Name For Mark, the 10X in the name 10X Project is not only a reference to the quantities of 10 used through the exercises, but is also a reference to the improvement I may experience when I accomplish my goal. Can I improve my health by 10X with a lasting new habit? Will this new habit lead to other habits that may improve other parts of my life?   Step 4: Set a Goal In the past, Mark has often created ambiguous goals. This time, his goal was clear: each day do 10 minutes of stretching, 10 pushups, 10 crunches, walk for 10 minutes, run for 10 minutes, and meditate for 10 minutes. If he could establish that within 10 weeks, then hopefully the habit will lead to a healthier lifestyle down the road.   Step 5: Develop a Plan What are you going to do? How and when are you doing to do it? Create some structure. Determine what you’ll do if you miss a day. Step 6: Track Your Progress   In a journal, Mark tracked his progress through the days and weeks to reach his goal. You could also track using your personal calendar or an app that works well for you! Step 7: Find Some Accountability Usually we don’t like being held accountable, but it’s clear that accountability works. We’re more likely to achieve our goals by sharing our plans. Mark posted his 10X Project for all of his readers and continued to post on social media on occasion.   Step 8: Take Advantage of Life's Cycles When Mark started the 10X Project, he was in a transitional time with a different schedule and timing. Because of his family commitments, he had to be up early in the morning anyway. Why not use that time to start cementing a new habit?   Step 9: Reward Yourself After Mark completed his daily tasks to reach his goal, he’d grab breakfast and watch the sunrise over the Hudson River. It was incredible motivation for him to continue on his journey.   Step 10: Celebrate Did you reach your goal? Time to celebrate! This podcast is Mark’s celebration of his 10X Project. He’s made it through all 10 weeks, five days a week. The best part about the consistency is the motivation to continue. Mark has established a new habit, and he’s ready to push forward to continue creating a healthy lifestyle. Question: Did establish a new habit? Do you want to? Visit the The EntreArchitect Community Facebook Group and share your plan!   Visit our Platform Sponsors Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Access your free 30 day trial at EntreArchitect.com/FreshBooks. (Enter EntreArchitect) Core by BQE Software is a brand new software designed specifically for architect’s project management! Get a free 15-day trial at EntreArchitect.com/BQE. ARCAT has huge libraries of free content, Specs, CAD, BIM and more. No registration required. Want to collaborate with colleagues in real time? Visit EntreArchitect.com/ARCAT and click Charrette for more information. Referenced in this Episode Leave a Rating and Review at iTunes EntreArchitect Academy     The post EA184: How to Establish a Lasting New Habit [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect //

How to Get Started as an Architect Developer This week, enjoy the Best of EntreArchitect Podcast as Mark R. LePage invites Declan Keefe of Placetailor back to share his knowledge about How to Get Started as an Architect Developer. For full show notes and a list of references from the original podcast, visit EntreArchitect.com/EA134. Connect with Declan Keefe online at Placetailor.com and on Twitter @placetailor & Instagram. Visit our Platform Sponsors Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Access your free 30 day trial at EntreArchitect.com/FreshBooks. (Enter EntreArchitect) CORE by BQE Software is designed specifically for architect’s project management! Get a free 15-day trial of CORE at EntreArchitect.com/BQE. ARCAT has huge libraries of free content, Specs, CAD, BIM and more. No registration required. Want to collaborate with colleagues in real time? Visit EntreArchitect.com/ARCAT and click Charrette for more information. The post How to Get Started as an Architect Developer (Best of EntreArchitect Podcast) appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects. Mentioned in this episode:Context & ClarityContext & ClarityFrosty & Fired Up

5 Steps to Success and Relevance in Architecture with Carol Kurth, FAIA Carol is the owner of Carol Kurth Architecture + Interiors in Bedford, New York. She specializes in architecture and interiors, and does some beautiful work. She’s a popular keynote speaker who’s sought after for her insights on architecture, design, sustainability and design trends. She’s won multiple awards and has been featured in New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and more. She’s been featured on NBC News and MTV Cribs. She’s a long time friend of Mark’s and he’s learned so much from her. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, 5 Steps to Success and Relevance in Architecture with Carol Kurth, FAIA. Carol’s Origin Story Carol grew up in Washington Heights in the northern tip of Manhattan. Looking across the Hudson River, she could see the New Jersey cliffs in the distance. She was really interested in crafts growing up, particularly making dolls and doll houses. When she was 13, she took a class at The Cloisters on doll-making and the New York Times featured her. She ended up going to The Bronx High School of Science and loved her technical drawing and drafting class. A distant relative, Irwin Chanin, who was very philanthropic and had lots of buildings named after him. He also designed the Chanin Building. Carol was very close to his wife growing up, and her aunt recognized Carol’s passion for dolls and dollhouses and encouraged her. She attended City College’s School of Architecture and loved being at an architecture school in the middle of the city where your professors were practicing architects whose work in the city you could actually see. How did you start practicing architecture? Carol worked throughout school for professors or doing part-time jobs. She worked in Seattle for a while and then got a job at the end of her fourth year where she ended up becoming a partner, marrying her former husband, and building a practice. In 1995 she went off on her own and opened her firm in Bedford. She’s been specializing in residential and commercial architecture. Many are on complicated sites, and Carol has always been undaunted by cliffs. 5 Steps to Success and Relevance 1: Choose and develop a target market In the beginning, Carol was in a firm where they did a little bit of everything and she didn’t feel the passion there. For her, the passion always came from the site, the building, and the client’s vision. There’s no two sets of clients, budgets, or sites that are alike, and the variety is what she thrives on. She loves the wholistic vision of working with a client to find a site all the way down to deciding on the table settings. 2: Schedule time for marketing and public relations Architects were pretty much advised to market and advertise until 1978, and architects didn’t really get the message until the mid 1980s. There was a long lag time between the logistics of allowing marketing happened and when architects actually went to do it. Carol felt she was on the early end and was always fascinated with the media. What is the relevance of architecture and design to clients? How do we keep ourselves fresh and at the forefront? Big firms have big marketing and PR divisions in their firms, perhaps 3-5 people who are dealing with their marketing. That means small firms need to know that too. Carol would spend the first hour of her day returning calls to new clients or doing something public relations and marketing wise like writing a paragraph, scheduling a photoshoot, or reaching out to a magazine. With social media these days, most people are already marketing. If you hone in on that and take it to the next level, even just once a week, that will increase your marketing presence. One small firm issues is for single practitioners who do everything on their own. It’s very daunting. 3: Build a team and develop a strong culture Can you be your most effective and best self as an architect and professional as a sole proprietor? Maybe the model needs to be rethought to three people. Can you figure out how to delegate tasks? The time you spend teaching someone to do a task is an investment someone else moving the ball forward on that task. The next time, you’ll have that time available because someone else has taken that task on. What tasks do you not like or not excel at that you can hand off to someone else? 4: Build Your Network Get out there and interact with others. You have to put yourself out there. Sit down with real estate brokers and show them examples of your work to get your name out into your community. 5: Keep your network warm Once you’ve made initial connections, keep up with people. Carol is a big advocate of the hand-written thank you note. If she sees an article about a client in the newspaper, she clips it, writes a quick note and tosses it in the mail. After that, she might have an opportunity to catch up that leads

Building an Online Media Empire with Devon Tilly Devon is the Denver-based owner of Mountain View Window and Door, a nationally-recognized company providing windows and doors for high-end residential projects. He’s the creator and host of the Art of Construction Podcast and brand, cohosted by Kevin Keefe. There they talk about all things business, success, and building sustainable, thriving business. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Building an Online Media Empire with Devon Tilly of The Art of Construction Podcast. Devon’s Origin Story Devon was the oldest of five children whose father began as a contractor and worked himself up to district manager. Every time him and his large family moved, they would buy a house and fix it up. Devon was always interested in the art of construction and the marketing of construction. He is passionately interested in construction and has lived that life long enough to speak the language. Sometimes he felt the industry was too corporate (“what’s your lowest price”) or too construction (“we’ve always done it this way”). Devon moved to Colorado and earned his marketing degree, followed by a move into the construction world. He found he didn’t fit the corporate box very well as an expressive entrepreneur at heart. Thirteen years ago, he went to work for one of his customers. He loved the complication of construction that can either make or break the project. That passion drew him to focus on windows and doors. After meeting his wife, he bought a company out and started Mountain View Window and Door. Now, they have two locations in Colorado, twenty-eight employees, and are about to close on an expansion of Art of Construction. After being interviewed for The Chaise Lounge: Interior Design Podcast, Devon decided to follow a dream and begin a podcast of his own. How did you grow Mountain View Window and Door so quickly? The first step was to have a really good plan. Next, he assembled a support team of a board of directors and an advisory counsel. Devon’s team was led by his father in law, Greg, who copyrighted a presentation “The Full Life Perspective“. From that, he was able to develop his full life perspective. With a good plan, Devon knew he needed to take a risk to succeed. Him and Greg decided to buy a business. Greg helped him put his why together: to be the best supplier for windows, doors and hardware to contractors, architects and project designers in Colorado. As Devon put his plan together, he followed everything laid out in The E-Myth Revisited. He looked at different platforms to see what they did well and what they could improve on. He got his masters and figured out that he was a visionary leader. That was the key, to find out who he was and accelerate that. Though most window and door companies wouldn’t hire a full-time, in-house marketing position, they did so that they could make changes and be active on the web. They hired an IT guy to create software and systems to scale in the future. What mistakes did you make along the way? Devon learned to hire slow and fire fast. At the beginning, he first hired really fast and filled the office up. None of the hires were bad people, but they didn’t fit the culture correctly. Where did the Art of Construction start and where is it going? The podcast began to grow the business, and Devon found that it really grew him. His goal was to learn and be able to teach the art of construction. The podcast has grown his business because he knows who he is, what the culture is, and where they’re going. One video they just released was about a house that he and his wife lived in, remodeled, and now rent out. Devon always wanted to do a show home on it, and, when it was all said and done, he loved getting to do it the way he wanted to showcase his project. From there, he started a monthly leads group where they discovered that everyone wants to do this, but small firms don’t have enough time and money. Devon decided to be the central point of creating a design center and project collaboration. Next week, they close on the property. They’re looking for Grand Junction collaborators in two ways: to be a lessee of some space to collaborate with others or to utilize a monthly membership in a coworking space. Do you have a consulting program? The Art of Construction has a master business acceleration program. It consists of three sessions including LinkedIn profile tips, presentation skills, and goal setting followed by access to a monthly group. What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow? “Set up a plan. If you’re running the show, read The E-Myth Revisited and Versitale Selling or get Audible to listen to the books. Always be learning.” – Devon Tilly   Want to learn more about the design center? Connect with Devon online at TheArtOfConstruction.net and

The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Meghana Joshi At EntreArchitect, you’re encouraged to share your knowledge. When we share with other architects, we all benefit. We are able to learn from one another and the profession will grow. One of the goals of EntreArchitect is to provide a platform for other entrepreneur architects to share their stories. We want to interview you! What’s your story? Do you want to share your knowledge or the story about how you were inspired to pursue this profession? How do you become an entrepreneur architect? Join us for our series called The Entrepreneur Architect, where each guest has the opportunity to share their story and answer some questions that will provide value to each of you. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Meghana Joshi. Background Meghana Joshi is an architectural consultant from Irvine, California. She has six of her architectural exams complete and one to go for her official architecture registration. She is the founder of Women in Architecture Committee at AIA Orange County and a member of the Communications Committee for AIA California Counsel and AIA Orange County. Her blogs are published at Equity by Design and the AIA National’s #ilookup page. She moved to the US when she was 22, and with a major in architecture and an employment permit she was set to go. She has a heavy emphasis on concrete construction, and her Indian education left her under-educated in wood construction. She has a Bachelors of Architecture from Karnatak University in India and a Masters of Architecture with an emphasis on green buildings from San Francisco Institute of Architecture. Meghana’s Origin Story Meghana grew up in India where on every corner there was a historical monument of architectural significance. Her favorite activity as a kid was to make up stories about the people who lived in the buildings around her. Layers and layers of information built, and Meghana wanted to be someone who created and left a story for generations to come. There were no architects in her family, but her parents wanted her to have a career that she did for her enjoyment. After school, she got married and moved with her husband to the US. When they moved to the US, she planned to start practicing architecture right away but found that it wasn’t as easy as she had expected. She interviewed and got a job as an intern, but found quickly that she didn’t understand the construction details that people were talking about. She began to study and relearn everything she thought she knew. A coworker shared with her the need to take the ARE and the benefit to join the AIA and learn more about architecture in the US. The Entrepreneur Architect Questions What is one big goal you’ve achieved in your career and how did you get there? The ARE is Meghana’s biggest goal. She took her most recent test about 8 months ago and was supposed to take the next test in January. Unfortunately, some family health issues have arisen that have prevented her from taking it a few times, and the next one scheduled is coming up. Another goal is to stay involved in the profession. Instead of just doing a job, she wants to connect with others outside the workplace, like in AIA. What struggles have you gone through? A few years ago, she was working as a stipulated sum consultant for a multi family project with an architect she worked with often. The client couldn’t get funding, and the project stopped halfway through. Luckily, she had a contract that she was able to use to get what was rightfully hers. Though it was awkward, she knew she needed to value her services. How did that situation affect you moving forward? Unfortunately, the relationship was strained and Meghana had to work hard not to be enthusiasm. Meghana always states her terms now, even if it’s a friend; she makes it clear the amount that she charges and is sure to have it written into a contract and signed by both parties. What was your biggest “aha” moment? Meghana’s “aha” moment came later in her career. She didn’t have a lot of people to talk to as a mother and an architect, and most people didn’t understand that the work didn’t end at the end of the workday. She read Rosa Sheng’s blog, “The Missing 32% Project Releases Complete Findings on Women in Architecture“. She learned that it wasn’t just her problem, but a problem for women and architects as a whole. Quick Questions At what age did you decide to become an architect? 17 years old What’s your target market? No set market, just whatever interests her What’s your fee structure? Stipulated sum What makes you happy? Blogging, posting on Instagram, volunteering in AIA chapters, traveling What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Get licensed What’s one personal habit that contributes to your success

Taking Action to Maximize the Value of the Architect with Ric Abramson, FAIA Ric Abramson, FAIA has been in professional practice as a licensed architect for 28 years. He established his small firm, WORKPLAYS, in 2003. He’s taught for over 18 years on the faculty of Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and USC School of Architecture. He’s been invited as a keynote speaker at the BIG Ideas Conference and has produced educational workshops around the country. He’s a small firm advocate, spearheading new California legislation protecting architects’ creative work. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Taking Action to Maximize the Value of the Architect with Ric Abramson, FAIA. Ric’s Origin Story Ric’s story has been an organic process; he didn’t know he wanted to build things as a child. Looking back, he was always a “maker” of some sort, creating things and exploring. In high school, he was summoned to the counselor’s office to figure out what he wanted to pursue. His current class load and interests pushed him toward architecture school. He earned his undergraduate degree at California Polytechnic State University, and his progression through the program created more passion for what he wanted to do. His first job was with a small, well-established firm. It was a very old-school experience. That firm did primarily government work, but Ric stayed there for a year and a half before going to the next firm for 6 years. After that, he attended UCLA for his Masters of Architecture degree and returned to begin a doctoral program. He was awarded a full ride scholarship to go study architecture in Italy. That had a profound effect on the course that Ric would embark on. After a year there, he came back, started his own firm, was offered a teaching position and has been growing ever since. What kind of work do you do? Ric does mostly residential work, with some commercial and consulting work. Lately they’ve been doing policy consulting in Los Angeles, California. Like many growing urban areas, Los Angeles has a huge housing need. They’re looking for ways to be more innovative, integrating density and sustainable living. How can we house more people in closer proximity without giving up home ownership? WORKPLAYS responded to an RFP to write a new ordinance and design guidelines for a compact home ordinance in Los Angeles County. Why did you move from design work to working with government? Ric thinks it might go back to his Italian research roots. He was always fascinated with universal thinking, not only creating architecture, but the process by which it’s made and how architects fit into that role. Some of the control that architects once held has gone away, and that’s because architects aren’t at the table when housing policy is being made. How can others get involved in policy-making? There are so many ways to get involved. If you’re not already, get involved with a board, city commission, design review panels, etc. AIA National has a Center for Civic Leadership and a Citizen Architect Initiative, and they’ve been looking for those who want to get involved with making a difference in their community. In smaller communities, go directly to your elected politicians and get to know them. Have coffee with your counsel member. Start to understand at a deeper level, how policy is made. Many elected officials aren’t experienced in land use, and many want to learn about it. Right now, the majority of the input comes from planning, community development professionals or private developers. Relationships matter. We get caught up with the websites, marketing, blogs and everything else. The day to day, knowing the leaders, advocates and business entities in your community will help build relationships. How can we change the conversation about the value of architecture? We need to be able to communicate, in a very clear way, to the public why what we do matters. Ric has been working to explore a means by which the AIA would create a value index for new construction that could communicate to the public some things we do as architects that others don’t do because they don’t have the training. Scores could include measurables like energy efficiency, water consumption, building performance, sustainability, resiliency, and more. Architects can come together to measure the value in the things we do when we design. Assigning a measurable value to the work we do and comparing that to developed homes changes the conversation about what architects really do and why it’s valuable to homeowners. What other ways can architects get out there and show their value? The key for this idea is that it has to be flexible and scalable to local conditions. Architects need to figure out the key measurables in their local area. Right now there’s a working group that Ric is the co-convener of. Contact him

Katie Hutchison Living a Portfolio Life Katie is an architect, an author, photographer and many other things based in Warren Rhode Island. She’s passionate about residential architecture, specifically small projects. She’s the author of The New Small House and she’s currently working on a new book. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Living a Portfolio Life with Katie Hutchison. Katie’s Origin Story Architecture didn’t come to Katie early. She was most interested in writing when she was younger and she pursued that initially. Throughout her early childhood and education, she was very interested in fine arts; she drew, painted, and felt like she was very spatially aware. After her degree, she went to work for magazines, including US Magazine, in Manhattan. Her friend worked for Robert A. M. Stern, and she ended up with a temporary position in the Publicity department there. She worked in the slide library of architecture from around the world. Katie spent hours in the tiny room going through the slides. After that, she decided to go back to school and her family connections brought her to the Newport, Rhode Island. She called the head of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and inquired about their architecture program; they only had an undergraduate program and she wanted to know if they had any suggestions. They suggested that Katie enroll as a transfer student, essentially using her prior credits to advance as far as possible and then take the remaining courses required for a Bachelors of Architecture degree. Upon graduating in 1992 during a recession, Katie started at a Benefit Street Design, a firm in Providence that specialized in commercial interiors. After that, she jumped around a lot at many firms based on where her and her husband relocated to. When did you officially start practicing? Katie went out on her own in 2002. Shortly thereafter, she collaborated with an architect friend in Cape Cod which helped bring in some consistent work and get her off the ground. She has various other interests in addition to architecture, so her view of the small firm life is diversified. Not long after she went out on her own, she began freelance writing for Fine Homebuilding. It was a great way to keep her thinking about design and build some publicity. That’s what started her along the journey to eventually write her book. Katie had a friend who worked for another publication at The Taunton Press and continued to pitch them her ideas. Why did you decide to be a sole practitioner? Like any other career choices, Katie’s career evolved from who she was. She always followed design-oriented pursuits and didn’t want to do just one thing to the exclusion of the others. She loves the change in activity, bouncing around between writing, billing, administrative work, phone calls, and more. How did you begin writing your book? In 2007, she started pitching book ideas to The Taunton Press. They brought her in for a meeting to discuss concepts and figure out what was marketable. Because of the recession in 2008, her first book idea was killed. One day, she got a call that they had a book idea in the queue but no author to write it. In Katie’s case, it wasn’t a straightforward path, it was a lot of back and forth and working toward a goal. What are you working on next? The working title of Katie’s new book is The Cottage Now, and on her blog, House Enthusiast, she has a call for submissions spelling out some of the specifics of what she and her team are looking for along the lines of what does the cottage look like now? If you have a submission for something you think is a cottage, send it her way! Call for Submissions Do you have a submission for Katie’s cottage book? If you know of a new (or newly renovated) cottage that you think I should consider including in the book, please let her know. For now, simply email Katie at [email protected] some low-resolution jpegs of the exterior, interior, and context, along with some background information about the size of the cottage, where it’s located, who owns it, who designed it, if it has been professionally photographed, and if it has been featured in another publication. Also, please let her know if you’re aware of any architectural drawings that depict its plan and its site. What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business for tomorrow? “Get connected. Do things that mean something to you and that you want to invest your time and energy into. Join organizations, groups, and committees in a field you’re interested in, you’ll meet people who are interesting to you. Those contacts will ultimately lead you closer to what you want to do.” – Katie Hutchison Connect with Katie online at Katie Hutchison Studio or find her on Twitter and Instagram. Visit our Platform Sponsors Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage

The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Nathan Buhler At EntreArchitect, you’re encouraged to share your knowledge. When we share with other architects, we all benefit. We are able to learn from one another and the profession will grow. One of the goals of EntreArchitect is to provide a platform for other entrepreneur architects to share their stories. We want to interview you! What’s your story? Do you want to share your knowledge or the story about how you were inspired to pursue this profession? How do you become an entrepreneur architect? Join us for our series called The Entrepreneur Architect, where each guest has the opportunity to share their story and answer some questions that will provide value to each of you. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Nathan Buhler. Background Nathan is an Architectural Technologist and the owner of BLDG Workshop in Toronto Canada. He grew up in a logging community in British Columbia and lived overseas in South America. His creative experiences drew interests to architecture. When design became the main focus of his work life, Nathan’s themes relating to connection, authenticity and people became integral to his work. Nathan’s Origin Story From the small logging community in British Columbia, Nathan went to Bible school training in Vancouver and worked in ministry and counseling for many years. He felt like he was around people all the time but was still feeling alone. Nathan was always searching for something different. When he heard of a guy who built a house on top of waterfall (Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater), he knew he wanted to go to architecture school. He went to architecture school at 30 years old, and felt a little like a fish out of water with all the students that were younger than he was. Nathan completed his schooling on a different route and has a different certification. The Entrepreneur Architect Questions What is one big goal you’ve achieved in your career and how did you get there? Nathan had an idea for a design of a house that would stand as a silhouette of a house against a landscape. He wanted something that was connected with the design community. Nathan connected with a furniture designer and they changed the typology of how to do the project. With this project, Nathan felt like the story of what they were doing was fluent from start to finish; through the big picture and construction. What struggles have you gone through? At one point, it felt like projects weren’t coming in; things were looking bleak. One of Nathan’s partners went to do something else, and he had to lay another staff member off. It wasn’t a market-driven slowing down, Nathan felt he just got left behind when people were looking for someone to do their home. He read an article about cash flow and, when he worked through the numbers, he realized he needed to bring in a lot more work to keep things going. Unfortunately, he didn’t feel like he was taught that kind of stuff in school. Now, he’s worked through most of that. What was your biggest “aha” moment? A little over a hear ago, Nathan looked at their placing on Houzz and they were #1. He thought it was a glitch, but it hasn’t changed. It felt like a day of fruition after working so hard on their metrics to improve on all the things that Houzz is rating you on. What makes you unique? Nathan’s firm smiles a lot in client meetings. It comes through as though they’re going to enjoy the process of building. Additionally, most people they work with are makers who like working with their hands instead of just clicking away on AutoCad. Quick Questions At what age did you decide to become an architect? 29 years old What’s your target market? Almost exclusively renovations, additions and new builds What’s your fee structure? Hourly across the board What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Work on your business rather than in your business. Push the same level of care and diligence when you work on your business. What’s one personal habit that contributes to your success? Smiling a lot! What’s a recommended app or internet resource? Houzz What’s a book you’d recommend? The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber and Anointed for Business by Ed Silvoso What’s a parting piece of guidance? Be kind to people and do as good of work as you can What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow? “Spend more time working on coming projects than you do on current projects.” – Nathan Buhler Connect with Nathan online at BLDG Workshop, Twitter or Houzz. If you want some help improving your Houzz profile, get in touch with him there! Want to be a guest on the entrepreneur architect series? Connect with us on any so

The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Daniel Robey At EntreArchitect, you’re encouraged to share your knowledge. When we share with other architects, we all benefit. We are able to learn from one another and the profession will grow. One of the goals of EntreArchitect is to provide a platform for other entrepreneur architects to share their stories. We want to interview you! What’s your story? Do you want to share your knowledge or the story about how you were inspired to pursue this profession? How do you become an entrepreneur architect? Join us for our series called The Entrepreneur Architect, where each guest has the opportunity to share their story and answer some questions that will provide value to each of you. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Daniel Robey. Background Daniel is a landscape architect and the owner of Huntlands Landscape Architecture in Northern Virginia. He has a bachelor’s from Clemson in Landscape Architecture and is a licensed professional architect in the state of Virginia, a LEED Green Associate and a multi-award winning designer. He lives in Virginia with his wife Murphy and his three kids, Maris, Charlie and Hank. Daniel’s Origin Story Daniel started out loving to draw and always thought he wanted to draw cartoons. In high school, he fell in love with golf and everything in his life began to revolve around it. When he had to figure out what he wanted to do after high school, he fell upon architecture at a local golf course that was under construction. When he walked around the grounds with the architect, Daniel realized that was what he wanted to do. He knew that to get into golf course architecture he needed to have a name or professional behind him, so he did a number of internships: one for a land-planning company, one for residential install work, and another for the Charleston parks department. He was exposed to different avenues. After college he worked for a land planning civil engineering firm in Charlotte. Daniel felt he wasn’t doing a whole lot of creative work, so he planned to move to the residential side of things right before the birth of his first child. He moved from a smaller company to a large residential design build firm. This past year, he opened his his own business doing high-end landscape architecture. The Entrepreneur Architect Questions What does a landscape architect do? Daniel does high-end residential architecture. He works with elements of plantings, hardscape, architectural structures, water features and everything that ties it together like lighting, audio, and more. What is one big goal you’ve achieved in your career and how did you get there? Daniel didn’t ever dream of starting his own business, but it became clear that that was the best thing for him to do to advance his career. When he came to that conclusion, it was a huge goal for him to set out to achieve. He did a ton of reading, research, podcast-listening, and more to get as much business information as he could. What are the pros to starting your own business? It’s allowed Daniel more flexibility to be home with his family and to be involved with his kids. What struggles have you gone through? Early on, Daniel struggled with the simple things like setting his email up to issues building his contracts. He’s in a different area than where he worked previously, so he’s working to establish himself in a tightly-knit circle. What are you doing to establish yourself? Daniel reaches out to local architects, builders, interior designers, contractors, and others to share his business with them. He works to do direct marketing to professionals he wants to collaborate with, and that way he can reach out more directly to the people who he can work with. He’s also joined a number of local networking groups for small business owners and custom builders. It’s outside of his comfort zone, but he’s enjoyed pushing his boundaries and meeting new people. What was your biggest “aha” moment? Daniel’s biggest realization was that he needed to try his hardest to get his business to work out, but if he couldn’t for any reason, he could always get a job. What makes you unique? In Daniel’s area, there’s more design-build businesses than people doing what he’s doing. What he brings to the table is his experience designing and managing everything from ordering materials to working with contractors. Additionally, he tries to focus on hand graphics and the craft movement. Quick Questions At what age did you decide to become a landscape architect? Around 16-17 years old What’s your target market? Custom homebuilders for high-end residential, marketing more toward architects and home builders What’s your fee structure? Conceptual design and construction detailing are usually stipulated sum, project administration is all hourly Other

The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Danei Cesario At EntreArchitect, you’re encouraged to share your knowledge. When we share with other architects, we all benefit. We are able to learn from one another and the profession will grow. One of the goals of EntreArchitect is to provide a platform for other entrepreneur architects to share their stories. We want to interview you! What’s your story? Do you want to share your knowledge or the story about how you were inspired to pursue this profession? How do you become an entrepreneur architect? Join us for our series called The Entrepreneur Architect, where each guest has the opportunity to share their story and answer some questions that will provide value to each of you. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Danei Cesario. Background Danei is the 333rd black female architect in history. Originally from Manchester, England, Danei was enamored with the architectural prestige of New York buildings from an early age. Her early career began with her scholarly pursuits at New York’s Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture served as treasurer for the City College chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS CCNY) and earned the J. Max Bond Jr. memorial scholarship while working on complex public sector projects. She’s currently the youngest architect at Francis Coffman architects, managing the execution of multifaceted healthcare projects. Danei’s Origin Story Danei moved to the US when she was about six, and spent most of her childhood moving back and forth between the US and England. She lived in various homes and cities over time, but the sense of home for her was wherever her family was. She saw the way a city was planned and observed her feelings moving through out it. The contrast of Manchester vs. New York City, post-industrial with deep history compared to newness and skyscrapers. She grew up sketching and drawing. Her dad was an engineer, and was well schooled in isometrics and technical drawing, so he and her mother fostered Danei’s eye for that. Danei always knew she wanted to be an architect. Danei has education from both sides of the pond, but she was always drawn to the energy in New York City. She wanted to stay close by for college, while her mother wanted her to return to England. She ended up at City College, where she found out the hard way all that architecture school entailed: long hours and hard work. She decided to move close by, and after the school built a closer building to where she lived, she was able to live and work there. That was a pivotal moment in her life and career, as it allowed her to establish what she wanted for herself as an architect and as a young woman. The Entrepreneur Architect Questions What is one big goal you’ve achieved in your career and how did you get there? Danei always knew she wanted to be an architect. She continually strives to achieve that warm, fullness of heart that she herself felt when she sees something that is well-executed, well-thought out and enjoyable. Her road to becoming an architect was a 20 year journey. Some of the other things she didn’t know were goals just sort of happened along that journey. She met her husband in school, and they got engaged at the end of their fourth year. Danei moved through life following what made her feel fulfilled: as a wife, as a mom, as an architect. Her goals evolved as she evolved. What struggles have you gone through? It’s a bit of a struggle of the mind. Danei has experienced anxiety prior to sleep, worrying about home life, work, and whether or not she’s doing a good job. She’s worked to overcome her struggles and make opportunities out of them. As a black female architect in an industry that doesn’t have the best representation of people like her, some people might see her position as something that might limit her. Those responsibilities add a richness to the architecture that you provide; it’s another layer of sensitivity and empathy that she’s very passionate about. What was your biggest “aha” moment? When Danei was 18, she fought for her independence and what she wanted. She wanted to prove that she could take an opportunity and make something of it. She lived in the city and worked three jobs to make it happen. She knew that if she fell on her face, her family would be there to support her, but she wanted to go out there and take what she wanted. What are you doing to share your story? Danei is active on Instagram, as she feels drawn to the visual aspect of connection. She’s also chair at the Center for Diversity and Inclusion where she’s working on sharing different stories and experiences to join them and give them a seat at the table. They’re currently working on a research project to determine what’s happened between architecture school and the profession.

The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Michael Kilkelly At EntreArchitect, you’re encouraged to share your knowledge. When we share with other architects, we all benefit. We are able to learn from one another and the profession will grow. One of the goals of EntreArchitect is to provide a platform for other entrepreneur architects to share their stories. We want to interview you! What’s your story? Do you want to share your knowledge or the story about how you were inspired to pursue this profession? How do you become an entrepreneur architect? Join us for our series called The Entrepreneur Architect, where each guest has the opportunity to share their story and answer some questions that will provide value to each of you. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Michael Kilkelly. Background Michael Kilkelly is a principal at Space Command, an architecture and consulting firm in Middletown, Connecticut. He’s also the founder of ArchSmarter.com, a website dedicated to helping architects work smarter not harder. Michael has received his bachelor of architecture from Norwich University and his masters of science, design and computation from MIT. Previously he was an associate at Gehry Partners in LA where he worked on several high profile design projects including New York by Gehry and the Guggenheim. He writes regularly about architecture on ArchSmarter, Arch Daily and Architect Magazine. Michael’s Origin Story Michael liked to play with legos and draw as a kid, and had a hunch that architecture might be the profession for him. However, he had no idea what an architect did on a daily basis. Aside from going to the library and taking a drafting class in high school, he had very little exposure to architecture. He felt that he had both the technical and creative components necessary to pursue architecture as a career path. When he got into school in Vermont that he realized what architecture really was; it wasn’t totally what he expected. He pursued his 5 year bachelor of architecture. They did a lot of hand drafting, built physical models and had a computer class. His thesis was set at Burning Man. He was making physical models and hand drawing while using rendering and animation on 3D studio. After graduating, he worked for a firm in Connecticut for several years where he worked to figure out how to integrate design and technology. He knew he wanted to go back to school, so he headed to MIT. His degree there was mostly up for him to define, with a big requirement to pursue a thesis at the end. His research was into construction documents and how to better develop them to support architects. Following MIT, he worked in the Boston area for a few firms, a landscape architect, an internet startup developing project management software for construction companies, and another medium-sized firm. Then, an opportunity came up looking for something with both architecture and technical experience. In 2005, Michael and his wife move to LA where two of his kids were born. He worked for Gehry Partners for several years before moving back to New England. He’d seen people work their whole lives at a firm and one day be let go, and he knew that working for someone else wasn’t always the most secure option. Michael read up a lot on business and thought the move back to Connecticut would be a great time to jump out on his own. He offered to do some consulting and remote work for his previous company as a great consistent transition into working for various clients. Since then, Michael has been working on developing consulting projects, building out ArchSmarter as a sustainable business, and getting local architecture projects. The Entrepreneur Architect Questions What is one big goal you’ve achieved in your career and how did you get there? Michael’s biggest goal, apart from becoming licensed, was to start his own firm. He didn’t know what that would look like, but he knew it would be a lot of work. Michael wanted to build something that was his own. What was the inspiration to start ArchSmarter? A lot of it came out of working at Frank Gehry’s office where Michael was working on a huge project and putting in a ton of time. They had a deadline coming up, and as the technical person, Michael had to do a lot of cleanup. He began looking at ways to automate the tedious tasks, learning how to program and looking at more efficient workflows to make gradual improvements. He got an eight-hour process down to one hour, and was able to hand it off to someone else. He was thinking about things from an innovative point of view, which brought him some security when the recession hit. He wanted to build a platform to talk about working more efficiently for architects and engineers. Studio culture in school didn’t teach him how to balance work and life and manage his time well, and Michael wanted to change that. ArchSmarter wa

People for Urban Progress with Donna Sink Donna Sink is a practicing architect at Rowland Design based in Indianapolis. Until her recent move there, she was a small firm architect who owned her own practice. She was recently the campus architect at Indianapolis Museum of Art and she’s involve din the local arts and design community as past President and current member of the Indiana chapter of AIA, a board member at People for Urban Progress and a member of the Indianapolis Sign Ordinance Revision Task Force. You may know Donna best from her active Twitter presence or from her work as cohost at Archinect podcast. This week at EntreArchitect podcast, People for Urban Progress with Donna Sink. Donna’s Origin Story Donna’s journey in architecture started when she set up her Barbie’s condo in a bookshelf as a young girl. Her parents recognized her interest and encouraged her to take drafting classes in high school. For her, art felt too personal as an awkward teenager, but she loved drafting. It led her to a visit with her sister in college in Arizona, and when she walked into the lobby of the architecture school, she knew she was hooked. She did a five year bachelor of architecture at University of Arizona before going to Michigan for grad school. She was a fan of John Irving and loved the stories about him spending time in Vienna, Austria. Michigan had an exchange program that went to Vienna, and she spent a semester there. She realized she had a bachelor of architecture that she could get licensed with and she wanted to spend her two years in grad school doing crazy, more philosophical and theological discoveries at Cranbrook. Her five year degree prepared her practically to put together a set of documents and function in an office. In grad school at Cranbrook, she wanted to explore more theory and round out her philosophical attitudes. She was entirely responsible for doing the creative work that she wanted to do. She was 100% immersed in the program. The studio had a kitchen and a huge table where they would make group dinners. When you work in the saarinen design studio and walk home to your dorm through the most beautiful outdoors environment. Everything else felt bland. Donna met her husband at Cranbrook and they left together to go to Philadelphia where she went straight into an internship at Atkin Olshin Shade. She was there for 10 years and received a ton of help to grow. After she had a baby, her best friend called from Indianapolis and asked her to come on as a partner for high end residential remodels. When 2008 happened, Donna panicked after seeing the repercussions around the country. She got a call from Ball State University to be an adjunct professor for a guaranteed paycheck, and put the partnership on hold. Donna was now facing these college students knowing that they weren’t going to get a job when they got out of school. She began teaching them how to be entrepreneurs to use their skills in other ways. She got involved with AIA National’s emerging professional’s group and started pressing the idea of teaching students how to be business people. She put together a local conference talk about how to go about nontraditional practices and has rolled with it ever since. How do we practice in the world where we know each other through Twitter? She got an opportunity to go to the University of Indianapolis as the campus architect and loved it, but missed practicing. She realized that architecture is a long profession and that there was time to wear different hats and do different things. While pursing different things, she came into contact with the Executive Director for People for Urban Progress, Michael Bricker. What is People for Urban Progress and how did you get involved? People for Urban Progress (PUP) is a nonprofit in Indiana that was founded by Michael Bricker. Michael has a degree from UT Austin who came back to Indianapolis ten years ago and looked for the opportunities. At that point, the Colt’s NFL stadium was being torn down because they were building a new one. The old stadium, built in the 70s, was a concrete structure with a air supported, vinyl roof. Michael wanted to know what was happening with the old roof material. Since it was going to a landfill, he quickly started a nonprofit, found storage, partnered with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, and stored 13 acres of salvaged vinyl-coated canvas. With his interior designer sister, he began making bags and selling them. Indianapolis natives or Colt’s fans started buying bags like crazy. Donna came on as a board member as they began doing shade structure around the city in various parks. Since then, they’ve expanded and become known as the reuse nonprofit of the city. There was another structure taken down and reused into apartments, PUP salvaged the seats and they got people to pay for them to put stadium seats at bus stops throughout the city through sponsorships. When th

The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Lee Calisti At EntreArchitect, you’re encouraged to share your knowledge. When we share with other architects, we all benefit. We are able to learn from one another and the profession will grow. One of the goals of EntreArchitect is to provide a platform for other entrepreneur architects to share their stories. We want to interview you! What’s your story? Do you want to share your knowledge or the story about how you were inspired to pursue this profession? How do you become an entrepreneur architect? Join us for our series called The Entrepreneur Architect, where each guest has the opportunity to share their story and answer some questions that will provide value to each of you. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Lee Calisti. Background Lee Calisti is based in Greensburg, Pennsylvania and is a licensed architect and founder of Lee Calisti Architecture and Design. He was one of the original founders of AIA Pittsburgh chapter’s Young Architects’ Forum and was a co-chair for seven years. He’s served as a regional liaison representing Pennsylvania as part of the AIA National Young Architects Forum. He serves on the City of Greensburg History and Architecture Review Board and trustee for the Greensburg Alliance Church. He’s active in social media and is a regular writer for the #ArchiTalks blog series. Origin Story Lee wanted to be an architect ever since he was a child. Early in grade school he discovered drawing and had a passion for comic books. He worked to replicate what he saw in the comics and developed skills in his early days. In junior high, he had an art teacher who was a great inspiration, he promoted creativity and encouraged Lee to develop his skills further. He was fascinated by architecture, checking out books from the library to learn more. Soon enough, he designed houses and built model. His mother bought him a drafting table as a kid and he spent hours there. Lee focused singularly on architecture. He applied for school and plunged into the world of architecture. He took design classes at night and got connected twitch an adjunct professor who was hugely inspirational to him. His professor was working for a firm and doing work on the side. Recently, Lee was able to connect with him to thank him for his patience and inspiration. After finishing school at the top of his class, he went to work for an architect he’d spent summers with previously. He learned the nuts and bolts of working in an architecture practice. After that, he went to work in downtown Pittsburg. He loved the big city where he was exposed to lots of different things, and it was those experiences that prepared him to launch his own firm. His son was born shortly after, and Lee started teaching as an adjunct professor. He wanted to be an architect and a teacher just like those who mentored him. Everything leading up to that point prepared him, but couldn’t replace the hard work it takes to start a firm. Lee borrowed money from his personal savings with the promise to pay it off within a year. He brought work in slowly but surely and paid off the loan without having to borrow from a bank. Down the road, he realized that, unfortunately, he couldn’t do both architecture and teaching. His personal practice was growing and he needed to focus on that exclusively. Last year, Lee began considering hiring his first employee and started the wheels in motion to expanding his firm. The Entrepreneur Architect Questions What is one big goal you’ve achieved in your career and how did you get there? When Lee was an intern, it was important to him to become licensed. He wanted to reach that goal as soon as possible, and he had to do a ton to fulfill the requirements. He wanted to do it in the minimum amount of time, which was three years, and was upset when he didn’t. He disciplined himself and spent time doing the work every day. After finally making it through the exams and waiting a few months to hear his results, he got a letter in the mail with his passing scores. It was such an intense experience for Lee, that he got a nosebleed literally during the 11th hour of his testing. What is one struggle you experienced and how did you overcome it? After being practice several years, Lee had a situation where he thought legal action might take place. Thankfully it didn’t! After working with his insurance company, he wrote a letter and the whole ordeal ended. He ran into the client years later, and the client admitted fault. Having an LLC gave him some peace of mind, but more than that, he wanted to keep good terms and maintain pride in himself and his brand. What makes your firm unique? Balance has always been the key to Lee’s success. He feels he hasn’t always been the best at design, but he was able to balance that skill with all his others. There’s so many things that a

The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Sharon George At EntreArchitect, you’re encouraged to share your knowledge. When we share with other architects, we all benefit. We are able to learn from one another and the profession will grow. One of the goals of EntreArchitect is to provide a platform for other entrepreneur architects to share their stories. We want to interview you! What’s your story? Do you want to share your knowledge or the story about how you were inspired to pursue this profession? How do you become an entrepreneur architect? Join us for our series called The Entrepreneur Architect, where each guest has the opportunity to share their story and answer some questions that will provide value to each of you. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Sharon George. Background Sharon is a sole proprietor and the principal architect at Architecture by George in Austin, Texas. She’s worked with custom residential architecture for the past fifteen years, specializing in high-performance homes. She serves on the advisory group for the National Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN) as the chair of the emerging professionals’ committee. Origin Story Sharon grew up in India, and didn’t grow up around a lot of interesting architecture or architects. She was very interested in drawing, and her earliest memory was of her father taking her to an art competition. She was encouraged in her artistic skills, but also excelled in science and math. She chose to become an engineer as the path of least resistance. Due to the system in India, the bar was very high for her to get into engineering school and she didn’t get in. She decided on a degree in mathematics, which was fun for all of six months until her moment of clarity: she didn’t belong there. She realized just because she was good at something didn’t mean it was her passion to follow it. Sharon soon received a letter of invitation for a new college. There, she saw a huge studio with a bunch of drafting tables. She knew then that that was where she belonged. Though she knew little about the profession, she took the leap of faith. It was the best decision she could have made. Her five years in architecture school were the best years of her life and she enjoyed every moment. In India, when you graduate from architecture you’re immediately an architect; there’s no need for registration. She worked for a year at the same firm that she apprenticed at. She applied to several universities in the States and loved that the University of Texas at Austin because of their program in sustainable architecture. She attended there and was a part of their first ever solar decathlon. When she graduated, she wanted to work for a firm that did high-performance, high-end homes. Unfortunately, her education from India didn’t transfer to the US. She had to work for 8 years to gain the experience prior to taking the AREs. Last year, she started her own firm, Architecture By George. The Entrepreneur Architect Questions What is one big goal you’ve achieved in your career and how did you get there? Sharon isn’t big on goal setting, but it’s something she’s consciously working on. When she looks back at all the things that have gotten her to where she is, and follows her intuition most times. One of her biggest goals was getting her license. Starting her own firm wasn’t always a goal, but when it became her path she focused on getting there. Why did you start your own firm? Sharon had worked for almost 15 years in other firms and kept learning a lot. Her world was a steep line on a graph and she thrived on that. After that time, she had kids who were little and realized as an employee, the model wasn’t very sustainable. She decided to deep dive into something she wasn’t totally comfortable with and didn’t have plans for, but that was making itself clearer and clearer that it was what she was supposed to do. What is one struggle you experienced and how did you overcome it? Starting her own firm was challenging. She was dedicating all her time and resources to nurturing her business and getting it to a place where it’s thriving. She didn’t start her own business to work less, and certainly is working more now, but going through the journey of getting into a business owner’s skin has been great. She makes decisions from a different place and her time has a different meaning. It has been a lot of work in her own mindset to break her own stereotypes of what a business owner looked like. Have you had an “aha” moment? How did you turn it into success for your career? Sharon’s “aha moment” happened when she realized that the business model for architecture is broken. Though she doesn’t have a magic fix for it and she loves practicing architecture, but she was beginning to realiz

How Does NCARB Serve the Small Firm Architect? The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards is a nonprofit organization made up of architectural licensing boards of 54 states and 8 rerrirotires. While each jurisdiction is responsible for regulating the practice of architecture within its borders, NCARB develops and administers programs for licensure candidates and architects throughout the nation. Our community of small firm architects is filled with people with very mixed feelings toward NCARB. Many see the benefits that NCARB provides all architects, while some question the process and procedures required by the organization. Still others have questions about whether NCARB is even relevant in our profession. Do small firms see any benefit to membership and certification? In short, our community of entrepreneur architects have many questions for the leaders at NCARB. This week at EntreArchitect podcast, Mark R. LePage asks NCARB’s Kristine Harding and Greg Erny, “How does NCARB Serve the Small Firm Architect?“. Background Kristine Harding is an architect based in Alabama and the current president of NCARB. Greg Erny is a small firm architect out of Nevada and the incoming NCARB president. Kristine’s Origin Story Kristine grew up in Texas where her mother often used graph paper to draw floor plans. One day as she stood in the kitchen, her mom told her to be an architect. She took drafting in high school and fell in love with how they focused on buildings instead of just mechanical drafting. She studied architecture at Rice University and her passion grew. Eventually she ended up in Alabama where she worked for a firm who had a great transition plan and one day took over that firm. Greg’s Origin Story Greg’s from a small town in rural Indiana, and one of his earliest memories of recognizing the world of architecture was seeing the craftsmanship of his grandfather’s barn. He was involved in and around construction sites growing up and began down the architecture path in high school. He persevered through the five year program at Ball State University. After earning his license and working for a few firms, he branched out to start his own firm and has been there ever since. How did you get involved in NCARB? Kristine was appointed to the state registration board in the state of Alabama. At that point, she was a member of NCARB. She served on the board for 12 years and came up through the leadership to ultimately reach the board level. Greg became involved with his local AIA chapter. He became the president of the chapter and then the president of the state, and, when a spot on the state board opened up, he took it. He got more involved with NCARB on the regional level and found a home in the organization. What is NCARB? In 1919 at an AIA convention in Nashville, 13 states got together and thought it would be good to have an association to facilitate licensure. It’s grown to all 50 states and other jurisdictions that work together to help reciprocal licensure across state lines as well as promote education experience and examination for architects. The reciprocity benefit that NCARB has brought to architecture has allowed architects to practice across state lines. What specifically does NCARB do for small firm architects? For small firms, there’s an experience program to identify young professionals that are seeking experience. For young professionals, that’s a great environment. Greg has a small firm of four people, and he’s found benefit through the programs of experience and education. In looking at someone’s credentials, they need to be able to do everything since there are so few people doing the work. Small firms want people with broad backgrounds. What’s different about NCARB Portfolio, the AXP and the intern role? All of the programs are around one word. The ARE is the examination directory. NCARB has looked at rebranding to follow that, and has found that AXP falls more in the experience program. A task force looked at the word “intern” and found that it’s not a term that’s regulated. Because of that, it wasn’t something that NCARB needed to define. If a firm wants to call someone a project manager or a senior designer, that’s great; just make sure you aren’t using a term that is legislated in your state. There may have been people who stepped away from the profession for one reason or another who have a lot of experience, but they can’t step away from that to get more experience. You can use the AXP portfolio to document your previous experience. At NCARB, within 6 months you need to report your experience. The main reason is because the sooner it’s documented, the fresher it is in your mind. For up to 5 years, you can receive 50% credit. NCARB also has an app that you can use to document your experiences as often as you want. Questions from the Community Wha

The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Kurt Krueger At EntreArchitect, you’re encouraged to share your knowledge. When we share with other architects, we all benefit. We are able to learn from one another and the profession will grow. One of the goals of EntreArchitect is to provide a platform for other entrepreneur architects to share their stories. Join us for our series called The Entrepreneur Architect, where each guest has the opportunity to share their story and answer some questions that will provide value to each of you. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Kurt Krueger. Origin Story Kurt’s firm is based in Brentwood, LA, and specializes in modern design-build residential architecture. He grew up in a small town called Mexico, Missouri, and never had any exposure to architects. He was artistic and could draw, but had no idea what to do what that moving forward. During his junior year in high school, a perceptive geometry teacher asked if he’d ever thought about being an architect. He took some basic drafting classes at the vocational school attached to the high school and found the perfect marriage between the artistic side and his propensity for using art for practical purposes. He went to college at Kansas State University and something clicked. Kurt enjoyed the drawing and design aspect of school when he found a way to combine what he loved with hard work to get good at it. During his third year in school, he interned for an architect in North Carolina. He began to learn more about his love for design and the construction/building side. When he graduated, as opposed to getting an office job, he worked for an architect in Lawrence who runs a studio called Studio 804 where the team does design-build projects. Kurt did hard work for little pay, but knew there was value in being able to learn first hand how things come together. From there, he relocated to Los Angeles because of the weather and the greater opportunities to get engaged with different architects. There can be some experimentation and craziness that he fell in love with. His construction experience got him a job with design/build architect Marmol Radziner for four years. After that, he worked for a high-profile firm doing the work for some beautiful homes. The Entrepreneur Architect Questions What is one big goal you’ve achieved in your career and how did you get there? Kurt has worked to take the structure of design-build and moving it into an architect-as-developer where they have their own clients and are able to work on projects on their own. He’s been talking about it with his firm for some time, and, for them, they had a leg up since they were already doing the things developers would do. If they had all the pieces in place to get the structure in place and get the numbers right, it was a no-brainer. It finally came down to them stop thinking about it and just doing it to see what works and what doesn’t. Though they’re early on, it’s a goal they’re in the process of getting it to where they want it to be. What is one struggle you experienced and how did you overcome it? Of course there’s the struggle of everyday practice. Kurt had a big turning point in his third year of architecture school. The first few years, there’s no computers at all. The transition to the computers and doing things with 3D design and renderings was completely new. He had little experience with computers and doubted that he could pull through. Though he had the talent and work ethic to succeed, he didn’t know if it was something that was too far over his head. The things that helped him to overcome it was to have mentors and to keep telling himself it would get easier as he pressed on. Who was the person that supported you most through that process? A younger professor took Kurt under his wing and helped him rethink they way he understood architecture and design. He encouraged him not to focus on the things that were limiting him and gave him confidence to succeed. Have you had an “aha” moment? How did you turn it into success for your career? The more Kurt was around construction, the more it made sense to him. He saw more control over the process, the budgets and the schedule. There were so many things pointing to that as the logical way to do the work. How is your firm structured? They have the architecture company and the general contracting company that are under separate contracts. The firm has Kurt, who heads up the architecture company, and his business partner is the licensed general contractor. How do you market your work? They started having everything separate and leaving it as an option for their clients to choose from if they didn’t want to jump straight into everything. In that way, the client thinks that they can separate things and that’s not always the ideal route. If the client is more interested

Architecture for Children with Vicky Chan One of the main struggles we hear is that the general public is ignorant of what we do as architects. If people don't know what we do, how will they ever value our services? How can we better educate and share our purpose with the world and, in doing so, increase that perceived value of the profession throughout the world. This week, Mark R. LePage talks with an architect based in New York City and Hong Kong, the founder of a thriving architecture and design firm who has found a way to educate society on the value of architecture one child at a time. This week on EntreArchitect podcast, Architecture for Children with Vicky Chan. Background Vicky is the founder of Avoid Obvious Architects, with offices in New York and Hong Kong. The firm specializes in sustainable design for buildings and cities with a focus on combining art and green technology. He also founded a volunteering organization called Architecture for Children, teaching over 3,000 children about sustainable design and architecture. Origin Story Vicky grew up in Hong Kong and his family moved to New York about 20 years ago. He always loved art and science, and didn't immediately realize that architecture was the perfect combination of the two. Throughout his academic studies, he decided to pursue architecture. After graduation, he worked at a large architecture firm, in one season working over 100 hours in a week. He decided then to get out and do something different and fund his own ideas. Along with wanting the freedom to choose his clients, Vicky began pursuing more sustainable design. Having his own business allowed him to take time out of his week to go to the local school and teach children about architecture. Vicky knows that most kids won't become architects, but he hopes to influence society toward green design. When the kids that he's teaching grow up, perhaps they'll retain the knowledge they received from him and use it to make decisions on their future homes. Through teaching children, Vicky has had many opportunities to refocus his values. He also works with special needs children, and, while other children tend to want to design things from their favorite movies or cartoons, the children with special needs want to design hospitals to help others. He learns a lot from the children. In addition to finding meaning through teaching, Vicky has also found encouragement for more innovative thinking. Instead of getting fancy and complicated, what about looking at design through the innocent lens of a child's eyes? What if the crazy ideas that kids have actually come to fruition in the near future? What's your inspiration? When Vicky was in college, he was invited into a program where he went to a local school and teach them math and English. Soon, he was encouraged to do a side project in teaching children about architecture. After that, he realized how difficult it was to teach architecture to children. He worked to refine the idea so that the children could come out with a keyword or key concept. To come up with something simple that the children can complete in a short period of time has helped him a ton with his own design. Finding the simplicity in it make it easier to understand. Vicky also learns from different cultures when teaching children in both New York and Hong Kong. In general, kids in New York are exposed to more art and are more imaginative and creative, whereas the children in Hong Kong are more practical. He works to encourage the children to fail and try things they aren't sure of so they can learn from what doesn't work. How often do you teach? Vicky teaches with three local schools up to twice a week. He also has volunteers who study architecture, design, marketing and math, and each comes in and teaches their field to the children. They work mostly with kids after school. How have you seen children's innocence influence your work? One child proposed that when a wind turbine she was designing was not in use, they could turn it into a ceiling fan. Though that's not possible, it made Vicky think about dual-purpose design. Additionally, one child told them that they wanted a hole in the middle of their roof so that they could open it in the middle of the night and see the stars. Vicky presented the idea in a similar way in one of his other projects. What's some advice you can give someone who may want to start a program of their own? When Vicky first moved here, he had no connections. He set up a page on his website and printed some booklets and sent it out to various schools. The best advice he can give is to reach out to your community. It's not hard to tell a school that you want to teach their kids for free! Since they're a non-profit, they have to be very conservative with their materials. For necessary supplies things like pencils and scissors, they found a company that donates supplies for educational pur

The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Chris Bailow At EntreArchitect, you’re encouraged to share your knowledge. When we share with other architects, we all benefit. We are able to learn from one another and the profession will grow. One of the goals of EntreArchitect is to provide a platform for other entrepreneur architects to share their stories. Join us for our series called The Entrepreneur Architect, where each guest has the opportunity to share their story and answer some questions that will provide value to each of you. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Chris Bailow. Background Chris is the Principal Architect at Bailow Architects, a custom residential design architecture firm that works in New England. The firm’s work consists of thoughtful, innovative design rooted in New England tradition. Chris works remotely Origin Story Chris felt fortunate to grow up on an island in Maine. It has a great culture and community, and it was also connected to the mainland by a bridge. When he was a kid, he spent a lot of time outdoors and would find the summer cottages of those who weren’t there any longer. He and his friends would go up on the porches and peek in the windows, and he thought about the layout and spaces of each home. That simplicity is a part of his design aesthetic to this day. As he grew up, he was interested in how things were put together and how buildings were constructed. His dad wasn’t particularly handy, but he was encouraged to explore what he was interested in. One summer, he got a job building boats. In high school, he thought he may want to be an architect. His guidance counselor pointed out his low math scores, and Chris went to a liberal arts school to level things out. Chris got a job as a carpenter and was hired by a contractor. He loved learning how to build houses, and that’s some of the most foundational learning he received. After hauling shingles for a while, he realized he did want to pursue architecture. He earned his undergraduate degree from St. Laurence and an internship in Vermont at the Yestermorrow Design/Build School. Soon he found a graduate program at the Boston Architectural College in Boston where he could work in a firm during the day and go to school in the evenings. Following school, he got a job as a mail person in a 100+ person firm. He was exposed to tons of different architects, none of whom were doing what he wanted to do. He soon got a call from a firm he’d given his resume to who was doing residential architecture in Massachusetts. After interviewing one-on-one, he got the job. There he learned to hand draft and was exposed to the elements of a small business. He was there for a few years before he hit his ceiling. Next, he went to a high-end residential firm where he was exposed to 7-8 different architects using CAD software who he got to learn from. He was confident in his abilities to pick CAD up quickly and moved around to different projects helping with whatever they needed at the time. He quickly worked himself up to an associate and project manager. Within years, he felt he was doing the same thing day-to-day and needed a new challenge. With his wife’s nudging and support, in 2014 he decided to jump out on his own. He stayed home with their son and worked on some projects, and they haven’t looked back since. The Entrepreneur Architect Questions How did it work out for you raising a child and building a business? Chris doesn’t know any other way. Raising a child is an amazing experience that taught him a lot about himself, and the same can be said of building a business. He worked to have clear separation between home and work, but it’s a constant process to set boundaries. It’s been great for his business because it makes him relatable to many clients who are looking for space for their families. What is one big goal you’ve achieved in your career and how did you get there? Family is the biggest achievement for Chris. After he originally got his job as a hand-drafting architect with long hours, he one day decided to do a triathlon. He had to separate himself and put in a ton of time to work toward the goal, but it gave him back some of what he felt he’d lost. To get to where he was, he had to make some sacrifices, like not having the time to ski for a while. After some time, he felt it was important to reset after the hard work and find things that he loved to do. What is one struggle you experienced and how did you overcome it? Chris isn’t naturally organized and has to work at it all the time. He thinks it’s funny that others perceive him as organized, and feels lucky that his wife does have that personality trait. Have you had an “aha” moment? How did you turn it into success for your career? Chris always looks for opportunities to try new things. He used to send out resumes and go for interv

For Architects, By Architects: The Story Behind ArchiOffice This week, we have another inspiring story from an architect turned accidental entrepreneur. He turned a need for managing finances at his own small firm into a new software tool to solve the problem. He shared the idea with some colleagues, formed a small company, and eventually sold that company. Today, it’s offered to architects throughout the world. This week on EntreArchitect podcast, For Architects, By Architects: the story behind ArchiOffice with Steven Burns. Background Steven is an architect based in Los Angeles and the creator of ArchiOffice project management software. He’s currently the Chief Creative Officer of BQE Software, the makers of ArchiOffice. Steven’s Origin Story Steve majored in sculpture at Syracuse University. When he had his senior show, by accident a woman approached him and asked his plans after school. He joked that he was going to wait tables, but she prompted him to study architecture. He went to MIT for architecture, which he didn’t love, after not getting into his first choice, Harvard. After his first year, he went back and reread his application essay and decided to reapply to Harvard. This time, he got in. The second time around, his classmates and experiences were great and he thrived. After graduation, he started his career at SOM in Chicago. During his time there, he put a few goldfish in an empty bowl. People liked it, so he went and bought a tank, some sand and a fish for every partner – fourteen – with a sign that said “Please don’t feed the partners.” Within three months, every partner knew him. Eventually, Bruce Graham took an interest in Steve and helped shape much of his journey in architecture. When Steve and his wife were in Berlin working for SOM and were about to have children, they decided to take the risk to move to Chicago and Steve opened an office on his own in 1993. There was no business plan and nothing written down. After a month of working alone, he brought a friend on board to join the business. They were frugal, finding a small space and building it out on their own. Eventually they hired someone, and they felt the pressure of having to provide for them. In 2007, he sold the firm. They chose two partners and were able to watch both of them grow into the roles perfectly. They learned that their partners weren’t like them, which was good; they should be able to fill in the spaces where you have weaknesses. Steven felt that he and his partner were able to retain some control while still giving the partners some ownership of their roles. Would you do it differently if you had to do it over again? If Steven had to do it all over again, he would hope that he would at least have written some kind of business plan before starting out. However, he knows himself well enough to know his spontaneity and that, in some ways, he hasn’t changed since then. How do you pick the right person to transition your firm over to? It’s a hard decision, and you have to trust your intuition. Steve feels lucky to have had great picks with his wife and his partner, but has also learned that when you have something that isn’t a fit, it’s better to take care of it right away. In the end, it’s best for everyone. Why did you sell your company and where were you headed after that? Steven was a designer at heart, and he wanted to work on designing a software for his firm. He bought a Mac-based program, File Maker Pro, and used their easy scripting program to build things to solve problems. He’d set a task to take care of and, after work, for three years he would work until 3 or 4 AM creating things. When he showed coworkers, they would challenge him to create different things. One of their employees called his old boss and told him about Steven’s software. When he came to look at it, he asked if he could buy it. Steven cleaned it up and let the guy try it for a year for free. Realizing he lacked the formal background, he hired a team in Melbourne, Australia who could work with him at night three or four days a week. In a few years, ArchiOffice was a commercial product. Word of mouth was the key to spreading the word. They quickly had 500 firms using the software, so they brought in a management team to make sure they were doing things correctly. Since they were providing something to help with people’s businesses, Steven wanted to make sure they were doing things correctly. Surprisingly, one of the recommendations was for Steven to fully pursue software development. He decided to dive in 100%. In 2007, he sold his portion of the firm and started in a new space with four people headed toward software design. What were the next steps for ArchiOffice? Unfortunately in that season, they found that architects weren’t buying software, they were letting go of employees. They got very close to shutting down the company

Architects Practicing Beyond The Traditional Design Firm Beyond The Box Architects are trained to find solutions. We have a superpower many other people don’t have: we can see a problem and create a way to solve it. This gives us a huge opportunity to lead both as traditional practitioners and in roles in our society that require creativity and solutions for critical problems. This week on EntreArchitect podcast, Beyond the Box: Architects Practicing Beyond The Traditional Design Firm with Katie Crepeau. Background Katie is an architect and a business consultant based in London, England. She’s an advocate for and a practitioner of social impact design. She’s the founder and editor for Design Affects, an online platform that inspires, teaches and connects those involved in social impact design and much more. Origin Story The earliest memory Katie has of engaging with architecture is around the age of five when she was living in a home she was moving out of. She remembers drawing the plan of her bedroom, complete with the red-orange carpet, and she added all the various elements of that space. Katie’s dad is an engineer and her mom is a teacher who studied art, so a big influence was seeing both of their personalities and approaches to doing things. Both of them inspired Katie and her family to be creative: her dad was focused on precision and technique, and her mom on the expression of creativity. As she began studying and practicing, she wanted to connect with people. Katie studied at Tulane in New Orleans, a very different and distant place from where she grew up in California. There she explored and grew in a new city around new people and was able to define who she was as a person. She thought she’d be pursuing the traditional architecture path, but she’s also aware that she’s a “question-asking” type of person. Following graduation and licensing, she wanted to improve the profession of architecture and reconnect it to who we are as people and to the people we’re trying to impact in the first place. Early in her career, Katie worked with small firms that did residential and urban repurpose and regeneration in New Orleans. When she moved to San Francisco, she got more involved with commercial and developer-led projects. Her background, including volunteering and seeing the change in people because of her giving, led her to take a night course from Berkley called Architecture is Activism. Then began the journey of the next six years of her life to focus on social impact design. What is social impact design? Social impact design is working with marginalized or underserved communities and developing products or services that help them create a better environment for themselves. It includes architecture, systems, and everything that comes along with it. Eventually, Katie became an advocate for social impact design. Though working with a group of architects who were all pressing toward the same goal but lacking a certain business acumen, Katie started looking at other firms who were doing similar things. What is your advice for someone who has a problem they want to solve? Katie advises people to start with a project. Don’t start an organization until you have a project and a client and can validate the demand for what you’re doing. She has a ton of eagerness as well, and a lot of her early projects reflect that. In actuality, it’s about validating your idea before you do anything. Identify the people you want to help, get out there and talk to them about what they do, why they do it, their challenges and more. Following that, you can pitch something to them, similar to the ideas presented in the book, The Lean Startup. Sometimes when you go down that road you get so wrapped up in the funding that you forget to ask if there’s actually a need for what you’re doing. It’s important to find the middle ground of what you’re passionate about and who it is that has a need for that. What inspired you to serve architects who want to grow beyond the traditional practice? Through conversations Katie had with architects and designers and following business communities, she observed that everyone wants to provide value to others. It’s not only about social impact, it’s about anyone who can provide value to a group of people who need it. Now, Katie works to help people identify their vision and the change they want to see. What does that mean for their skills and interests as well as those they want to work for? How can that all tie together? Social impact comes in many different formats, and it’s up to us to decide how we want it to come about in a way that makes sense. How can someone branch out on their own social impact project? Katie works to develop a five year plan. What does it look like day to day and where do you find the purpose through what you’re doing? Today, who is doing something simi

Working Toward an Equitable Future in Architecture This week, the Chair of the AIA National Equity in Architecture Commission, Emily Grandstaff-Rice, FAIA, shares an update on the work that the commission has done to promote equity and diversity in the profession of architecture. How is the AIA working to make the changes needed to have the profession of architecture more accurately represent the society in which we live? What’s planned for a more equitable future? This week on EntreArchitect podcast, Working Toward an Equitable Future in Architecture with Emily Grandstaff-Rice, FAIA. For Emily’s origin story, visit Episode 014. Boston Society of Architects Though Emily had never been the chair of a board of directors this size, at the beginning of this journey she jumped right in and got to meet the mayor of Boston and the mayor of Rome. During her tenure as President of the BSA, she became more comfortable in the public eye and developed leadership skills that she hadn’t encountered in her day-to-day architecture life. Equity in Architecture At the end of 2015, Emily was asked to chair the AIA National Equity in Architecture Commission. Though she felt fear and had some reservations about taking on such a responsibility, she knew she couldn’t say no. At the end of the commission, they presented 11 recommendations (see below) to the AIA Board of Directors with the goal of having the profession of architecture reflect the society that we serve. Emily recognizes this as some of the most important work she’s done in her career. One the commission’s recommendations was to create a stronger pathway for students to go from community colleges to accredited degrees and to increase the number of scholarships aimed at diversity. Following the presentation, the AIA donated $1 million toward diversity advancement scholarships, funding 20 new school scholarships. Creating Awareness Based on research, making the profession of architecture diverse isn’t a “one size fits all” solution. It’s very nuanced, and has to be something that reaches to various levels because of different people and their unique approaches to the profession. As architects, we should be asking how we can be role models in our community. Can you go to the local career day at your school? Should you stand up for something within your influence? Create awareness in the public realm to what we do and how we change the environment, and we’ll make a difference. 11 Recommendations to AIA National Board of Directors Make equity, diversity, and inclusion a core value for the Board of Directors Measure and report how EDI permeates the AIA Launch EDI training for AIA volunteers and components Create guides for equitable, diverse, and inclusive practice Create a position paper on EDI and the profession Develop a firm self-assessment tool Require EDI data as part of AIA awards submissions Advocate for a more accessible path to higher education Engage children with K-12 architecture programs Tell our stories Ensure that AIA publications reflect EDI To read more about all 11 of the commission’s recommendations, click here. Emily says that when we look at diversity, it’s like an iceberg. We see the tip of the iceberg – the clear, physical qualities – but we don’t see everything underneath. You may have a panel of seven men and think it’s not very diverse, but you’re not looking at the whole picture of the differences of each of those men. We have to understand that people are more than what we judge them by. Instead of looking to find similarities, we should recognize that our differences help us to learn about one another. What’s Next? Emily and Rosa Sheng are co-chairing the new Equity and Future of Architecture Committee, which is tasked with charting these recommendations and reporting progress on how they are being implemented. What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow? “Ask yourself, ‘Am I reaching the whole of the community or just a piece of it?’ You don’t have to do everything, but there’s a large untapped market of future clients out there that small firms have a direct connection to. Marketing comes from who we see socially, and I challenge you to think about your connections in a larger, more equitable way. Are there connections you’re not tapping that you could? “Secondly, listen to the people you work with and that you employ. Value their differences and work to understand that someone does something differently because they have a different viewpoint. Have conversations about what you don’t understand and what you want to know more about. Differences strengthen our relationships.” – Emily Grandstaff-Rice, FAIA Connect with Emily online via LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Visit our Platform Sponsors Freshbooks is the easy way

Finding MyCORBU with Rick Wolnitzek Retired from the profession and finding himself eager to give back, today’s guest has partnered with a developer to create an app that helps small firm architects manage their time and money. After a long journey, he’s launching the product he wishes he had when he was the owner of his own small architecture firm. This week on EntreArchitect podcast, Finding MyCORBU with Rick Wolnitzek. Introduction Rick Wolnikzek is an architect based in northern Kentucky outside of Cincinnati and the creator of ArchitekWiki, a blog for small firms covering ideas, information, links, procedures, checklists, details and more to help young architects work productively and effectively. He’s also the founder of MyCORBU, a bookkeeping software specifically for architects. Origin Story In high school, Rick knew he wanted to be an architect. The idea of creating things like tunnels and camps as a kid pushed him toward the idea. He planned to go to the University of Cincinnati, but an influx of in-state applicants foiled his plans. His dad proposed Notre Dame, and in hindsight, his schooling there was a highlight of his career. Following his education, he worked for a small, five-person firm for the next seven years working on schools. There he learned to do a wide array of tasks due to the limited staff. He joined a mentor who had started a new firm, and years in the frustration of not having a ton to do and lack of willingness to try new things ate him up over time. It was there that Rick made a trade that if his partner would go get their coffee across the street, Rick would manage the books. Rick eventually decided to go out on his own in Cincinnati, and he found that he didn’t have as much of a stature that he wanted. Suddenly, he had a client who needed an office building and then a connection for another project. He had always done back-office things well, but struggled with doing business development. In 30 years, Rick’s firm fluctuated between two and twelve people. Toward the end of the road, Rick let go of most of his employees and was writing checks to keep the firm afloat. He decided to work from home, and struck a deal with his landlord to get out of the lease early in exchange for some office furniture. Eight months later, he realized he had actually retired. He thought, “Maybe I could make a living selling things to help other architects.” Soon after he launched ArchitekWiki. The Blog For the first year, Rick wrote a post every few days to share his experiences. He wanted to go back to the tools he’d developed over his career and put them into a format that might be useful to other architects, such as a how-to on Trello for project management, a calculation tool, and more. The App Two years into his retirement, he was out of the software that he’d used when he was practicing architecture. Rick was using a time-keeping software that he liked, but he was constantly trying to improve it for the use of architects. Eventually, the developer met with Rick to ask him to help develop something specifically for architects. He interviewed about 75 architects and surveyed 1500 firms over six months, and they learned that there wasn’t a great way for architects to invoice. Although their dreams were big, they encountered a lot of difficulties of how to actually develop a program for invoicing. By the end of the year, the partnership was nickel-and-diming back and forth, and a lot of the fun was taken out of the project. At that point, Rick stepped away and they began the dismantling process to move away from the work they’d done. MyCORBU After some time away, Rick stepped back to the table. He thought he could fund development to finally build this dream app. Rick projected the project to take a year and cost around $500K. He researched investors, kick starters, and more, getting nowhere. He stumbled upon an app builder called Knack that worked on any platform with databases and was only $39/month for the software. He decided to give it a shot. Only a month later, Rick had a rudimentary version working and a website in the works. He’s developed help articles, figured out how to price it and how the pricing would work, and more. It got to the point where he didn’t realize that the way he was going about it from the point of how it worked was the easy part. The side of setting clients up with an account was much trickier. Finally, they found a way for clients to jump on board, sign up and be set to go. Coming later is a paid version that will include other features! Rick also hopes to add a bookkeeping element at some point, and perhaps an invoicing version. What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow? “You need to get a blog. Whatever you think that looks like, start putting your stuff out there. Anything on the boards, in production, being constructed. Get

The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Michele Grace Hottel At EntreArchitect, you’re encouraged to share your knowledge. When we share with other architects, we all benefit. We are able to learn from one another and the profession will grow. One of the goals of EntreArchitect is to provide a platform for other entrepreneur architects to share their stories. After 162 episodes, we think we’ve succeeded with that goal. Join us for a new series called The Entrepreneur Architect, where each guest has the opportunity to share their story and answer some questions that will provide value to each of you. This week on EntreArchitect podcast, The Entrepreneur Architect Series featuring Michele Grace Hottel. Origin Story Michele has been practicing architecture at her own firm, Michele Grace Hottel Architects, since 1994 and is licensed in California and Texas. She is a commissioner and subject matter expert for California Architects board and the City of La Mesa planning commissioner. As an active member of the #ArchiTalk blog series, you can read her blog “I’ve never met a woman architect before…“, about the trials and tribulations of being a woman architect, wife and mother. Michele has loved drawing since she was very young. During a kindergarten testing process, she was asked to draw a picture of a person. She chose to draw a picture of her tester, to his amusement, and they let her in. Growing up outside of Pittsburgh where everyone had art and music in school, Michele was invited with a group of students to be a part of a weekend art group with her art teacher. From then on, she was encouraged by her artistic talents. Later in her schooling, the switch was made from girls taking home-ec and the boys taking woodworking to a more inclusive environment, Michele was able to take woodworking which included a drafting class. Throughout high school, she continued with art classes at the Art Institute, architectural drafting, and took classes at a technical school for mechanical drafting and design technology. Her family then moved to California and after transferring to Cal Poly Pamona for a few years, she was able to go abroad to Denmark for a year for the cost of in-state tuition. After her degree, she worked in Santa Monica for a few years, worked for her stepdad for a few years and spent time on various projects, including a Metropolitan Community Church, an AIDS memorial wall, affordable housing in Santa Monica, and high-end custom residential work for people in the entertainment industry. After having her daughter and thinking about the work/family balance, she wondered if she would be able to practice architecture in the traditional sense. She decided to do a few projects a year and has been doing that ever since. The Entrepreneur Architect Questions What is one big goal you’ve achieved in your career and how did you get there? Michele’s biggest goal she’s achieved is getting licensed. When Michele was going through this process, it was only available to be taken once a year and she took them all at once. Despite people telling her that she wouldn’t pass on the first round, she studied hard and passed on her first take. What is one struggle you experienced and how did you overcome it? Michele never passed college algebra. Though she tried to take it last year, she found it much more difficult to do at this point in her career. Additionally, she’s worked hard to be an architect and a stay at home mom. When she was in LA after having her daughter, she can remember being at her opening and someone telling her they could never be a part time architect. Though it took her a while to be confident in that, she’s received more acceptance from the profession and from herself. Have you had an “aha” moment? How did you turn it into success for your career? When Michele’s youngest was three, she had a project she was really excited about: a Point Loma home on a hillside with glass everywhere. This was a chance for her to show that she was on her own and was able to do the job well. What’s one thing that has you most excited about your business today? It’s exciting to have a lot of work! Michele loves doing projects that she’s excited about design-wise as well, right now she has a project where the clients want modern architecture and she’s been challenged with building restrictions. Quick Questions At what age did you decide to become an architect? 12 years old. Other than architecture, what makes you happy? My family. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? No one in her family ever told her she couldn’t be an architect, her whole family was always supportive of her. What’s one personal habit that contributes to your success? Besides coffee in the morning and coffee several times throughout the day, Michele is very self-sufficient and loves others intensely. What’s an

The Pain, the Passion, and the Process of Becoming a Young Architect Let’s dive deep into what it means to be a young architect and what it takes to get licensed. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Michael Riscica of YoungArchitect.com shares The Pain, the Passion, and the Process of Becoming a Young Architect. Origin Story Michael is based in Portland, Oregon is the founder of YoungArchitect.com. You can hear more about his bike journey from one side of the US to the other, plus how to get licensed and pass the ARE, check out his last podcast appearance.   Young Architect Michael started Young Architect about three years ago after he got his license, with inspiration from Mark and many other bloggers serving their community. The mission has always been to help students, ARE candidates, young architects and other candidates be more successful. More recently he’s been talking more about how to share his mission and beliefs with others. Many young architects really need to be their own advocate, and, in Michael’s opinion, a lot of students graduate and flounder until they become a licensed architect. Although there’s a lot out there to create community with the AIA and other organizations, there’s an in-between stage that Michael wanted to address. He began writing blog posts clearly directed at those in different predicaments like looking for jobs, studying for the ARE and wanting to get licensed. Everyone has their own path, strengths and weaknesses, and the beautiful thing about architecture is that there’s such a huge place in jobs and opportunities with people with different strengths. Everyone has different gifts and passions to offer to the world. Different Roles Architecture school is a place for future architects to learn how to design and problem solve. It creates a safe place for students to experiment and take risk, while learning the fundamentals of design. They can learn to express themselves by learning from theory and from the past. Michael argues that so much growth and development needs to happen in architecture school, that having a complete understanding of how the profession works is too much to ask. You’re there to learn the basics of problem solving and design. The second part of an architect’s education begins once they finish school. He’s always believed that the young architect’s job is to advocate for their own development, but the profession as a whole should acknowledge their role in helping engender future architects. Although young architects may take an experience and learn from it and then move onto something else, that’s a necessary component of the process. Letting a younger intern person into your firm, acknowledges that, in some ways, they’re the future of the firm. They get to see the behind-the-scenes in the firm. In some ways, you need to treat the younger generation as though they may one day be your future client or even supervisor. On the other hand, young architects need to acknowledge the role they’re in: observing and learning to become the best that they can. You may not start out making what you want to make, but you can give everything you have to who you’re working with to get the knowledge you need to get to the next level. When you work hard and prove your value, you’re rewarded. Fluidity Like many other professions, architecture has moved into a space where people are not at one job for their entire lives. They may start somewhere, gain some knowledge, and then move on to something else. With advanced technology and greater connectivity, it’s easy to associate with people that aren’t in your local circle and do anything you want to do. Young Architect Podcast Michael had gotten comfortable with expressing himself through writing on the blog, and the idea of a podcast made him pretty uncomfortable. Around the end of his recent coast-to-coast bike trip, he hit the ground running and began working overtime for several months on developing the new podcast. One of the challenges he’s had is trying to keep the focus off of himself. He’s passionate about the mission, but the goal is not to tell his story, it’s to put the focus on people who are aligned with his mission. Through the process of writing an article about people, he realized he needed to use a podcast to really express the energy he was hearing in people’s stories. The podcast features stories about how people found architecture, what their experience was with licensing, and how they got to where they were today. He’s been seeking out the little guy who’s doing great work to get varying perspectives. It requires a lot of help to get the podcast up and running, but Michael is enjoying the process! ARE Bootcamp Michael wrote How to Pass the Architecture Registration Exam and began the ARE Bootcamp process. He had many inquiries about 1-on-1 coaching, but had the

SketchUp for Architects SketchUp is a great tool for small firm architects to quickly develop 2D ideas into full, 3D models. It’s not BIM and it may not be super efficient for our whole workflow, but when used as a quick way to develop concepts, to share ideas with colleagues or to present to a client early on, that’s where SketchUp thrives. There are few programs better suited. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, SketchUp for Architects with Mike LaValley, founder of EvolvingArchitect.com. Mike’s Origin Story Mike has always known that he wanted to be an architect, aside from brief childhood memories of wanting to be a mad scientist. He grew up playing with legos and making things, and eventually found his way to architecture. He graduated from Syracuse University with a bachelor’s of architecture and settled down in Buffalo, New York. He’s been through several different jobs, but is now designing spaces for K-12 schools to help kids learn and grow. After earning his license in 2015, he took the plunge into full-force blogging quickly after. Evolving Architect Blog Mike loves learning and sharing and has a desire to stay up with new ways of building and innovative technologies. Since architecture is always changing and evolving, he believes the most successful architects are those who really take that to heart. More recently he’s started to teach more on his website and via YouTube by hosting Workshop Wednesdays, where he shares his knowledge on different topics for about an hour to help emerging professionals. He quickly noticed a need for skills in programs, and was able to focus a couple workshops on SketchUp. The workshop is designed to teach architects in a way that they would use it in a firm, from learning an interface to creating a house model. Mike feels a need for varying ideas for growth depending on where different professionals are in their journeys, making Evolving Architect a constantly-changing opportunity. Workshop Wednesdays Each month, Mike posts a new video on the Evolving Architect YouTube channel. His goal is to bounce around different topics that people have brought to his attention, including goal-setting and ARE help. This year, Mike plans to integrate content throughout the month for subscribers where they might find short tutorials and other helpful tips. SketchUp for Architects Mike’s been using SketchUp since he was a sophomore in college over 10 years ago and has been using it regularly since then. He began using it because it was so simple to create 3D models in real time. It’s a great way to quickly iterate and conceptualize different concepts he wants to bring forth. It’s the first tutorial on his website because he wanted to show how to use it specifically in an architecture office. Mike uses SketchUp primarily as a way to quickly communicate and present very raw models and ideas to clients who aren’t familiar with reading 2D drawings. It’s a practical tool that allows him to explain an idea through an image without trying to build a detailed physical model. SketchUp has it’s limitations too. Mike prefers to use platforms like Revit or AutoCad for other aspects of his work. Sketching in 3D Once you install SketchUp on your device and start playing with the tools, you can get into drawing in 3D. You can extrude them and build on them to make more complicated figures, but it’s productive to start playing around with the platform and learning how to draw in three dimensions. SketchUp also allows you create shortcuts to make movements as quick and easy as possible. “Practice doesn’t make perfect; it makes permanent.” The Course The tutorial is broken into different chapters with sub lessons. First you’ll look at the user interface to get a feel for where things are and what tools to use when. Then, users can go straight into developing a house model. Last, you’re taken through the whole process to the final export of the images and the views. Find more more information here. What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow? “Whether it’s SketchUp or another program or skill, building upon what you already know to create a wider knowledge base for yourself is the first priority. Building skills and understanding new ways of building and interacting with the profession is something you can execute now to be better tomorrow. Over time those skills add up in a profound way.” – Mike LaValley, EvolvingArchitect.com Connect with the Mike online at EvolvingArchitect.com or find him on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. You can subscribe to his weekly newsletter here. Visit our Platform Sponsors NCARB is helping architects reach their goals! Get back on track with the new AXP (Architectural Experience Program) Portfolio by submitting an online portfolio and meeting your state’s requirements to get one st

Questions from the EntreArchitect Community As an active community of entrepreneur architects, we’ve come together to build better businesses. We’re working together to build a better profession. Every day, we see the willingness to share our collective knowledge every day on the EntreArchitect Facebook Group. Members are sharing their struggles and not only are they benefiting as individuals, but each business is growing stronger every day. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Mark R. LePage answers Questions from the EntreArchitect Community. For initial client meetings on a domestic project, do you let the client take the lead with their requirements/ideas/tour of the house while drinking coffee or do you take control with a meeting agenda? While everyone does their own thing, and you kind of have to figure out what works best for you. Here’s how Mark typically does things: The initial meeting process starts with a telephone call to manage the client’s expectations. Use a form to make sure you’re asking the same questions every time. The more information you collect upfront, the better. Take all the information you have and qualify the client to ensure you’re not wasting your time with a project you don’t really want or by throwing away valuable time in your day. After confirming that they’re the right fit, set expectations for your meeting including time limits, steps you’re planning to take, and what will happen after the meeting. Let your clients feel more comfortable with you in the lead since they don’t know what to expect. Let them know you want to go on a tour right away and allow them to talk; what can they tell you about what they like or don’t like about the house? Will they receive a proposal or follow up prior to the initial meeting with you? I was inspired to make the switch from CAD to BIM, so despite a busy schedule, I immersed myself in tutorials from Lynda.com. I’ve done lots of learning, but I’m feeling overwhelmed by the depths of this program. I’m trying to take the advice to just go forward and not switch back and forth, but I am so nervous. I feel like I’ve overloaded myself with information that I won’t remember. I’m a one-woman show who works from home doing residential/condo work while raising children. Does anyone else have this anxiety about switching over? As a small firm, Mark knows how it feels to work hard from home while raising a family. It’s painful to make the transition from CAD to BIM, you’re certainly not alone there. So far, Mark has reviewed the options and narrowed it down to Revit and ArchiCad. Now, the goal is to design a floor plan in 3D and see which program works best for him. Once you get into it, you will hopefully know which one works best for you. To be totally transparent, Mark had to switch back to AutoCad at one point to adhere to a deadline. However, the plan is to move onto the next phase in ArchiCad. It’s okay to switch over if you need to, but don’t abandon the commitment. It’s taken a tremendous amount of time to learn and get set up, but not as much time as it took him to decide to make the transition. The biggest fear is exactly what happened: there’s so much going on and it’s not necessarily a need to make the switch, but Mark wants to keep up with new software and be proficient in it. With perseverance, soon enough, BIM will be second nature. My practice has gotten a lot busier lately, and, so far, I’m keeping the panic at bay. I’m noticing that carving out “maker’s time” is getting more difficult. Any suggestions? We’re all struggling with productivity, getting things done and focusing on the things that matter the most. Her’s a few resources that may help you: Follow Eric Reinholdt’s 30X40 Design Workshop, find him on Twitter and Facebook, and check out the 30X40 Design Workshop on YouTube GetFocusedCourse.com is everything Mark know’s about productivity from Monday morning meetings to how he gets things done. Eliminate, automate and delegate. Check out Rory Vaden’s Focus Funnel to find out how can you create more time in the future by taking care of the most important things today? After being promoted to the Director of Architecture, myself and another architect here will be doing all the marketing and business development moving forward. I don’t have as much business development experience as I’d like, what are some avenues we should take to grow our firms and departments? How can we make connections and get work through the door? Your website needs to change from a portfolio to a marketing tool that tells your firm’s unique story. It should be clear and easy to read, and should include a call to action for potential clients to take the next step. Figure out your target market and learn everything you can about that mark

Compensation Strategies for Architects How do you get paid? How to you structure your fees as an architect? Architects love to talk about this topic! This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Mark R. LePage shares his Compensation Strategies for Architects. Note: This episode is about how Mark structure’s the compensation strategies for his own firm. These strategies work for him. You should structure your fees in ways that work best for you and your firms. Entrearchitect.com has lots of information on understanding fees, how to be profitable, and how to figure out what your fee should be. Inspired by the EntreArchitect Facebook Group Our Facebook group is active with architects throughout the world. Everyone can share successes and failures in an open, transparent forum that’s private for only those who are in the group. It’s free to join, but you must be an architecture student or architect of any type and any size firm. Every week, Mark and other EntreArchitect Facebook group members post several thoughtful questions and all members of the group are able to collaborate on varying topics such as the following: How do you remain confident in a room full of folks with many years of knowledge and experience ahead of you? What does everyone do for secondary/passive income? I’m running out of cash and I don’t have a single client or project to work on. I just started, but it’s really stressful knowing that the source of cash is diminishing and soon I won’t be able to attend to my family’s needs. Any thoughts? I’m currently working with the most dysfunctional husband and wife client of my career. They can’t make or keep decisions and they incessantly argue about the smallest things using the most brutal terms right in front of me. I always thought that a good residential architect should also be a good marriage counselor, and I’ve prided myself on those skills, but I have met my match. Any suggestions, comments or similar stories? Are you struggling with the transition from CAD to BIM? What’s a good construction detailing book? What kind of car do you drive and what does that say about you as an architect? Background Mark has a small architecture firm, Fivecat Studio Architecture, made up of himself and his wife, Annmarie. They’re based about 40 minutes north of New York City, and they focus on high-end additions and alterations. Fee Structures for Fivecat Studio Fivecat Studio’s basic compensation is 12% of the cost of construction. Depending on the client or the project, they may use different types of fees. A hybrid fee starts with an initial payment of about 10% of the project prior to the schematic design phase. At the end of schematic design and having a full understanding of the project, they get a construction cost estimate. If the client wants to move forward, they put together a scope of work and base their fees on a schedule broken into $25K increments of construction costs. Mark’s preference, the percentage of construction fee is based on the client’s budget. Once they know what the client wants to spend, they can put together a proposal. After a schematic design is complete and approved, the project goes through to bid and the fee adjusts to the final cost of construction. Hourly works for a lot of other architects, but for Mark, hourly has always felt like a monthly negotiation. Flat fees are too hard to predict with different clients, project, expected quality levels, contractors, and more. Mark has learned over the years that it’s easier to develop systems around the beliefs and expectations of the clients rather than to try and convince them that he’s correct as the architect. Instead of trying to justify everything, Mark developed the hybrid fee based on the client’s existing expectations. Compensation For Mark’s firm, compensation is divided into 5 phases: Schematic design – 25% of total fee Design development – 25% of total fee Construction documents – 25% of total fee Bidding and selection of a general contractor – 5% of total fee Construction administration – 20% of total fee Construction Administration is part of the base fee for architectural services. Every architect should provide construction administration as a mandatory service for every client. Architects perform much more work on projects that’s not in the basic scope of services. If it’s not included in your basic services, you should be paid for any additional work you do. Many architects are performing additional services that they aren’t getting paid for and leaving significant amounts of money on the table. One way to keep up with this is to manage your clients’ expectations. If you’re clear about what a project will take and what each piece will cost, your client will be prepared to pay for it. Some additional services provided include master planning,

Getting Noticed Through Fun Projects This week, you can hear the story of two young architects coming together to build their dream. These guys survived the recession by developing a company creating BIM objects for manufacturers, then designing and building tiny houses which led to getting noticed by media. Now, they’re launching their newest projects: a book, a podcast, and an architect-as-developer project. They’re not waiting for permission, they’re just getting it done. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Getting Noticed Through Fun Projects with Lance Cayko and Alex Gore of F9 Productions Inc. Origin Story Growing up in North Dakota, Lance always remembers constructing things with legos and drawing in his sketch book. When he was 13, he started working on the family farm and lasted a whole year. After that, he worked with a friend’s dad replacing roofs. While he didn’t take school very seriously, he loved building and wanted to become a contractor. He attended North Dakota State School of Science to earn his associates degree, with a firm understanding of construction. At that point, he actually started to like school and see a path that he could enjoy. At the end of school, they built a house. When looking at the plans, Lance wanted to know why the designer made certain designs. Naturally, he started looking at architecture school, where he landed a bunch of scholarships; he was a good student once he found something he enjoyed learning about. He attended North Dakota State University, where he met Alex. Alex can hardly remember a time that he didn’t want to be an architect. He recalls drawing tons of photos of ants and bees at an early age. Lance & Alex Meet At NDSU, Lance and Alex were in the same class. They met the second year, but didn’t hit it off right away (apparently because of their different tastes in music and hobbies). Eventually, they sat across from each other in one class and got to know each other a little better. In their third year, they had to design a giant airport. Lance and Alex were both leaders of two different teams, and by the end of the project they were so tired of trying to lead such a difficult project, they decided they should try to team up in the future. Finally, one of the most prestigious projects at NDSU was building a sky scraper. Everyone involved had to complete personality tests to get paired so that different personalities were working together, so Lance and Alex rigged the system by answering completely opposite of each other to get on the project together. They teamed up and ended up winning the competition. In fifth year, they had two huge projects to compete on: the thesis award and the Alpha Rho Chi award. Of course, Alex won the Alpha Rho Chi and Lance won the thesis award. After Graduation Since they knew it would be hard to get jobs in 2008, they had a conversation that maybe they would meet back up in 10 years and get to start a firm together. They parted ways, with Lance ending up in Colorado and Alex ending up in New York. In New York, Alex actually watched people walk out of their jobs with boxes of stuff the day the market crashed. He called Lance and they talked about ideas for alternate income. Alex wanted to get his masters in construction management and learn how to build a website to get things started for their team. Around the same time, Lance was laid off and decided he wanted to learn how to build BIM models. Instead of trying to get manufacturers on board on a huge sell during the recession, Lance started to make speculative models. He visited a few websites and started making speculative models in such a big volume, and, through a series of connections, ended up making railings for big manufactures in the US. Through the recession, Lance was able to fall back on his carpentry skills and make a living working on his own. He landed a big house and then a clinic, and Alex decided to move down and team up with him for at least a few months until they saw where it could go. F9 Productions Lance and Alex knew there weren’t going to be huge commissions, but they figured there would be plenty of small projects. Because of that, they changed the model of their company to set it up as a volume-based business to meet that demand. They found that they were getting jobs because they were quick to respond, the most professional, and they over delivered. Although it was a basic thought, most people weren’t doing that. For a couple years, they were able to scrape by doing additions and renovations. Fun Projects Each year, they loved to do fun projects. The parameters were basically something fun that they can both agree on. One year, they created four different houses that could fight against the apocalypse (you can check it out here). Another time, they offered to build a friend a tiny house (see it here). They worked on it for about a year and found a crazy organic following. They had multip

Modern Architecture and Design for the Masses Throughout the profession, a common theme we hear is how to leverage what we do as architects. How can we leverage what we do for the good of more people? How can we take our unique skills and talents and use them to better serve the entire population? How do we benefit all of society as architects? This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Modern Architecture and Design for the Masses with Ben Uyeda of HomeMade Modern. Ben’s Origin Story Ben grew up in Southern California and remembers buying a raft out of two liter soda bottles after reading Huckleberry Finn. Design was something he found he was able to do by combining adventure with resourcefulness when there wasn’t access to something or you couldn’t afford to buy it. He attended Cornell University for both undergrad and his Masters, where he quickly learned that architecture is a little bit more than just building cool stuff. He loved the strong subculture within the university that really immersed him in the world of architecture. As he neared graduation, he wondered how he was going to make a living. When he talked to other recent graduates, the picture they painted was slightly less glamorous than what he expected. Though the faculty at the university made it out to be an upscale lifestyle, people a couple years out of college weren’t having the same experience. He then decided to take some risk earlier in his career when the personal risk was lower by learning as much about buildings as possible. Since residential is the most common type of buildings, they put their focus there. In 2005, Ben and his friend, Stephanie, entered a competition to design and build a solar-powered house and came in second out of twenty teams. Mostly importantly, they learned a ton and felt confident that they knew how to design a building. At that point, they were as ready as they could ever be. They knew there was a competitive advantage to being young and inexperienced, so they leveraged what they had: the internet. Though they didn’t have a portfolio, they focused on simple SEO centered around green and sustainable design. They found a strong community that could be focused around sustainable design, but didn’t have a lot of architects doing that. They built their website and worked to convert 1 out of 1000 website visitors. They were very honest with potential clients, letting them know that they didn’t have a lot of experience but that they could promised to work hard and use state-of-the-art tools like Revit. Do you think your early focus on the internet was the big break? Ben wouldn’t consider himself a hugely technological person, but he made a decision not to wait and to jump in feet first. The internet wasn’t some trick, he just knew that it was something he could use to his advantage over those who were older than him and may not have the technological edge. How did you get past the hurdle of not having a license? When they teamed up for their first big projects, a lot of the contractors had a licensed architect in house. They collaborated with licensed architects as consultants and gave them credit for their parts in the design. Each licensed architect brought their own unique skills to each project, offering yet another advantage. Are there any areas now that young architects can take advantage of now? If you can produce content that’s visually compelling and that people can understand how it fits into context, you can find lots of social media followers. If you can make it something that addresses people’s needs and concerns. Even more, if you can create content that shows people how to do something and that they have to spend money to do, then you start making a profit. You can make interesting things for YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook. Take it deeper than what you already see. If you see a need and can find a unique way to fill it, you can create information that’s behind the renderings that make people loyal to your content feeds. They know you don’t have every answer, but they see that you can provide research value. Do the research, make some diagrams and drawing, educate yourself and others, and people will start to come to you for help. What does today look like for Ben? Ben is still a partner in the firm, but he doesn’t practice architecture at this time. Around 2007, they were seeing a ton of success with their firm, Zero Energy Design, but Ben realized that he wasn’t doing what he got into this for: sustainability. Unfortunately, architect designed homes are mostly for the wealthy who can afford the services. Ben realized that it takes just as much time to design an affordable house as it does to design an expensive house, but it doesn’t provide a systemic way to make a real change. He wanted to figure out how to design affordable, energy-efficient homes that didn’t need to charge the consumer for the desi

The Architect Specialist This week on the podcast we have an architect pursuing his dreams, following his passions, serving a market outside the traditional design studio business model and building a successful company. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, The Architect Specialist with Alan Stein of Tanglewood Conservatories. Alan’s Origin Story As a kid, Alan always loved building things in his dad’s workshop out of anything he could think of. He loved to draw after being enrolled in some anatomical drawing classes; the idea of bringing life to something on a page was fascinating to him. Much later in life, he did a lot of wood working, home construction and cabinet making. He recognized that his skill as a craftsman was lacking the design side. He went through the architecture program at the University of Maryland and graduated with a degree as an architect. Because he loved making things himself, he didn’t love the traditional architecture path. After working with a design-build firm, he launched into his own design-build practice for some time. One day, a client showed him a picture of an English style conservatory and asked if he could build it. Alan said, “Sure!” Once they had the job, they hopped on a flight to England to do some research and then completed the project successfully. Following that, they had the same request from a different client. They quickly recognized a market niche and rebranded to go full fledged toward conservatories. In the beginning, they began by buying parts and pieces from manufacturers, and now they’ve integrated the company to a place where they do the design, engineering, installation, and more for projects all over the world. How does your process work? Most of the time, an architect or client approaches Tanglewood Conservatories with an idea. Their design department takes the concept and applies their specialized knowledge. Either the designer has conceived something that’s complicated and unbuildable, creating the difficult task of keeping the concept and making it doable, or architects don’t realize the full capacity of options they have, giving Tanglewood the collaborative process of showing them the different routes they can go from a simple design. Usually they go from conceptional design to design development as a precursor to construction and manufacturing documents. Once everyone’s in agreement with the design concept and costs, then they can move forward. Who’s your typical client? Most of the time architects are clients. The owner calls an architect to build a new house or do a renovation, but Alan’s team is brought in to do the conservatory aspect. What inspired you to start a company specifically focused on a target market? The more Alan got to know the rooms and the more research he did on conservatories, the more he fell in love with the concepts. They were the coolest spaces around with tons of glass in the roof and the expressive structure; he loved the fact that one can grow an orange tree in the middle of winter. There’s a wonderful history that he got to know and he fell in love with it. His specific focus and love for the concept allowed him to become an expert in the field. What were some of the biggest barriers you encountered? Conservatories were not well-known on this side of the pond, so it was a young market at the time. As they found a measure of success, the competition from the UK became very fierce; at one point they were competing against a handful of companies that were all trying to sell their product to a limited market in the US. Many of those companies no longer exist, which is a true testament to the work that Alan and his team are doing. Tanglewood Conservatories has always been willing to think outside of the box. Although there’s a typical conservatory image, they began to push the envelope there by working more with steel structures in wood rooms or doing interesting work with copper or bronze, always looking for things that were more unique. One project they completed was a greenhouse outside of Boston, using some techniques that had never been used before. The client wanted references for similar projects, and Alan had to let him know that he wasn’t able to because that was the first time they were creating that type of project. Though many of their ideas are innovative, they’ve developed the awareness and the systems to allow them to successfully pursue new technologies and design features and be able to consistently pull them off successfully. Do you think some of your success was the result of you being an architect first? Because Alan was focused on design first, his architecture background has driven a lot of success. It’s also differentiated his team in the market between companies who are in manufacturing more than the foundation of design. There have been times they’ve sacrificed potential profitability for the sake

Developing Specifications for Small Projects How do you put together specifications for your projects as a small firm architect? Do you put them on drawings? Do you use a separate project manual? Should you use outline specifications? What are the different options for small firm architects putting together construction documents for a small project? Is there anything out there to make this process easier? This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Bill Jannott from ARCAT.com discusses Developing Specifications for Small Projects and the Future of Technology! Bill’s Origin Story When Bill was growing up, his dad was running Sweets catalogs publishing building and construction materials. Following that, he created the Architect’s Catalog in 1991 with just a few sales reps. One thing led to another, and Bill ended up taking a position with ARCAT.com, then a small website with only 13 pages. Aside from the home page, there were 12 pages of specifications that architects could access and use in their projects. Through a series of developments taking short, concise specs and adding a user interface around them, they created a program where someone could spec out an entire project in about 4 minutes. Why is ARCAT a free resource and how do you make money? They make money because every manufacturer pays to have their content on the website. Historically, architects don’t want to spend money on stuff like this and, if they are being charged, they’re not likely to keep up with the latest version. What’s the difference between outline specifications and short form? Short form is a smaller, 3-part spec. The outline is mostly where you define the product and its attributes and characteristics. What’s included in a typical outline specification that could become the document for a project? For example, in a residential project you may need several different kinds of paint: exterior, interior, and maybe a stain for the deck. The outline spec will have three parts, one for each product. You may or may not want to assign manufacturers, but the option is there. What’s the advantage to having specifications? If you don’t, the quality of your project will not be as high as you want because you won’t get the products and manufacturers that you want to use. If something goes wrong, a lot of finger pointing tends to happen. If you know your manufacturer and the quality of their project, you’re not going to get a call from the homeowner down the road that something isn’t holding up. If you have high quality materials specified in your plans and someone decides to go with a different material, you have a legally binding document to protect you. What’s in the future for architecture and specifications? Spec writers seem to be a dying breed, which is a shame as it’s such an important part of the process. ARCAT is updating their version of outline specs, and part of the new system is something along the lines of Trello where users have the ability to create new tasks, invite team members to be a part of projects, kick around ideas, add photos, and more. How do you see virtual reality changing the way architects design? Bill feels that virtual reality will completely change how architects work through the initial concepts of design. Right now, we start with pencil, pen and paper. The only negative of that, is the great sketch you’ve made is 2D. Virtual reality allows for the same process, in 3D. Where sometimes software can get in the way of creativity, the option to create a sketch in virtual reality doesn’t get in of your way but allows you to express your creativity without barriers. What else is coming toward the architecture world in the future? The goal of technology advances like virtual reality is to create ways for things to be done more efficiently and effectively. Things like artificial intelligence and virtual reality both have the possibility to change every industry, including the architecture industry, for the better. Machine learning is able to do tedious and mundane tasks quickly, allowing the human to think more creatively. As an architect, imagine if you take the information from your clients and your sketches and the information you have and throw it all in a box. If that box can take the information in and spit out a digital set of documents, how much easier would your job be? How much more free would you be to figure out more creative, human pieces that make each project unique? What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow? “Listen to podcasts. There’s a bunch of good architectural small business, and “how to make yourself a more performant person” podcasts out there. Podcasts are very niche, you won’t find the same information on the radio or on TV. Every podcast I listen to serves my interests and my needs. They’ll enlighten you in so many w

How to Succeed as a Married Couple in Architecture “Being a married couple in architecture may be the most difficult, the most satisfying and the most successful approach at being small firm architects. It’s not always easy and it’s not always pretty, but I wouldn’t trade my life as an architect with my wife and partner Annmarie for anything. How we’ve established our roles and responsibilities for both our firm and our family is how we’ve become successful.” This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Mark R. LePage speaks with Claire and Cavin Costello from The Ranch Mine to share their story about How to Succeed as a Married Couple in Architecture. Cavin’s Origin Story Cavin is originally from Connecticut and attended Northeastern University for his undergraduate and graduate degree while working over two years in firms in Connecticut and Boston. After graduating, he felt a change was necessary and he packed up and moved to Phoenix, Arizona. A friend introduced him to Claire the first day he arrived, and the rest is history. Listen to episode 138 to hear Cavin’s full origin story and How To Design and Sell Modern Architecture. Claire’s Origin Story Claire was born and raised in Phoenix, and grew up studying furniture catalogues. Her grandfather built his own home and farm in Indiana; the pride he had and the stories he told about the building process painted a dialogue about creating a home. Similarly, her uncle in Tucson built a rammed earth house and, during a visit, she learned a lot about that process. Both people played a big part in fostering an interest in Claire about creating a home. Her degrees are in English and communication, but her personal relationships followed the design world. A mutual friend introduced her to Cavin, who was obviously very rooted in architecture, and the conversations they had about the built environment and what someone could do with design drew her in. They took a leap to purchase and renovate a foreclosure, and having survived that challenge early on makes other challenges that come their way surmountable. Would you recommend a foreclosure renovation to other married couples? The sequence of building their own designs was such a hands-on experience that Claire found a lot of value in the experience, though it did put them through the wringer. Cavin remembers the process being taxing from both a financial and emotional standpoint, and mixing both of those strains is not for the faint of heart. Jumping into the most difficult thing accelerated their growth and made everything down the road possible. For the Costellos, it was easier to take the risk at the beginning. By diving straight in, do you feel you were able to get some systems in place? It was eye-opening to see the architectural components of moving walls and doing additions, and then you have the interiors of cabinets, tiles, and other finished items. Some things don’t have to be decided at the design part, which they learned along the way. Now, there’s two sets of documents the clients receive including the architectural construction documents and the interior specifications book, which is easily changed if needed. It’s more manageable for clients to have all of the information in front of them with a timeline of the decisions and priorities. How is The Ranch Mine business structured? The Ranch Mine includes Cavin as the Registered Architect and Claire as the Chief Executive. Cavin is the lead on design, but the Costellos collaborate a lot by visiting projects for initial visits, working to wrap both of their heads around existing conditions, and joining together for different design elements. They work with independent contractors on certain projects from time to time. If there are hard choices to be made, if it’s a business decision Claire has the final say and if it’s an architecture decision then Cavin has the final say. Cavin usually starts from the big picture and Claire starts from the details and the perspective of the homeowner, and then the work to meet in the middle. The flexibility comes from the thought that each project is geared more towards their clients’ needs than what Claire or Cavin might personally prefer in the end. Differences of opinion often give their clients two different viewpoints to choose from and push both of them to challenge each other along the process. If you didn’t meet, do you think you would have succeeded as quickly? If Cavin and Claire didn’t meet, Cavin doubts he would have been able to make the business end of it work as well. The success in how fast they’ve grown wouldn’t have been the same, because the speed, efficiency and growth is a direct result of their relationship. The mixing of alternating strengths has been a huge benefit. How do you balance your work and personal life? At the beginning of their partnership, the business took over and it was har

How to Pursue Your Passion as a Small Firm Architect Most architects are born dreamers, but we tend to be afraid to pursue those dreams. Often our dreams are stuck in our head and it’s hard to find a way to reach them. Success in achieving our greatest goals can only occur if we… start. Make a plan and take the first step to move toward your dreams! This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Victor Caban-Diaz talks big ideas and Pursuing Your Passion as a Small Firm Architect. Astronaut or Comic Book Artist? Victor didn’t make the decision to study architecture until he was ready to make a decision about where he wanted to go to college. Growing up, various professions like being an astronaut or a comic book artist were more appealing to him. In high school, he was great at math and art and wanted to pursue both skills, eventually landing on architecture and attending the University of Miami in Florida. He received his bachelor’s degree there and began his degree. In the beginning, he didn’t feel like he was doing anything of value. He ended up jumping around from firm to firm every two to three years because of the recession. He struggled with feeling like he was advancing and growing in his own value. Most recently Victor had been working for Fort Lauderdale and decided to go out on his own. Victor had the idea for Building Ingenuity for the last five years in his mind from the buzz surrounding the architect-as-developer concept. He had some previous experience with the direct marketing world, and it left an impact on him. The thought that someone could control a project and reap the rewards from it with residual income was amazing to him. He wanted to replicate the concept within the architecture world. The thought behind Building Ingenuity is to help other architects by offering traditional architecture, including residential, mixed-use and commercial, BIM consulting for architects, and development services. Investing in Other Architects After reading the Richest Man in Babylon, Victor’s main take-away was to invest in other people’s talents. In his opinion, the best people to invest in architects are other architects. Through the architect-as-developer concept, he wants to perfect that business model and teach others how to do it and invest in their business. Victor wants to use the profits he makes on his business and reinvest them, with the goal to create growth and residual income for the whole network involved. As Victor points out, architects are constantly being taught how to grow and improve, but they aren’t reaping any of the rewards. We are not taught how to pursue your passion as a small firm architect. If you have a mentor who’s invested in your success who’s showing you the way, you have a greater chance of achieving your dreams. What’s Next for Victor? Victor’s plan is to continue building funds and recruiting architects to join the franchise. Currently, he’s done some work to acquire a property in a neighborhood that’s great for what his target audience is looking for, and he now has one property that he is working to develop and build. Down the road, Victor hopes to have a large coworking-type office, filled with a wide variety of architects using their talents to enable greater investments in development for their clients. This industry is one that is ripe for disruption! What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow? “Get involved with your community: associations, local chamber of commerce, AIA. One of the reasons I’m succeeding is because of the mentorship I receive from other architects and the help I get from other colleagues. Don’t sit there alone trying to make business from your office. Get back to the profession and get involved. ” – Victor Caban-Diaz Connect with Victor online at BuildIngenuity.com or on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Visit our Platform Sponsors TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more! Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Learn more at FreshBooks.com. Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect) Referenced in this Episode EntreArchitect Profit Plan Course (free) The post EA153: Pursuing Your Passion as a Small Firm Architect [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects. Mentioned in this episode:Context & ClarityContext & ClarityFrosty & Fired Up

10 Steps for Creating Standard Operating Procedures for Architects Michael Gerber, the author of The E-Myth Revisited, said, “Organize around business functions, not people. Build systems within each business function. Let systems run the business and people run the systems. People come and go, but the systems remain constant.” This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Simple SOPs: 10 Steps for Creating Standard Operating Procedures for Architects. In business, standard operating procedures are the answer to your questions. How do you make more money? How can you find more work? How can you get your employees or contractors to do what you want them to? How do I get more done? The answer is SOPs; Standard Operating Procedures for Architects. They make you a stronger, more effective leader. They clarify your vision and communicate, support and help with decision-making for realizing that vision. SOPs build a better culture. They’re an intentional reinforcement of the behaviors that help us realize our vision and the kind of workplace that we want our firms to be. SOPs allow us to build better businesses, so we can be better architects. Once they’re developed, they allow us to focus on what matters most to us and spend more time on the things that we love to do. Creating SOPs might be the most important task we have as entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have standard operating procedures. Why? Because we feel that the systems will hinder our creativity? That if we great a standard process we’ll start to create standard projects? Of course not! They’ll allow us to have more time to spend on developing our creativity and give us more opportunities to be better architects. Or maybe we don’t create processes because we were never taught. We’re not business people, we’re architects. What are the 5 components of every SOP? A process, the manual methods used for accomplishing a task. Effective processes are clear, replicable, documented, supported by tools, and easily accessible. Systems, or automated methods for accomplishing tasks. Roles are the expectations for how someone doing the work should use his/her skills to achieve the goals. Skills are complete sets of knowledge that are used to execute the processes. Structure is how the different roles interact. “For the first 25 years of my life, I wanted freedom. For the next 25 years I wanted order. For the next 25 years I realized the order is freedom.” – Winston Churchill 10 Steps to Creating Standard Operating Procedures for Architects 1. Company Identity // Your firm’s name, logo, letterhead. Maybe you want to document your firm’s mission and vision to remind your firm of the purpose of your work. 2. Introduction // Have clear communication about the background for the SOP. What is the purpose and scope? Why are you creating it? If your SOPs are digital, you can have keywords that are searchable for future reference. 3. Role // Which role is responsible for this SOP? 4. Responsibilities // What is included in performing this SOP? 5. Skills // What is required to accomplish this task? You want to align the skills with the responsibilities and roles, so pick someone who possesses the strengths needed for this role. 6. Resources // What do you need to accomplish this SOP? Organize a list of links, a book, a specific section in a book, etc. 7. Instructions // A written, step-by-step procedure including every single step, no matter how small the detail. If it works for what you’re doing, create a screen-share video of the task as you’re completing it. The more time you spend on developing the clarity, the more time you’ll save in the end. 8. Monitoring // Check in for the effectiveness and efficiency of the process. As it’s being carried out, someone should be reviewing how it’s working. 9. Correction // We want things to improve and evolve as technology changes and you have more experience. How can you correct your procedures as you know more? 10. Verification // This is where accountability comes in. The process gets assigned to the implementor who confirms that the process has been completed. Then, the reviewer confirms that the work was done effectively. It sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it? Use whatever works for you: Evernote, Google Docs, Trello or something else that fits with your firm’s culture. You can create a system for anything: CRM, marketing, website maintenance, advertising, social media, sales, technology processes, hiring and performance reviews, communications, and more. Homework: This week, pick one procedure and document it. Use these 10 steps to develop your first SOP and you’ll see: it’s not that hard! Don’t miss this week’s blog on my one word for 2017: Simplify. Visit EntreArchitect to learn more! Visit our Platform Sponsors TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior d

How to Grow Your Architecture Firm This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, How to Grow Your Architecture Firm with Todd Reding, President and CEO of Charrette Venture Group and Rena Klein, founder of RM Klein Consulting. What is Charrette Venture Group? Charrette Venture Group (CVG) is a firm that provides a wholistic approach to building a business; they provide services from management, leadership, finance, marketing, business development, and more to architecture firms who are seeking to build a strong business in the design space. What’s new for Charrette Venture Group? CVG is thrilled to announce a merge with RM Klein Consulting. The parallels with of Rena’s mission and CVG and with EntreArchitect led her to want to share what she knows with those around her, building a consulting practice to help architecture firms succeed. She was excited to meet the founder of CVG, Matt Ostanik, and join in an innovative approach to helping small firms succeed. She found that one of the barriers to success is having the money to invest and the help you need, so CVG’s model of investing as a team to help small firm architects appealed to her. Because her expertise is in operations and finance, it’s great to be a part of a team of experts with skills in different areas. As a consultant with CVG, Rena has enjoyed having a more “long term relationship” with clients to help them grow. After some time, it made sense to both Todd and Rena to merge their similar missions and specialized skills into one company. Rena brings some larger clients to the table, helping them to accomplish goals after initial growth like sustainability and value growth. One of the most exciting things about this merger is the creation of the CVG brand message. As kind of a startup going through a merger, they’re working to model the opportunities and decisions that investment partners are having to make these days. When CVG invests in a new partner firm, what happens? It’s different with each firm, but before even beginning CVG works with each firm to map out a five year plan. What do they need? When do they need it? One firm may need a lot of bookkeeping help right off the bat. Another may need a rebrand with a new website that fits them better. Then, the firm owners participate in a biweekly assessment to keep up with the progress that’s being made. Those are the kinds of services that are constructed and members of the team get involved at different parts of the process. Can you tell us about the ideal CVG partner? Typically it’s a firm under 10 employees with $500K in annual revenue, but they’re always interested in talking to firms larger than that. There’s a thorough assessment process, but it always comes down to the answer to, “What do you want out of this business?” Do you want to build a sustainable business that will allow you to do the work you enjoy and provide for you and your family? CVG is looking for firm leaders who have aspirations for growth. While there’s nothing wrong with having a small firm and wanting it to stay that way, if you have a desire to grow you need to be willing to professionalize and give up control in certain areas to broaden what you imagine is possible for your business. If someone’s interested in taking the next step with CVG, how can they do so? There’s a space on the website to schedule a free consultation for a general inquiry or for any of CVG’s products/services. What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow? “I’m so confident in our team that I’d say you should contact Charrette Venture Group. That’s not a commercial, I’m not trying to sell you anything, but the people on this team are really good at what they do and the firms we work with would reinforce that. If you want to grow a great business, give us a call – no obligations. We’re looking to help firms grow.” – Todd Reding “Take a look at your 2016 results, see how you actually did, and do some planning with your staff for 2017. This is a moment in time where you can think about your goals for your work culture, financial benchmarks, and your design aspirations.” – Rena Klein Connect with Todd & Rena online by visiting Charrette Venture Group and RM Klein Consulting, or by connecting on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Visit our Platform Sponsors TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more! Tanglewood Conservatories combines the romanticism of the 19th century glass architecture with state-of-the-art technology today. Learn more at TanglewoodConservatories.com. Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Learn more at FreshBooks.com. Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect) Refere

Beautifully Simple Websites for Architects How can you find more work? How can you convert more proposals into projects? Tell your unique story to your target audience. That’s brand building, the essence of marketing. The best and maybe most important tool we have to accomplish this strategy is our website. When our potential clients start the process of seeking an architect, the first step is to search online for someone in their local region. Are you on the first page of Google? If not, you’re invisible. You need a website that can find its way to the first results of a search engine. When your prospects find your website, it has to be beautiful and clear, and it must tell your unique story as the first impression of your brand. We know you have so much to do and so little time. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Beautifully Simple Websites for Architects with Robert Yuen of Monograph.io. What is Monograph.io? Monograph is a website builder with a concierges’ service. As three previous architects diving into technology, we’re trying to build specific tools for architects. Three months after being launched, we have 150 architects on board already. What inspired you and your partners to leave architecture and start a company providing services for architects? Robert and his two partners were usually in charge of building websites for the architecture firms they were at for the first five to ten years of their careers. When they got to know each other, they felt they had a larger value to give back as digital designers verses traditional architects. After doing that on a freelance basis for a while, they came together to form an agency to provide digital tools for project management, team management, and processes for the back end of websites. Monograph is the evolution of that work. Since often architects can’t afford the fees of an agency model but the need is there to have a great way to represent their work, they could leverage the same technology and put it into Monograph. What does Monograph offer that models like WordPress, Wix, and SquareSpace don’t? Monograph starts with a product and then incorporates a concierges’ service. That means that any client gets round-the-clock service from the team regarding resolutions, responsiveness, optimizations, SEO, digital representation, what is possible and what isn’t, etc. Monograph also allows a feature to categorize for architects, to show the different types of work. If you’re doing residential and small commercial work, you can categorize your projects into whatever section is relevant. What is website responsiveness? A responsive website adapts to whatever device you’re using. If you change the size of your browser window and things don’t optimize, that means it’s static and doesn’t present as well as it could for a small business. How does Monograph work to get your website optimized so Google can find you? Fundamentally, Monograph is designed with a lot of things done automatically for every user. All the visuals and images are also pushed to the top as new clients may be looking for architectural inspiration. As a part of the concierges’ service, Monograph helps clients understand Google analytics and webmaster services, which essentially assess the website’s performance. Once the website is finished, how do you maintain and update it with Monograph? There’s no maintaining on the technical end, because that’s what Monograph does. If you want to update something, you just add a new project, upload the photos and text, and let Monograph know that you’ve got something new. The user interface is set up to be as simple as possible to use. What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow? “Find the nearest events and go and have fun! Especially this time of year, take opportunities to meet new friends, colleagues and leads. The hardest part is telling yourself you can and the easiest part is just doing it.” – Robert Yuen Find Robert online at Monograph.io, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or get in touch with him at [email protected]. Visit our Platform Sponsors TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more! Tanglewood Conservatories combines the romanticism of the 19th century glass architecture with state-of-the-art technology today. Learn more at TanglewoodConservatories.com. Referenced in this Episode EntreArchitect Profit Plan Course (free) Hear Robert’s origin story on EA Episode 133 Review us on iTunes For EntreArchitect listeners, receive $50 off the annual plan with Monograph from now until the end of the year! The post EA150: Beautifully Simple Websites for Architects with Robert Yuen [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects. Mentioned in this episode:Context & ClarityC

Copyright Protection for Architects A question often raised is, “How do we protect our designs?” How can we deter a client from overextending their license to our ideas and using our designs beyond their initially intended or contractually bound uses? As creatives, how do we protect our creativity? This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Copyright Protection for Architects with Abe Cohn of Howard M. Cohn & Associates. Abe’s Origin Story Abe has always been interested in entrepreneurship, and finds it fascinating to deal with so many people in so many different areas who have such different and novel ideas. He started a tech company a few years ago and after dealing with a ton of intellectual property law there, it made sense for him to move over to the legal sides of things. What’s the difference between copyright, trademarks and patents? Intellectual property is a broad category that includes the intangibles involved in a new creation. Depending on what that is, you can turn to a specific piece of that property. If you were to walk into a shoe store and saw a swoosh; you would immediately recognize that product as a part of the Nike corporation. In that case, the swoosh is a trademark: a mark that serves as an identifier for a good. There’s also a servicemark, which is attached to a service being provided. Legally, the process is exactly the same. Next, you walk into a car shop and saw a gorgeous engine inside a Lamborghini. That engine is a creation that someone has invested a lot of time, money and talents into making. How do we protect that person’s rights? Patents protect novel processes, things that people are building and the ideas behind them. In any Harry Potter book, JK Rowling turned to copyrights to protect her creative manifestations. Copyrights protects her literary work and ensures that others can’t steal, use or copy her brilliant ideas. How are architects protected by copyright law? Architects have claims to different copyrights, like the drawings and designs of the building. About 25 years ago, Congress passed the Architectural Works Copyright Protection Act to expand the scope of what it is that architects can actually copy, which states, “An original design of a building created in any tangible medium of expression, including a constructed building or architectural plans, models, or drawings…Protection extends to the overall form as well as the arrangement and composition of spaces and elements in the design but does not include individual standard features.” Now not only are the plans and drawings covered, but the building itself can be copyrighted. You can’t get a copyright on the door itself, but as it relates to some other features because your creative work is novel in that each composite features interacts with the adjacent features. What if you’re designing something that isn’t novel, like a standard Colonial house? Works that are copyrightable have to be in concrete form and have to be substantially unique enough. Part of the design could be copyrightable, while others are not because they aren’t unique. Why do you need a copyright? The moment you put your unique enterprise down, there’s a preliminary set of rights. You can’t stop someone from using it until you register with the copyright office. The legal distinction of registering your copyright is having it on paper is a notice from the government to prove that you own it so you can stop someone from stealing it. You can submit the forms via the mail or online at Copyright.gov. What if I’ve done one design for one home, and then someone wants to build twenty more with the same design? From the client’s point of view, the intuition is that since they’ve just payed the architect to do something, they own that thing that’s been done for them. The truth is that the client has payed for the end result, and doesn’t necessarily own the copyright on the whole thing he’s bought. Think of a wedding photographer: the couple hired the photographer for pictures, but what are they getting? They’re getting the physical copies of the pictures, but they don’t own the rights to the photos. If you’re an architect who wants to be sure you’re getting paid for specifically for one home or for twenty renditions, you want to make sure you negotiate those rights into that contract in advance and in tandem with a competent attorney. What do you do if someone does infringe on your rights? Hire an attorney and have them send a letter or email to cease and desist. The sticky point can come when the architect might not have the resources to go after a huge developer. If you’re confident enough in your case and you have the resources to take them to court, then you do. The most important thing is to set yourself up in the beginning so you’re protected. What is the one thing that small firm

Public Interest Design Firms At EntreArchitect, we’re learning that we need to build a better business so we can be better architects. We want to make the work a better place. That’s why we became architects in the first place. We want to provide a positive social impact. What if by building better businesses we built a better world? What if a part of what we do benefits the public in an impactful way? Stay tuned as we share a new online resource to learn more on this idea. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Public Interest Design Firms with Mia Scharphie and Gilad Meron of Proactive Practices. Mia’s Origin Story Mia has a masters in landscape architecture but feels that she’s secretly a social worker with designer skills. She’s always been interested in people who get left out and how to bring them back in for most of her life. She worked at a nonprofit in San Fransisco, Public Architecture, that takes on design challenges that the private market doesn’t have an incentive to be involved in. Today she runs Creative Agency, a research and design consulting practice that works with affordable housing and arts organizations focusing on projects that use creative tools to make change and Build Yourself Workshop, an empowerment workshop for women in creative fields teaching women how to negotiate, be an advocate, and be proactive. Gilad’s Origin Story Gilad has a background in design from a program called Design and Environmental Analysis, an interesting mix of social science research and architecture and design. He got involved in participatory planning and design as a method to shake the environments we live in. That led to public design or community design, as some like to call it. Currently he’s on the board at The Association for Community Design doing research writing with nonprofits and foundations who do different types of community development work. Living in New Orleans, he started a small coworking space and design collective, The Blue House, where others can come and have dialogue about civil issues. What is Proactive Practices? Proactive Practices is a web publication that collects case studies on socially impactful design firms. They’re mostly looking at the different ways that designers design for social impact and find ways to do that within their business models. They aren’t just telling the stories and the beauty of the project, but to look at the organizations that make these projects possible. They want to know how you can build a business where you can create social impact over and over again. What inspired you to do this? Mia, Gilad and Nick, their third teammate, had all previously worked or interned at Public Architecture in San Fransisco. At the time, with a limited amount of experience, they had to figure out what pieces were relevant for them to begin the work. Through that organization, they were connected with many people in the growing field of public interest design. There were a public interest projects in that area, but no examinations of the practices behind those projects. They wanted to understand how firms were being built to sustain practices that focused on this kind of work instead of doing just one random project. When they dove in further, they realized the complexity of research they needed to build an understanding. Over the last few years, they’ve gathered lots of insights as to what would be needed and useful to understand the full scope of how these firms practice. A personal incentive came from the motivations to work at or run a firm like some of the ones they’ve studied. From an up-and-coming professional who wants to start a firm or a mid-career professional shifting practices, they wanted to understand how to build a practice around this type of work. Since each of them has different strengths, they push each other and come to a better synthesis of what’s going on and what they can take from it to grow. How did you decide what kind of firms to include in your research? As they were trying to figure out what types of firms to profile, they wanted to get a wide range of the types of ways that public interest design is practiced. There are for-profit firms, non-profit firms, hybrid firms, as well as a range of different sized firms. Are you seeing a lot of firms that want to have social impact as a part of their model? One firm they work with didn’t intend to have a socially impactful firm, but realized that was the kind of work she wanted to do through her experience working with Architecture for Humanity and other socially impactful projects. Since they have a whole set of approaches, they can connect with different types of firms that may not have started out in this direction. It’s been interesting for them to see how different first get into this kind of work; some are there “right out the gate” and sometimes it’s a personal commitment that finds an e

How to Build a Profitable Architecture Firm Profit… Then Art. In order to be a better architect, we must first be better business people. We need to build better businesses. This week’s guest is the author of Profit First, a book outlining the simple process of transforming any business from a cash-eating monster to a money-making machine. Accounting can be overwhelming and complicated, not to mention difficult to understand. This week, you’ll learn a step-by-step process to guarantee that you’ll be profitable. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, How to Build a Profitable Architecture Firm with author Mike Michalowicz. Mike’s Origin Story Mike was a Jersey boy all his life who worked at a computer store right out of college. He had a drive to start his own business and quickly realized that managing a business wasn’t as easy as he thought. It took him a few years of trial-by-fire to fall in love with entrepreneurship. He learned that as the solo-guy, you only eat what you kill; the fear kept him going. He sold his first business to a small private equity firm and then started a computer crime investigation company in the right place at the right time. Although a lot of people face struggles, few people talk about them. After selling his second company, Mike felt he was an expert entrepreneur, he thought he knew all there was to know about running a business. He went on a spending spree and became an angel investor… where he killed every business he invested in. After struggling to pay off his debts slowly, a fire was reignited in him to discover entrepreneurship the right way; he wanted to live a satisfying, sustainable life. He began writing books, at first to process and solve the problems he was personally facing. After hitting rock bottom and losing all his money, he went through a two-year bout of functional depression. Someone suggested journaling to vent, and it inspired him to not only write his problems, but log his solutions. Can you share your thoughts on small firm accounting? It boils down to our behavioral wiring. Many business owners follow certain practices, and GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) teaches us to use a system that counters our natural behaviors. For example, logically we should pass on desert, but behaviorally we eat it anyway. GAAP says that sales minus expenses equals profit. The problem is that when we put the profit last, it’s our behavior to disregard it. In order to prioritize profit, we have to put it first. Every time a deposit comes in, take a predetermined percentage for profit and put it somewhere safe. Then, run your business off of what’s remaining. Pay yourself first. Businesses that do this are all more profitable than they were in the past because the fundamental law says that what we have is what we use. If you have a small amount of food, you’ll eat that. What if someone says, “I already don’t make enough, how can I set anything aside?” If you’re making due with what you have now, you’re still scraping by. By taking the money off the table first, you’ll continue to scrape by but the difference is this time you’ve put money away for profit. Think of 401K: you get a gross payment for your job, but a percentage is taken for your 401K. You never think about the percentage that was taken away because you never see it, your life is already adjusted to live off of the remainder. When you take your profit first and don’t have the money to pay your bills, that’s a direct sign that you need to be more frugal and make some different decisions on your finances. Find the things that bring profitability, and get rid of the things that don’t. How do you suggest putting the money away? You can start by setting the money aside every time a deposit comes in. Get into a rhythm where all the money accumulates and then every other week you allocate the money to profit and other expenses. What are the other accounts you allocate toward? Owner’s pay and taxes are the two primary things. Sometimes there’s manufacturing costs or income or operating expenses too. Think of it as a serving tray: all of the money accumulates on the serving tray, then you allocate it to different accounts based on predetermined amounts. Profit is a celebratory reward for the equity owners who had the courage to take the risk to start this firm. Do something that you get joy out of, do not put it back into the business. If you use it like that, it’s a deferred expense. Owner’s Pay is for the owner/operator who’s sacrificed a lot to keep the company going, often for no pay. Another percentage is allocated here for lifestyle. You don’t go above that, you don’t use credit cards, your extra money is your profit. Taxes need to be set aside for your corporate responsibility and your personal tax responsibilities. Instead of scrambling in Ap

Design-Build is the Future of Architecture Architecture, construction, interiors and furniture. This week’s guest is a successful architect from Austin, Texas serving the high-end residential market. He started his firm with a single speculative project and grew it into a $20 million integrated design-build firm. How does a design-build firm like this work? How do they structure their fees and communicate with one another? How do they ensure that every project is built to the exact standards promised by their powerful brand? This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Design-Build is the Future of Architecture with architect Luis Jauregui. Luis is originally from Mexico, and his family moved often when he was a child giving him great exposure to different architecture styles throughout the country. His father was a civil engineer, so the construction concept was already built into him. In high school, he discovered how exciting building was to him. He enrolled in the school of architecture in Mexico City, and within two months of starting school the teachers went on a strike that lasted for months. He then came to the US and attended Texas A&M with a degree in Environmental Design and a Masters in Architecture. He felt fortunate to have a professor who saw some of his work and helped him find a job with an architect. By the time he graduated with his Masters degree, he had six years of experience working with four different architecture firms. One of his mentors began developing his own projects as an entrepreneur and influenced Luis greatly. In Mexico, architects typically run their own construction companies and the consumer comes directly to them for a building. Within two years of graduation, Luis was ready to start his own design-only firm. Soon after, he pulled together some money for a lot and began developing properties in Austin and San Antonio. In 1986, the market crashed and and he felt really fortunate to still find some great commissions despite the downturn. Currently, Luis’s firm practices in Houston and Austin, and serves design-build clients throughout the Dallas area as well. Why did you decide to pursue client-service projects, rather than continue with spec buildings? Design came from a lesson learned: the speculative market has a lot of ups and downs. The custom business emphasized great design, and built them into a great, well-known brand which allows them to spread to other cities. They started the interior design branch of the company, which hurt the brand a bit with a lack of control of the interiors. When a client asked if they could offer furniture recommendations, the interior design team kicked Luis under the table so they jumped into furniture design despite the fear to try something new. Where did your initial fear with selection furniture come from? The fear came from it being an unknown thing and the fact that there were others in the market who were doing a great job. The entrepreneurial spirit pushed Luis forward to being a leader in the industry. How does your fee structure work? The speculative work is one price for everything. Because they’re selling a product, everything is included in the sale price. Client services are the custom part of the business so it works very traditionally. Instead of “architectural services”, Luis wants his clients to understand that they’re engaging a design-build enterprise; the final project is not going to be a design only. In the contract, they specify that they have ownership of the drawings until they go to construction. From that point on, they move to the “pre-construction” and then the construction contract from the state of Texas. Can you walk us through your process? The preliminary stage prepares a cost estimate with every specific piece of the project projected. That way there’s no mystery of cost, so they can move forward to the construction process and continue to fine-tune the cost as they go. Having control of the cost allows them to manage the experience that the client has. How do you create an experience for your clients? Luis feels the responsibility and burden of the control that they have, and uses it strictly for the benefit of the client. In order for their brand to work well and maintain trust with their clients, Luis is very conscious of the fears that the client may arrive with and works to put those to rest with his presentation and process. How does your marketing work? Luis deemphasizes referrals because he doesn’t want to have to rely on his busy, wonderful clients to get his next client; that’s not a very reliable way to do it. What makes the phone ring is having a great brand (a great website, advertising in magazines, hosting events at homes, etc.) that you can spread around to others. Do you have a specific sales process? Over many years, Luis has tried to have someone strong at sales by his side throughout the process. His wife (who is his p

An Architect on the Inside at HGTV HGTV To many of us residential architects, that's a four letter word. Promoting unrealistic expectations for most projects regarding time, quality and budget, HGTV has made our tough job as architects even more difficult. This week's guest is a successful residential architect serving the southeastern region of Michigan. One day, about a year before we recorded this episode, she received a mysterious telephone call, which lead to her being the lead architect for the most recent HGTV Urban Oasis giveaway home. She shares the story of her experience of being on the inside at a HGTV project, how she landed the job and her quest to be a faithful representative of us small firm architects. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, An Architect on the Inside at HGTV with the founder of Studio Z Architecture, Dawn Zuber. An “Architect” Since She Was 11 Years Old: ) When Dawn was five, her grandparents moved to Florida from Ohio and they moved back when she was 11. They bought a house that worked for where they were, but they didn’t love it. Dawn, her mom and her grandma would visit open houses every weekend and she would collect the fliers in a folder. She began to redesign them and think about how to fit things into the spaces she saw. In high school, Dawn found herself lucky to have an art teacher who was from a generation that told her she could be a nurse or a teacher, but had a passion for architecture. During her junior year, they spent time looking at slides of homes to learn how to identify the different styles of architecture. When a pipe burst in the gymnasium floor, her drafting teacher invited her to use his drafting table and machine to draw up the painting of the gym floor so that the art students could transpose it onto the floor. After spending a semester in London and graduating from University of Cincinnati, she met her future husband. In a five-month period, she got married, took the architecture license exam, and moved to southeastern Michigan. There she worked for a small firm that did mostly custom residential, and then moved to another company who did office and school buildings. How did you find your way to leadership with CRAN? Dawn was with CRAN (Custom Residential Architects Network) when they first started in Los Angeles almost 15 years ago at a pre-convention workshop about residential architecture. CRAN is a Knowledge Community that started as a grassroots movement allowing members to organize around specific interest areas, and eventually brought the idea to AIA. She’s been involved in the advisory group since 2009. How is the CRAN symposium organized? Typically the event is 3 days that starts with a home tour and includes cocktail receptions almost every evening and sponsor-hosted networking dinners. There are educational sessions and sponsor showcases for residential architects, and the event is also streamed online via Houzz and available on AIAU for people to watch later for credit. Everyone that attends is on the same track and enjoys the same experience, so it’s a great opportunity to connect with a network of support for residential architects. Tell us about your experience with HGVT. Dawn received a voicemail from a contractor who wanted her help designing a house in Ann Arbor. With her busy schedule, she pushed it aside and planned to call him later. Days later, a friend encouraged her to call him back saying, “If you’re really busy, it’s fine. You should call him back…you won’t regret it“. She met the contractor the next day for 30 minutes and made some jokes about salvaging the 1970s wallpaper, and was hired the next day to complete the project. Then she was let into the secrecy of the project. It took her some time to understand what they wanted to do, the great need for secrecy, the whole process and the speed of how quickly things would unfold. In the span of five weeks she completed several months’ worth of work to meet each deadline; she measured, did the as-builts, nailed down the design and completed construction drawings. Dawn did her best to represent residential architects, reminding those she worked with that HGVT often tends not to mention how much things cost and how long projects actually take. What is your experience with Houzz? Dawn is a Houzz Pro-Plus user, which provides a lot of support and help to create a strong profile. If you’re investing in Houzz as a tool for marketing, it’s probably a wise choice. What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow? “Get involved in whatever you choose to get involved in. CRAN is a great opportunity for people to meet other architects who do what they do. That network is wonderful for people to connect with others they can work with and ask questions to. Being involved is a great way to get leads and find teammates for projects.” &#821

Public Relations Strategies for Architects You’re out there hustling, shaking hands and responding to all your RFPs, you’ve got your business development down. At the other end, you have a strong brand, your website is working and your marketing material is telling your story. Somewhere in between the two, lies a critical step to your success as a small firm architect: public relations. If you get it right, your phone will ring off the hook with your next best clients. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, “Design Evangelist” Julie Taylor joins Mark to share 3 Proven Public Relations Strategies for Small Firm Architects. With a background in art history and fine arts, Julie was always drawn to creative expression. As a secretary receptionist just out of college, Julie worked at an architecture firm in Chicago, learning various aspects of the industry. Following that, she worked for a magazine for interior designers and continued to pursue her own writing. When she decided to go into PR running the marketing in a large design center, she worked with architects and designers and began loving the industry. She began her own firm, Taylor & Company, shortly afterward and immersed herself in the architecture world. The art of taking something and creating a building that stands on its own and functions correctly was something she was unfamiliar with, so Julie loves being on the side of being an advocate for those who are able to create art in the business context of architecture. What is PR and how is it different from marketing? Marketing is more of the overall category. Public relations is your communications to the outside; it could be anything from how the phone is answered to publishing thoughts in magazines or online. Anything that you would put out to the public for clients to see. There are aspects like media relations, print or online, awards, where you present your work to be judged, speaking engagements to make connections in your certain area of expertise. What are 3 simple PR strategies for architects? Be consistent with your strategy and create a plan to allocate your time, effort and budget. Invest in professional photography and have enough photos at various angles. Partner with your clients. If you know your client is working on a press release, communicate to get your name in there. Finding out how to photograph and publish a project requires a human conversation to figure out how best to do these things. (Hint: It should be a part of your contract upfront!) Post a sign on your job site! It’s a simple, inexpensive way to get your name out there… and not enough of us do it. Develop your story and know how to talk about it. Often architects allow the writing and speech to be laden with archispeak. Speak to your clients at their level of understanding. Publishing: regional vs national? Regional publishing will talk to your local market more directly and can sometimes be a little easier to access. Since the editors and writers are in your area, you can work to make a connection and form a relationship with them. The competition for projects is very difficult with national publications, and often a project being good isn’t enough; it has to have a story behind it. Find publications with active online portals to gain a wider audience. Leverage any media you get. Let your potential and existing clients know what’s going on with you! What about design awards programs? Find out what competitions will give you the most exposure and plan out your budget according to your chances for notoriety. Know that if you don’t win an award or you don’t get published, it’s not personal. Often there are so many submissions and so many moving parts, that it makes it difficult to filter out great projects. What are your thoughts on working with a scout? Local people that you can form a relationship with will go to bat for you. They’re always going to want to know what you have that’s good for them to bring to one of the many publications they work with. What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow? “AIA National provides a tool called the AIA Message Book. It has topics like how to tell your story, what kind of words to use, how to talk to your clients, what’s important about the message of what you do and how to connect.” – Julie D. Taylor Connect with Julie online at Taylor-PR.com, or on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Visit our Platform Sponsors TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more! Tanglewood Conservatories combines the romanticism of the 19th century glass architecture with state-of-the-art technology today. Learn more at TanglewoodConservatories.com. Referenced in this Episode EntreArchitect Profit Plan Course (free) Marketing bluePRint AIA Message Book   The post EA144: 3 Pro

How To Be Happy as an Architect Architecture is a tough profession. We work long hours for years with passion and dedication to become architects. We struggle to launch our firms without basic business fundamentals. We search for the best clients and then work to serve them to the best of our ability. Being entrepreneur architects gives us so many freedoms that we wouldn’t have if we were employed by another firm. It’s tough, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Still, sometimes we question whether or not we made the right decision. Would we be happier working for someone else? True happiness is the result not of your profession, but of the choices you make and the person you choose to be. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Mark R. LePage shares his 3 Steps to Happiness as a Small Firm Architect. Love Love has a lot of meanings to a lot of different people. Love is about respecting and caring for one another. How can you be there for others and support them? Not just your spouse, kids or friends, but your fellow human beings that you encounter in the world. How many ways could you find in the day to be more patient, to be kinder? When you choose to be impatient or unkind to someone, it doesn’t only change their behaviors, it changes who you are. How can you love people with opposing view points? Our individual experiences lead to different ways of viewing the world, and it’s possible for us to come together and love one another. How does it make others feel when you love them? When you respect and care for someone, they will be more likely to follow your lead. Learn You’re probably visiting this podcast to learn. When you focus on a new skill, your mind grows and you become a better person. Imagine if you chose to focus on mastering the business of architecture. Would your home life be better? Your life as an architect? Your designs? Set a goal to learn something new every day. Be intentional and make a habit of it. What can you set out to learn that might change your life? You can work to master a new skill that will make you a better person. Commit to exercise or meditation, maybe learn a new form of keeping yourself in shape. Share This is where the world gets to benefit from what you love and what you’ve learned. What’s the point of having all the knowledge if you’re not going to share it? If the goal is to be happy, keeping it to yourself is only halfway there. If you learn something new, teach someone about it. When you find something that works, share it with other architects so that everyone in the profession can be more successful. When you share, others are inspired to share too. The more you give away, the more you get in return, the more fulfilled and happier you will be. Love, learn and share what you know. Do you serve your local community? How has that service resulted in your success? Visit the EntreArchitect Facebook Group and share your thoughts. Visit our Platform Sponsors TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more! Tanglewood Conservatories combines the romanticism of the 19th century glass architecture with state-of-the-art technology today. Learn more at TanglewoodConservatories.com. Referenced in this Episode EntreArchitect Profit Plan Course (free) Photo credit: Pixabay / asi24   The post EA143: 3 Steps to Happiness as a Small Firm Architect [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects. Mentioned in this episode:Frosty & Fired UpContext & ClarityContext & Clarity

How To Succeed as a Residential Architect with Dale Mulfinger, FAIA It’s a difficult choice to pick a target market and focus all your energy, resources and effort on one market. It’s a decision many small architects are afraid to make because we’re afraid of missing out on other opportunities and we don’t want to have all our eggs in one basket. When you pick a target market and become an expert on it, you’ll find that your next best client will find their way to you. Our guest this week has succeeded in making that decision and focusing on a target market early on in the development of his firm, and he’s thrived for over thirty years because of that. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Dale Mulfinger, FAIA of SALA Architects joins me and he shares his knowledge about How to Succeed as a Residential Architect. A Minnesota Farm Kid Dale grew up as a farm kid in rural Minnesota. After discovering his lack of desire to pursue farming, he excelled in a drafting program in high school. He succeeded in getting into the university and chose to study architecture. Through the help of amazing friends, many of whom are still friends now, he was able to complete his degree and graduate six years later. Early in Dale’s career he was focused on urban design, working on campus planning, large city developments, and more, but came to the realization that it takes a long time to be implemented. He began working for various architects, and found that as the projects got smaller, he enjoyed them more. Out of that came an understanding that he might really enjoy residential architecture. A Pattern Language In 1983, he received an opportunity to design a house according to the ideas of Christopher Alexander’s book, A Pattern Language, and invited one of his graduate students, Sarah Susanka, to help him on the project. He wrote an article about that project and found a love of writing, which has stayed with him throughout his career. After being asked to design a cabin, with little knowledge he began his research and wrote articles about cabins for a local magazine. Seventy-two articles later, he began writing books on the process of building cabins. He noticed that nobody had really looked into cabins in depth, and worked to fill the void with architectural discussion around cabins. Cabins are rewarding to him because each cabin is uniquely different, because each person is so uniquely different. Many people build cabins as a legacy project, where they hope their children will seek to inherit for generations to come. How To Succeed as a Residential Architect SALA Architects began 30 years ago when Dale and Sarah realized that there wasn’t really anyone focused exclusively on residential architecture in their area. They hoped if they got the word out to the public about their interest in doing houses, that the public would be anxious for them to jump in. Because of that void, they grew rapidly. Yet, there are still unserved clients in their area who want to a create better home, whatever that may mean to them: more energy efficient, more beautiful, smaller or larger, etc. If you’re willing, as an architect, to help them do that, then they’re more than willing to pay for your service. When the decision came around to focus on residential architecture, their fear wasn’t how to grow the company, but how to serve their clients well. Because there’s a wealth of other talented architects serving other markets, Dale doesn’t feel as though he’s missed out by choosing to focus on a targeted area. SALA continues to do other projects outside of the typical scope. To get the word out about their business, they did two things: publishing and teaching. Dale and Sarah wrote articles for local publishers about remodels and additions and started courses for the public about residential architecture. They found ways to connect with the public and show them that they were proud of the work they were doing. Furthering the ideas of writing and teaching, they did a few other innovative things in their community: Started a Home of the Month at the local newspaper // They suggested the idea to the editor and offered to help with the article and photography, and the newspaper jumped right on it. Adult education // There they were able to communicate theories and ideas. Instead of just sharing a project in a newspaper, you can introduce the public to innovative architecture ideas that they may not be familiar with. Because SALA is organized horizontally, each architect has their own clients, does their own designs, and complete their own projects with the support of the firm. They’ve learned that what keeps people in an office is camaraderie, that some people enjoy doing what they do in a group. At SALA, young professionals are nurtured and encouraged to go out and find their own ways to connect. When hiring, SALA looks for people who have a diverse set of

How to Build a Brand That Resonates with Your Most Valuable Clients Your brand is more than just your logo. Your brand is your story in the minds of those interacting with your firm. It’s about emotions and feelings. It’s the way people see, feel, touch and experience our firms. This week at EntreArchitect podcast, Declan Keefe of Placetailor joins us once again to discuss How to Build a Brand that Resonates with Your Most Valuable Clients. What is branding? Branding is the story that the people who hear about your firm would tell somebody. Branding can be associated with the story that you tell as a firm, but you want it distill it down to what the client is left with. That’s the essence of what the brand really is. You know your brand, your company and what you want your organization to be, but good branding is a matter of what the client believes and what they’re left with. Moving past the colors and fonts on your website, branding expands to how your client feels when they see one of your projects, when they finish having a meeting with you, when they get through looking at your website. That feeling is what they’re going to share with others around them. Our memory works best when we’re remembering how we felt about something. How does your story evolve depending on your target market? To your client, your story has to share that you’re not only competent and able to do the work, but also that you’d be great to work with for a multitude of reasons. You want to welcome people into a process that’s often scary to a homeowner. Why isn’t there a finished portfolio on your home page? People are coming to our website for a potential project, and while they may want to be inspired by our finished work, another project we’ve done was built specifically for that specific client. It may not necessarily be what the next client would want. What the client wants is a company that is going to work with them to create what they really want as the client. Placetailor chooses to create a unique, safe space to welcome people into. A place that is fun and friendly. You can be a company that has the goods and services, but isn’t enjoyable to work with. How do people get in touch with you? Placetailor has a short web form with name, email address and a few boxes to check regarding why they’re there. This way, Declan can have a one-on-one interaction with them based on their needs. To maximize time, he uses a general canned response and customizes it to the specific person. The goal is to humanize and create a very welcoming experience. What’s the vision behind your “What We Do” page? The idea was to separate architecture, construction and real estate development from each other as full services on their own as well as combined all together. They wanted to explain, in the most simple way, what they were offering and why. What are you doing outside of your website to build the brand Placetailor? The brand is about walking the walk. Living up to the claims you make is important to growing your brand. Placetailor is trying to get across that they’re open, honest and friendly people to work with, so it’s important to carry that over in every area. Placetailor connects to the community by hosting events where they invite people into half-finished projects with local artists or nonprofits to support the local community. When we get to overlap the things we care about as a company, we can concentrate our brand as an experience that someone will share when they get home. What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow? “Take a step back and think about where it is you want to be going and the journey you want to take to get there. If you’re here to pull in a paycheck, this isn’t the industry to be in. If you’re here to enjoy the process, then take time to plan the process. It’s not just about making beautiful buildings, because that’s not what makes a successful business model. It only works if we can step back, look at it, talk to your team and mentors, and then jump back in and tackle it when you know where you’re going and why. There’s so many things this world needs, and if you’re not operating in a ‘why’ then you’ve missed the boat. ” – Declan Keefe Connect with Declan online at Placetailor.com and on Twitter @placetailor & Instagram. Visit our Platform Sponsors TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more! Tanglewood Conservatories combines the romanticism of the 19th century glass architecture with state-of-the-art technology today. Learn more at TanglewoodConservatories.com. Referenced in this Episode Declan’s Origin Story The post EA141: How to Build a Brand that Resonates with Your Most Valuable Clients [Podcast] ap

How To Use Your Story to Find the Work You Want We all know that storytelling is a critical part of your success in business. We need to know our story and how to tell it to our target market. That’s how we find the work we love and the clients we want. How do we craft our story, to whom do we tell it, and how does our story help us find more work on a consistent basis? This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Jeff Echols of Echo Engagement joins us to discuss How To Use Your Story to Find the Work You Want. Jeff’s journey in architecture began when he moved from Atlanta to Chicago as a kid, growing up close to many Frank Lloyd Wright homes and watching This Old House with his dad every Saturday morning on PBS. He attended Ball State’s College of Architecture and Planning and worked first in Chicago and eventually moved to Indianapolis working for firms ranging from 3-people firms to one of the largest firms in the country. After over twenty years in the traditional architecture world in some kind of marketing role or another, he ventured out on his own in a different capacity. After interacting with tons of architects, he realized that by-and-large, most architects know little to nothing about marketing. He first launched ArchitectoftheInternet.com, which was an exploration into why many architects aren’t great at marketing and how they can be. Eventually he was contacted by a previous classmate who was running for national office with AIA, and Jeff helped run the campaign with messaging, speechwriting and more. After a series of transitions, Jeff set out to work as a marketing consultant by creating Echo Engagement where he helps others craft and tell their stories. The Structure of Marketing Business development is at the front of the marketing process, and is all about building relationships. Sales is the end, the ask and the closing of the deal. The stuff in between is the marketing: the brand and promotion of the brand on different storytelling channels with varying objectives. Jeff works on both marketing and branding, but believes the most important aspect is that you have a compelling story to tell. The key to repeat clients and referrals is to tell a story so powerfully that resonates with your ideal client that they feel compelled to share it with someone else. At Echo Engagement, they help architects, startups, and nonprofits craft their stories and get the word out. The Storytelling Process The storytelling process starts with producing a document that tells the story arc of the organization, beginning with the question, “Why do you do what you do?”. Then, they work to determine the ideal client and their “why”. Things start to resonate when there’s a cross between a firm’s “why” with their ideal clients’ “why”. When telling your story, always think in your client’s terms, use their language and speak to them where they are. Drop the industry-specific jargon so they’re able to understand the terms you used in architecture school to help them understand on their level. How to Use Storytelling to Find and Keep Clients To get more work consistently in any market, it’s important to understand and resonate with your specific audience. When you know your audience and what they want, you can craft a story that relates to their questions and the goal they have. They might have struggles along the way to achieving that goal, but you can help them along the way when they choose to work with you. Start writing your story and then tell it in the right channels to the right people and you’ll find some resonation. Connect with Jeff online at EchoEngage.com, or on Twitter @echoengage or @jeffechols, Facebook and LinkedIn. Visit our Platform Sponsors TruStile is a leader in high end, architectural interior doors. Visit them at TruStile.com to learn more! Tanglewood Conservatories combines the romanticism of the 19th century glass architecture with state-of-the-art technology today. Learn more at TanglewoodConservatories.com. Referenced in this Episode Case Study – From Startup to Success: How one Firm went from Scratch to $10 Million in 4 Years The post EA140: How To Use Your Story to Find the Work You Want with Architect Storyteller Jeff Echols [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects. Mentioned in this episode:Frosty & Fired UpContext & ClarityContext & Clarity

Living an Integrated Life As small firm architects, work life balance plays a critical role in the success of our businesses as well as the success of our personal lives. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Mark R. LePage shares his thoughts on Living an Integrated Life as a Small Firm Architect. The integrated life allows us to live one continuous life with both our business and personal lives at the same time. Sometimes it’s crazy, and sometimes it’s wonderful. For those of us who work from home or who are trying to juggle full time personal lives and full time professional lives, it becomes a struggle: we’re either going to end up with a failing firm because we focused on our family, or we’re going to end up with a forgotten family because we focused on our firm. Imbalance in life shows itself as stress. When our attention and intentions are appropriately distributed, the stress is reduced. This doesn’t mean that the distribution needs to be equal. How do we balance our time, our efforts, our attention between our firm and our family? Success comes when we stop trying to balance them perfectly, but instead, accept that work and life are one integrated experience. Mark’s family does this by having one integrated calendar for the entire family. The calendar is filled with client meetings, doctor appointments, school plays, and more, so that at any given time, he and Annmarie are able to keep the various facets of their lives organized. By scheduling things out, you can give yourself permission to allow personal time into work hours because you know that you’ve scheduled something work related for typical “off hours” on an evening or weekend. Living an integrated life isn’t easy. It’s not about sacrificing one thing over another. It’s about being intentional and living the life we choose to live. It’s about being efficient to do the things that matter, both in both our firm and our family. Question: How do you live an integrated life? Profit for Small Firm Architects To learn more, visit EntreArchitect for the free course! Visit our Platform Sponsor EntreArchitect GetFocused Course. They key to success is to change our mindset about time. This course will help you get things done, live a stress free life, and be more successful by finding the time to focus on what matters most. To learn more and to get focused today, visit GetFocusedCourse.com.   The post EA139: Living an Integrated Life [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects. Mentioned in this episode:Frosty & Fired UpContext & ClarityContext & Clarity

How to Design and Sell Modern Architecture as a Small Firm Architect When the world was in the midst of an economic crisis and there were no jobs, a young architect moved to a new town with one contact and a ton of ambition. Today’s guest built his own business flipping ordinary ranch houses into modern architectural works of art. Using their unique story, they built a brand and made a profit. This week on EntreArchitect podcast, Cavin Costello of The Ranch Mine shares How to Design and Sell Modern Architecture as a Small Firm Architect. Gavin was first introduced to architecture when his father, a civil engineer, designed and built the house that he grew up in just before Cavin was born. In high school, a teacher suggested he go into architecture because he excelled at math proofs. With no previous experience in art or drawing, he attended Northeastern University in Boston because he didn’t have to have an art portfolio and because it was a co-op school, meaning he was able to do schooling alongside experience in an architecture firm. He pushed through challenging areas of his education until he found his niche in digital representation. He got his first job with a husband and wife firm at the age of 19, and that experience brought him a new love of residential architecture. Later jobs in large firms with projects data centers and banks left him feeling a lack of connection with clients. After graduating and earning his masters, he decided to move to Phoenix with no job and only a connection with a past professor. There he met his partner, now also wife, Claire, through a mutual friend. Cavin and Claire started driving around Arizona to experience more of the culture. They visited a lot of ranches and mines, which sparked the idea to fix up a ranch house – going in and sifting out the clutter to find a gem – similar to the mining process: mining ranch houses. They bought a foreclosure as a personal home project and got to work. After a couple projects, they sent one of their homes into a publication and were contacted instead about a possible feature on one of their inexpensive bathroom remodel in their own home. Their bathroom project was on the front page of the Arizona Republic and the requests from developers and homeowners for bathrooms, living spaces, additions and more began to trickle in. Since they’re a young firm, they don’t have a huge referral network with a ton of discretionary funds to build. Instead, they get a lot of traffic to their website from online publications and Google searches. Using a website form, they’re able to get basic information about potential clients to both weed out unrealistic projects as well as focus on projects they’re really interested in. In addition to the initial information, Cavin and Claire work to figure out why clients want to do the project so they can focus on the how and the what aspects of the project. If it’s a good fit for both parties, they set up a time to meet in person and take the next steps. Because their brand was so important to them, they passed on projects that were confined to a specific box. They wanted to incorporate client’s living style through the specific The Ranch Mine process. By choosing the right projects with the right clients early on, they set themselves up for success. What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow? “Very simply, write down a list of your personal and professional inspirations. What you enjoy, what you’re inspired by, write down that list. Next to it, write down any critiques you have with your area, your town, the built environment. Then look at ways to connect the personal and professional interests with what the market is having issues with. You’re uniquely set up to be the best in that specific market for your specific area at this specific time. Start curating your social media to lead toward that.” – Cavin Costello Connect with Cavin online at TheRanchMine.com or find him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Enrollment for the EntreArchitect Academy closes today! To learn more and sign up NOW, visit EntreArchitect Academy! Visit our Platform Sponsor FreshBooks The easiest way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect) For an exclusive, free video series on how easy it is to use FreshBooks EntreArchitect.com/freshbooksvideo. The post EA138: How to Design and Sell Modern Architecture as a Small Firm Architect with Cavin Costello [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects. Mentioned in this episode:Frosty & Fired UpContext & ClarityContext & Clarity

Every architect has a dream of having their work published in books and magazines. For some, it's a right of passage a testament to hard work and years of focus. For others, it’s a marketing strategy. Publication is a form of social proof indicating that our designs are worthy of our prospective clients' attention. Do you want to get your work published? Well stick around… This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Mark R. LePage will share How to Get Published as an Architect. 10 Steps to Get Published as an Architect 1. Design Interesting Details & Spaces // Many of us don’t have huge budgets to design at the level we want to throughout the whole building. While you’re designing, think about the spaces you may be able to design with no extra budget that will create a great photographs for publishers. 2. Photography Matters // Unless you have the skills of a professional, you’re going to have to hire someone. Even if you have great architecture or a great story, editors are looking for great photography. 3. Cultivate Relationships // Get to know editors, writers & scouts. Reach out and start a relationship with them. By having that relationship, they may reach out simply because they know the kind of work you do. 4. Build a Platform // Every architect needs a platform to share their story. Start a blog, a podcast, a YouTube channel, so that when you build this community of people who want to hear what you have to say, you have a way to share it with them and others. You can use this group to leverage your brand. 5. Be Helpful // Be an expert to help fill in the gaps for writers by answering questions, giving quotes for an article, or referring them to someone else. 6. Tell a Good Story // A well-crafted email sharing your unique story provides an incentive for any writer looking for their next article. Tell an great story and they’ll be very interested in pursuing it. 7. Self Publish // Share your own stories on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, your website or blog, or in a book. Just put it out there and you’ll be noticed. 8. Enter Competitions // Even if you don’t win, you may catch a publisher’s eye and find greater exposure. 9. Be Picky // Be selective in who you allow to publish your work. Some collections require exclusivity, so be aware of where you’re publishing your work. 10. Your Website Matters // You need to have a great website so that, when an editor or publisher is interested in your work, they can check out your website for your story, portfolio, and more information. Have you had your projects published? What works for you? Let us know your thoughts below! Register for our FREE Special Session Webinar Want to learn about the 3 critical business systems you need to succeed as a small firm architect? Marketing Sales Productivity Register for our FREE special session webinar on Tuesday, September 27th at 9 PM EST. Visit EntreArchitect.com/FreeWebinar. Visit our Platform Sponsor FreshBooks The easiest way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect) Referenced in This Episode How To Get Published as a Small Firm Architect Scott LePage photography 6 Critical Lessons From My First 24 Months in Business     Photo Credit: Shutterstock / pinkomelet The post EA137: How to Get Published as an Architect [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects. Mentioned in this episode:Frosty & Fired UpContext & ClarityContext & Clarity

When did you discover architecture? At what age did you learn that architecture was something you could do as a profession? When did you decide to become an architect? What was it that inspired you? Why did YOU choose to become an architect? Those are questions Mark asks every guest at EntreArchitect Podcast. Were there places; Were there people in your life that guided you or inspired you to make a difference through buildings? This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, we dive deep into one entrepreneur architect's story. She shares her very early influences, her inspirations, her passions and her reconsideration of her entire life plan. This week, The Journey to Design the Thrivable Home with Architect Stacia Hood. Stacia knew in the second grade that she wanted to be an architect, inviting her friends over to draw and build playhouses complete with elevators and balance beam. When she moved to a small mountain town across the country, she created an amazing friendship with a young woman with disabilities who taught her how to laugh, and inspired her to design things accessible to all ages and abilities. She taught as a special education substitute teacher for several years, working to understand how people with unique abilities interact with the world and vise versa. She attended school at the University of Oregon and worked at a small commercial firm, where she felt disconnected from the people that the buildings were being created for. Grappling with the belief that it was too hard to make money in residential architecture, she found a firm who was succeeding in residential architecture, SALA Architects, and read everything she could find about them. SALA was educating the public about what architects do and how they can serve homeowners. Stacia attended a local event where SALA architect Sarah Susanka, author of The Not So Big House, spoke and, on Sarah’s recommendation, she eventually worked up the courage to call SALA and speak with Dale Mulfinger. Through a progression of conversations, she found herself interviewing there several months later and moving her whole life (golden retriever included) to Minnesota in 2001 to work in the newly opened Excelsior office. When projects came in with clients who had interests in accessibility, adaptability and universal design, many of them were handed to Stacia because of her interest there. She was able to meet with clients and recognize the needs they had, and found the connection in the emotional pieces of living spaces. Stacia began to realize that it wasn’t just about creating homes for specific people’s needs, but that we’re all connected: “It’s about creating homes that support and embrace all needs and all abilities because we don’t know what’s going to happen to us and what’s going to happen to those we love. Maybe someone we love wants to come over for Thanksgiving dinner in a wheelchair, and it’s asking, “Can they get into our homes to visit and to be a part of the family?” Stacia’s mission is to create a bridge to connect people to what this approach to design looks like and why it matters to all of us, not just the clients asking for it: this is a Thrivable Home. Stacia left SALA and the architecture world after her son was born and stepped into the role of “mom” for seven years. Following that, she’s spent the last several years on a journey to figure out how to step back into architecture in a way that supports her as a mom and as a woman and allows her to practice in a new, different way than before. She found that when women lead from a place of authenticity, that’s when they’re most effective. She learned to embrace emotions and feelings and all of the things that traditional architecture steers away from. Embracing emotions allows people to figure out how their homes make them feel, it gives homeowners permission to dream, it recognizes that if we build our dream homes and we haven’t done the emotional work, we’re taking all that emotional clutter with us and we’re never going to learn how to just live and be and appreciate and enjoy that space that we’ve created. There are emotional and spiritual aspects to architecture that aren’t a part of traditional conversations, and that connection is what people are craving. She began the process of connecting to self, your passion, and what’s really important to you. What do the people who you want to serve need? After working since second grade to achieve her dream of becoming an architect, Stacia’s forced herself into a place of discomfort to figure out what she’s doing and what it looks like. There are no answers, because what she’s doing doesn’t exist yet. Architecture is a part of the end goal, but it’s no longer her main purpose. Her purpose is Thrivable Home. Stacia was asked to speak at an fall-prevention event at a loc