Inside The Firm

David Pollard is an architect, builder, and the co-founder of Liv Companies; a full-service residential design-build company in the Chicago suburbs. Dave started LivCo in 2012 to provide quality design to suburban homeowners, but with some twists to the traditional architectural services model. Following on the heels of his graduate thesis work stating, “to make architecture more accessible, it’s time we stop trying to re-design the building systems, and architects lead the charge in re-thinking the design systems.” This evolved into a design-build model which allows simplified deliverables and a fully integrated and accountable team to deliver their projects

On this episode of Inside the Firm, Why are you not growing your business?, then some mixed economic signals… shocker!, and lastly, why do you need friends who are crushing it! Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Michael Sarracini is an award-winning entrepreneur and real estate investor who transformed a small government loan into a multimillion-dollar real estate empire, retiring at 25. He is CEO of Keyspire and Chairman of The Sarracini Group, focusing on personal development and education, as well as strategic land development partnerships. Michael's team has trained over 100,000 real estate investors, helping them generate millions in net worth. He has won multiple business awards for growth and employee satisfaction and supports personal and community growth through strong leadership and involvement. Michael lives near Toronto with his family, enjoying swimming, biking, hiking, BBQing, and family dinners, with a goal to maximize both profits and purpose for partners and students.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, does the FED need to crash the economy and why a flood of additional dwelling units are on the horizon in Colorado! Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Sonny Moyers is a highly educated real estate professional who graduated from Abilene Christian University. He obtained his Texas Real Estate Sales License in 1971 and his Texas Real Estate Brokers License in 1988. Sonny has excelled in the Dallas Fort Worth real estate market, consistently ranking in the top 1% in Texas and top 4% nationwide between 2004 and 2018. As President of The Renaissance Group, a Real Estate Brokerage, Consulting, and Publishing Company, Sonny has received numerous accolades, including D Magazine Best of Dallas for sixteen years and REALTOR® of the Year in Dallas in 2015. Additionally, Sonny has been actively involved in the community, serving as President of the Board of the Frisco Arts Association.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, architecture billings are down nationwide, then the housing crisis continues, and last but not least it’s Rachael versus Tyler Suomala as we race to the bottom! Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

This Week on Monday Morning Coffee with Inside The Firm, we are joined by Erika Moody, FIIDA, President and Principal of Helix Architecture + Design, a firm founded in Kansas City in 1992. After graduating from Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Interior Architecture degree, Erika was hired by Kansas City firm CDFM2, which later merged with 360 Architecture. She left 360 Architecture prior to its merger with HOK to co-found Blackbird Design Studio. In 2016, Blackbird merged with Helix Architecture + Design.

Robert Poole is the co-founder of Total Business Results. He helps entrepreneurs who are tied to their businesses make the transition from operator to owner in their business so they can finally achieve the freedom that got them into entrepreneurship in the first place. Robert is also a graduate of West Point, previously an Army officer, and has over 25 years of experience in helping entrepreneurs grow their companies and turn them into saleable assets that don’t depend on them for the day-to-day operations. Today he is going to share a little about how to get free from your business and get back your freedom.

Jeff Giagnocavo, is a passionate advocate for small businesses, and his latest endeavor, "The Space for Leadership," delves into empathetic leadership's transformative power. Co-owner of Gardner’s Mattress & More, Jeff emphasizes creating space for employees to heal personal struggles, offering a fresh perspective on leadership's essence. His innovative marketing concepts have impacted over 500 retail businesses, earning recognition in Forbes and Target Marketing. Jeff's mission is to empower business owners to become true investors in their enterprises, leading them to a fulfilling "Big Ticket Life."

Danielle Hayden a CPA, author, Co-Founder and CEO of Kickstart Accounting. She is a seasoned Chief Financial Officer who is rewriting what it means to provide bookkeeping and consulting services to high-earning female business owners. The Kickstart Accounting Inc. team is the one-stop-shop that provides their clients with bookkeeping services as a tiered system that grows with the business as needed. Additionally, they offer online courses (think all things money mindset), payroll services and tax consulting services. Since their founding in 2015, the Kickstart team has helped thousands of high-earning service-based business owners grow and scale their businesses to new heights.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, top sales superstitions, new nationwide codes mandate a major blow to housing affordability, and the seven habits of highly ineffective managers. Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Jeremy Zick is the CEO of WeCollabify. WeCollabify is a support network of architectural Talent. We provide staff to your team from our nearshore "garden of talent." We help right-size your firms profit margins with our placements by providing you access to skilled, cost effective talent excited and inspired by the opportunities working with USA based Architect companies can afford them.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, how did architecture become such a poorly paid profession? Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Elona Lopari is the Visionary CEO of The Life School , Speaker, and a Best Selling Author. She is both a servant community builder and a people connector. She is a Prior Fortune 500 CEO Featured in Disrupt, NY Weekly, Business Insider, CEO Weekly, The Business News & Famous Times. Elona is also the CEO of The Life School where she helps Visionary Leaders and CEOs grow legacy purpose driven businesses through Inner Alignment, Branding, Marketing, Sales, and Teams so that they can maximize their Impact and Income to do better in the world.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, this economy sucks - thanks for nothing Janet, then why can’t architects see past themselves? Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Zach Mannheimer is a Muhlenberg College graduate in Theater and Philosophy, who nearly spent a decade in Brooklyn before embarking on a life-changing road trip to find a new home. Settling in Des Moines, IA, he founded The Des Moines Social Club, a hub for art, culture, and community development. In 2020, Zach and his partners launched Atlas Community Studios, focusing on creative placemaking across 25 states. Recognizing the housing crisis as a barrier to community prosperity, Zach founded Alquist 3D to 3D-print quality, affordable homes in underserved areas. He speaks passionately about community development and innovative home-building technologies. Zach is a board member of Iowa Public Radio and the Iowa Rural Development Council, and his work has been featured in major media outlets.

Patrick MacLeamy the former CEO of the world-renowned architecture firm HOK, joins us again. In this episode we dive into his book Designing a World-Class Architecture Firm. We take a deep dive into how: why Patrick wrote this book, how to value your firm, how to structure your bank accounts, and how to think about bonuses. Patrick practiced architecture for 50 years at HOK, one of the top 10 largest architecture/engineering firms in the world. He began there as a “junior designer” and worked his way up, serving as HOK’s CEO and Chairman from 2003-2017. As CEO, Patrick led HOK’s transformation from a firm that struggled to pay its bills and was close to breaking apart, to one that is consistently profitable, with a company culture where people help each other to succeed.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, the guys continue with a list of questions from an “anonymous” long-time listener and answer them plus Lance thanks Joe Biden for crushing it and an update on those pesky interest rates! Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Marilyn Ackerman is a top producing real estate agent in Boulder County. She's been selling real estate since 2011. For the past several years she has been in the top 5% of producers in sales of her Nationwide brokerage of 33,000 + agents. She is also a licensed mortgage broker. She believes that real estate is a path to wealth and freedom, and she walks this walk and talks this talk everyday as she owns eight rental properties in the area. The biggest change in real estate in the last 50 years or more has just occurred and she's here to talk about that today.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, the guys get a list of questions from an “anonymous” long time listener and answer them.

Conor Cunneen is IrishmanSpeaks and is happily exiled in Chicago where he says the Guinness is good, the people are friendly and has been force fed more corned beef and green beer than he ever had in Ireland! Conor is a former Marketing Vice-President who now earns his living as a keynote speaker, business humorist and consultant who leaves audiences with a smile on their face, a spring in their step and memorable, actionable takeaways to Improve People, Performance, & Productivity! Conor is Chicago’s Humorous Speaker of the year - for a speech (would you believe?) on Customer Service in San Quentin Prison. He is also a recipient of the President's Gold Medal for Volunteer Service for his work with the unemployed.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, multi-family housing starts and permitting drop, then Tucker Carlson joins the show for a read, and finally Tadao Ando isn’t even an architect says some random man on the internet?! Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Reverend Dr. David Chotka is the Founder and Director of Spirit-Equip Ministries, focusing on spiritual disciplines. He chairs the Alliance Pray! Team, developing prayer equipping resources. David also serves as Canadian director of the College of Prayer, dedicated to intercession ministry. With extensive experience leading prayer events globally, David has studied in various theological contexts and has four earned degrees.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, U.S. home sales miss expectations but inflation keeps on rescinding, and Colorado is doing what with ADUs?! Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Alesia Galati has been listening to podcasts since 2015 and knows what goes into creating a standout podcast that captures your audience’s attention even before they press “play”. She’s helped coaches and thought leaders launch and maintain over 50 podcasts and has developed a signature, thorough system to launching and managing podcasts so you don’t have to stress about anything falling through the cracks! She lives in sunny North Carolina with her two kiddos and husband. When not helping her clients, Alesia can be found reading over 200 books a year, hiking, and exploring the zoo with her boys.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, are architects bad at business?, unpacking the collapse of modular construction firms, and how to command double the fees! Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Heather Bemis, a licensed architect with over 16 years of experience and a Masters in Architecture from North Dakota State University, leads SWAP Integration. Her expertise lies in critical thinking project management, navigating design phases for efficiency and success. As a LEED AP BD+C accredited professional and NCARB certificate holder, Heather's nationally recognized woman-owned business specializes in creating well-coordinated, faster, and more efficient project workflows. Her integrated scheduling approach adds significant value to diverse project teams by streamlining processes and optimizing outcomes.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, the tallest building in the world is going where?, then the 2023 Architecture Firm Budget Survey and a shoutout, and last but not least Tadao Ando Reads! Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Matthew Stafford is the mad scientist behind the data and the development of the BGS “Revenue Optimization” system as well as the Revenue Optimization BGS team of over 40 full-time experts. Although he won’t tell you himself, he’s also become known as the top Shopify optimization expert in the game and spends a ton of time turning away people that want to work with him. Matt has a keen eye for impediments to the customer journey and is great at interpreting the data to find the diamonds in the rough. He also has the ability to see things from a business owner’s perspective, having run his own companies for the past 27 years. Almost every other “expert” in the ecommerce education industry has been influenced by the “No-B.S.” data-driven results and insights shared by Matthew Stafford and Build Grow Scale!

On this episode of Inside the Firm, 12 Ways to Design a World Class Firm, then builder confidence is up and the 2024 Economy Rises - Are. You. Ready?! . Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

San Francisco Bay area architect Richard Gage, AIA, is a member of the American Institute of Architects and founder & former CEO of Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth. He, along with his courageous wife and assistant Gail, continues to lead the charge toward a real investigation into the destruction of all 3 World Trade Center skyscrapers on 9/11 at RichardGage911.org.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, Jaimie Dimon warns of a market rebellion in the economy, then Lance triggers again with a meme, and last but not least eight keys when growing a firm. Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Join us as we explore previous recessions, and look forward to how the economy will affect the A.E.C. industry with Kermit Baker. Kermit Baker is the Chief Economist for the American Institute of Architects in Washington, D.C. In this capacity he analyzes business and construction trends for the U.S. economy, and examines their impact on AIA members and the architectural profession.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, the guys discuss what it is to design a world class architecture firm, then where is the economy in 34 charts, and last but not least more A.R.E. Jeopardy!. Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Ari and Todd share their wealth of experience on how they transformed IBI Group into a profitable 20% margins company. They talked about how small to medium sized A&E firms can get out of a rut, and how Bluwatr can help create value through next-generation thinking and tools.

James I. Bond is a leading behavioral management and business marketing specialist, renowned for his multi-award-winning book "BRAIN GLUE." And with thirteen years at the helm of a prominent Southern California firm, James has worked with many prestigious clients. His early career included running an advertising agency in Montreal, collaborating with Fortune 500 firms. James has served as a workshop leader for the U.S. Small Business Administration and is a sought-after speaker at universities and podcasts. Residing in Thousand Oaks, California, James brings a wealth of expertise to the world of behavioral management and marketing.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, do we finally have good economic news to look forward to, then a bit on housing confidence and demand, and last but not least Lance explains why autonomy in the workplace is so important! Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Carlo Chincarini, known as The Kingmaker, is a world class business and performance coach. With 15 years of experience coaching individuals and teams from all over the world, his work focuses on two main topics, making more Money & creating the KING version of yourself. From living in mental and emotional scarcity on $3.62 per hour, to leading a multiple 6 figure coaching business, Carlo had to walk the talk of getting the absolute best out of himself and now he is passing on the Kingmaker method to people all over the world. Carlo lives on the Sunshine Coast in Australia with his wife Stacey and their kids, Scarlet and Max.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, the guys weigh in on the debate of whether or not architecture is an elitist profession and last but not least more A.R.E. Jeopardy!. Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Ronald Reich is a passionate leadership and management development subject matter expert and coach with 28 years of experience in diversified industries. As an expert facilitator, Ron believes in involving participants in their learning, leading to higher engagement and quality results. Ron is also a voracious reader, he stays current with the latest research and philosophies which he loves sharing with clients.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, the latest on jobs, wages, and participation, next what is the F9 book for the year 2024, then what drives your staff, and last but not least more A.R.E. Jeopardy!. Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Carson Spitzke is the founder of Spitz Solutions . Spitz Solutions use a mix of growth marketing and public relations to drive new leads and convert them into sales and clients with efficiency. Their strategies are unorthodox and rely heavily on providing value to journalists and clients as the first step to turning someone who has never heard of them into a client. Carson has worked with brands like TEDX, and various publicly traded companies and is also an Amazon best-seller at the age of 21.

Troy Meyers is a college athlete who started buying and selling motorcycles in college. After buying and selling over 20 motorcycles between his junior and senior year in college he started flipping houses with his wife before redirecting their attention to multifamily investing. Troy has been blessed financially but also realizes there is more than building wealth. Through his faith in Christ, He is leading Troy towards using it for His kingdom.

Beate Chelette is the Growth Architect and Founder of The Women’s Code. Beate is known as a straight shooter and her ability to inspire, empower and overcome adversity. Her super skill is working with unique personalities and big thinkers and building executable systems. She is a first-generation immigrant who found herself $135,000 in debt as a single parent Beate bootstrapped her passion for photography into a global business that licensed content into 79 countries. She exited in a multimillion-dollar deal when she sold the company to Bill Gates. She is the Podcast host of The Business Growth Architect Show and listed amongst the “Top 100 Global Thought Leaders” by PeopleHum and “One of 50 Must Follow Women Entrepreneurs” by HuffPost.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, the guys examine how much of business is all about experimentation?, next the law of polarity, then what is woke architecture?, and last but not least more A.R.E. Jeopardy!. Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Join us as we talk with the President of NCARB, about the intricacies of selling a how to pass the A.R.E. and the different paths to licensure. Jon Alan Baker, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP, of San Diego, California, is a principal with DLR Group, an integrated international design firm delivering architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, and building optimization. Baker specializes in the design and planning of educational facilities throughout Southern California.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, Lance has some brand new pronouns, then the debate on common vs. standard, and last but not least 5 things architects and designers regret about their own homes! Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Dr. Teri Baydar is a renowned leadership coach and CEO Whisperer. She earned her MBA from Hult International Business School with accrued training in authentic leadership, managing complexities, and behavioral economics. Between writing, coaching, and teaching meditation, Dr. Teri devotes herself to Love Conscious Human, a one-of-a-kind educational platform for evolving humans. Love Con-scious Human was created to support those ready to embody Love Consciousness and participate in crowdsourcing a better future.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, billings across the country continue to soften but is a lower interest rate coming this spring?, then here’s your recession proof cheatsheet, and last but not least Elon Musk joins the guys for a couple reads! Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Lynita Mitchell-Blackwell is the Intuitive Business Coach™ who leads her clients to Live Life on FIRE for the Ultimate Successful Life with peace, joy, and fulfillment! She has built an award-winning law firm and publishing house, is a #1 Bestselling Author, CPA, an ordained New Thought Minister, and recognized nationally as an outstanding community leader. Based on her latest book, she loves sharing the formula to the Ultimate Successful Life with Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!