AEC Marketing for Principals

In today’s talent war, outdated HR practices are holding firms back.  The way forward is to create workplaces that attract and retain the best people.   In this AEC Marketing for Principals episode, host Katie Cash and co-host Judy welcome Mark Zweig, founder and CEO of Zweig Group, a leading AEC consulting firm. Mark talks about his journey from consulting to launching his own business and shares...

CRM systems are revolutionizing project management and collaboration in the construction industry. Today, Katie talks with Tom Deane, Co-Founder and CEO of ProjectMark, about how their user-friendly CRM helps construction teams of all sizes get started easily. They explore how AI and automation are changing project management, especially in making informed decisions and speeding up proposals. Tom...

Strategies and operations are key to helping your team make smart decisions, work more efficiently, and adapt to a changing market. Join Katie in this episode as she sits down with Stu Haney, Management Consultant of AEC OPS to talk about his innovative BOSS method.  They’ll talk about the importance of respectful talent acquisition, implementing structured systems, and recognizing operational sho...

As a professional, you probably work hard to perfect your craft but might be neglecting the essential skills of business management.  In this episode of AEC, Katie chats with Kyle Peterson, Principal and Business Leader at Nelson Worldwide , about his role managing six studio locations and how his design background guides his business approach.  Kyle highlights the importance of being a trusted pa...

Katie is back and talking to Bryce Batts, a seasoned recruiter and co-owner of Career Collective, to explore attracting and retaining top talent in the AEC industry. Bryce emphasizes the need for swift communication and efficient interview processes to capture high-caliber candidates' interest. She advises employers to collaborate closely with recruiters, timing offers strategically to avoid...

Katie Cash talks with Tara Bleakley, Associate Director for Market Transformation and Development at the USGBC's Florida chapter. Tara shares a brief overview of her career, starting with a background in art history and art business, which led her to various marketing roles from London to Orlando. She discusses her tenure at TLC Engineering Solutions, where she rose to partnership before taki...

Securing future work and attracting top talent are the lifeblood of the AEC industry, a reality that hosts Katie and Judy passionately emphasize in the season six premiere of AEC Marketing for Principals. This season’s theme, “Making an Impact,” focuses on HR and recruiting tactics, business development strategies, and content marketing within the industry. In upcoming episodes, we will spotlight...

Katie sits down with Associate Principal and Regional Practice Leader, Brad Ewing, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, from NELSON Worldwide. Brad talks about one of the unexpected skills that architects need to master–sales. He emphasizes the importance of being adaptable and flexible for career progression in the AEC sector. Brad also offers invaluable advice on preparing for procurement season, focusing on un...

Do you feel lost in the sea of mergers and acquisitions?  Katie is talking with Tiffany Konenkamp, CPSM, from Century Fire, about branding and M&A in the AEC sector.  Tiffany discusses the nuances of acquiring smaller firms, focusing on the need to balance respect for the acquired company's brand while transitioning to the Century Fire identity. She emphasizes the critical nature of value...

Katie is back with Balfour Beatty's Senior Vice President, Mike Macon, discussing the construction giant's brand strategy and competitive positioning. Mike details the company's approach to winning large public sector projects, emphasizing the necessity of aligning with client expectations, the pivotal role of communications, and the importance of detailed preparation for client pre...

Katie continues her SmartWIN24 speaker spotlight series with Greg C. Hart. - President of PSMJ. He discusses the critical need for a deep understanding of the nuanced challenges and opportunities that the AEC sector faces, particularly considering the varied effects of macroeconomic trends. By drilling down on the data, he’s able to share insights about the strategic use of data and proposal activ...

The challenges businesses encounter in generating pipeline and revenue have changed. SmartWIN24 speaker and Smartegies Alliance Partner Megan Gregory joins the podcast. With two decades of sales and marketing expertise, Megan offers insights into contemporary marketing strategies. Specifically targeting AEC firms, she discusses the importance of understanding your audience, pinpointing their issue...

Are you enabling the people at your firm to help you grow? Katie welcomes Greg Johnson, PE, a Partner at the distinguished MEP engineering firm Newcomb and Boyd , to the podcast. Greg discusses investments in marketing and business development resources, emphasizing the role of networking and knowledge exchange at events like SmartWIN24. He emphasizes the importance of close-knit networking and op...

Brooke Lewis, CPSM, Associate Director of Marketing for Stratus Team, LLC , sits down with Katie on today’s episode. Lewis oversees marketing across all firm locations and discusses her first-hand experience with M&A, the challenges of building a marketing team and brand from scratch and adapting to technology's fast pace in the AEC industry. Limited spots remain for our upcoming SmartWIN...

Jeff Kinsler, Senior Account Executive and Media Consultant for OUTFRONT Media joins the conversation today. Kinsler outlines OUTFRONT's operations, highlighting its commitment to leveraging creative design for business growth. He delves into the evolution of out-of-home advertising, including the integration of digital capabilities and geofencing for more targeted, personalized campaigns. Li...

Host Katie Cash chats with Smartegies Alliance Partner, Katie Harris. In this episode, Katie provides growth strategy insights for design, engineering, and development firms. She highlights the evolving marketing role in the AEC industry, focusing on the vital need for effective internal and external communications for business growth. She also discusses marketing, business development, and commun...

Host Katie Cash sits down with Beth Ament - Associate Vice President, Senior Manager of Communications and Marketing at Epsten Group, a Salas O’Brien company. Together, they reflect on the evolution of business development and marketing within the AEC industry. They discuss the importance of knowing your intended audience and the effectiveness of diversifying marketing approaches, from direct inte...

Katie continues her speaker spotlight series with Joe Walker, the Founding Principal of Walker Architects and host of the " Design For An Agile World ” podcast. The discussion centers on the firm's agile design approach, particularly in sectors like higher education, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare. He shares insights into leveraging innovative marketing tools to articulate the fi...

There are several things to consider when you are creating your brand and trying to differentiate it from others in the design and construction industry. Katie and Judy engage in a discussion about the challenges of crafting a positioning statement, particularly for multidisciplinary firms and smaller subsidiaries within larger brands. They provide practical insights and tips for developing compel...

Host Katie Cash sits down with Eric Anest, Senior VP of Marketing and Communications at Salas O'Brien, to discuss the integral role of marketing and effective communication in Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) in the AEC industry. Eric shares insights from Salas O'Brien's 30+ mergers that grew the company from 300 to over 2,500 employees. They discuss the importance of strategic co...

This SmartWIN24 speaker spotlight features Mike Hoffman, i-Heart Media's Director of Brand Partnerships. He sits down with Katie Cash to talk about radio advertising's effectiveness for B2B companies, with a focus on the AEC industry.  Mike shares his insights and emphasizes the importance of using data and targeted advertising for specific audiences.  Join Mike at SmartWIN24 for his pan...

We’re kicking off a special series of episodes to introduce our brilliant lineup of SmartWIN24 speakers! We’re excited for you to get the opportunity to hear from each one of them and see what we have in store for our annual conference happening February 28-29, at the Commerce Club in Atlanta, GA.  Industry expert and Smartegies Alliance Partner, Scott Steiding , is the first to join host, Katie C...

In this brand new episode of AEC Marketing for Principals, we are joined by Sarah Keane, Marketing Principal for HOK. We have an in-depth conversation about the evolution of AEC marketing and explore her dynamic career as a younger Principal in the AEC industry.   We discuss the role of Marketing Principals in aligning internal and external stakeholders, the importance of integrating marketing thr...

No matter how you feel about it, advances in technology are like a snowball rolling downhill.  You can’t stop it, but you can leverage its power! In today’s episode, Katie talks with Frank Lazaro, Sobo’s Chief Marketing Officer, and a seasoned expert in AEC sales, marketing, and technology.  Frank shares his perspective on how AI can revolutionize current marketing strategies by enabling highly ta...

Welcome to another episode of AEC Marketing for Principals! Hosts Katie and Judy are excited to have Greg Hart from PSMJ as their special guest. He’s joining them for an in-depth exploration of the ever-evolving landscape of marketing and business development in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. They kick off this podcast with just a round table chat on the debate of remote...