Architect My Business

Your host, Aya Shlachter, talks with Smita Sahoo— Owner, Founder, and Creative Director of āśaya | DESIGN. In this episode, Aya and Smita discuss the intricacies of the business side of design and how creative thinking impacts overall business success. Smita goes into detail about her company's focus on emotions and thoughtfulness and highlights the importance of building strong networks and formi...

In this special episode, taken from Aya's talk at the Women Architects Festival, she shares her early career journey and the valuable insights she gained along the way. The episode delves deep into the fundamental principles that helped shape her success, emphasizing the significance of resilience, authenticity, and the courage to take risks. Drawing from personal experiences, she imparts practica...

Your host, Aya Shlachter, talks with Sarah Wingo — Partner and Founding Principal of Wyn Design Co. In this episode, Aya shares an engaging conversation with Sarah about the importance of mentorship, positive networking, and building relationships in the architecture industry. Sarah shares her experiences connecting with the community, mentoring the next generation of architects, and delves into t...

Your host, Aya Shlachter, talks with EunHea Kim— Owner and Principal Interior Designer of Pen110 Studio. In this episode, Aya and Eunhea share a laid-back conversation about their experiences as women working in the fast-paced field of architecture and design. Considered a seasoned retail store designer, Eunhea delves into her retail job experience in different brands and discusses the pros and co...

Your host, Aya Shlachter, talks with Jazz Smollet — producer, author, cook, interior designer, and co-host of CleoTV's Living by Design . In this episode, Aya shares a candid conversation with multi-hyphenate female creative, Jazz, about motherhood, food, and the importance of storytelling in interior design. Jazz emphasizes how storytelling elevates a design and why she believes that getting to k...

Your host, Aya Shlachter, talks with Andrea Steele— founder and principal of Andrea Steele Architecture.   In this episode, Aya shares an insightful conversation with Andrea on building and strengthening human connections through sustainable architecture. Andrea also discusses her exciting journey to establishing a firm in New York City, how sustainability extends beyond the conservation of natura...

"If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail."   Effective and realistic planning promotes continuous growth and brings us closer to success. In this year's special first episode, our very own Aya Shlachter will be speaking on how to set yourself up for success through planning.    In this episode, Aya will be sharing some practical tips on how she managed to accomplish her objectives in the pas...

Your host, Aya Shlachter, talks with Michelle Kolbe, CCO, Co-Founder, and Head of Design of EvoDOMUS .   In this episode, Aya and Michelle take a trip down memory lane as they talk about Michelle's journey as an architecture major who traveled to Europe and how this opportunity exposed her to various experiences that soon served as a compass that helped her navigate her career life.    Michelle al...

Your host, Aya Shlachter, talks with Evelyn Lee, Head of Workplace Strategy and Innovation at Slack Technologies, founder of Practice of Architecture, and co-host of Practice Disrupted Podcast. In this episode, Aya and fellow podcaster Evelyn delve into the intersection of architecture, technology, and innovation. Evelyn discusses her career pivot, how her extensive background in technology and de...

Your host, Aya Shlachter, talks with Aimon Ali, fashion entrepreneur, runway show producer, creative director, and founder of Fashion Talks. In this episode, Aya and Aimon share a lovely conversation about Aimon's life as a creative entrepreneur in the fashion industry. Aimon discusses how her passion for fashion developed, her early creative endeavors, and how her familiarity with a busy lifestyl...

Your host, Aya Shlachter, talks with Dena Prastos— architect, futurist, and CEO of Indigo River, a transdisciplinary design consultancy firm. In this episode, Aya speaks with Dena about her passion for waterfront architecture, design resiliency, and ecology. Dena also talks about how growing up in Alaska influenced her fascination for nature, why she is dedicated to climate adaptation and incorpor...

Your host, Aya Shlachter, talks with Jenika Gonzales, a Visual & Graphic Designer at Mitchell's Ice Cream and a Freelance Designer (Jenika May LLC) In this second episode honoring the October Filipino Heritage Month, Aya gets into a hearty conversation with a fellow creative Filipina-Clevelander, Jenika Gonzales. Jenika talks about her upbringing in the Philippines, what it was like to spend eight...

Your host, Aya Shlachter, talks with Jing Lauengco – brand strategist, chief optimist, and female founder of Jing Inc. and Other Brown Girl. To celebrate October Filipino Heritage Month, Aya shares an uplifting conversation with fellow Filipina-Clevelander Jing Lauengco about their inspiring journeys as creative entrepreneurs, how their Filipino heritage influenced who they are, and how their shar...

Your host, Aya Shlachter, talks with Liza Morales, Principal of Ecotecture Design Studio, CEO of Philippine Geogreen Inc., and co-founder of Tali Handmade. In this episode, Aya and her good friend Liza Morales walk us through their experiences as women working in the architecture and design industry, from their time at Columbia University to their early New York lifestyles. Liza also delves into h...

Your host, Aya Shlachter, talks with Sandra Madison, CEO & Chairperson of Robert P. Madison International, Inc. In this episode, Aya shares an inspiring conversation with fellow Clevelander Sandra Madison on leadership and growth in the context of being an architect and the CEO of a renowned firm. Sandra also talks about her path to becoming a CEO, how self-confidence helped her conquer the hurdle...

Your host, Aya Shlachter, talks with Sonya Haffey, principal of V Starr Interior. In this episode, Aya and Sonya explore the factors that contribute to the effective operation of V Starr and delve into what makes it function like a well-oiled machine. The two also discussed Sonya's early career life, how she transitioned from a pre-med student to a design student, and how she manages her roles as...

Your host, Aya Shlachter, talks with Jing Johnson of Prism Renderings. Jing Johnson started Prism Renderings in 2005 to help clients leverage their project imagery as a business tool. They work with architects, developers, investors, facility owners, and brokers to provide 3D renderings, 360 panoramic renderings, and multi-media animations showing projects from a variety of views at any stage of d...

Your host, Aya Shlachter, talks with Vivian Lee of Woods Bagot. Vivian Lee is the New York Studio Executive Director. Her extraordinary pedigree as a designer and leader serves to elevate the studio culture, while her mission to foster sustainability enriches the environment. She is a champion for equitable practice and advocates for diversity and inclusion in the architectural community. To learn...

Your host, Aya Shlachter talks with Angela Mazzi of Architecting. Angela Mazzi is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life through the built environment with an emphasis on socio-cultural impacts. Since 1995, she has been an advocate for good design as essential to the quality of life with emphasis on urban impacts, user needs, and community interaction. To learn more about Angela's work, visit...

Your host, Aya Shlachter talks with Hafsa Burt of hb+a Architects. hb+a Architects is a hands-on, tech-savvy design studio focused on delivering high-quality design projects. The firm today consists of design professionals; bringing over 105 years of combined experience. They have a successful history with Planning and Building Departments in numerous counties all over the bay area. To learn more...

Your host, Aya Shlachter talks with Violetta Ustayev of Vi Design. Violetta brings a distinctive, holistic approach to design, for the past ten years, she has infused her work with her own eclectic style. Vi Design is an award winning design firm that specializes on interior design, construction management, and staging. Violetta brings a distinctive, holistic approach to design. To learn more abou...

Your host, Aya Shlachter talks with Sara Kolata. Sara has always been a humanitarian at heart, she moved to Guatemala with $300 to her name where she began building schools and houses. In this episode, you'll hear how about the trials and errors Sara experienced while building her business, different construction styles, the benefits of marketing, and more. To learn more about Sara's work, visit h...

Your host, Aya Shlachter talks with Karen Asprea. Karen Asprea is a New York City based interior designer with distinct focus on the luxury residential market. Specializing in design for luxury residential developments, private homes and commercial spaces. To learn more about Karen's work, visit https://www.karenasprea.com/ If you'd like to be a guest on Architect My Life, click HERE

Your host, Aya Shlachter talks with Elizabeth Averyanova. Elizaveth believes you can make great money doing the work you love. Whether that means building an online design business or pursuing a job that is aligned with who you truly want to become, all it takes is the proper mindset and the right actions to build your skillset and expertise. Today, she's had the privilege of having worked with ov...

Your host, Aya Shlachter talks with Bolanle Williams-Olley and Jessica Mann-Amato of Mancini Duffy. Mancini Duffy is a full-service design firm specializing in architecture, planning, and interior design. With offices in New York City and New Jersey, the practice complements its century of expertise with contemporary entrepreneurial spirit and technological skill for clients in the commercial, edu...