ARCHITECTING Podcast - Career + Lifestyle Mentoring for Architects looking to move beyond overwhelm and make a difference through design

In these shaky economic times, it's really easy to want to stay in a job even when what you're doing might be blocking you from your true career path. In this episode, I'll help you rip off that security blanket and help you claim the opportunities you need to have an impactful vocation. Playing it safe is actually waaaay more stressful than chasing your dreams. You are allowing your energy to be...

In this ask me anything session, hear my response to a member of the Architecting Community who is feeling a little less than creative lately. Learn my top rituals to restore your creativity and keep it flowing. Creativity ebbs and flow with your level of energy and inspiration. Don't expect a steady state or feel bad if you aren't always at max creativity. Minimize creativity killers.  Look at th...

When is spilling some tea more than just some idle gossip? When you connect on the regular with a group of people who believe in having and holding for others big visions about what's possible. Listen in to learn more about how a genius group can uplevel your career (and life). Your life will match that of the people you spend the most time with. So surround yourself with those who make you feel i...

Oh yay- you accomplished something big! How fast can you stick a pin in that bubble to burst it? Collectively, we are so focused on what we haven't done (yet) that we forget to celebrate our wins and those of others. Here's why that's super bad to do. Every accomplishment deserves to be celebrated. By recognizing what's special and savoring it, you uplevel your point of view and can see even more...

Whether you are newly responsible for something, or trying like hell to delegate already, your biggest obstacle is overcoming fear (yes really). Listen to this episode to learn how to burst the experience bubble without creating bad blood. The experience bubble is the friction experienced when facing a learning curve. It can be scary to be confronted with this leading to behavior that inadvertentl...

Burnout recovery involves more than just taking a break from stress. That's why so many vacations  just make you wish you didn't have to head back to...wait! Could it be that burnout recovery is about creative restoration? Listen in to find out Burnout comes from having a lack of resources, over-dominance of mundane and routine tasks and no space for inspiration. Creativity is what gives us the re...

How amazing would it be to do work you are passionate about with colleagues and clients that share that passion every day? That can happen when you start leveraging your expertise and target your ideal clients. Sales is not a dirty word- without sales, you don't have an ability to do the work that makes a difference. Know the difference between work you want to do, and work you are able to do. Off...

Perfection, once valued as a symbol of quality, is now suspect. It's not inspiring or inclusive. If you want an impactful career, let go of the perfectionism and embrace the cringe. Today is your starting line- no matter how you have succeeded or failed (learned), you get to next level each day. Cringe is your sign that you have upped your game, don't let it be what holds you back from your potent...

Feeling a little stuck in your quest to make a difference? Let's help you break your genius efforts out of projects and get them scaled up to where they can have an influence. How you ask? Listen in to learn about a little something something called an insight and how it can next level your career. You can't keep pointing to the past by talking about what you accomplished on a project. Show how yo...

Work has changed. How we think about it has not. If you are feeling the friction of asynchronous schedules, pressure to respond to a 24 hour cycle of demands and the fallout of being stressed out, you need to listen to this episode. Stress is not a badge of honor- it's a cry for help that leads to poor performance in the short term and major physical and mental health issues over time. Modern fear...

World changers don't have time to stay in their comfort zone. Steffi Reyes-Thomas shares how she embarked on a path of climate advocacy and holistic design that has pushed her past what she thought she would ever be able to do. Ask and educate- be willing to take a stand and call out the issues others may either not be aware of or not know that have the power to change. Find a community - the supp...

Sure it's cool to work on a big, cutting edge sustainable project. Tiffany Broyles Yost has been there and done that. Today, she shares how her interest in well being and quality of life translated to a career that makes a sustainability and resilience impact at the scale of the Everyproject. It doesn't have to be buzzworthy to make a difference. The incremental steps you take by helping clients s...

Just because negative bias is a survival mechanism hardwired into your biology doesn't mean it's serving you. That's because the things you fear in modern life are a threat to your ego not your life. Listen in to learn how to train your brain to tell the difference so you can ditch lack based thinking and start thriving. A sign you're experiencing negative bias is a desire to fix something you fel...

If how you do anything is how you do everything, why think small? My guest Noam Platt talks about the value of the architect's skill set in solving problems at every scale. Learn why you need to do more than meet expectations and how a series of right actions can lead to making a big impact. Even the smallest details impact an experience. Question everything and look at ways to make it better. Des...

Forging new paths doesn't require special skills or experience to get started.  Graciela Carrillo shares her inspiring story of becoming an advocate for women, minorities, immigrants and young professionals in the architecture community. You don't make an impact by yourself. Build a container for others who care about an issue to join you. Together you inspire each other. Decide what you're passio...

If you only take wellness seriously when you are on the brink of a mental or physical health breakdown, that's not self care- it's repair.  How about you make living your best life a non-negotiable? Listen to learn how. Pay attention to what you say you'd like to do ...one day. Often those are the things you need to prioritize in the here and now. Putting your happiness in the future stifles your...

We celebrate 2024 International Women's Day by focusing on ways to inspire inclusion. Hear from Diana Nicklaus, founder of saam architecture, a revolutionary firm about what an inclusive practice environment involves Everyone needs to work in an environment that allows them to succeed. By removing the career speedbumps of  rigid practice structures, every member of the firm can work in a way that...

You wouldn't keep throwing money into repairing an old car. So why waste so much of your time and talent into a career that's past it's pull date? Instead of arguing for your limitations and pulling out that practical list of all the reasons to play it safe, start living ingeniously. Identify the obstacles: What are you avoiding or procrastinating about doing? How are you compromising to make othe...

Instead of working so hard trying to maintain, what if you let go? My guest Whitney Alexandra shares secrets to navigating transitions, doing what you love and knowing your worth. Pay attention to the clues that you need to change. The more you accept change, the less traumatic it is. When it all burns down, what's left is what's worth keeping. What collapses is what wasn't working- even if you we...

Flexers who compete for dominance in a conversation are cringe. However, staying quiet hoping the blank slate you offer will make you likeable is a huge miss. Listen in to hear how to conquer your fear of the spotlight in order to meaningfully contribute to the discussion. Ask questions instead of making statements in order to keep the focus on the issues, not on your opinions. If you are a proces...

How much do you love your life? If the answer isn't a hell yes, then you need to hear this talk with Dr. Tori Ellis. Learn how to be your own advocate and create your own unique path to success based on converging your interests. Being present is the only way to be attuned to how you're feeling and what you want. Time taken for self care pays huge dividends. Let having fun be your guide to whether...

Presence has power- so does absence. This chat with the founders and officers of the Ohio Valley NOMA Chapter offers insights into what it's like to navigate a challenging career without a whole lot of role models that look like you. Hear the story of their career paths as well as what's so important to them about creating this chapter. Belonging and feeling safe to show up as your authentic self...

You wouldn't recommend that a client duplicate costly services and processes when they could centralize and streamline. Soooooo...why are you putting all of your interests and roles in life into compartments?  Let's reclaim your energy (and find some synergy) already. Compartmentalizing happens when you misplace priorities, abandon your dreams and are afraid of being vulnerable. Curating how you s...

This episode is for all of you so focused on getting to a destination that you didn't notice that at some point you stopped really wanting to go there. Much like an algorithm, new choices arise based on where you currently are. When you explore them, you're not diverging from the path to success, you're blazing a new one. Calling all control freaks- time to let go and start trusting that things wi...

Working really hard and being super invested in reaching your goals is NOT the path to your dream career. That's just some bad Kool Aid you've been drinking. This ethos, also known as Workism, is a fast track to burnout. If you really want to feel fulfilled, try these tips to add more joy to your life and watch your career (finally) take off with your quality of life intact. Eliminate tasks that d...