Business of Architecture Podcast

This morning my 7-year old daughter showed me a drawing that she did of a 'remote control doll.' Apparently this is what 7-year-old girls like to think about. On one side of the page she drew a picture of the remote, complete with a viewing screen, speaker and microphone so she could talk through the doll. On the reverse side of the page, she had a picture of the back of the doll with an outlet in...

Yesterday I took my kids to their swim meet. It was cool outside with a nice breeze blowing. I stood in the stands so I could watch my kids swim and record their times. In my down time, I was scrolling through Instagram and I came across a post by one of my business mentors who recommended 3 books,  The Ultimate Blueprint for an Insanely Successful Business  by Keith Cunningham, and  How Finance W...

Yesterday I spoke with the partners of a design-focused architecture firm that does commercial, hospitality and residential projects. They reached out to me because their fees are very competitive, but they sometimes get undercut by 40% or more. Many times the clients come back to them with their tail between their legs after these projects go off track – but not always. This is frustrating for th...

The other day I was walking around my neighborhood and I found a stray golf ball on my lawn. This reminded me of an important principle if you want to have it all in business and life. Listen to this episode and let me know what you think!

Many architects are sitting on uncovered profit within their firm. In this episode, podcast host Alex Gore interviews Enoch Sears about key profit levers small firm owners can use to boost bottom line revenue without getting more clients or working more hours. ► Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for updates: https://www.youtube.com/c/BusinessofArchitecture ******* For more free tools and resources f...

Poop in the toilet (business lesson on inspecting what you expect). Recently one of our toilets in the house went out of commission. This reminded me of an important business lesson for any firm owner. Listen and let me know what you think.

Why don't potential clients come running to my firm? If you're delivering exceptional service and value to your clients, you may wonder why clients don't come running to your firm? Why don't more people refer you? There is one key to successful client attraction and business development that we cover in this episode. This is the foundation to growing a successful practice in the future.

Today we welcome Ignacio Rodriguez to the show. Ignacio Rodriguez runs an architecture firm based in Los Angeles, California that specializes in luxury residential homes of $15,000 square feet and more. On today's episode you'll discover the clever way that Ignacio and his wife started their residential design firm, and how they grew it over the course of 6 years to win larger commissions. ► Subsc...

Today we welcome Dean Lincoln Hyers to the show. Dean helps architecture firms win commissions through interview and presentation coaching to help them communicate their value and win the deal. He and his partner are the authors of the book, "Winning AEC Interviews." The deals they've been involved in have resulted in over $4.5 billion in project wins, including the USBANK stadium, where the 2018...

Today we welcome architect Leah Baker to the show. Leah is the founder of Graphite, an online service that pairs pre-selected architects with clients looking to hire an architect. On today's episode you'll discover how Leah started her entrepreneurial journey, and what it has taken to get her to the point she's at. You'll also discover her recommendation if you have a big idea. ► Subscribe to my Y...

Today we welcome Mel Price and Christopher Toddy to the show. Christopher Toddy is the current chair of AIA's Small Firm Exchange committee, and Mel Price is a past chair. On today's episode you'll hear about the 2 workshops that we are partnering to deliver at the AIA National Conference this year in Las Vegas. ► Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for updates: https://www.youtube.com/c/BusinessofArc...

Today we welcome Ian Motley to the show. Ian is a proposal writing and negotiation expert for the architecture industry. Formerly, he worked for Fosters Partners advising on proposal and negotiation strategies. Now he runs Blue Turtle Consulting with his partner Alexandra Howieson. Blue Turtle provides training and consulting services to the AEC industry. You may have seen their popular proposal-w...

Today I speak with Dan Stine, bestselling author of 12 books including the #1 Revit academic training textbook. In today's episode, you'll discover an interesting career path within the architecture industry. Dan is the BIM Administrator at LHB, a 250-person, multi-disciplinary firm with 4 offices. ► Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for updates: https://www.youtube.com/c/BusinessofArchitecture ****...

Today we welcome back architect Nick Tsontakis to the show. Nick runs a successful residential architectural practice in Scottsdale, Arizona. His impressive work is frequently published in local and national media. In today's episode, you'll discover: The surprising method Nick has discovered for reaching his ideal clients How collaborating with your competitors can help you grow your practice How...

Get the 4-part architect profit map video at http://www.freearchitectgift.com . Today we welcome architect Nick Tsontakis to the show. Nick Tsontakis runs a successful and highly awarded residential architecture practice in Scottsdale, Arizona. In today's episode, you'll discover: How Nick wins his impressive, high caliber projects The one thing Nick says architects need to do, that they almost ne...

Today's interview is a behind-the-scenes conversation with a firm owner graduate of the Architecture Firm Freedom Formula program I run with Scott Beebe. Scott and I started the Freedom Formula program several years ago because I heard from so many small firm owners that they were overwhelmed with the day-to-day of running the practice and they wanted to get freedom back into their life again. In...

Today we welcome Erin Morris to the show. Erin Morris is the president of Erin Morris Architect, a design-focused firm based in Newport Beach, California. In today's episode, you'll discover: The two main things that helped Erin go from overwhelmed operator to empowered owner How to build a business around your life, not the other way around How Erin went from wanting to walk away from her firm, t...

Although they won numerous awards and were doing good work, architect Rodney Robles realized something was missing in his firm. After ignoring the business aspect of his firm for the first 7 years, he immersed himself on how to run a great practice, which has made a great difference on his practice, his work, and his life. Rodney Robles is the founder of the architecture firm Factor:Recurso, based...

Today is an interview with Michelle Fenton, the founder of Khora Architecture based out of Vancouver, British Columbia. Michelle is a graduate of the Architecture Firm Freedom Formula program I run with Scott Beebe. In today's episode, you'll discover: The steps Michelle has taken to get a head start in starting her new architecture firm How Michelle went from working 18 hour days and working week...

On today's episode, you'll hear an excerpt from the group coaching call I run every week with architecture and design firm owners around the world. In this call, a South-Africa based architect asks how she can use the additional information she has in a Building Information Model to provide greater value to a client, and greater compensation for her services. On this episode you'll discover: Why y...

In today's episode of the Business of Architecture podcast, you'll get a sneak peek behind the scenes of the Mastermind group I run with Richard Petrie and Eric Bobrow. A Mastermind group is a small group of individuals who meet regularly to brainstorm and think tank about a particular subject. This Mastermind focuses on helping group members win higher quality projects through strategic marketing...

One of the biggest challenges faced by architecture firm owners is that we feel we do everything so well, we have a hard time delegating these things to other people because they won't be able to do it as well as we can. This is fine if you're a sole practitioner and you want to focus on small projects; however, as your firm grows this becomes problematic. We hamstring ourselves by trying to do to...

When John Sofio told his employer back in 1994 that his goal was to earn "over $400k in a year," his employer laughed. John hit the streets looking for work on his own, which resulted in his first job, remodeling two bathrooms in Los Angeles. Fast-forward 20 years and John is a well-known and iconic nightclub designer. John and his team also build these spaces - either on their own or in close coo...

In my work with firm owners from around the world, there's one common thread between firms that have a steady, profitable flow of work without doing much outbound marketing and advertising, vs. other firms that struggle with price shopping clients, fee pressure, and inconsistent demand - wondering where the next project will come from. This pressure kills the joy of running an architecture firm wh...

If you're wondering what kind of software to get to manage your projects at an architecture firm - this episode is a must-listen. Today, I speak with Hugh Glazer, who acts as a consulting Chief Financial Office for Architecture, Engineering and Construction Companies. We discuss common operational problems that firm owners face that leeches their profit, and also how to pick a project management s...