Entrearchitect Podcast With Mark R. Lepage

Pricing Creativity What is it that we sell as small firm architects? Is it a pile of paper? A bunch of technical services? A legal process required to obtain a building permit? What we sell is a desired future state. Whether we’re working with commercial, institutional or residential clients, they have an idea in their minds about how they’d like their lives to be in the future. We’ve all experienced the moment at the end of the project when our clients finally get it and understand the value we provide. We need them to understand the value of what we do before we do it. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Pricing Creativity with Author Blair Enns. Background Blair Enns is the sand in the free pitching machine. Through his sales training program for creative professionals, Win Without Pitching, he is on a mission to change the way creative services are bought and sold the world over. He is the author of The Win Without Pitching Manifesto and Pricing Creativity: A Guide to Profit Beyond The

How to Start an Architecture Firm The journey to become an architect is one of many struggles and accomplishments. Each step is achieved by setting goals, working hard, and doing what you set out to do. Every architect needs to follow their own path, and much of it is unknown. The process to becoming and architect and starting your own firm is often done through trial and error. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, How to Start an Architecture Firm with Architect and Author Timothy Ung. Background Timothy Ung is a product designer and architect based in New York. After getting his architecture license at the age of 26, Tim started a blog called Journey of an Architect to document his process of design and pursue his goal of designing thirty theoretical projects before his 30th birthday in May 2020. He’s currently working on developing a podcast with a fellow blogger and evolving architect, Mike LaValley (EA161: SketchUp for Small Firm Architects with Mike LaValley). In 2016, Tim led a day-long seminar o

Life of an Architect with Bob Borson It’s been 215 episodes, and he’s back. His firm, his family, and the life of an architect. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Life of an Architect with Bob Borson. Background Bob Borson is a principle of Malone Maxwell Borson Architects, a full service architecture firm based in Dallas, Texas. The award winning firm is frequently published and is widely recognized for its thoughtful and considered designs. In 2013, they were honored as the AIA Dallas Firm of the Year. Bob is very active at his local and state components of AIA, where he serves on several committees and leads many initiatives. In 2009, he was recognized as AIA Dallas as Young Architect of the Year and in 2017 he was elevated in the AIA College of National Fellows. Many listeners may know him through his blog, LifeofanArchitect.com which has millions of listeners per year. He’s also a dedicated dad, husband, and traveler. A great tip he’s shared over the years is to sign up for the

The Psychology of Success So much of our success and failure as entrepreneur architects is determined by our mindsets. It’s all in your head! What’s keeping you from growing? How do you properly  set boundaries around your firms and families? What about the importance of visions and planning your life? How about the seasons of our lives determining the timeline for our success? This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, The Psychology of Success with Entrepreneur Psychotherapist Joyce Marter. Background Joyce Marter is a licensed psychotherapist and the founder of Urban Balance, a multisite counseling practice that she started and grew to over 100 therapists working in 9 locations in Chicago and St. Louis during her 13 years as CEO. She has a passion for applying psychology to business.  She’s a public speaker, a corporate trainer, and she has been featured as an expert on media outlets like Wall Street Journal, US News & World Report, CNN, MTV and more. Origin Story Joyce went to school at

A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming an Architect Developer If you’re interested in becoming an architect developer, this is the episode for you! This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming an Architect Developer with Danny Cerezo of cs design. Background Danny Cerezo is originally from New York City, but moved to LA long ago. He has a bachelors in Architecture from USC and a masters from Woodberry San Diego where he studied under famed architect developers Jonathan Segal and Ted Smith. He’s a liscensed general contractor who has recently started a contracting firm with a development partner where he’s now designing and building a development project as an architect. Origin Story Hear Danny’s origin story in EA126: Successful Technologies for an Architect Startup with Architect Danny Cerezo. cs design is a small husband and wife firm in LA. In 2008, Danny decided he wanted to pursue the architect as developer route, and today the firm is split between traditional

Building an Architecture Firm Around a Delightful Client Journey So much of the success experienced by thriving small firms can be found in their process. How are they developing the services they provide to their clients? How are they managing their clients’ expectations? Are they making things happen in an efficient way? Is the design, development and building process enjoyable? This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Building an Architecture Firm Around a Delightful Client Journey with Architect Anthony Laney. Background Anthony is an architect and designer who’s devoted to bring out the best in creative teams. He’s a cofounder and partner at Laney LA, an architecture firm focusing on  serving home and business owners in LA and the surrounding region. He began his career with the renowned firm Marmol Radziner working for clients as distinguishd as Tom Ford. Graduating at the top of his class from the USC School of Architecture, he won 17 class commendations and received numerous recognition

AIA Contract Documents for Small Firms The man behind AIA Contract Documents, the comprehensive legal document system from AIA. For years, small firm architects have been a bit disgruntled about the bulky, intimidating documents. In the past few years, AIA has been working hard to serve the small firm community and AIA Contract Documents have evolved to provide documents specifically for small firm architects. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, AIA Contract Documents for Small Firms with Ken Cobleigh of the American Institute of Architects. Background Ken serves as Managing Director and Counsel, AIA Contract Documents. He works with a team of lawyers, specialists and support staff, and the AIA Documents Committee, in developing and publishing AIA Contract Documents, and in providing support services to contract document users. Ken joined the American Institute of Architects in October 2006. Ken is a graduate of the University of Maryland where he earned both his B.A. and J.D. with honors. After earning his

The Slow Space Movement with Mette Aamodt of Aamodt Plumb Architects “In 1986 Carlo Petrini protested the opening of a McDonald's restaurant in Piazza di Spagna, Rome and launched the Slow Food Movement. Carl Honoré explains in his book, In Praise of Slowness, that Slow Food stands for everything that McDonalds does not: fresh, local, seasonal produce; recipes handed down through the generations; sustainable farming; artisanal production; leisurely dining with family and friends. But ultimately the movement is about the sensual pleasures of food. Thirty years after Carlo's protest, organic produce, artisanal cheeses and craft beer are everywhere. Foodies flock to ever more specialized restaurants serving only food cultivated in their own backyards. Whole Foods is considered mass market and Michelle Obama is promoting farm-to-table in public schools. Carlo should be proud. He saved food! Since then, the Slow Movement has touched almost every industry except ours. Slow Cities. Slow Aging. Slow

The Girl UNinterrupted Project with Juliet Chun & Zhanina Boyadzhieva These two young, emerging architects have decided to take the lead in the profession and build a powerful resource that informs and empowers other emerging professionals. Hear what can happen when two women refuse to allow anything to block their way to success. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, The Girl UNinterrupted Project with Juliet Chun & Zhanina Boyadzhieva. Background With a B.S. and M.Arch from Northeastern University, Juliet, Associate AIA, joined Leers Weinzapfel Associates in 2008 and has worked on a diversity of projects such as Ohio State University East Regional Chilled Water Plant and the UMass Design Building. She has taught at the Boston Architectural College as a studio instructor and thesis advisor and has been a guest critic for various institutions including Wentworth Institute of Technology, Mass Art College of Art and Design, and Pratt University. Originally from Bulgaria, Zhanina, Associate AIA, received

Lessons Learned from Investing in 15 Architecture Firms Today is the FINAL day to enroll for the EntreArchitect Mastermind for resources, training, and a powerful peer group that will help you accomplish your most ambitious goals. Learn more at EntreArchitect.com/mastermind. One of the most surprising things about small architecture firms is how similar we all are. We’re all struggling with the same issues and trying to contribute to the world the best that we can. Charrette Venture Group invests in small firms, partnering with us to address the issues we face and helping us to plan for success. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Lessons Learned from Investing in 15 Architecture Firms with Todd Reding of Charrette Venture Group. Background Todd Reding is the President and CEO of Charrette Venture Group. Todd has been a guest of the podcast on EA103: 3 Roadblocks Experienced by Every Entrepreneur Architect and What To Do About It [Podcast] and EA151: How to Grow Your Architecture Firm [Podcast]. Charre

How to Become an Influential Speaker Whether you’re proposing a project to a new client or presenting to a powerful decision making authority or spreading a message to the world one stage at a time, your voice and how you use it will be the difference between falling flat and persuading your audience to see it your way. Do you want to make a difference? Use your voice to change the world around you. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, How to Become an Influential Speaker with Dr. Michelle Mazur of Communication Rebel. Background Dr. Michelle Mazer founded Communication Rebel on the belief that communication changes the world. She helps speakers rebel against the status quo and make a difference by crafting their message, create their positioning and decide on pricing. Her speakers have gone on to book $100K speaking gigs, become international speakers, and raise more money than they ever expected. Origin Story Michelle figured out that she was passionate about public speaking in 10th grade during her r

How to Build a Million Dollar Small Firm Using a Remote Team The future of architecture for small firms is the remote team. Using technology and online tools to acquire new clients, manage projects, and work with a team of top professionals distributed around the world, the virtual studio along with a remote team will allow you the flexiblity, freedom, prosperity and success that many of us are seeking as small firm architects. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, How to Build a Million Dollar Small Firm Using a Remote Team with Winn Wittman of SelfBuiltArchitect.com.  Background Winn Wittman is a contemporary residential architect based in Austin, Texas. His work has been featured in various publications including Architectural Record, Architectural Digest, The Rob Report, Green Building & Design, Hinge, The Discovery Network, and HGTV. He has a BA from Tufts and a Master of Architecture from the University of Texas in Austin. He’s received numerous awards, including best green innovation for his

5 Steps to Unleash the Significant Power of Sleep Of our many skills, sleep may be the weakest. We know it’s important, and that it has a direct effect on our heath, well being, and overall success. Yet night after night we break the rules. This week on EntreArchitect, 5 Steps to Unleash the Significant Power of Sleep. A few years back, Mark began experiencing some significant health issues. After many tests, it was determined that his issues were a direct result of high levels of stress. Architects are stressed. The lifestyle that we lead often causes lots of problems. Mark has implemented a number of more healthful practices, one of the most important of which is sleep. He’s achieved significant improvement and felt the benefits, but he still has a way to go. In architecture school, late nights and even all-nighters are looked upon with honor like they’re something good. If you’ve ever done this, you know the effects on your mind and body. The effects can even reach to the dangerous

Business by Design: Organize Your Business Beautifully Using 6 Proven Principles of Design Vision, mission, goals, hiring, culture, business systems, planning. These are all critical elements of success. Do you want to organize all of these into a successful business plan? Can you use the creative side of your brain to see your firm from a different perspective? This week on EntreArchitect, Business by Design: Organize Your Business Beautifully Using 6 Proven Principles of Design. Jane Walton is a published author, a public speaker and a trained executive coach with a masters degree in Human Resources Management training and development. She’s developed and facilitated numerous programs focused on leadership, team effectiveness and management specific to architecture firms. You can hear her entire origin story on EA088: How to Avoid Burnout as an Architect with Jane Walton [Podcast]. Taking inspiration from the art world, Jane will discuss how to design your firm beautifully by utilizing the basic princ

How to Develop a Powerful Owner Architect Agreement for Your Architecture Firm If you purchase the Hybrid Proposal Digital Course TODAY – including complete documents ready for you to edit for your small firm – we will throw in a FREE bonus including access to the Construction Management for Small Firm Architects Course and the GetFocused Productivity Course for Small Firm Architects . That’s over $600 for only $197. The offer ends Friday, February 2, 2018 at 11:59PM ET! Click HERE to receive BOTH the video course AND the complete template package that's ready to edit and help you sign more projects and make more money today! About 10 years ago, Mark was inspired by a talk to create his own owner architect agreement, one that works for his small firm. It needed to be easy to understand, look friendly, and be an integral part of his firm’s simple sales system. How can we go from prospect to project as effectively and efficiently as possible? After a decade of slow evolution, it

Construction Administration for Architects is NOT an Option A very popular topic around EntreArchitect is the role of the architect in the construction phase.  The number of firms providing architecture services and forfeiting Construction Administration is surprising. One member of The EntreArchitect Community recently shared, “I need to get better at selling my clients on construction administration. Most think they don’t need it and refuse it when I offer. I had a recent client back out on the service because my drawings were essentially too well done. Once they saw the final drawings, they decided the contractor could handle it without my involvement.” This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Construction Administration for Architects is NOT an Option. During the past few years, we’ve began to discuss, as a profession, taking back the process.  The goal is to be viewed once again as the leaders of the construction industry. To make this happen, we must literally take control of our pr

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Every Small Firm Architect Should Read This Book Fivecat Studio Architecture launched in 1999, and Mark discovered a book that changed the way he viewed business. It helped him realize that running a successful architecture firm required so much more than designing great architecture. Inside the owner of every small firm exists a battle among the entrepreneur, the manager and the technician. If we don’t attend to the needs of each one, our firms are destined for failure. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, The E-Myth Revisited: Why Every Small Firm Architect Should Read This Book. The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber inspired Mark to build Fivecat Studio Architecture as a franchise prototype. Even though they knew selling their business systems as a franchise was never a goal, it was still important. Those systems have allowed them to thrive and have given them the tools needed to balance the requirements

Walking the Talk of Equity by Design Sometime in the next few weeks, the AIA San Francisco Equity by Design comittee will launch it’s third Equity in Architecture Survey and distribute the findings from their previous survey. Check it out and take it, because it will affect everyone in the profession of architecture. Equity means that all people, regardless of their socioeconomic, racial, or ethnic grouping, have fair and just access to the recourses and opportunities needed to thrive. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Rosa Sheng is Walking the Talk of Equity by Design. Background Rosa is a respected designer, architect, thought leader and innovator with over 23 years of experience. She’s led a variety of award winning and internationally acclaimed projects. As founding chair of Equity by Design and AIA San Francisco Chapter president, Rosa has led two Equity in Architecture surveys and authored AIA National Resolution 15-1 in 2015 and served on the Equity in Architecture Commission from 2016-2

We’re Building a New House for Our Family We’re building a new house for our family! I’m going to share our process and our progress with you – right here – at EntreArchitect Podcast. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, We’re Building a New House! Last fall, Mark LePage and Annmarie McCarthy purchased a lot on a subdivision in Weddington, North Carolina. Mark and Annmarie are husband and wife, and also partners at Fivecat Studio in Westchester County, New York. About 20 years ago, several of their family coincidentally moved from the New York metro area to North Carolina, just outside the city of Charlotte. Both Mark and Annmarie’s parents still live in the New York metro area, and have been a huge part in helping them raise their children while they were building their careers. Being close to New York City allows their family the convenience of visiting as often as they choose, and provides a fantastic client base for their high-end residential architecture firm. Th

Top 5 Most Popular Episodes for EntreArchitect Podcast in 2017 The EntreArchitect community is growing larger and more powerful every day, and this podcast has seen the results. The EntreArchiect podcast is now being downloaded more than 30,000 times per month. The progress we’re making is no doubt directly related to you, the EntreArchitect Community. Episode 200 is the final episode of 2017 and there are so many great things coming in 2018. Focus on the things you have control over. There are only a handful of things that we have direct influence over. Work to ensure that you maximize your impact on the things that matter most. If you adopt these three words as your mantra – Love, Learn, and Share what you know – next year will certainly be your best year yet. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, the Top 5 Most Popular Episodes for EntreArchitect Podcast in 2017.  #5 with 5988 downloads in 2017 EA175: Michael Kilkelly The Entrepreneur Architect Series Michael Kilkelly is a principal at S