EntreArchitect Podcast with Mark R. LePage

We are living during an amazing period of time with rapid change and global innovation. Human society is changing before our very eyes. The world I knew as a pre-internet child no longer exists and the world we are experiencing today will be unrecognizable in less than a decade. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast I share my thoughts on 6 Technologies That Will Radically Change the Architecture Profession in Less Than 10 Years. The next generation of technology is coming and it’s going to change the profession radically. Will you be there to take advantage of that opportunity as an early adapter? In the next 5-10 years, these technologies will be mainstream. 3D Printing // Design a 3D model of a building or parts of the building on the computer and print it out to see how it would look and work in real life. We’ll no longer be limited to the available parts and products, we’ll be able to 3D print whatever we want! Virtual Reality // VR 360 headsets to walk through models virtually. We’ll be able to walk clients through buildings, get decisions made more quickly and plan for lighting and emergency situations. Drones // Drones are soon to be introduced as consumer products that you can program to go do what you want it to do. They can be used for photography and videography, but also delivery of materials, marketing, various inspections, even flight-assembled architecture. Robots // Can be used to scan the room to create a 3D model of existing conditions, as a demolition crew, and any tasks like painting, excavating, masonry, framing, welding, cutting, and manufacturing in architecture and construction. Artificial Intelligence // Imagine computers that are intelligent enough to creatively design buildings. Instead of pre-programming tasks, the system will be able to train itself and improving. Cryptocurrency // Bitcoin and electronic currency may eventually be the norm in the future. These things are coming, so let’s choose, as architects, to become the leaders of them. Machines and technologies will be our tools to change the way we do what we do. Change is inevitable and it’s coming quickly; we can either embrace it or reject it for others to seize.   Visit our Platform Sponsor FreshBooks The easiest way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect) Photo Credit: Shutterstock / William Bradberry   The post EA127: 6 Technologies That Will Radically Change the Architecture Profession in Less Than 10 Years [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects. Mentioned in this episode:Frosty & Fired UpBuild Smart

It's June and all month long we here at EntreArchitect are focusing our content on the category of Technology. On the blog, here on the podcast and inside EntreArchitect Academy we are diving deep into the many technologies we can use to make our architecture firms run more efficiently and more effectively. This week Mark R. LePage invited the co-founder of a relatively new firm to join us to discuss the many technologies that he is using to launch his small firm. Architect Danny Cerezo is on the show and he and Mark discussed Successful Technologies for an Architect StartUp. Danny Cerezo is based in Los Angeles, CA and is the principal and co-founder at c|s design. After spending time in service with the Navy, Danny worked for a developer near Palm Springs. He attended Woodbury University in San Diego and graduated with a Masters in Real Estate Development geared for and taught by architects, following that up with working to earn his general contractor’s license. After finishing and selling some projects, creating relationships and getting requests for architecture work on the side, he and his wife, Pam, formed c|s design. What technologies are you using in your firm? Design Software // Whatever’s best for the task at hand. For renovation and addition projects, Chief Architect. Primarily for design they use Revit, but are considering switching to ArchiCad as Mac users. Project Management // For overall project management, Trello for the big picture to create systems, project templates, and identify steps for each phase. For detailed task management, ToDoist. Evernote to easily scan documents, record audio, organize, search and share files for each project. “If anybody’s not using EverNote, I would say pause the podcast right now, go download it and then come back. It’s fantastic.“ Danny also uses a smart pen called Livescribe that’s digitally connected so that every page from the notebook automatically gets uploaded to Evernote. Accounting // FreshBooks for the ease of use and its robustness where clients can come in to check retainers, invoices received and paid, expenses and track time. QuickBooks as a preference for their accountant, who’s then able to check their work. In order to avoid doing the work twice, a Zapier account integrates the two softwares. Communication // Primarily using email but considering using Slack to capture all the information in one repository. Mobile Apps // Dropbox as a server. Social media apps like Morpholio to share creative ideas and SquareSpace to host their website. Website // CandSDesign.com and the blog are geared more towards clients. To share within the profession of architects, Danny uses Medium to blog on topics like “6 Things I Learned My First 2 Years Running Our Architecture Firm” and “Architect as Developer. You Can Do It Too.” Connect with Danny on Facebook, Twitter @dcerezo_LA and @csdesignla, LinkedIn, Instagram and Medium @csdesignLA. Visit our Platform Sponsor FreshBooks The easiest way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect) Referenced in This Episode Check out the FreshBooks Video Rate and review the EntreArchitect podcast on iTunes Do you have an architect or entrepreneur that you’d like to hear featured on EntreArchitect Podcast? Tell us about it! Email support@entrearchitect.com. The post EA126: Successful Technologies for an Architect Startup with Architect Danny Cerezo [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects. Mentioned in this episode:Frosty & Fired UpBuild Smart

Have you ever had an idea to improve your process; to make it more efficient or more effective in some big way? Maybe you are inspired to start a new business that will help take your architecture firm to the next level and in doing so, will change the profession for all of us, forever. This week's guest is striving to do just that. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, I invite Jared Perry, the founder of Paeven.com, a new online platform for architects and engineers, to discuss how to use technology to leverage a powerful idea for predictable revenue. Jared is a professional engineer based in Westlake, Ohio and a co-founder and principal at Sixmo Inc. He attended school at Ohio University with an original focus on transportation engineering before switching over to where his greater interest was, in structural engineering. At Sixmo, the architecture department focuses primarily on aquatic facilities and microbreweries. Structurally they deal a lot in commercial, retail, and light industrial work. Paeven was designed to support growth and competition in the architecture and engineering industry. The whole idea behind it was to create predictable revenue by logging into an online platform to pick jobs in a market where your skills are. What does the process look like for consultant? Create a profile // company, background, contact information, credentials, confirm licensure and agree to the ethical conduct policy Search the database // filter based on discipline, location, market, etc. Found a project? // view any RFIs and download RFP to determine if you’d like to place a bid Place a bid // select your cost, schedule, and hourly rate Results // you’ll be immediately notified based on the preliminary selection criteria that the owner put in the system to see where your bid finished in comparison to others and Paeven will calculate what your percentage is to get that job Decision // the owner has two weeks to decide who to award the bid to Introduction // Paeven passes the baton to introduce the client to the owner There are many architects and engineers who have these ideas and inspiration to create something to better the world they’re in, and they don’t know where to start. When you came up with this idea, how did you get it to where it is now? Thought about it when he was running and wrote it down immediately Brainstormed what to do and what not to do Got support from his spouse Talked to those in his network who have different talents like computer programming to figure out costs and recommendations Found a firm who spoke their language to partner with them doing design and development Worked to get their name out there through passive marketing via social media Connect with Jared on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and online at Paeven.com. Reach out and ask him how or why he did it and if you should do it too! Visit our Platform Sponsor FreshBooks The easiest way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect) Referenced in This Episode Register for a FreshBooks Webinar Click here to enroll in the EntreArchitect Academy   The post EA125: Using Technology to Leverage a Powerful Idea for Predictable Revenue [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects. Mentioned in this episode:Frosty & Fired UpBuild Smart

CVG Architecture Business Plan Competition 2016 Recorded live from the Sonesta Hotel in Downtown Philadelphia the awards reception for the 2016 Charrette Venture Group Architecture Business Plan Competition. We chat with all the finalists, learn about the history of the competition and I sit down for a live one-on-one interview with the winner. We will learn more about their firm, how it was founded and their plans for the future, transitioning from design/build to architect as developer. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast we have a very special episode. And the winner is… What is the history of the Architecture Business Plan Competition? The Architecture Business Plan Competition is an annual event sponsored by Charrette Venture Group. Charrette Venture Group was founded by Matt Ostanik after Matt’s experience in both the architecture and technology worlds. He observed that many architects tend to struggle with successfully growing their business and he found through the tech industry that, in many areas, there’s an abundance of resources to grow your business. Not so in the architecture space. Charrette Venture Group’s goal is to provide resources and invest in architect entrepreneurs to help them grow their business. What’s the most important thing you learned while developing your plan for the Architecture Business Plan Competition? Brian M. Johnson with Arch.406, an architect-led design-build firm, found benefits from intentionally planning and thinking about how to get to the end result, sharing that that exercise alone has helped them significantly improve the quality of their business. They also found it incredibly beneficial to have something that forced them to lay out and communicate their firm’s priorities and understand the financials of the firm and where they want the costs and revenues to be. Clever Moderns is an an online platform for owner-builders to get online support, plans and empowerment to change their lives by building their own house. The most important thing Earl Parson learned through this competition was that even in moments lacking clarity, the world is so full of resources and information that you can find answers to whatever you’re looking for if you take the time and the effort to search for them. Courtney Brinegar, who created ADD+Venture as a nonprofit architect-as-developer practice, felt that the secret ingredient is the importance of a strong vision to drive everything forward. Lindsey Love & Lindsay Schack partner to create Love | Schack Architecture, which focuses on natural buildings and sustainable design. They found it vital to keep a tight timeline in order to work together to distill what exactly their firm is all about. Victor Caban-Diaz with Building Ingenuity learned that sometimes you can’t dive too deep into the details, but rather you should keep your focus on the bottom line. Hear from the winners!  The name “Arch.406” comes from the area code of the state of Montana and the preface for the word “architecture” as an architect-led design-build. The firm came about because of Brian M. Johnson, Nick Pancheau, and Jeff Kanning’s observations at Collaborative Design Architects that architects get to work with the client for long periods of time designing the project, developing their intricacies and how they go about the process. Then, the relationship ends and clients are turned over to the general contractor. Instead of breaking that relationship, Arch.406 wants to control the project from start to finish and make valued decisions based on the best design. Brian M. Johnson’s greatest piece of advice is to not to let your anger or past hurt drive you in the wrong direction. Jeff Kanning reminds architects to be patient and give time to assimilate; listen, learn, and build a knowledge place to get to where you can really be successful. Nick Pancheau wants architects to embrace the specifics of your plans and how you’re approaching the practice of architecture. Connect with Arch.406 online, on Facebook, and search #arch406 on Instagram! Visit our Platform Sponsor FreshBooks The easiest way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect) Referenced in This Episode ADD+Venture ARCH.406 Building Ingenuity Clever Moderns Love | Schack Architecture Charrette Venture Group Photo credit: J&J Studios The post EA124: And the Winner is… [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects. Mentioned in this episode:Frosty & Fired UpBuild Smart

How to Use Sketches to Pass the Architecture Registration Exam In and among the everyday workings of being an architect, or studying to become one, we often find ourselves with new and innovative ideas for doing what we do more efficiently, more effectively or just more enjoyably. We might develop these ideas into new systems or new processes to make our world a little better. If these innovative ideas work for you, they most likely will work for others as well. And in the world of instant connnectability and a community of like-minded architects growing every day on our many social media channels, there is no reason to not share your ideas with the world. You hear it at the end of every episode “Share what you know.” This week on this episode of EntreArchitect Podcast, I am chatting with a friend, whom I met while sharing what I know on the internet, to discuss an innovative idea that she had and is now sharing it with her world. Join me for a conversation with architect Lora Teagarden about her journey to pass the architecture registration exam and how today she is helping others sketch their way to success. Visit our Platform Sponsor FreshBooks The easiest way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect) Referenced in This Episode Learn more about EntreArchitect Academy (Enrollment closes May 30, 2016) ARE Sketches Volume 1: A Visual Study Guide to the Architecture Registration Exam Paper by 53 App Subscribe to the ARE Sketches Newsletter Gary Vaynerchuk Mark Schaefer Mike Riscica Eric Reinholdt AIA Mississippi L2DesignLLC on Instagram L2DesignLLC on Twitter #ArchiTalks Blog Series Bob Borson – Life of an Architect AIA Convention 2016 Architecture Business Plan Competition Awards Ceremony & Reception EntreArchitect Meetup The post EA123: Sketch Your Way to ARE Success with Architect Lora Teagarden [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects. Mentioned in this episode:Build SmartFrosty & Fired Up

Happy clients are the result of clients knowing what to expect, when to expect it, and how much it’s going to cost when their expectations are met. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Mark R. LePage shares How to Build a System to Manage Your Architecture Clients’ Expectations. How do we deliver services to our clients in a way that meets or exceeds their expectations? How do we ensure that every interaction results in a happy, satisfied client? Under promise, over deliver. Don’t say you’re going to do something and then fail to follow through. Always do, at the very least, what you say you’re going to do. Know the time it will take you to do something and give yourself more than enough time. Then delivery the results early whenever you’re able to. Manage expectations. Our clients want to know what to expect, when to expect it, and what it’s going to cost them when the expectation is finally realized. Managing their expectations manages their happiness. Create a system for client expectation management. Put together a step-by-step process of items that will keep your clients feeling fully in control from pre-contract through design and construction to the end of project close-out. Schedule time to review each project once you complete it. Once you have identified the various phases, figure out how to communicate the start and end of each phase to your client. How to Build Business Systems for Architects This month on the EntreArchitect Academy, founder of Business + Architecture and author of The E-Myth Architect Norbert Lemermeyer joins members as our expert trainer to share his knowledge and research on how to build business systems for architects. He’ll share his own templates for his proprietary Client Fulfillment System. EntreArchitect Academy expert training sessions are only available to members inside EntreArchitect Academy. For more information, click here to learn more about our all-inclusive online membership program for small firm architects. Enrollment is open but is limited! Click here to enroll in the EntreArchitect Academy Visit our Platform Sponsors FreshBooks The easiest way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect) Referenced in This Episode The E-Myth Architect by Norbert Lemermeyer Join us in Philadelphia at the EntreArchitect Meetup Photo Credit: Pixabay   The post EA122: How to Build a System to Manage Your Architecture Clients’ Expectations [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects. Mentioned in this episode:Build SmartFrosty & Fired Up

In architecture school, we all had a dream of what we would become when we became architects; designing beautiful spaces and making the world a better place with each project. We each told ourselves a story of success as an architect. We imagined a studio filled with light, working with talented people and surrounded by the iterations of our creativity. Powerful projects, patrons and processes of purpose that allowed us to pursue our passions. How is your dream looking today? Are you succeeding or are you struggling? This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Mark R. LePage will share The 12 Critical Categories of Business That Will Take Your Architecture Firm from a Struggling Studio to Small Firm Success Story. Business is a game, and like any game, you have to be able to learn and play by the rules to win. There are critical steps that need to be taken in order for our firms to thrive and become the success stories of our dreams. The only way to small firm architecture success is to hit each one of these twelve critical categories: Finance // Are your books in order? The numbers are how we make it all work financially. How do you manage your money? How do you put together your financial reports? Should you use debt to grow or not? Business Development (Sales) // If you don't have sales, you don't have business, you don't have an architecture firm. Are you selling your services? Leadership // Are you a strong leader? How can you become a small leader? Do you know how to build strong teams? Are you familiar with the roles, responsibilities, and results expected in your firm? Culture // Have you defined what your firm’s culture looks like? Are you intentionally developing your firm culture? Client Fulfillment // How do you manage the expectations of your clients? How do you develop systems that help you fulfill clients’ needs? How can you develop strong project management skills? Are you using the EntreArchitect Hybrid Proposal? Technology // What design software are you using? Are you using the best equipment and software that you can afford to make you into the most productive in what you do? Is your technology relevant and are you looking to the future technologies that architects will be using? Business Management // Who are the people in our firm and how are they working? What are the processes that those people are working with? What are the products and services that we’re creating and serving with? Do you have an interview process, a hiring process, a conflict/resolution process, a firing process? Are they documented? Personal Development // Are you learning and exploring to build a better you? What are you doing on a daily basis to care for yourself mentally and physically to make sure that you stay strong and healthy? Are you sharing what you know with others? Marketing // What strategies and systems of marketing do you have in place now? What types of marketing should you be developing? Are you connected through social networks? Is your website telling your story in a captivating way? Is it a way for you to connect further?  Life // How do you integrate your firm with your personal life? Are you learning the skills of scheduling and prioritizing to live a better, more integrated life? Community // How can you build a business that does good for others while building a business that does well? Planning // Do you take time to look back at what you’ve been doing to evaluate if you’re on the right track with your goals? Can you look forward at how your plan will evolve further down the road? If you are running a firm, these things aren’t optional. Focus on each one of them, schedule time and be intentional to develop systems and strategies. Mark struggled and searched for the answers for years, but when he focused on the fundamentals, he saw his firm turn around. His projects got better and his business grew. He wants the same for every small firm out there, and that’s why he launched EntreArchitect Academy in 2014. Every month we’re diving deeper into these critical categories beyond what you see on the blog and hear in podcasts to learn all there is to learn. We have exclusive live trainings with experts who provide resources on what they know in each of these subjects. We break into smaller groups that support one another and help one another grow. Every member has access to our digital courses, document templates, systems templates from experts, and access to a whole library of videos that talk about so many topics. Early bird enrollment with a discounted rate is open until general enrollment opens. Enrollment for the EntreArchitect Academy opens on May 2nd and is limited to the first 50 new members! Click here to enroll in the EntreArchitect Academy Visit our Platform Sponsors FreshBooks The easiest way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect) Referenced in This Episode New Year. New Budget. [Blog] Basic Financial Statements for Small Firm Architects [Blog] 6 Ways Your Architecture Firm May Benefit from Working with an Investor [Blog] Financial Intelligence for Small Firm Architects [Podcast] 4 Steps for Changing an Architect's Mind on Money [Podcast] The One Thing by Gary Keller [book] Join us in Philadelphia at the EntreArchitect Meetup   The post EA121: The 12 Critical Categories of Business That Will Take Your Firm from Struggling Studio to Small Firm Success Story [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects. Mentioned in this episode:Frosty & Fired UpBuild Smart

What if you were going to start your firm today, from scratch, with the knowledge that you now have? Would you do things differently? How could you ensure that the firm is prosperous and encourages equity for everyone involved? This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Rosa Sheng, AIA joins Mark R. LePage to share The 7 Essential Elements of an Equitable Architecture Firm. Creating a Culture of Equity… by Design Rosa Sheng, AIA, is a founding member of the Bohlin Cywinski Jackson San Francisco office, whose work includes the Pixar Animation offices and Apple glass structures. She's also a founder of Equity by Design. Started as a grassroots effort to gauge the conditions of practice and what people were going through in the life of an architect, Equity by Design soon evolved to capture a larger conversation about the state of practice. What was and wasn't working? What can we do to better to improve the conditions for architects and designers as well as their clients? There are lots of hurdles throughout a profession that could cause you to leave: hiring, the state of the economy, needing to “pay dues”, licensure, jumping through hoops, caring for kids, selves or others, the glass ceiling. Equity by Design was formed to provide valuable information that people need in order to keep themselves in the profession. Equity in architecture comes into play when the leaders and innovators of tomorrow commit to each part of the process of creating a more equitable practice. How does equity affect a firm culture and visa versa? How can we be intentional about designing a firm around a culture that's based on equity? The 7 Essential Elements of an Equitable Architecture Firm Mindset for Equity // There is a critical difference between Equity and Equality. Equity is about recognizing difference and providing just and fair opportunities for people to have access to the same success. Equality is about “sameness” and recognizing that everyone gets the same “piece of the pie”. Implicit Bias // Everyone has bias. Acknowledge your biases and say, I know these things about myself. Now how can I change them to improve the workplace culture so I'm not just hiring and interacting with people like myself? Work Life Integration // Allow for flexible work hours. Embrace the concept of “core hours”. Schedule the bulk of your meetings at  core hours to allow for flexibility in work hours and avoid the stress of people missing out. Leave of Absences // Develop a paid leave plan. Whether you're on maternity or paternity leave, taking care of a sick or elderly family member, or a caregiver. Confidence that one’s position is secure in times of crisis is critical to a culture of equity. Mentors & Champions // Build a culture of organic mentorship that supports people's passions and unique skill sets. Allow that to feed back into the firm. Build relationships with “champions;” people that purposely and conscientiously look out for you, your personal development, and your advancement opportunities. Clear Promotion Policy // One of the top issues for people leaving firms is that no clear criteria for advancement exists. Create a clear and transparent promotion policy that outlines what steps and skill sets are needed in order to advance within the firm leadership structure. Metrics & Pay Equity // You can't know how you're progressing if you don't self-measure. Track specific metrics that will allow you to look at your payroll on an annual basis and see how you're doing. Are you hiring in a diverse way? Are you paying people in an equitable way? Visit our Platform Sponsors FreshBooks The easiest way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect) Referenced in This Episode Connect with Rosa on Twitter @EquityXDesign, on Facebook, at EQxDesign.com & TheEquityAlliance.com. Equity in Architecture Resolution 15-1 by Rosa Sheng How to Take the Bias Out of Interviews by Iris Bohnet WE315 EQxD Hackathon & Happy Hour Join us at the EntreArchitect Meetup The post EA120: The 7 Essential Elements of an Equitable Architecture Firm [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects. Mentioned in this episode:Build SmartFrosty & Fired Up

When we talk about firm culture, our first thoughts lead us to a busy studio full of staff working with dozens of clients. Don't we need a firm full of people before we can have a firm culture? What if we work alone, as many of you do? Do you have a culture? If so, how important is it to our ultimate success as an architect? As you may have guessed, Mark R. LePage has a few ideas on that subject. This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Mark shares his thoughts on The Sole Practitioner Architecture Firm Culture. Culture is one of those things that sits there and becomes what it becomes if it’s not intentionally thought about and planned. Is your firm culture positive and healthy? Is it doing what it’s supposed to be doing? Is it a negative culture that’s harming your success? Take a look at last week’s episode for more about the importance of scheduling some time to think about your culture and develop your own Foundation of Values. Marica McKeel, guest writer for this week’s EntreArchitect blog, is working hard to build her newly-growing firm’s culture using off-site weekend retreats to build into her team. But what if you practice alone and don’t have any staff…do you still have to worry about firm culture? Even a firm culture of one is important. A firm culture refers to the beliefs and behaviors that determine how our teams interact and how they handle transactions inside and outside of the studio environment. If you have beliefs and behaviors and you interact with others inside and outside of the studio environment, then you have a culture; it’s a firm culture of one. What makes up a firm culture of one? Physical Studio Space // Do you have your own dedicated work space? Have you created a private, well-defined space for your firm that’s dedicated to your firm’s architecture? Is it efficiently designed? Is it well-equipped with updated computers and other devices? Work-Life Integration // If you have a home office, is it a separate space where clients can come without going through your home? Can you intentionally design your life to integrate your firm and your family? Are you planning space for various responsibilities both at work and at home? Work Hours // Do you have set work hours? Can you create boundaries for work and home time? Relationships // How do you interact with people both inside and outside of the studio? How are your home-life relationships affecting your firm’s culture? Making Money // Do you have power and resources to do more of the good things you want to do? Have you created profit plans and systems to make your business work so you can focus on the parts of being an architect that you love? Systems // Do you have systems in place to make things easier since you are one person wearing many different hats in your firm? Are your systems effective? Time-saving? Replicable? Efficient? Success of Your Firm // Do you feel successful and content in your work? Are you doing what you love and what you want to be doing? Think of firm culture as the “vibe”. When you walk into your space, what’s the vibe you get? Is it a good feeling, or do you feel your body tense up and your head start to hurt? That’s your culture speaking to you. Just as in large firms, sole practitioners have to be intentional about their firm culture. Visit our Platform Sponsors FreshBooks The easiest way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect) Referenced in this Episode Developing a Powerful Small Firm Culture from the Ground Up by Marica McKeel EntreArchitect Facebook Group EntreArchitect Academy EntreArchitect Academy Digital Course: Construction Management for Small Firm Architects Photo Credit: Shutterstock / Solis Images   The post EA119: The Sole Practitioner Architecture Firm Culture [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects. Mentioned in this episode:Frosty & Fired UpBuild Smart

Architecture Firm Culture Many of us architects are so focused on our business, our design and all the things we have going on that we don't think about culture. We may not even think it's that important to the success of our firm compared to financial management, design, sales or marketing. What if you were told that a positive, healthy culture is critical to the success of any business? When Southwest Airlines' CEO Gary Kelly was asked his thoughts on the importance of culture, he said, I think it's everything. It's more than just critical, it's literally everything for a company . This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Episode 118, Mark R. LePage discusses what firm culture is and shares some aspects that will build your team’s culture. A firm culture refers to the beliefs and behaviors that affect how your team interacts and how they handle transactions inside and outside the studio. There are many things that make up your firm culture: Interactions: Think about how you want your team to interact and treat others, whether it be someone in a leadership position, a coworker or a client. Is there good communication inside the firm and outside? Is there transparency? Are there people corroding your team with gossip? What does your customer service look like? Time: What are your work hours? Maybe you give your staff the ability to work when they want to or work remotely. Environment: What does your physical studio environment look like? Loyalty: Does your team feel like they're a part of something unique? Do they have a purpose and desire to stay and develop the firm with you? Finances: How do people get paid and when? Is your firm building equity? All of these factors apply whether you're a sole proprietor or you're managing a team of fifty; you must manage and be intentional about how you're going to address them. Your values on which you've built your firm guide your decisions, your policies, and how you how you do business. If you haven't already, create a Foundation of Values that encompasses all the qualities you want your firm to uphold to include in your business plan. For the rest of this month, we're going to get deeper into some specific values that make up culture. We'll talk about work/life integration, customer service, and maybe even equity in architecture. For now, think about your firm culture. Is it positive, healthy, and thriving? Is it an exciting place that you want to go to every day? Is it contributing to the success of your firm or is it harming you? Are you struggling to keep it together because your culture just isn't great? Take a critical look inside your firm today. Visit our Platform Sponsors FreshBooks The easiest way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Access Your 30-Day Free Trial at FreshBooks.com/architect (Enter EntreArchitect) Referenced in this Episode Equity X Design // Rosa Sheng, AIA How to Develop a Strong Culture at Your Architecture Firm (blog) Photo Credit: Shutterstock / Gustavo Frazao The post EA118: Architecture Firm Culture… Why is it Critical to Our Success? [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects. Mentioned in this episode:Build SmartFrosty & Fired Up