Soon after starting as an intern architect, Heather Blazi realized the job didn’t spark joy quite the way she imagined while watching HGTV as a kid. So she adjusted her path. Today, she’s the marketing director at Pfluger Architects, a design firm specializing in the education market. Heather joins us to discuss owning your niche, market expansion …

Law firms are relationship-driven businesses — and not only in terms of attorney-client relationships. Aricia Gallaher’s recipe for success is to approach marketing with an understanding that nurturing connections is kingpin, both internally and externally. Aricia is the marketing director at Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, a full-service law firm in …

Professional services buyers want to see more than simple boilerplate to inform their decision about why they should hire you. Marketing needs to be tailored as much as possible to address their specific needs and concerns. Derek Goodroe, marketing director at Ashley McGraw Architects, talks about why he invests time and resources into carefully ta…

The legal industry isn’t known for its trailblazing progress on the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) front — but it is improving. Many law firms are integrating DEI strategy into their core business model, and the benefits of this shift are touching nearly every area, from prospecting and marketing to recruitment and talent development. In thi…

Jill Davis leads the marketing department at Cline Design, an interdisciplinary architecture, planning and interior design firm in North Carolina. She recently guided the 35-year-old firm through a successful rebrand and website redesign and is constantly re-examining Cline’s marketing strategy to meet evolving client needs. In this episode, Jill a…

You don’t need to work in an extremely visual industry to create video content that drives revenue and brings in new business. You don’t even need to hire a fancy, high-tech production team. Philip Fairley helps law firms and attorneys craft and execute video marketing strategies that resonate with target audiences and yield ROI. He and host Michel…

The architecture, engineering and construction industry is severely lagging behind in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Black workers represent 13% of the industry’s workforce but only hold 7% of its jobs. Meanwhile, white workers comprise 77% of the workforce and hold over 80% of all AEC jobs. AEC Unites, a nonprofit membership organization, …

Running a business is hard. Now try being a lawyer on top of it all. Having spent 20 years helping law firm owners and senior partners implement strategies that turn their firms into thriving businesses, Gary Mitchell has a treasure trove of knowledge and advice to share about the subject. He and host Michelle Calcote King discuss the many facets o…

Angels sing when marketing and business development (BD) work in harmony. Together, the departments highlight the business’s value at every stage of the buyer’s journey. Michelle Hamilton, VP of Business Development at Vessel Architecture, talks about how BD and marketing complement each other and how to make genuine connections that go beyond tran…

Many businesses have spent the past year navigating the increasing use of artificial intelligence in the workplace. Law firms are especially cautious due to lingering questions about the legal implications of using AI, particularly related to confidentiality and privacy concerns. Meanwhile, many professionals are exploring how AI might enhance thei…

Architecture, engineering and construction firms are increasingly integrating video content into their marketing strategies. Thanks to smartphones, AEC firms don’t need expensive equipment or large production crews to create high-quality videos. Field professionals can now use their phones to capture on-site perspectives, resulting in authentic and…

Jennifer Sebranek helped shape GBBN Architects’s marketing into a vibrant, creative and attention-grabbing masterpiece — much like the buildings the firm’s architects design. Their success truly cemented as the firm focused on building a client-first brand, which Jennifer refers to as GBBN’s “You, not us” approach. It captures GBBN’s unwavering com…

Extracting, capturing and communicating knowledge from project team members are fundamental responsibilities of an architecture firm’s marketing department. LS3P, an architecture, interiors and planning firm, has honed these processes over the years to drive its success, elevate its marketing efforts and provide greater value to its clients. In thi…

The marketing industry is evolving at warp speed, as Jennifer Haferbecker tells Michelle Calcote King in this episode of “Spill the Ink.” Role specialization, branding, research and technology are increasingly important players in an architecture firm’s strategy. Keeping pace in this constantly changing landscape means being more intentional with b…

Some say that running a business is an art, not a science. But professional services firm owners should have a documented strategy for growing and scaling their business to one day (fingers-crossed) sell their company for millions of dollars. In 2017, Greg Alexander sold his consulting firm for $162 million. Now he’s on a mission to help other busi…

What do we all do before making a decision? Research. Market research enables architecture, engineering and construction firms to make strategic decisions about their business. Firms can use the information for diverse purposes, including to plan for the future, create buy-in, break into a new market and identify missed opportunities in their curre…

Virtual meetings and remote work are the new norm of the professional landscape — yes, even for law firms. As the industry evolves, so should our communication skills. Michelle invites Marsha Redmon, a legal communications and business development consultant, to share advice on how legal professionals can improve their engagement when presenting an…

What does your brand say about your architecture, engineering or construction firm? Does it accurately reflect who you are today or is it still rooted in your early days of establishment? How a potential client perceives your AEC firm holds significant sway over their decision-making process. If your brand seems outdated or inconsistent, it could b…

Women face unique challenges in the workplace, particularly in male-dominated industries like law. For female law firm owners, these challenges can inadvertently impact their efforts to efficiently scale their business, leaving highly capable attorneys to grow their firms at a slower pace than their male counterparts. In this episode of “Spill the …

What if there was a way for lawyers to ditch the billable-hour model without sacrificing value or profits? ADVOS Pro is teaching law firms to do exactly that with its P3 Method. The P3 Method enables firms to transition to a “deliverables-based” format where the firm’s expertise and results — as opposed to six-minute increments — act as the measure…

To advance and excel in the extremely competitive legal field, attorneys and legal professionals are pressured to work long hours, handle substantial workloads and exhibit a high degree of professionalism when dealing with complex issues. Although their role is undeniably vital, the industry is facing growing criticism for the negative impact its d…

Legal professionals operate in incredibly demanding and high-pressure work environments that lead many lawyers to struggle with severe stress, burnout and mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and substance abuse. Research into attorney mental health often reveals grim realities. For example, a recent study sponsored by the California La…

When faced with a complex legal challenge, businesses search for law firms that can provide specialized solutions to their problems. By branding your law firm as a “jack of all trades,” you risk having potential clients lump your sophisticated law practice with other competitors. What does that mean? You’ve just lost new business because you didn’t…

The legal industry isn’t known for being the most progressive when it comes to adopting new technology. Yet, (slowly but surely) lawyers are realizing that wielding the right legal tech can lead to improved productivity and client satisfaction. In this episode of “Spill the Ink,” Michelle Calcote King interviews Daniel Steinberg, the co-founder and…

Traditionally, the request for proposal (RFP) process has required countless hours of work to create comprehensive proposals that highlight an architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firm’s full range of capabilities. Unfortunately, most RFP responses contain hundreds of pages of boilerplate information that are ineffective at clearly comm…