If you’re not failing, then you’re not pushing yourself enough… and real success will never come. The current edition of Residential Architect magazine includes a feature titled, Rebound. It leads with a story about my firm, Fivecat Studio. I shared my story with Cheryl Weber (one of my favorite trade writers) about some of the […]
Project Undercurrent
The world is changing rapidly and social media is the fuel. A couple of years ago, my friend, kitchen designer Susan Serra convinced me to join Twitter. I had so many things going on at the time (some things never change) and I was hesitant to commit to another social platform. With Susan’s encouragement, I […]
Financial Statements for Architects
Without any education in business basics, architects rarely understand the fundamentals of business success. Some months we have money left over and other months we struggle to pay each bill. For years, I ran my business with no real understanding of how to end each month with a profit. Seven years into owning our own […]
Living a Balanced Life as a Small Firm Architect
As small firm architects, work/life balance plays a critical role in the success of our businesses, as well as the success of our families. In Annmarie’s and my case (and I hope it will be the case with many sole proprietor and small firm architects) our work and our life have integrated themselves into one […]
How I Started My Own Architecture Firm (Part 3)
This is Part 3 of How I Started My Own Architecture Firm. If you haven’t been following along these past two weeks, I recommend that you start with Part 1 and Part 2 before proceeding with Part 3 below. Starting our own firm was a bit overwhelming. Though, at the time I thought I had […]
How I Started My Own Architecture Firm (Part 2)
Last week I shared my journey from discovering my passion for entrepreneurism through my development as an intern. If you missed it, I recommend you read Part 1 before proceeding with Part 2 below. Seventeen feet long and 8 feet wide, we claimed a corner of our new basement and equipped it with a […]
How I Started My Own Architecture Firm (Part 1)
I always knew I would someday have my own firm. I’m a born entrepreneur… quite literally. Dad’s a retired auto mechanic and he taught me entrepreneurism early. As a child, I watched how he bought old Corvettes and flipped them for a profit. When I was 13, I started doing the same. With savings from […]
The Inevitable Priority Shift
Every residential architecture project starts months, maybe even years before a client ever approaches an architect. Our potential clients have saved their money and prepared a budget. They have considered how long a project takes and has a clear expectation for completion (even if it is most likely unrealistic). They’ve been dreaming of their finished […]
Eight Independent Architects Taking the Lead
These past weeks, before and following the AIA Convention in Denver, I have heard from many architects seeking solutions to the crisis in which we architects find ourselves. Many small firm architects and sole proprietors have declared Repositioning a failure before it has even begun. This August will mark my twentieth year in this profession. […]
I am an Entrepreneur Architect
Did you miss my Architect Live presentation at the AIA Convention in Denver this past week? Well, I have a little gift for you. Click the image to the left and download a short eBook of my full speech. The words are inspired by my Entrepreneur Architect Manifesto. I listed all the topics I believe we need […]
The Future and Foresight of the American Institute of Architects
I have returned from AIA Convention 2013 with enthusiasm and encouragement. Repositioning has begun and the leadership has clearly been listening to the members of the profession. Unfortunately, very little referencing the business of architecture was presented on stage by AIA leadership. When I met AIA CEO Robert Ivy later that same day and asked specifically why […]
Will the AIA Repositioning Effort Succeed?
On Wednesday morning, I’ll be leaving Westchester County and heading west to Denver, Colorado for AIA Convention 2013. Will you be there? The theme for this convention is “Building Leaders” and I expect much of the message from AIA will revolve around their current Repositioning initiative. AIA National is Repositioning I am very encouraged after reading […]
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