Special Episode: Stuck at $1M, The Path to an Iconic Firm
If your architecture firm feels stuck around the $1M mark, this episode shows you what’s really holding it back. Mark R. LePage and Jeff Echols share how The Iconic Firm was created to help leaders break through it. Together, they explain how clarity is the first step toward building a firm that stands out.
They dive into what makes a firm truly iconic. The conversation shows how purpose, positioning, and leadership shape long-term success. They also share lessons from their own journeys in practice.
Jeff and Mark introduce The Iconic Firm Accelerator. This new program gives firm owners a clear path to grow with focus and confidence. As a result, architects can move past survival mode and build something that lasts.
This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Special Episode: Stuck at $1M, The Path to an Iconic Firm.
Learn more about The Iconic Firm Accelerator.
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I work for a firm that is around 25 million in annual revenue that is still looking for growth and to establish the firm as a leader in the region. My question is how do you apply metrics or what metrics exist to identify if you are successfully focusing on the 20% that drives your output? The firm has a process that is stated as a differentiator but from my experience across multiple firms, all of those firms did the same process but in their own way. If a firm is branding a common process and calling it a differentiator, is there a way to create proof or measure the success of this marketing story?
This is a great question, and it’s a common problem for firms that have reached real scale.
At the executive level, the challenge is less about identifying the 20% and more about proving that you’re actually investing in it. The most useful metrics tend to fall into three categories:
1. Revenue concentration and margin
Which clients, project types, or services generate a disproportionate share of profit, not just revenue? Many firms track top-line growth but never isolate where margin, repeat work, and strategic leverage actually come from. That data usually reveals the real 20%.
2. Leadership and time allocation
Where does senior leadership spend time week to week? If the firm’s stated differentiator is critical, you should see measurable investment in it through decision-making, staffing, marketing spend, and leadership attention. If not, it’s likely a story rather than a strategy.
3. Market response, not internal belief
A branded process only becomes a differentiator when the market reflects it back to you. That shows up in shorter sales cycles, higher close rates, premium fees, repeat clients citing the process unprompted, or being selected without fee competition. Internal agreement isn’t proof. External behavior is.
If multiple firms “do the same process,” the difference isn’t the steps. It’s clarity, discipline, and consistency. Most firms don’t fail to differentiate because the idea is wrong, but because they never operationalize or measure it.
If this question is something your firm is actively wrestling with, I’d welcome you or someone from your leadership team to join us in Charlotte on Friday, April 17 for The Iconic Firm Accelerator. It’s a working session specifically for firms at your scale who want to pressure-test focus, metrics, and positioning and leave with clear signals instead of assumptions. Learn more at https://entrearchitect.com/iconicfirm
Either way, I appreciate you raising the question. It’s exactly the right one for firms aiming to lead, not just grow.