Architecture marketer spotlight: Benefits of niche marketing for architecture firms
Release Date: 04/23/2024
Ending the Standoff: AEC Marketers vs. Technical Experts
Spill The Ink
In this episode of "Spill the Ink," Michelle Calcote King sits down with Gabe Lett, Chief Marketing Officer at Prairie Engineers, to explore what happens when technical experts dictate marketing decisions and marketing teams get buried in proposal work. According to Gabe, the results are ineffective communication, missed opportunities for business development and frustrated professionals on both sides. Gabe brings a unique perspective to AEC marketing, having grown up in the industry with a father who was a civil engineer and business owner. This background gives him deep insight into both the...
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The MIT Program: How Strong Habits Drove 82% New Business Growth at One Law Firm
Spill The Ink
Many law firms invest in excellent business development coaching, see fantastic initial results, then watch performance gradually decline. Anna Hedgepeth, Chief Strategy Officer at Cranfill Sumner, observed this cycle happening firsthand at her firm and set out to develop a psychology-based system that would produce lasting results. Anna joins Michelle Calcote King on this “Spill the Ink” episode to discuss the “Most Important Things” (MIT) program, which has increased attorney matter originations by 82% on average at Cranfill Sumner. The disciplined 15-minute biweekly meeting requires...
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The Legal Marketer’s Blind Spot: Start Treating Lawyers as Clients
Spill The Ink
You can’t sell a product effectively without understanding it. In law firms, that product is the attorneys. To sell legal services, legal marketers need to invest in not just learning the firm’s clients and industries, but also the nuances of the attorneys they support and the economics that drive their daily decisions. In this episode of “Spill the Ink,” Powers Tanis, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives at McAngus Goudelock & Courie and 2025 Legal Marketing Association Southeast Region President, joins us to discuss how grasping attorney pain points, billing pressures and...
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Challenging AEC’s Myth That “Anyone Can Do Marketing”
Spill The Ink
The misconception that “anyone can do marketing” creates barriers that relegate AEC marketers to tactical roles rather than strategic business partners. In this “Spill the Ink” episode, Michelle Galindez, Director of Marketing and Communications at Syska Hennessy Group, discusses practical strategies for marketing leaders to find their voice, challenge assumptions and demonstrate value in terms that resonate with technical executives. Michelle has spent nearly a decade reinforcing Syska Hennessy's global marketing function into a trusted strategic business driver. She covers actionable...
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Beyond Business Cards: Authentic Networking for New Law Firm Partners
Spill The Ink
In this episode, Michelle Calcote King sits down with Megan Senese, co-founder and principal at stage, a woman-owned legal marketing and business development consultancy, to discuss how newly minted partners can develop authentic networking approaches that generate business. Through her own journey from "networking-phobic" marketing professional to successful business developer, Megan demonstrates how connecting with people one-on-one transformed her career and led to connecting with 1,000 people in her first year of business. She identifies the two common mistakes lawyers make in business...
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AEC Strategy Driven by True Connection, Not Transactional Relationships
Spill The Ink
Technical expertise is merely table stakes in the AEC industry. How firms approach their relationship-building is the true differentiator, with the potential to completely change the game for decision-makers. Brad Thurman, Chief Marketing Officer at Wallace Design Collective, shares his experience to help firms nurture authentic relationships — and knock cold outreach down from the top of their priority list. Brad unpacks three relationship-building principles that helped transform his firm into a powerhouse with more than 300 professionals across eight offices: prioritizing responsive...
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Giving Up Carbon-Copy Market Entry Tactics in AEC Firms
Spill The Ink
"We didn't want to be somebody that just came in and it was about the bottom line and the revenue. It was about being a part of the community." In this episode, Michelle Calcote King sits down with Optima Engineering Director of Marketing & Growth Suzanne Epps to discuss why it is a mistake for AEC marketers to blindly transplant their existing strategies when entering new markets. Through Optima's recent launch in Greenville, South Carolina, Suzanne demonstrates how becoming a true community partner — not just a service provider — creates lasting relationships that...
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Attorney Work-Life Balance: Managing Boundaries and Client Relations
Spill The Ink
In this episode of “Spill the Ink,” Michelle Calcote King speaks with Amanda Waesch, who chairs marketing and business development at Brennan, Manna & Diamond (BMD), about navigating work-life balance in the demanding legal profession. Amanda shares her experiences developing her firm's inaugural maternity policy, advocating for flexible work arrangements and building authentic relationships with clients that respect boundaries. The conversation explores how law firms can better support women's careers through progressive policies, the importance of setting expectations with clients...
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Turning Data into Decisions: Research-Driven Strategies for AEC Firms
Spill The Ink
Most AEC firms recognize research's potential and understand they can’t rely on assumptions or gut feelings to stay ahead of the curve. Still, many firms struggle to implement effective research programs that inform their strategic decisions. In this episode of “Spill the Ink,” Michelle speaks with Julie Witecki, Senior Consultant at FMI Consulting, about how research can shape market strategies and drive business growth in architecture, engineering and construction firms. Julie introduces the “Five C’s of Context” framework: a comprehensive approach to research that examines...
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The Rewards When DEI Drives Innovation in Law Firms
Spill The Ink
Law firms are often seen as slow to change, but diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) can be powerful drivers of innovation. In this episode, Michelle Calcote King speaks with Terra Davis, Chief Diversity and Talent Development Officer at Knobbe Martens, about the business benefits of embracing DEI in law firms. She discusses how effective DEI work goes beyond the surface to create more welcoming and innovative workplaces where legal professionals want to build long-term careers. Terra emphasizes that when DEI becomes embedded in firm culture rather than existing as a separate...
info_outlineSoon 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 and building an effective team with diverse skills. She shares why Pfluger encourages architects to use LinkedIn and how a strong brand supports proposal development, boosts employee engagement and amplifies recruitment efforts.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn
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Who Heather Blazi is
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About Pfluger Architects
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How Heather’s architecture background influences her work as a marketer
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Insights into the growing intersection between marketing and business development
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The benefits of niche marketing
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How to effectively leverage your niche during proposal writing and market expansion
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Why use thought leadership to market your team’s knowledge, expertise and capabilities
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The importance of a strong firm brand and positioning
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About Pfluger’s recent successes with strategic email marketing
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Why Pfluger encourages its architects to use LinkedIn
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How people-centric social media posts aid in attracting prospective clients and architecture talent
About our featured guest
Heather Blazi is the principal-in-charge of marketing at Pfluger Architects, a firm on a mission to inspire people to create a more meaningful human experience. With nearly 10 years of experience, Heather has planned and executed marketing initiatives contributing to Pfluger's growth and expansion across Texas. Beyond the world of architectural marketing, Heather has two daughters who bring boundless inspiration (and chaos) to her every day, reminding her of the importance of creativity, adaptability and being open to a fresh perspective. Heather enjoys volunteering and crafting anytime she can. With a heart for service, a commitment to her family and a flair for strategic thinking, she hopes to continue making a positive impact on those around her.
Resources mentioned in this episode
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Check out Pfluger Architects
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Follow Pfluger Architects on X, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram
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Connect with Heather Blazi on LinkedIn
Sponsor for this episode
This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.
Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a public relations and content marketing agency that serves professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.
Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services and more.
To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at [email protected] today.