It’s decision time. It may not be do or die, but how you make your decision can decide whether your team is on board or not. No matter the decision, big or small, it’s important to build a consensus among your team to foster trust and growth. In this episode we talk about the importance of getting everyone’s opinion before moving forward with decisions that impact your firm.

Highlights:

• The importance of consensus brings diverse ideas and comfort.
• Small decisions are a building block to building consensus
• How different backgrounds can offer different viewpoints
• Agreeing on direction and strategies.
• Addressing obstructionists: Clear goals and paths.
• The importance of articulating goals to your team

Episode Resources:

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/

Highlights:

• How unaging designs can set your firm apart
• Analyzing site conditions: from challenges to design features
• The importance of having clear communication and expectations with clients
• How the advancement of technology has changed the game for architects
• Taking suggestions from everyone in the firm, no matter their experience level

Episode Resources:

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/

Have you always wanted a personal entourage that follows you around? Well there’s some good news if so, because you already have one of sorts, and it’s sticking around for a while longer. Google’s third-party cookies is here to stay, but that doesn’t mean first-party data isn’t worth the investment.

Highlights:

• Value in first-party data for consumers.
• The benefit of owning customer relationships.
• Predicting user demographics based on cookie acceptance.
• Digital buyers’ growing savviness with cookies.

Episode Resources:

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/

So you’ve decided to expand your geographical territories? It’s a great opportunity for new business, but there’s a lot more that goes into it than posting an announcement to your website. With businesses who already have the community’s trust, and different cultures to think about, new regions aren’t going to welcome your business with open arms. But with some work, and commitment an unexplored region could eventually become a second home for your firm.

Highlights:

• How to leverage existing work to enter new markets
• The importance of in-depth market and cultural research.
• The value of long-term investment in new communities.
• Challenges with superficial market entry announcements.

Episode Resources:

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones

There are a lot of options to chose from when it comes to publishing platforms for your firms project. In this episode hosts Patience and Brian Jones explain the pros and cons of print vs. digital publishing, and why reevaluating strategies is crucial to effectively showcase your firm's work.

Highlights:

• Case study: Client project embargoed from publication.
• Importance of re-evaluating publishing strategies.
• Balance between print publication prestige and social media immediacy.
• Negotiating with print publications for alternative content.
• Tracking impact: Social media vs. print publications.
• Introducing new technologies like VR in future publishing.

Episode Resources:

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://graphicmachine.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/

Deceptive practices in architecture like greenwashing or care-washing where firms say one thing but do another can cause problems for a firms growth. Hosts Patience and Brian Jones explore its impact on growth, employee trust, and client relationships. In this episode, we discuss how to stay authentic and back up your statements with real actions. Plus, we explore how you can create genuine marketing messages that truly reflect your firm’s values.

Highlights:

• Explanation of green washing and care washing
• Importance of consistency between words and actions
• The danger of employees discovering inconsistencies
• Project owners’ expectations aligned with firm professed values
• Reflecting firm values accurately
• The importance of authenticity in firm statements
• Boilerplate language vs. uniqueness
• The risk of universal statements carrying unfulfilled promises
• Encouragement to differentiate with genuine, relatable examples

Episode Resources:

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://graphicmachine.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/

Malcolm Reading, RIBA, Chairman of Malcolm Reading Consultants (MRC), talks with Brian Jones about architectural competitions. Based in London, MRC runs both open and invited international design competitions. The firm has worked with clients across the globe, including the V&A, Gallaudet University, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, Houston Endowment, and the Royal Opera House. Malcolm shares the details of his career evolution from architect to architecture consultant to firm owner, and gives listeners an insider’s view of the ins and outs of competitions.

Highlights:

• How identifying a gap between client needs and architecture firms sparked a career
• The design perspective that comes from working on the client side
• The importance of channeling learning back into the design process
• Why being an enabler is a good thing
• What architects need to be successful in a design competition
• Why firms shouldn’t submit to every competition
• The two stages of a successful competition model

Episode Resources:

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://graphicmachine.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/

Connect with Malcolm Reading, RIBA

• https://malcolmreading.com/about/malcolm-reading
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/malcolm-reading-b2867a6/

In the latest installment of our Tech Stack series, we break down the latest LinkedIn updates and how they affect your post visuals. Learn practical workarounds to maintain impactful posts despite LinkedIn’s shift in prioritizing internal content. Whether you’re an avid LinkedIn user or just starting on the platform, this episode is packed with tips to keep your content engaging and effective.

Highlights:

• What LinkedIn’s updates are
• Explanation of LinkedIn’s prioritization of native content
• Several workarounds (for now)

Episode Resources:

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://graphicmachine.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/