Podcast
Business of Architecture Podcast
Hosted by Enoch Sears & Rion Willard · EN
Discover strategies, tips and secrets for running a fun, flexible and profitable architecture practice. The focus here is simple: discussion of ways for architects to create a dream architecture practice: design what you want, when you want, and get paid well for it.
41episodes
Episodes
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Chosen Risk vs Imposed Risk in Architecture Firms | 696
1w ago00:19:26Tap to summarizeEnd chaos in your firm—300+ peers use this framework. Free video here: https://www.businessofarchitecture.com/framework Risk sits at the center of every architecture firm, yet few talk about it clearly or honestly. In this episode, Rion Willard reframes risk not as something to avoid, but as something to understand, choose, and use well. Drawing from a keynote delivered at the AIA New York Center for Architecture, Rion explores why architects carry so much responsibility without matching authority or reward. He reveals how unseen pressures quietly erode profit, creativity, and firm growth. But avoiding risk creates its own danger. The episode challenges firm owners to rethink which risks drain energy and which ones unlock momentum, freedom, and agency. Through real stories from architects who stepped beyond convention, Rion points to a different path forward. One defined less by caution, and more by deliberate courage. If risk already feels heavy in your firm, this conversation may change how you see it. Why the risks you avoid may be costing you more than the ones you take The quiet reason creativity disappears inside "successful" firms How small, chosen risks can compound into real leverage and growth
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Proactive Prospecting and Pipeline Building to Support Premium Fees | 695
2w ago00:48:25Tap to summarizeEnd chaos in your firm—300+ peers use this framework. Free video here: https://www.businessofarchitecture.com/framework Premium fees don't come from better drawings. They come from a business that can win work on purpose. In this episode, Rion Willard continues the premium-fee framework by tackling the part most firms avoid: proactive prospecting and a real pipeline. You'll hear why "doing good work" is only the entry ticket, how to break the feast-or-famine cycle, and what it looks like to treat business development like a non-negotiable system. Rion also shares a practical way to look at pipeline value so you can spot false comfort in your forecast—without drowning in tools or busywork. On today's episode, you'll discover: The uncomfortable reason your pipeline can look strong… and still be a lie The mindset shift that makes outreach feel like service, not desperation The quiet weekly habit premium firms protect (and most small firms don't)
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The Inner Game of Leadership: How Self-Awareness Shapes Your Practice | 694
3w ago00:32:36Tap to summarizeEnd chaos in your firm—300+ peers use this framework. Free video here: https://www.businessofarchitecture.com/framework Architects often struggle with the quiet, grinding pain of difficult clients, rising stress, and the nagging sense that the real problem might be them—but they can't quite see how. This episode dives into that hidden tension: the gap between what architects think is happening in their practice and what's actually driving their results beneath the surface. Rion and Enoch explore how words, stories, and colors quietly shape what architects see as possible. A difficult client, strange dreams, and silent retreats all become clues in this hidden game. You'll hear how an "annoying" client turned out to be something different on the balance sheet. You'll also hear how past-life tales, men's circles, and a bus full of "crazy" thoughts reveal what is really driving a practice. Listen in if you suspect your real bottleneck might live in your own thinking, not your market. The throwaway remark that exposed a deep fear running a firm. A simple shift in view that turned stress into profit. The silent habit that leaves leaders "asleep at the wheel" with their team.
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How Architecture Firms Can Test and Adopt AI Without Losing Design Control | 693
4w ago00:50:42Tap to summarizeEnd chaos in your firm—300+ peers use this framework. Free video here: https://www.businessofarchitecture.com/framework AI is moving fast in architecture, but most firms still aren't sure how to use it without losing control of the work. In this episode, Brandon Mut shares what it looks like to bring new tools into a real practice with discipline, not hype. You'll hear how one design technology leader built standards first, then tested AI against finished projects, and only then let it into the workflow. You'll also hear the metric they used to judge results, and why "don't change anything" is harder than it sounds. Along the way, they talk about fears, liability, sustainability, training younger staff, and what might change over the next few years. The quiet mistake that makes "AI adoption" backfire inside a firm. A simple way to tell whether AI is helping—or secretly shifting your design. Why the wave won't be about tools… it'll be about who stays in charge. To learn more about Brandon, visit his website: https://fogartyfinger.com/
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From Technician to Business Owner: Rethinking Money and Value in Architecture | 692
Jun 2200:41:47Tap to summarizeEnd chaos in your firm—300+ peers use this framework. Free video here: https://www.businessofarchitecture.com/framework In this episode, Rion digs into why "premium fees" start in your head long before they appear in a proposal. He explores how architects are trained to be exceptional technicians, but rarely prepared to think like business owners, and how that gap quietly limits growth. A simple but powerful model is introduced to reframe how time, value, and income really work. Rion also challenges several deeply held beliefs architects carry about money, responsibility, and worth. He discusses why avoiding financial conversations weakens both firms and client relationships, and how greater clarity can create freedom rather than pressure. The focus is not on tactics, but on seeing the business of architecture differently. The uncomfortable middle ground that drains architects without them noticing A subtle distinction that determines whether your firm can survive without you The mental shift that changes how clients perceive your fees
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Growing a Global Design Studio Through Leadership, Talent, and Intention | EP691
Jun 1500:49:18Tap to summarizeEnd chaos in your firm—300+ peers use this framework. Free video here: https://www.businessofarchitecture.com/framework In this episode, Rion Willard talks with interior designer Sally O'Connor about how she grew Hesellic Design from a solo start into a small global studio. She shares how a TV job opened the door to luxury homes and how she moved forward without formal training. You'll hear hints of the quiet actions that drew in her first major clients. Sally also talks about the moment her workload broke the old way of working. She describes learning to hand off control, building a tight-knit team, and stepping into the role of creative leader. She then touches on the studio's move into Dubai and Los Angeles, and how journaling and visualising guide her biggest moves. The simple shift that helped her stop clinging to every task. The "vision exercise" she used before her first Dubai project. How one early hire quietly set the tone for her culture. To learn more about Sally, visit her website: https://www.hesellicdesign.com
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Setting Premium Fees in Architecture: From Scarcity to Agency | EP690
Jun 800:45:01Tap to summarizeEnd chaos in your firm—300+ peers use this framework. Free video here: https://www.businessofarchitecture.com/framework If you have ever felt uneasy talking about fees, you are not alone—and that silence may be costing you more than you think. In this episode, Rion Willard explores why pricing sits underneath many of the stress points in an architecture practice, from cash pressure to burnout and the wrong clients. You will hear why "doing great work" is not a pricing strategy, and how a firm can drift into a cycle of undercharging, overdelivering, and thin margins without realizing it. Rion also reframes money as a form of agency and explains what changes when you treat fees as a business system, not a guess, and why small shifts can create outsized leverage. He then lays out a practical framework for premium pricing and hints at the habits that make it work in real firms. If you want more breathing room, stronger teams, and better choices, start here right now. The quiet reason clients "suddenly" fixate on price—and how to stop that game before it starts. The one missing piece that makes fee confidence feel impossible, even when your work is strong. A simple way to tell if your firm is financially healthy—without looking at profit alone.
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Storytelling for Architects: How to Communicate Ideas That Connect and Win Work | EP689
Jun 100:47:20Tap to summarizeEnd chaos in your firm—300+ peers use this framework. Free video here: https://www.businessofarchitecture.com/framework What makes one architect memorable while another gets tuned out, even when the work is strong? In this episode, Enoch Sears talks with Lee Schneider about why storytelling is not just a nice skill, but a real business tool for architects. Lee explains why people do not connect with facts alone, and why the most effective message often starts somewhere unexpected. He also shares how small shifts in the way you present ideas can change how clients hear you, trust you, and respond to you. You will also hear why some presentations fall flat, what strong communicators do differently, and how story shape matters more than most people think. If you have ever wondered why some people win attention so naturally, this conversation gives you a fresh way to think about it. Why the thing most architects lead with may be the very reason people stop listening The overlooked shift that can make your message feel more human, clear, and persuasive What great storytellers seem to do naturally that others miss completely To learn more about Lee, visit his LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/docuguy/
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Why Architecture Firms Experience Cycles—and How to Lead Through Them | EP688
May 2500:42:17Tap to summarizeEnd chaos in your firm—300+ peers use this framework. Free video here: https://www.businessofarchitecture.com/framework In this episode, Enoch Sears sits down with Joost Bende, President of PACIFIC 33 Architects, to talk about what hits hardest once the drawings are done. Joost shares what it feels like when work is flowing, then suddenly isn't—and how small choices can create a dip months later. If you've ever felt "feast or famine," this will feel familiar. You'll also hear how a healthcare-focused practice stays sharp, why relationships matter more than tactics, and what changes when you watch the business engine behind the design. Joost explains how stronger systems and clearer numbers can lower stress and create freedom away from the office—without losing traction. The moment that reveals whether your pipeline is real… or just hope Why "being busy" can still set you up for a surprise slump The shift that makes clients treat you like a strategic partner To learn more about Joost, visit his website: https://pacific33architects.com/
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How to Build a Stable, People-First Firm | EP687
May 1800:50:32Tap to summarizeEnd chaos in your firm—300+ peers use this framework. Free video here: https://www.businessofarchitecture.com/framework In this episode of Business of Architecture, Enoch Sears talks with John Arnold, partner at KFA. John shares how rising from junior staff to firm leader shaped his focus on people, culture, and stability. The stories show life inside a firm that works hard not to treat staff as disposable. You'll hear how John and his partners think about staffing, money, and growth so they can protect their team when the market shifts. He also hints at a mindset that shapes how they choose clients, write proposals, and handle scope changes. And he explains why he sees his role as helping people leave the firm as "whole" humans. The routine that helps KFA spot trouble months before others feel it. The way they handle first client calls that often leads to more work. One mindset shift that changes how you lead, mentor, and profit in your firm. To learn more about John, visit his website: https://kfalosangeles.com/
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