EntreArchitect Podcast with Mark R. LePage
591 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 156 ratingsArchitect Mark R. LePage explores the business of architecture, firm leadership and the everyday life of an architect. From Gābl Media, EntreArchitect Podcast features weekly interviews with inspiring, passionate people who share their knowledge and expertise... all to help you build a better business as a small firm entrepreneur architect. Proven business strategies for architects, including financial management, profit, marketing, sales, productivity, and planning.
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Episodes
EA040: My 4 Simple Steps to Getting Things Done [Podcast]
August 01, 2014 09:47 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBA little past 6AM, tunes from the local radio station wake me from a very deep slumber. Typically, I will set the alarm to 6:14, so I hear music rather than the daily bad news report. I am very serious about my full media blackout . I certainly don't spend enough time sleeping and for the past few weeks I've been rising at 4:34AM. My oldest son James decided that he wanted to join a morning swim training camp and he needs to be on deck by 5:50AM. So this is my summer schedule and sleep is...
EA039: A Virtual Round Table Discussing the Virtual Studio [Podcast]
July 24, 2014 09:43 - 52 minutes - 48.1 MBThis week on the podcast, I invited small firm architects Lee Calisti, Jeremiah Russell, Steve May and Neal Pann to discuss the virtual studio business model. Neal was in the wilds of Canada on vacation and could not make it to the call, but Lee, Jeremiah, Steve and I had a very interesting conversation about how my new virtual studio is working. We discussed how the model could be used to help architects collaborate, build virtual teams and take on larger projects. If you are a solopreneu...
EA038: Hardware and Electronic Equipment for Small Firm Architects [Podcast]
July 18, 2014 09:39 - 45 minutes - 42 MBIn the 15 years that Annmarie and I have been practicing at our small residential architecture firm, we have seen much of our hardware come and go. We launched the firm with a single Dell workstation, a monster CRT monitor and an inexpensive all-in-one scanner, printer, fax machine. Today we're running Apple computers and the fax machine is long gone. On this episode of the Entrepreneur Architect Podcast, I am going to share with you a long list of all of the hardware and electronic equip...
EA037: My Answers to 11 Big Questions About Architecture (Podcast)
July 11, 2014 09:36 - 39 minutes - 36.5 MBLate yesterday afternoon, I received an email from my friend Bob Borson of Life of an Architect. His message was a challenge to all architect bloggers on the internet. Bob challenged us to coordinate a series of blog posts, (and this podcast episode) all to be published on the same day and answering the same 11 questions. Please review this podcast on iTunes. Here are the 11 questions Bob presented to the group: What kind of projects were you doing when you first started as an architect?...
EA036: A Call to Action for Small Firm Architects at AIA Convention 2015 [Podcast]
July 04, 2014 09:33 - 56 minutes - 51.6 MBThis week on the Entrepreneur Architect Podcast, I talk about my week and share my insights on the Business Plan Competition and the AIA National Convention. It was a fantastic week. Please review the podcast on iTunes. References from this Episode Architecture Business Plan Competition AIA Convention WoodenBoat Show in Mystic Connecticut Hotel Burnham Eleven:59 Studio Latent Design Ascent Architecture AIA Foresight Report The Greenway Group Independent Architects are Leading t...
EA035: Business Systems for Architects with Enoch Sears of BusinessOfArchitecture.com [Podcast]
June 19, 2014 09:30 - 52 minutes - 48.4 MBThis week on the Entrepreneur Architect Podcast I chatted with my friend Enoch Sears, the founder of BusinessOfArchitecture.com. Each week, Enoch hosts the Business of Architecture Show, a video podcast, which may be viewed on his website, on his YouTube channel or you may listen to the audio on iTunes. Enoch’s show is specifically focused on advancing the business of architecture through training and education. If you like what I am doing here at Entrepreneur Architect, you'll love Busin...
EA034: How to Raise Your Fees [Podcast]
June 05, 2014 09:26 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MBWhen Annmarie and I launched Fivecat Studio back in 1999, we took the work we could get and charged what we thought our clients wanted to pay. As we matured as architects and grew as a business, we learned that we needed to make more money in order to build a better business. Are you in this same position? Are you working too hard and earning too little? This week on the Entrepreneur Architect Podcast, I talk about how to raise your fees. Please review the podcast on iTunes. Links Refer...
EA033: Architects Creating Homes with Rand Soellner
May 29, 2014 09:20 - 43 minutes - 39.7 MBResidential architecture is very different than any other building type. The scale is different. The materials are different. The details are different… and our clients well, they are very different. The life of a residential architect is very challenging. The psychology involved in a successful residential architecture project is something that can only be learned after many years in practice. The process, from acquiring the project, discovering what our clients really want, through desi...
EA032: Business Classes for Architecture Students, Architect Moms and More Q & A from the Community [Podcast]
May 22, 2014 09:16 - 39 minutes - 36.5 MBThis week on the Entrepreneur Architect Podcast, I am turning things over to you, the Entrepreneur Architect Community. Every day I receive emails from members of the community. Many are letters of support and encouragement and truthfully, those are the emails that inspire me to continue and to grow Entrepreneur Architect into all that it can be. So I thank you for sending those messages. Many other emails contain questions for me, asking for advice or guidance for their careers. I'm ju...
EA031: The Architectural Services Sales System [Podcast]
May 16, 2014 09:14 - 21 minutes - 20 MBWe need to talk. This may be uncomfortable, but we need to talk about money. Are you making enough to finish each month with a profit? Are you making enough to live comfortably? Are you making enough to simply pay the bills? So many architects I know are not making ends meet. We architects are notoriously horrible business people. My mission is to change that. (So share this blog with every architect you know!) I believe, deep down, we all want to be successful. We all want to make more...
EA030: Ten Rules to Project Management Success [Podcast]
May 09, 2014 09:11 - 20 minutes - 19.2 MBOne of the most important of all the tasks we perform as architects is Project Management. The success of each project sits squarely in our hands. If managed poorly, a single project may set our progress back years. If managed well, it can take us to great heights. This week on the Entrepreneur Architect Podcast, I share my Ten Rules to Project Management Success. Please review the podcast on iTunes. What are some of your rules for successful project management? Do you have any thoughts ...
EA029: BIMsanity… Is AutoCAD LT a Better Choice for Small Firm Architects? [Podcast]
May 01, 2014 09:08 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MBI met my wife Annmarie in 1993 at my first job with Barry Poskanzer Architecture and Planning in Ridgewood, NJ. I had been working as an intern for several months and Barry was seeking a new employee, another intern to help with lower level tasks and to work with the licensed architects in the firm as a draftsman. If you are interested in my story my journey from architecture school to owning my own small firm, check out an earlier episode of the Entrepreneur Architect Podcast at EntreArc...
EA028: Business Software for Small Firm Architects with Steven Burns, FAIA [Podcast]
April 24, 2014 09:04 - 46 minutes - 42.9 MBOne of the most important tasks architects should be doing to improve the success of their firms is to develop strong business systems that will allow them to quickly perform the routine everyday tasks of running a busy architecture firm. The quickest and maybe the most effective way to do this is to leverage the power of software developed to perform these tasks with ease and efficiency. Steven Burns is an architect who saw a need for such an application. He set out to create a software p...
EA027: Investigating the Missing 32% with Architect Rosa Sheng [Podcast]
April 17, 2014 09:01 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBArchitecture school graduating classes consist of approximately 50% men and 50% women, but somewhere along the way to licensure, 32% of the women drop out of the profession to pursue other paths. Why does this gender gap exist? What are those women doing, if they're not pursuing architecture? Where did they go? My guest this week on the Entrepreneur Architect Podcast, is on a mission to find out. Architect Rosa Sheng is a member of the board of directors at AIA San Francisco and leads a co...
EA026: Cool Spaces! on PBS TV with Architect Stephen Chung [Podcast]
April 10, 2014 08:56 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MBWhen I speak with architects about the critical issues we are facing in the profession, many of us echo the same solution of educating the public on what we do and why we do it. “If they only understood…” This week on the Entrepreneur Architect Podcast I speak with architect and teacher Stephen Chung; the creator and host of the new PBS television show, Cool Spaces! Stephen has a great story to share. We discuss his journey to become an architect and his inspiration for the show. We even ...
EA025: Successful Social Media Strategies for Architects [Podcast]
April 02, 2014 08:54 - 31 minutes - 28.8 MBAnnmarie and I launched our first website at fivecat.com in 1998, way before any other architects in the region were online. I've been writing blogs since 2006 and as social media grew in popularity, we adopted early and benefited tremendously. Having a strong online presence has made us very accessible on search engines. We've held a top 3 position on Google since launching the website and literally built the firm with inquiries from local prospects searching for Westchester Architects. T...
EA024: My Architecture Business Plan for Fivecat Studio [Podcast]
March 28, 2014 08:49 - 1 hour - 55.3 MBThis Episode is Top Secret In this episode of the Entrepreneur Architect Podcast, I talk about how to create your own life plan and I’ll walk you through my own business plan step-by-step; the actual plan that I developed for Fivecat Studio back in 2006. I’ll share all my previously confidential information and show you how Annmarie and I took Fivecat Studio from a struggling stalled small firm to a successful regional leader. Since that time, my plans have evolved and our current busine...
EA023: How to Build a Debt-Zero Architecture Firm [Podcast]
March 21, 2014 08:46 - 22 minutes - 21 MBMoney is critical to the success of any architecture firm, but how and why you find that money may determine whether you live or die as a small business. In this episode of the Entrepreneur Architect Podcast, we're talking about building a business without debt and if you already find yourself in the hole (like me), I will share 4 steps to find your way back to debt-zero. Please leave a review on iTunes. Links Referenced on This Episode A New Business Model for Small Firm Architects (V...
EA021: My Journey from Architecture School to My Own Architecture Firm [Podcast]
March 16, 2014 08:27 - 12 minutes - 11.4 MBI am a born entrepreneur. It is in my blood. From age 10, when I decided to become an architect, I knew that someday I would lead my own firm. With certainty for my destination, I planned my path, step by step, from graduation to business launch. It wasn't a formal written plan, but I knew from the start what I needed to do before I was ready to take on my own clients. In this episode of the Entrepreneur Architect Podcast, I share my journey from Architecture School to my own architecture...
EA022: How To Find Your First Job in Architecture with Edward Rowse Architects [Podcast]
March 13, 2014 08:39 - 1 hour - 56.6 MBThis one is for the students. Dayne DeSerres is a working intern at Edward Rowse Architects based in Foxboro Massachusetts. He promotes the firm via Social Media and we communicate often on Twitter. A few weeks back, Dayne reached out in response to My Ultimate Guide to Landing Your First Job in Architecture. He offered to come on the show with Jim Partridge and Steve Tucker, two leaders from his firm, to discuss the role of interns at Edward Rowse Architects and what students should be d...
EA020: How To More Than Double Your Fee on Your Next Architecture Project [Podcast]
February 27, 2014 08:22 - 12 minutes - 11.4 MBDuring my interview with a potential client, I answer many questions. Most are very similar; How much will it cost? How long will it take? Are you available to start right away? Do you have any references? You know all the questions they learn to ask from their favorite shows on HGTV. Another question that I'm often asked is, Do you build the project too? And like a good architect, I would explain the difference between architects and contractors and politely say, No. Architects desig...
EA019: My 6 Steps for Accomplishing Your Goals Without Feeling Overwhelmed [Podcast]
February 20, 2014 08:18 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MBDo you ever feel overwhelmed with all your responsibilities? Of course you do, you're an architect. We are born and bred to be overcommitted and stressed. On this episode I am going to share my 6 steps for accomplishing your goals without feeling overwhelmed. I hope this episode helps you on your journey to greatness and you find the success of your dreams. I'd love to know what you think of this episode. What are your goals and what are some of the small victories you have enjoyed rece...
EA018: David Zach is a Futurist [Podcast]
February 14, 2014 08:13 - 39 minutes - 36.3 MBDavid Zach is a Futurist. I don't know about you, but before meeting David at AIAS Forum in Chicago, I thought Futurism was the creation of science fiction writers. But in fact, David Zach is a professional Futurist. David is a full time speaker and has given more than 1500 presentation over the past 27 years. He was a member of the board of directors for AIA National and has a personal passion for the future of architecture. This is an action packed episode of the Entrepreneur Architect ...
EA017: The Entrepreneur Architect Manifesto [Podcast]
February 07, 2014 08:09 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MBIn this episode I'll be talking about my Entrepreneur Architect Manifesto. I launched the Entrepreneur Architect blog in 2007 as a personal project to record my thoughts about business in architecture and to organize online resources about business and the profession of architecture. On December 12, 2012, I announced the relaunch of Entrepreneur Architect as an online resource for sole proprietors, students and small firms and introduced this podcast to the world. That first episode is stil...
EA016: Five Ways to Embrace Your Personal Evolution [Podcast]
January 31, 2014 08:04 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MBIn this episode I'll share five ways to embrace your Personal Evolution. How, as we move through different seasons in our lives, our priorities change and the things that may have been important to us as an architecture student or as an emerging professional, may not be so important as we grow and our lives evolve. It’s a short one, but I feel its a fascinating and important topic to explore. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Topics Referenced in this Episode Last We...
EA015: Architectural Fees | How To Get Paid as an Architect [Podcast]
January 24, 2014 07:59 - 21 minutes - 19.3 MBSince launching the blog back in 2007, there has been one topic that I have been asked about more than any other. Whenever I write about it, either at the blog or over at the Entrepreneur Architect Linkedin Group (which by the way is closing in on 6,000 members) the comment section lights up. It's the one topic that, for generations, has been untouchable. We've been trained by our schools and required by our professional organization to avoid discussing this topic at all costs or else. We...
EA014: Architecture Does Matter | An Interview with BSA President Emily Grandstaff-Rice [Podcast]
January 16, 2014 07:51 - 49 minutes - 45.7 MBShe is the daughter of an economist inspired by an advocate St. Louis architect at the age of 15. This week's guest on the Entrepreneur Architect Podcast climbed her way up through the profession, making a difference every step of the way. She's an instructor at Boston Architectural College, an associate at Cambridge Seven Associates and the 2014 President of the Boston Society of Architects. She's married to a fellow architect and Mom” to 2 kids. This week on the podcast, I am honored to...
EA013: Profit… Then Art | Architects Build a Better World By Making More Money [Podcast]
January 09, 2014 07:39 - 33 minutes - 31 MBIt’s Official! The Entrepreneur Architect Podcast is now on a weekly schedule. In this, my 13th episode, I share the new schedule for everything Entrepreneur Architect including the weekly podcast and the new publication date for The Entrepreneur Architect Report, my free weekly newsletter. My weekly blog articles will continue to be published on Monday mornings. A new episode of the podcast will be posted every Thursday morning, taking the slot from the newsletter. The newsletter will mo...
EA012: How Business Consultants Will Help Small Firm Architects Build Better Businesses with Rena Klein [Podcast]
December 12, 2013 07:32 - 46 minutes - 42.4 MBRena Klein, FAIA is a teacher, a speaker, an author and principal of RM Klein Consulting; a firm offering a variety of services aimed at small firm architects. On this episode of the Entrepreneur Architect podcast, Rena and I discuss the many ways a business consultant may help you build a better business. We talk about everything from how the AIA is focusing on the small firm architect, marketing, work/life balance, ownership transitions, firm valuations and so much more. Go grab your Mol...
EA011: The Virtual Studio with Kevin deFreitas [Podcast]
November 13, 2013 07:25 - 52 minutes - 48.4 MBIn this eleventh episode of the Entrepreneur Architect podcast, I speak with architect Kevin deFreitas about his success as an Entrepreneur Architect using a virtual studio business model. Annmarie and I have shifted our business model at Fivecat Studio to look much like what Kevin describes. I learned a bunch from Kevin and I hope you do too. Visit Kevin’s website at www.deFreitasArchitects.com or send him an email to say thanks for sharing what he knows on the show. I’d love to know wha...
EA010: Alternative Business Structures for Architects with Oscia Wilson [Podcast]
October 13, 2013 07:16 - 35 minutes - 33 MBOscia Wilson has built an architecture firm based on the ideas she learned through practicing Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). Using a distributed business model, with members of the firm working remotely and coming together as necessary, Oscia has built an efficient, effective and rather flexible architecture firm. She shares why she chose an alternative business structure and gives us a detailed breakdown of how her firm works. Oscia is also the founder of the Women Entrepreneurship Re...
EA009: The Power of Connection with Susan Serra [Podcast]
September 12, 2013 06:10 - 37 minutes - 34 MBhttp://www.entrearchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/entrearchitect-podcast-badge1.jpg ()In this episode of the Entrepreneur Architect podcast we’re hanging out with a long time online friend of mine, Susan Serra. Susan is a kitchen designer, an online marketer, an entrepreneur many times over and a great friend. We talked about Susan’s many business ventures and how engaging online has helped her succeed. Its all about the connections. Whether you find people online or off, your succes...
EA008: Breaking all the Rules | Building a Successful Design Firm While Still in Architecture School [Podcast]
August 12, 2013 06:03 - 40 minutes - 36.8 MBhttp://www.entrearchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/entrearchitect-podcast-badge1.jpg ()Like many architecture students, Brian Corcodilos and Vincent DeFazio had a dream of one day starting their own architectural design firm. But they didn’t let the rules get in their way. While still attending Philadelphia University, Brian and Vince invited the top ten percent of their class to join them and they launched Designblendz, LLC. Today, the multidisciplinary design firm serves architects ...
EA007: Opportunities Come from Unexpected Places | An Interview with Pat Flynn [Podcast]
July 13, 2013 05:56 - 47 minutes - 43.5 MBPat Flynn graduated from UC Berkeley Architecture, loved the profession and was working his way through the ranks to become an architect. He was living his dream until the day he was Let Go. In this episode of the Entrepreneur Architect Podcast, Pat Flynn tells the story about how he made the decision to leave the architecture profession and follow his passion for internet business. Today he earns more than $60,000 per month through his many online properties, including his very popular b...
EA006: Living the archiCULTURE | An Interview with Film Director/Producer Ian Harris [Podcast]
June 13, 2013 05:50 - 45 minutes - 41.4 MBhttp://www.entrearchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/entrearchitect-podcast-badge1.jpg ()In this episode of the Entrepreneur Architect Podcast, I am speaking with Ian Harris, the co-Founder of Arbuckle Industries and the co-Director and Producer of the new documentary film archiCULTURE. The film offers a unique glimpse into the world of studio-based design education through the eyes of a group of students finishing their final design projects at Pratt Institute’s undergraduate architectur...
EA005: Professional Liability Insurance with Frank D. Musica of Victor O. Schinnerer & Co., Inc. [Podcast]
May 13, 2013 05:41 - 48 minutes - 44.6 MBhttps://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/entrepreneur-architect/id593303704 (Subscribe to The Entrepreneur Architect Podcast at iTunes) We’ve enjoyed lots of engagement here on the blog lately and one subject that consistently triggers a response from readers is Professional Liability Insurance; what it is, why we need it and if we need it as sole proprietors and owners of small architecture firms. In this episode of The Entrepreneur Architect Podcast, I interview Frank D. Musica. Frank is trai...
EA004: Selling Architecture as a Product with Karl Daubmann of Blu Homes
April 13, 2013 05:30 - 44 minutes - 40.8 MBhttps://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/entrepreneur-architect/id593303704 (Subscribe at iTunes) https://entrearchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Breezehouse-Healdsburg-pool.jpg ()Blu Homes has reinvented residential design with their patented folding prefab construction… offering architecture as a product. Todays guest at The Entrepreneur Architect Podcast is Blu Home’s VP of Design, Karl Daubmann. We talked about Karl’s background, how he landed an architect’s dream job at Blu and their...
EA003: Storytelling with Architect Collier Ward [Podcast]
March 13, 2013 05:23 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBhttps://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/entrepreneur-architect/id593303704 (Subscribe on iTunes) http://entrearchitect.libsyn.com/rss (Subscribe via RSS) http://www.buildingcontent.highercontent.com/?headway-trigger=thumbnail&src=%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fheadway%2Fheader-uploads%2FDreamstime_102_GIMP_II+-Header.gif&q=90&w=950&zc=0 () Architects are storytellers. We all know stories inspired by architecture. Stories of success and failure. Our greatest works of architecture hold stories that ...
EA002: Secrets to Blogging Success with Bob Borson
February 13, 2013 05:15 - 56 minutes - 51.9 MBWe finally made it to Episode 2. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/entrepreneur-architect/id593303704 (Subscribe on iTunes) http://entrearchitect.libsyn.com/rss (Subscribe via RSS) I’m thinking a month between episodes might be a bit too long. I could not wait to record the second episode of The Entrepreneur Architect Podcast. We may need to make some changes to the podcast schedule in order to get you more episodes posted more often. Let me know what you think about that by leaving a co...
EA001: Architecture is Dead | An Interview with Christopher Pollard
January 13, 2013 03:43 - 50 minutes - 46 MBIt’s finally here… Episode 001 of The Entrepreneur Architect Podcast. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/entrepreneur-architect/id593303704 (Subscribe on iTunes now). In this first episode, I sit down with Christopher Pollard, Founder and CEO of Anon Design Collective (live at Fivecat Studio). He is trained as an architect, but has taken his career in a very different direction. Chris says, “Architecture is Dead”. Listen and find out if you agree. I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know...
EA000: Introduction to The Entrepreneur Architect Podcast
December 12, 2012 20:00 - 13 minutes - 18.8 MBhttps://entrearchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/medium42021683.jpg () One month ago, on November 12, 2012, I published a blog post introducing https://entrearchitect.com/2012/11/11/the-121212-project/ (The 12/12/12 Project). The idea behind the 12/12/12 Project is to push through your fear of failure, make a decision final and commit to something that will literally alter your life. Something that you have been dreaming about but have always been afraid to do. It’s an opportunity to fo...