We recently sat down with Brian T. King, CEO, and Founder of A M King, an integrated Design-Build firm in Charlotte, NC. Brian talked about how he started the business in 2004 and found a niche offering property consulting, design, construction, and facility services in the sectors of food processing, food distribution (including cold storage), industrial manufacturing, and corporate properties. Brian shared his journey of creating an ESOP with his company and why he feels that mentoring and men...
Oct 07, 2021•50 min•Season 6Ep. 199
Leanne Baribeau is a talented Architect with Modus Studio in Fayetteville, AR. We got a chance to spend some time with Leanne discussing her career, love of Architecture, and why diversity is essential for the design industry. Don’t miss the virtual conference, and ElevateHer Symposium, held September 13th to October 7th , is comparable to last year’s event. There will be many FREE sessions and more than 30 Professional Development Hours (PDH) available to you. We hope to see you online or in-pe...
Sep 23, 2021•39 min•Season 5Ep. 198
We recently sat down with Lucas Hayden, Product Marketing Director with Unanet . Unanet is a leading provider of ERP and CRM solutions purpose-built for Government Contractors, AEC, and Professional Services and a presenter at Zweig Group’s ElevateAEC 2021 virtual event. The virtual conference and ElevateHer Symposium, held September 13th to October 7th , is comparable to last year’s event. There will be many FREE sessions and more than 30 Professional Development Hours (PDH) available to you. I...
Sep 09, 2021•39 min•Season 5Ep. 197
We sat down with Chad Clinehens, President and CEO of Zweig Group, to discuss the upcoming ElevateAEC 2021 virtual and live event. The virtual conference and ElevateHer Symposium, held September 13th to October 7th , is comparable to last year’s event. There will be many FREE sessions and more than 30 Professional Development Hours (PDH) available to you. The ElevateAEC live event will be held November 3rd thru 5th in Denver, CO . Plans are underway to put on a safe and impactful event that ever...
Aug 26, 2021•33 min•Season 5Ep. 196
We talk with the newest Managing Director of Zweig Group, Dathan Gaskill. Dathan shared his Super Hero Origin Story and how his career has been a series of challenges and upgrades that find him running a brand new business unit for Zweig Group. This new entity, Zweig Group Risk Solutions, is dedicated to providing innovative risk management and financial strategies for Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) firms. In the same way that the Design Industry got excited about Research Dev...
Aug 12, 2021•29 min•Season 5Ep. 195
We talk with Mark Zweig about what it takes to become a better Seller in the Design Industry. There is a lot of hard work involved, you have to believe in yourself, be consistent, and build relationships even when there isn't a sale on the line. (Originally Released September 14, 2018) Here is a link to the original podcast . Here is a link to the original show notes and everything referenced in this episode. All of this and more on this episode of The Zweig Letter podcast . Get your FREE Subscr...
Jul 22, 2021•23 min•Season 6Ep. 194
We sat down with Kyle Ahern , Awards Manager, with Zweig Group. Kyle shared some great information on the Awards process and why Zweig Group created specific awards. He also discussed why Design Firms should consider participating in the awards process and some important data shared with all of those firms. Whether you are or want to be a Hot Firm, think you should be a Best Firm To Work For, or if your Marketing Team Deserves recognition, the Zweig Group Awards program is for you! All of this a...
Jul 01, 2021•41 min•Season 5Ep. 193
We sat down with Matthew Van Gilst, Principal with Callidus Engineering in London, Ontario, Canada, for a conversation to discuss the growth of his firm, how the pandemic has affected them, and how bullish he is about the future. You just need to listen for yourself. All of this and more on this episode of The Zweig Letter podcast . Get your FREE Subscription to the Zweig Letter Newsletter....
Jun 17, 2021•44 min•Season 5Ep. 192
TZL Memorial: Ed Friedrichs Throwback Episode from 2016 We sat down with Ed Friedrichs on the podcast five years ago for a great conversation about the evolution of the design industry. Ed shared some great stories from back in the day including with Art Gensler and the actor Mel Brooks. We can’t do this episode justice in the show notes. You just need to listen for yourself. Mark Zweig wrote a great article eulogizing Ed in a recent edition of The Zweig Letter All of this and more on this episo...
Jun 03, 2021•52 min•Season 5Ep. 191
Architect Julia Su Jack is Elevating HERself One Day At a Time We recently sat down with Julia Su Jack, AIA , for a spirited conversation on being an architect, a woman of color, and making the transition from the private sector to the public sector. Julia attended HBCU Howard University and studied Architecture there. Julia took time to raise five children and, for a while, struggled with wondering what could have been in her career had she worked more early on. Still, a moment of clarity and h...
May 27, 2021•48 min•Season 5Ep. 190
Strategy and Ownership Transition a Conversation with Will Swearingen We recently sat down with Will Swearingen, Director of Ownership Transition at Zweig Group. Known as “the leading research, publishing, and advisory services resource for design firms in the AEC industry,” Zweig Group offers a comprehensive suite of products and services, from newsletters and market research reports to management consulting and events such as the Elevate AEC Conference . Listen in as Will discusses the latest ...
May 06, 2021•46 min•Season 5Ep. 189
How Schillivia Baptiste Pivoted Her Construction Management Business During the Pandemic On this episode of The Zweig Letter podcast, we sit down with Schillivia Baptiste. She’s a professional engineer and the CEO of Laland Baptiste, and a Principal at Baptiste Engineering. Laland Baptiste is a construction management firm dedicated to providing leadership, organization, supervision, and direction to its clients. We had a far-ranging discussion about the holistic personal and professional develo...
Apr 22, 2021•41 min•Season 5Ep. 188
A brief summary of this episode
Apr 08, 2021•45 min•Season 5Ep. 187
On this episode of The Zweig Letter podcast, we sit down with Stephen Lucy, CEO of JQ Engineering . Based in Dallas, Texas, JQ is a full-service design firm focusing on Structural, Civil Engineering, GeoSpatial, and Facilities Performance Services throughout the United States. We had a far-ranging discussion about growing up with a dad for a Civil Engineer and knowing that he wanted to go into the profession as early as eight years of age. Stephen shared his thoughts on the state of the Design I...
Mar 25, 2021•39 min•Season 5Ep. 186
On this episode of The Zweig Letter podcast, we sit down with Dr. Kit Miyamoto from Miyamoto International . Dr. Kit shared his origin story with us, which included coming from Tokyo to the United States with a desire to play football for the Dallas Cowboys ultimately. This conversation would have been super interesting if he had made the team, but I believe the world is a better and safer place because he didn’t. Learn more about Dr. Kit, Miyamoto International, Miyamoto Relief, and his desire ...
Mar 11, 2021•34 min•Season 5Ep. 185
On this episode of The Zweig Letter podcast, we sit down with AllanTsang and Dan Oblinger professional Negotiators from Oblinger & Tsang. We had a far-ranging conversation about Negotiation and Active Listening for Design Professionals. Dan and Allan go deep in these areas to discuss how to overcome scope creep, telling the client “No!” and making sure that you are making better decisions in all areas of the company. Negotiation to us is the non-valid form of communication, that brings about...
Feb 25, 2021•44 min•Season 5Ep. 184
We recently sat down with Janki DePalma, the Director of Business Development with Kirksey Architects based in Austin, Texas. Janki has a unique perspective to bring to the Zweig Letter Podcast audience. She has done Business Development and Marketing on both the Architectural and Engineering sides of the table. Janki brings energy and enthusiasm to everything she does, and this podcast was no exception. She was also an inaugural participant in Zweig Group’s elevateHer Cohort . Connect with Kirk...
Feb 11, 2021•48 min•Season 5Ep. 183
We recently sat down with Zweig Group’s Director of Strategy, Phil Keil, to discuss the importance of Strategic Planning. Phil shared several stories of how Strategic Planning can make the difference between a Design firm that is just getting by and thriving even during a pandemic. Connect with Phil Keil here . Phil Keil on LinkedIn Get your FREE Subscription to the Zweig Letter Newsletter....
Jan 28, 2021•49 min•Season 5Ep. 182
A brief summary of this episode
Dec 22, 2020•55 min•Season 4Ep. 181
We recently sat down with Chad Coldiron and John Bray from Zweig Group's Advisory Team to discuss all things related to Recruitment and Retention for Design Firms during the Pandemic. Click Here to Read Transcript and View Show Notes...
Dec 10, 2020•46 min•Season 4Ep. 180
We recently sat down with Brandon Pinkerton and Steve Williams, President and COO respectively of HP Engineering based in Rogers, AR. Brandon and Steve discussed how HP Engineering has survived and actually grown during the pandemic. With offices in Northwest Arkansas, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and Dallas, TX, HP Engineering has successfully penetrated multiple markets here in the Southwest. HP Engineering works on various MEP projects and understands the importance of renewable energy needs and cle...
Nov 20, 2020•37 min•Season 4Ep. 179
Additional Show Notes and Transcript Coming Soon Tony Hans Email CMTA Website
Oct 29, 2020•58 min•Season 4Ep. 178
In this episode of The Zweig Letter Podcast, we sit down with Chad Surprenant. Chad is currently the Chief Strategy Officer and Board Chairman of ISG. He was previously the President, CEO, and Board Member with the company. Chad shared his journey from being one of the company's primary shareholders and running everything to creating an ESOP and enlarging the ownership of ISG to everyone at the company. We talked about the importance of Leadership in the Design Industry and why many leadership p...
Oct 15, 2020•59 min•Season 4Ep. 177
In this episode of The Zweig Letter Podcast, we sit down with Engineer, Model, and Activist, Marcia Alvarado from TRC Worldwide Engineering. We had a far-ranging discussion about how Marcia got into engineering, how her modeling career organically grew, and why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is so important to her, and how she hopes to spread the word and best practice throughout the Design Industry. Marcia was part of the inaugural ElevateHer cohort put on by Zweig Group earlier this year. Sh...
Sep 24, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 4Ep. 176
2020 has been a year like no other, and the folks at Zweig Group have figured out a way to make the best of it. ElevateAEC, what has typically been one of the premier in-person events in the Design Industry, has gone virtual. In this episode of The Zweig Letter Podcast, we sit down with Zweig Group CEO, Chad Clinehens, to learn more about this effort and the plans that are in place to make this one of the most engaging industry award celebrations and continuing education programs in the AEC indu...
Sep 10, 2020•45 min•Season 4Ep. 175
We recently sat down with former CEO and Chairman of Burns & McDonnell, Greg Graves. Greg engaged us with a far-reaching conversation about what life is like as a retired Design Industry Executive - although Greg has not really taken any time off since leaving Burns & McDonnell in 2017. He has stayed busy working with local organizations in the Kansas City area where he resides, being a husband and Grandfather, and working on his forthcoming book, "Create Amazing!" All of this and Greg's...
Aug 27, 2020•52 min•Season 4Ep. 174
Laura joined Hickok Cole 2017 to drive business development efforts firm-wide. Laura takes a task-oriented approach to managing Hickok Cole’s existing relationships and forging new ones. She enjoys directing and learning about the creative and thoughtful design methods of her colleagues and disseminating in-house research initiatives to forward-thinking partners. Social handles: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/laura-roth-1924724 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lalafroth/ Company Instagram & F...
Aug 06, 2020•50 min•Season 4Ep. 173
We recently sat down with LaShawn Stewart-Baylor, founder of Integrated CM Solutions , a Program/Construction Management firm based in San Antonio, Texas. In five years, LaShawn has built a firm to be reckoned with in the HUGE Texas Construction landscape. We had a far-reaching conversation about Program/Construction Management in San Antonio and beyond. We also discussed how she got her first project within days of starting the business, the challenges faced by minority firms in the Design and ...
Jul 16, 2020•1 hr•Season 4Ep. 172
We recently sat down with James Garrett, AIA, NOMA, Founder of 4RM+ULA Architects in St. Paul, MN. Nothing was off-limits during this far-reaching conversation. We discussed George Floyd, Racism in the Design Industry, the challenge in designing Memorable Structures, and James’ family history in St. Paul – He’s a 5th Generation Resident with ties to an influential City Architect and a Grandfather who was Deputy Police Chief of St. Paul. When it comes to design, 4RM+ULA focuses on Technology, Env...
Jul 02, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Season 4Ep. 171
On the Zweig Letter Podcast today, Randy Wilburn sat down with Vatsal Shah, VP, and Principal Engineer with Mott MacDonald in New Jersey and New York. Vatsal talks about the challenges that Mott MacDonald and so many other Design Firms are dealing with during the Coronavirus Pandemic. He shares a lot of the things they are doing to promote remote work, keep the culture going, and how they have dealt with business travel during the pandemic. Vatsal is an example of the bright future of Design Fir...
Jun 18, 2020•42 min•Season 4Ep. 170
