EntreArchitect Podcast with Mark R. LePage

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EA480: Nick Shiffer - Growing NS Builders with Content and Quality Oct 28, 2022

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Growing NS Builders with Content and Quality

Nick Schiffer started NS Builders in 2014, but his story begins much earlier. Even as a kid, he loved working with his hands—tinkering with a bike, building a mini-empire with Lincoln Logs, figuring out how to put things back together after ripping them apart. At age 11, Nick was already working in his Dad’s fencing business. Attending a vocational school marked a turning point—two classes, in particular, would profoundly impact Nick’s career path. Cabinet making and house carpentry shop fueled his passion for all things construction, and from then on, Nick knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life—build houses. Really amazing houses.

After graduating from Fitchburg State University with a bachelor’s degree in Construction Technology/Management, it was time to leave the family business (not an easy decision). Accepting a job in Boston for a big company, Nick soon worked his way up to assistant project manager, completely immersing himself in the various aspects of construction management. Nick wasn’t letting go of his dream—to own his own business—and he worked at night on his own side projects, gaining experience through trial and error, discovering how to juggle multiple jobs effectively, and the financial side of running the show. He held himself and his work to the highest level and refused to settle for less.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Growing NS Builders with Content and Quality with Nick Shiffer.

Connect with Nick online at NS Builders and Nick Shiffer, and find him on YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Referenced in this Episode

Contractor Coalition Summit

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Graphisoft + EntreArchitect

Archicad BIM software enables design, collaboration, visualization, and project delivery, no matter the project size or complexity. With flexible licensing options and a dedicated support team to guide us along the way, Archicad is an ideal choice for firms and projects of any size. Visit our dedicated landing page at EntreArchitect + Graphisoft for an exclusive special offer waiting for our community of architects.

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Design Vault

EA479: Bill Mandara - Culture Driven Vision with CEO of Mancini Duffy Oct 21, 2022

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Culture Driven Vision with CEO of Mancini Duffy

William Mandara Jr., AIA, is the chief executive officer and co-owner of Mancini Duffy, a national design firm with a 100+-year-old history and tech-forward approach based in New York City. Bill comes from a family in the business: his father and grandfather were general contractors. He got the most thankless tasks during his teenage summers at his father’s job sites. In retrospect, it was a great way to instill understanding and respect for the profession. It was also a not-so-subtle hint from his father that he should be thinking about architecture school instead.

He had been at TSC Design for five years when Mancini Duffy purchased the firm’s assets in 2011, at which point he was named a Senior Associate. He was later named a principal in 2014, became co-owner of the firm in 2017, and was named chief executive officer in 2018.

Throughout his career, Bill’s believed in having consistency of vision and values: that we should never put ourselves or our vision ahead of the client’s. This consistency lets us respond to our clients quickly, with clarity and authority.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Culture Driven Vision with CEO of Mancini Duffy with Bill Mandara.

Connect with Bill online at Mancini Duffy, and find him on LinkedIn.

Referenced in this Episode

EA420: Christian Giordano – Reinventing a 100 Year Old Architecture Firm Through Technology

EA394: Bolanle Williams-Olley – How To Manage Cash Flow

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The Graphisoft + EntreArchitect Partnership

I am excited to announce that Graphisoft is now an official partner of EntreArchitect and The EntreArchitect Community. I’ve been meeting with the Graphisoft team for months preparing for this partnership and I can confidently say that our friends at Graphisoft are fully committed to supporting our small firms… and our transition to Archicad and BIM.

Archicad BIM software enables design, collaboration, visualization, and project delivery - no matter the project size or complexity. With flexible licensing options, and a dedicated support team to guide us along the way, Archicad is an ideal choice for firms and projects of any size. That’s why I am personally committed to finally making the move to BIM myself, from CAD to Archicad. (I’ll share more on that as I progress.)

I encourage you to reach out and talk to the folks at Graphisoft today by visiting our own dedicated webpage at Graphisoft.com/us/EntreArchitect. There is even an exclusive special offer waiting for our community of architects. Go now to Graphisoft.com/us/EntreArchitect and see how Graphisoft is positioned to help make YOUR architecture firm a success. That’s Graphisoft.com/us/EntreArchitect.

Mentioned in this episode:

Design Vault

EA478: Fauzia Khanani - Advocating for Change Through Architecture Oct 14, 2022

Show notes

Advocating for Change Through Architecture

Fauzia Khanani is the founder of Studio For, an architecture and interiors firm based in NYC with global projects ranging from workplace to community-centered projects. She received her M.Arch from the University of California Berkeley and her previous career as a sociologist in public health continues to have a strong influence on how she approaches design.

She is a founding member and currently Co-chair of the AIANY Social Science and Architecture Committee as well as a cofounder and Board Vice President of Design Advocates, a non-profit organization established in March 2020 for architects to share resources and collaborate on efforts to serve the public good through pro bono projects, research, and advocacy. She is a Core Organizer for the Design As Protest Collective, a group of anti-racist designers dedicated to Design Justice in the built environment.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Advocating for Change Through Architecture with Fauzia Khanani.

Connect with Fauzia online at Studio Fōr and Design As Protest Collective, and find her on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram.

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The Graphisoft + EntreArchitect Partnership

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Design Vault

EA477: Melanie Anne Towey - Right People. Right Seats. Oct 07, 2022

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Right People. Right Seats.

Whether it be in business or in life, Mel believes in fixing the root cause at the deepest level – not treating the symptoms.

As a trusted leader and consulting resource within the building materials, architecture & design, and construction space, Melanie helps industry professionals grow in themselves and in their careers, as well as strategically helps entrepreneurs and business leaders at a deeper level overcome foundational challenges hindering them from results.

As a Professional EOS® Implementer and Business Coach, Melanie acts as a teacher, coach, and facilitator — helping business leaders transform their companies and, ultimately, their lives. She helps implement a complete, proven system with simple, practical tools to help business leaders achieve three things: vision, traction and health. When you align and synchronize all the moving parts of your business you create clarity, accountability, efficiency, and profitability.

This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, Right People. Right Seats. with Melanie Anne Towey.

Connect with Melanie online at ByMelanieAnne.com, and find him on LinkedIn or Instagram.

Referenced in this Episode

Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman

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The Graphisoft + EntreArchitect Partnership

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Design Vault

EA476: Scott Ruzich - Smart Homes Sep 30, 2022

Show notes

Smart Homes

Scott Ruzich leads a company that is aggressively at the forefront of modern technology. Epic Smart Homes exists to connect the dots between how we live and what we can do to remove tedium and add joy. Founded in 2005, with many successful residential and commercial installations across California, Texas, Nevada, and Hawaii, Epic is built on the understanding that time is the most precious commodity.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Smart Homes with Scott Ruzich.

Connect with Scott online at Epic Smart Homes, and find him on LinkedIn.

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The Graphisoft + EntreArchitect Partnership

Mentioned in this episode:

Design Vault

EA475: David Pollard – Single Stop Integrated Residential Design Build Sep 23, 2022

Show notes

Single Stop Integrated Residential Design Build

Dave Pollard, AIA LEED AP is an architect, builder, and co-founder of Liv Companies; a full service residential design-build company in the Chicago suburbs. Dave has worked for several high profile Chicago firms such as Goettsch Partners, and David Hovey’s Architect-led development company, Optima Inc, honing his skills to better understand how to make the process of design more efficient, and therefore more accessible.

With Dave as the Design lead, LivCo has won numerous awards including Twenty-six Chicago Remodeling Excellence Awards, Five regional remodeling excellence awards, a National Remodeling Excellence Award in 2021, Home of the Year Award, Contractor of the Year Award, Six consecutive years Houzz Best in Service, Remodeling Big50, and in 2018, Dave was on ProRemodelers 40 under 40 list. Dave is considered a thought leader in the industry, and has been published in both the Journal of Light Construction and Remodeling Magazine.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Single Stop Integrated Residential Design Build with David Pollard.

Connect with Dave online at Liv Companies, and find him on LinkedIn.

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The Graphisoft + EntreArchitect Partnership

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Design Vault

EA474: Niknaz Aftahi – CEO and Cofounder of aec+tech Sep 16, 2022

Show notes

CEO and Cofounder of aec+tech

Niknaz is the CEO and co-founder of aec+tech, an all-in-one innovation platform and community connecting AEC/O (Architecture, Engineering, Construction & Operations) professionals with the latest tools and technologies. Prior to launching aec+tech Niknaz practiced architecture in the bay area, California, both as a design professional as well as a design technologist. Niknaz is a member of AIA San Francisco design technology committee, and has also been developing curriculum and teaching architecture courses online to Bahai students in Iran who continue to be deprived of access to universities in their own country.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, CEO and Cofounder of aec+tech with Niknaz Aftahi.

Connect with Niknaz online at aec+tech, and find her on LinkedIn.

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The Graphisoft + EntreArchitect Partnership

I encourage you to reach out and talk to the folks at Graphisoft today by visiting our own dedicated webpage at graphisoft.com/us/entrearchitect. There is even an exclusive special offer waiting for our community of architects. Go now to graphisoft.com/us/entrearchitect and see how Graphisoft is positioned to help make YOUR architecture firm a success. That’s graphisoft.com/us/entrearchitect.

Mentioned in this episode:

Design Vault

EA473: Aron Croft – The Mysterious Connection Between ADHD and the Small Firm Architect Sep 09, 2022

Show notes

The Mysterious Connection Between ADHD and the Small Firm Architect

Aron Croft appeared to have it all when he got into Harvard. But that was the beginning of his demise. He struggled nonstop for 15 years until he was broke, divorced, and earning minimum wage, failing out of his first 7 jobs and businesses. But after getting a Master’s degree in Coaching Psychology and a diagnosis of Inattentive ADHD, his life changed. He built a successful Fortune 500 career consulting to companies such as Marriott, Deloitte, Johnson & Johnson, McDonald’s, KPMG, and United Healthcare. He also got remarried, and most importantly, discovered how to get sh*t done with a neurodivergent brain. Now he's on a mission to raise awareness about Inattentive ADHD, how it goes under the radar, and how to rebuild your life post-diagnosis. His work has been featured by ADDitude Magazine, ADDA, and more.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, The Mysterious Connection Between ADHD and the Small Firm Architect with Aron Croft.

Connect with Aron online at HiddenADHD.com, check out his free online guide “Ensure Your Online Course Will Sell”, and find him on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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The post EA473: Aron Croft – The Mysterious Connection Between ADHD and the Small Firm Architect appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

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Design Vault

EA Studio 007: AGS Stainless – Kevin Harris Sep 06, 2022

Show notes

EntreArchitect Studio is a series of special bonus episodes where Mark invites inspiring, passionate people to share their knowledge and information about the building products and services to help you build better buildings.

This week at the EntreArchitect Studio we are featuring:

AGS Stainless – Kevin Harris

Kevin Harris is the Director of Sales & Marketing at AGS Stainless, Inc. (AGS), a railing manufacturer specializing in 100% offsite fabrication of custom railing systems. Prior to his position with AGS, Kevin founded 4 industry-leading firms including 2 information technology firms; one specializing in the creation of web-based process management tools for Fortune 100 corporations and one that specialized in building predictive modeling applications for federal agencies. He also founded a real estate development firm that spearheaded the restoration and redevelopment of a historic seaport communities' downtown waterfront, as well as organizing and founding a community bank.

Kevin currently serves as Co-chair, of the Board of Trustees for the National Association of Home Builders Leading Supplier’s Council (NAHB LSC), and he also serves as a Trustee for the NAHB Remodelers Council (NAHBR) and as a Laison to the NAHB Single Family Builders Committee. Additionally, he serves on the Executive Committee of the American Institute of Architects National Custom Residential Architects Network (AIA CRAN).

This week at EntreArchitect Studio Podcast, AGS Stainless with Kevin Harris.

Learn more about AGS Stainless, and follow Kevin on LinkedIn.

If you offer building products or serve the AEC industry and want to join Mark at the EntreArchitect Studio, send us an email at podcast@EntreArchitect.com.

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Freshbooks is the all in one bookkeeping software that can save your small architecture firm both time and money by simplifying the hard parts of running your own business. Try Freshbooks for 30 days for FREE at EntreArchitect.com/Freshbooks.

Visit our Platform Sponsors today and thank them for supporting YOU… The EntreArchitect Community of small firm architects.

The post EA Studio 007: AGS Stainless – Kevin Harris appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects.

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Design Vault

EA472: Dan Hart – AIA National President Shares Personal Thesis on the Role of AIA Sep 02, 2022

Show notes

AIA National President Shares Personal Thesis on the Role of AIA

Dan Hart, FAIA, PE is the Executive Vice President of Architecture, member of the Board of Directors and Principal with Parkhill, located in Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Based in Austin, Dan has been the Texas Society of Architects President, The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Strategic Council Moderator, Chair of the Public Outreach Committee and Co-chair of the COVID-19 Business Continuity Task Force. He is the national President of the AIA in 2022.

Dan was a dual degree graduate in architecture and civil engineering at Texas Tech University and went on to licensure as both architect and engineer. Dan has taught architectural engineering at Texas Tech University to senior level students.

Dan was the 2017 Texas Tech University College of Architecture Distinguished Alumnus and the founding President of the college's Design Leadership Alliance.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, AIA National President Shares Personal Thesis on the Role of AIA with Dan Hart.

Connect with Dan online at Parkhill and AIA.org, find him on LinkedIn, or email him directly at dhart@parkhill.com.