spilltheink

Jennifer Sebranek helped shape GBBN Architects’s marketing into a vibrant, creative and attention-grabbing masterpiece — much like the buildings the firm’s architects design. Their success truly cemented as the firm focused on building a client-first brand, which Jennifer refers to as GBBN’s “You, not us” approach. It captures GBBN’s unwavering commitment to prioritize the client experience and foster lasting connections with the built environment, clients, project partners and each other.

Michelle Calcote King invites Jennifer to share insights into GBBN’s marketing approach and the trends shaping its future. In this episode of “Spill the Ink,” they underscore the significance of an authentic brand identity and personable writing. Michelle and Jennifer also explore how GBBN integrates video, public relations and email marketing into its overall strategy.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn

• Who is Jennifer Sebranek and what is GBBN Architects

• GBBN’s “You, not us” approach

• How GBBN’s brand has transformed over the years

• How GBBN uses social media to give audiences a “peek behind the curtain”

• The role of video in architecture marketing

• The benefits of public relations for an architecture firm

• How GBBN leverages email marketing to stay top of mind with prospective and current clients

• Why architecture marketers should invest in elevating the client experience

• How to get the most out of professional associations like the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS)

About our featured guest

Jennifer oversees GBBN’s award-winning marketing department and directs communications and public relations initiatives across all markets and offices. She’s a flexible and patient consensus-builder who works with her team, firm leadership and a growing workforce in the United States and China to ensure that GBBN’s diverse, creative voices share an authentic and cohesive brand message. Her ability to listen, empathize and consider multiple points of view is informed by all the places she’s called home—from her rural roots in North Carolina to time spent living in Chicago, England and Cincinnati.

Jennifer is a past president of the Greater Cincinnati chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services, where she has also been recognized as “Marketer of the Year.” She was named a 2023 Cincinnati Business Courier's “Women Who Mean Business,” and she is frequently invited to present her marketing insights at conferences, including the SMPS Pinnacle Experience and the Cincinnati Public Relations Society of America Media Day Conference.

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Check out GBBN Architects

• Follow GBBN on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram

• Connect with Jennifer Sebranek on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Michelle Calcote King on Twitter and LinkedIn

• Check out The Reel GBBN

Sponsor for this episode

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a public relations and content marketing agency that serves professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms. 

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.

Transcript

[00:00:00] Jennifer Sebranek: We have had a time period where firms were so busy, backlog was at the highest it's ever been, we also had the COVID pandemic where people weren't able to meet face-to-face. So you've got busyness and you don't have that one-on-one time. And I think in that time period, it was really hard to connect with your clients and to build these relationships that help get you that next project or help them become advocates for your brand. So for us, we are really focused on going back to the basics of the client experience. 

[00:00:33]: Welcome to "Spill the Ink," a podcast by Reputation Ink where we feature experts in growth and brand visibility for law firms and architecture, engineering and construction firms. Now, let's get started with the show.

[00:00:51] Michelle Calcote King: Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle Calcote King. I'm your host, and I'm also the principal and president of Reputation Ink. We're a public relations and marketing agency for architecture, engineering and construction firms and other professional services firms. To learn more, go to rep-ink.com.

Is there such a thing as a right way to market an architecture firm? Which strategies work? Which don't? What's up and coming for the industry that we should all be talking about? That's what we'll talk about today as we continue our series of interviews with leading architecture firm marketers. 

So I'd like to welcome Jennifer Sebranek to the podcast. She's the principal and chief marketing officer at GBBN Architects. So excited to have you here today, Jennifer. 

[00:01:33] Jennifer Sebranek: I am so excited to be here as well. 

[00:01:35] Michelle Calcote King: Awesome. And I hope I nailed your name right? 

[00:01:38] Jennifer Sebranek: Perfect. It was perfect. Yes. Yes. Yes. 

[00:01:40] Michelle Calcote King: Well, let's start off, just tell me a little bit about your career and you know, sort of how you ended up in this field and at GBBN.

[00:01:47] Jennifer Sebranek: Sure. I have been in the AEC industry for 15 years now. It's amazing how quickly that ticks up on you. And I ended up here after relocating to Cincinnati. And I didn't really know about this as a specialty in marketing. I had a marketing background, had been in the furniture industry, but I found myself working for a developer. And then after a couple of years there, jumped over to the architecture side. 

And why I love architecture is because at the end of the day, you get to see a physical manifestation of the work that you did. It comes out in a building or a space or revitalization. Whatever it is, you get to see it, you get to touch it, and it really represents all the work that not only the architects and the construction companies did and engineers, but it also represents all the work that the marketing teams and the business development professionals did to make that happen. 

I've been at GBBN for ten years now, and we have really been focused on sharing our story about how we are positively affecting our clients. How are the things that we do as architects making our clients more successful, helping them hit their goals? And we're focused in higher education, community development, healthcare, as well as the arts, and we have a technology team. 

[00:03:08] Michelle Calcote King: That's great. I've got some specific questions, but if someone were to say, you know, "Tell me, what's your approach to marketing and business development for GBBN?" Could you sum that up for us?

[00:03:19] Jennifer Sebranek: Yes. I like to talk about us being focused on, "You, not us." So our marketing and business development approaches are always centered around our clients, our potential clients, our partners, and how we're helping them surface their issues and find solutions through space. 

At our firm, we do have two separate marketing and business development approaches.

Marketing is all about awareness, making sure that everybody is able to learn about us and think about would we be a good partner for them. And then, of course, business development is all about relationships, right? How are we cultivating those relationships? 

Both are really centered on the voice of our clients. What are they up against? How can we help them? How can we make them look good to their bosses? What's really working for us is really focusing on them and their issues versus us as architects and what we're doing. 

[00:04:16] Michelle Calcote King: I got to tell you, I love your brand and also just sort of your brand voice. You're kind of like a little bit edgy. It's different. Can you tell me a little bit about the brand and the brand voice and sort of how you developed that? Was it hard to kind of be able to push the needle a little bit with that? 

[00:04:33] Jennifer Sebranek: Yeah, so our brand is five years old this year. And it was about a journey of about eight years to deploy that new brand. We are very fortunate at GBBN that our leadership, we believe in the value of marketing and business development. 

[00:04:48] Michelle Calcote King: I could tell, yeah. You can really tell that. Yeah, absolutely. 

[00:04:52] Jennifer Sebranek: And it's very rare sometimes to have your CEO that absolutely — and our CEO, Matthew Schottelkotte — he understands that, "Hey, we're architects and we do that well, but we need people to really help us tell our story because we like to geek out on butt glazing and facade system, and our clients probably don't want to geek out about that." So we said, "How can our brand really reflects who we are and what we do for our clients?" 

So we started first with really making sure that we were aligned as a leadership about who is GBBN, what do we stand for. So, we rewrote our guiding principles. We rewrote our mission statement. We really aligned on that. And then, the next step that we did was we created what is called a brand plan, and that is really starting to surface how are we different? What are the adjectives that describe our firm? How do we like to communicate with our clients? We went through that activity, and then we turned it over to an external agent feed to help us really bring those words to life. That didn't only mean just the visual, the logo, the brand look, but also what are the words that we're using so that we're making sure at the end of the day, we're connecting with the clients and what they care about. 

So the brand has been really fun. So, five years and we've really tried to make sure that we evolve it to stay current with what we're learning about our clients, learning about what's working and not working. We have the most incredible marketing team here. When we rebranded, we made the strategic decision to hire a writer to help us surface those issues. It has been so successful that we hired another writer. We also have two graphic designers, a marketing manager, a marketing coordinator, and then myself. And the team really works together day in and day out to do proposals, but also to think about what is our social media campaign, how are we doing video? What are we doing to really connect to today's client and tomorrow's clients? 

[00:06:47] Michelle Calcote King: Love that. Yeah, you can really tell. We work across professional services firms and our other market that we work a lot with this law firms. So architecture firms tend to push the needle in creativity, but I felt like yours really stood out. And as I was kind of reading through your social media, you often find this very stuffy, overly formal, corporatey language, and you don't have that. You have a very personable, "We're people here," kind of talking, kind of feel to it. Was that on purpose? 

[00:07:17] Jennifer Sebranek: That's very intentional. It's very intentional. 

We like to describe our social media as, "A glimpse into the firm." Our two major audiences are potential talent as well as clients that are using social media. And we wanted to make sure that it felt like a peek behind the door. What does it feel like to work at GBBN? And also what does it feel like to work with GBBN?

I think sometimes in our industry, we get so focused on that beautiful architectural final photo and if it's got a trash can in it and everybody gets really upset. What we wanted to do with our brand is to really peel back and show the thinking behind the making. How are we using digital fabrication to work with contractors to be able to get that perfect angle in that building that looks amazing in the final photo, but is messy behind the scenes? So that is always the goal is to really make it just a little bit of a behind the curtain of what's happening today. 

[00:08:12] Michelle Calcote King: The other thing I noticed is you've got some really cool content. You know, I saw "The Reel GBBN." Tell me about the strategy behind producing that. 

[00:08:20] Jennifer Sebranek: So we're always looking at how our users are consuming content. And I think as all marketers know is that what works today doesn't work tomorrow. So we have been over the last few years really thinking about video and how do we integrate it more? And I think in our industry, I mean, marketers, man. We wear so many hats and then you just throw in this request for proposals on top of it and we're busy all the time.

So we had to figure out a way to do videos, A, with no budget, because again, marketing AEC. And two, with a thousand other things on our plate. So what we did is we set a goal for every year we do about two to three project stories, and we realized that we're also doing still photography and everybody that's been on a photo shoot knows that there is so much time where you're just standing around waiting for people to fluff pillows, waiting for people to move. So what we did was we said, "Okay, while we're on site, let's just get our Samsung video camera, cell phone, and let's record. It's a low buy in, we bought a really basic microphone, and then our graphic designer interviews our project team to get the story behind it. And then we edit it all in house, and then it all comes together as a story about our project that helps supplement our case studies and other materials to tell the story. That was so successful that then we said, "What other stories can we tell? Let's interview our employees and find out why they like working here. If we do something fun, let's do a video on that to really help people see what it's like to work here." 

[00:09:57] Michelle Calcote King: That's great. There's a time and place for that beautifully scripted, high-end video, but then just getting out there with your iPhone or something like that, you can really, really produce great content. I think people like that kind of less scripted and produced content many times. There's different means for it. 

[00:10:17] Jennifer Sebranek: Yeah, it's, it's, especially with the trends of the TikTok, which we have not ventured into yet. When I see our partners that do video for us and they put these beautiful stories together and I feel like for like a professional firm, you need both. You need those that can tell the story in this beautiful produced way, and then you need this kind of gritty, kind of you figure out a way to do it internally. So it's a good combo to have. 

[00:10:39] Michelle Calcote King: The other thing I noticed is that you are regularly published in a lot of publications, a lot of trade publications. What's the benefit you've found behind the PR that you're getting and how do you approach PR? 

[00:10:51] Jennifer Sebranek: One of the major reasons for our rebrand was that we were ready to signal to the world about the elevated design that we've been doing over the years. 

We're a 58-year-old firm. We've been around, people knew us as a good technical architect. But over the past years, we had really been investing in staff that had worked in New York and San Fran and Chicago who are coming to our cities. And we had also been developing our staff to that next level of design. So we had all this amazing work that was winning awards, but we hadn't really been sharing that. So that was a big point of the rebrand was to be able to share that story. 

We are organized into market sectors. For example, our healthcare team. What I did is I sat down with each of the leaders of those market sectors, and I said, "What is your marketing plan?" And we developed a speaking, a writing, a publishing, a present strategy for each of those and we realized that, "Hey, we really needed this third-party publishing to help credential us and to help validate." It's so much easier to go to the client and say, "Well, we've been published in the New York Times, we've been published in Healthcare Design and in Behavioral Health, because they instantly like, they're like, "Okay, that's credible." And I think we started to see like with that, it just started to raise our awareness. And then there's nothing better than having someone else share your content on social media cause it gets to their audiences. So that success just really started to build, and that's the reason we needed that second writer, we needed that second graphic designer to keep up with the demand that was out there.

[00:12:24] Michelle Calcote King: Love that. Yeah. And that's exactly it. It's the credentialing, the validation, and third-party sharing your story. And yeah, like you said, on social media, it just sort of amplifies it because those outlets know what they're doing and are building audiences that you want to be in front of.

Let's talk trends. So we talked about what are you guys doing, but where do you see things headed? What, what are you kind of keeping an eye on right now in terms of what's the next thing for you guys marketing your firm? 

[00:12:52] Jennifer Sebranek: I mean, we're absolutely keeping an eye on technology and what's happening with websites. We have an office in China. We use WeChat a lot to communicate. So we're trying to make sure we know that nothing stays the same and once you have success somewhere then it's time to pivot. 

But I have to say, in our industry, one of the most important things that I think that we have to focus on is the client experience. So, lo-fi, but I think what happened in our industry is we have had a time period where firms were so busy, backlog was at the highest it's ever been, we also had the COVID pandemic where people weren't able to meet face-to-face. So you've got busyness and you don't have that one-on-one time. And I think in that time period, it was really hard to connect with your clients and to build these relationships that help get you that next project or help them become advocates for your brand. So for us, we are really focused on going back to the basics of the client experience and making sure that we're reminding ourselves what it was like to connect with each other before we all went remote. We're making sure that we're really thinking about, "How do we make a special experience so we can help our clients differentiate between us and another architecture firm?" 

Oftentimes architecture firms, we all speak the same language. We've had interviews where clients have been like, "You all say the same words, but how are you different?" And I think how you're different is how you show, and how you work with somebody. How you build that relationship. I mean, we all have vendors that call us and ask us for things and we don't like that because they're asking us to do something for them. But those people that you love to pick up the phone and work with are ones that are calling you to really help you. To really say, "I know you're thinking about this in your business and here's how I can help you or here's how we can work together to accomplish your goals and make you look good to your boss."

So that's really what we're going to be focused on is really making sure our project managers, people working with clients day-to-day are focused on cultivating that amazing experience to help us be different in the competition. 

[00:15:01] Michelle Calcote King: I've seen a lot of people talking about how, you know, obviously, AI is the big topic right now, but one of the interesting points somebody made was that the more that AI becomes prevalent, I think the more people will revert back to wanting to deal with humans and want that human touch and want that real relationship. I can 100-percent understand that because you start to not trust a lot of what you see. We went through this whole digitization phase with the pandemic and I think we're going to get back to a little bit more of "Okay, you know..." And you've got to be there. You've got to have that digital side of it, but that more human element is going to, I think, going to be the thing that a lot of firms are focused on. 

[00:15:38] Jennifer Sebranek: You're so right. You've got to have both. You've got to have both to stay relevant. You have to have the digital to be relevant and then you've got to have human touch to stay connected.

[00:15:47] Michelle Calcote King: Yeah. And I think people will crave it the more tech takes over a lot of our lives. 

I noticed that you're a former Greater Cincinnati SMPS president — and SMPS for any of our listeners, it's the Society for Marketing Professional Services. It's the main association for marketers at architecture, engineering and construction firms. You're a member of the Board of Directors. Can you talk me through how has SMPS helped shaped your career? And, you know, if younger AEC marketers are listening, would you encourage them to get involved? What are some other avenues that have helped you develop in your career? 

[00:16:21] Jennifer Sebranek: Oh my goodness. Absolutely get involved with it. There are very few people that understand what it's like to have five proposals on your desk, have three e-blasts that have to go out tomorrow, and a thousand other things on your plate. Marketers and business development professionals in our industry, we are a special group of people. SMPS is not only a crucial resource for me to learn about the trends that are happening, also to connect with people across the country, but it's also a way to have a group that really understands what you're going up against every day in your life and not only commiserate, but to help you have strategies. 

One of my closest friends works for a competing architecture firms and we're not sharing competitive intelligence, but we are working together to figure out how we all navigate through these crazy environments that we work in. It's deadline-driven, it's high-pressure, it's different, and I think that having that network out there, it has just been so beneficial for not only my mental health, but to actually help me get to the C-Suite in this firm. Knowledge is power and being able to take to my CEO and the other members of our strategic team, trends that we're seeing, being able to say, you know, "My SMPS friends in other cities are seeing this and I think it's coming to our city next." It really starts to validate your information. And the best way to get involved is to be on a committee in your local chapter and then to make sure you go to the conferences because that's just where you get other opportunities to connect. 

[00:17:52] Michelle Calcote King: I agree. I'm pretty involved in the Southeast. Even as an outside consultant, one, it just helps me understand what my clients are going through, you know. Gives me that kind of intelligence. 

And I hate to back up to tactics, but you mentioned email and I'd love to know your approach to email. What are you putting out over email? Is it a priority? What are some of the ways that you're using email within your overall strategy? 

[00:18:15] Jennifer Sebranek: Each of our markets, part of their marketing plan is e-blast. We made the move about three years ago to go away from the monthly newsletter. We were not seeing open stats, engagement stats that really showed. And then we realized, "Hey, if our brand is about 'Focus on them, not us,' we're just sharing information about us." So we pivoted from that, put our resources into thought leadership and doing e-blast. So each market then segmented their audiences and to specific ones. So we have our developer and then we have our healthcare and our higher education because we didn't want to be noise. We don't want to communicate noise to other people that aren't interested. 

So we do use it to ship out insights, market-specific, and we try to only do it quarterly. Just not to be noise. But each market, they each have touch plans, so if they have a quarterly newsletter, then there might be other business development touches that they're following up via email for a client saying, "Hey, I know you're really struggling with making your sustainability goals by 2030. Here's an example of what our other clients are doing." Just trying to have touches in between those to make sure we're staying on their minds and being relevant to what they're up against.

[00:19:31] Michelle Calcote King: I appreciate you kind of diving into those different tactics because I'm always interested to see how people are using different tools. Some marketers favor some versus others, but yeah, segmentation and making sure that you're not annoying your, you know. They don't see your email in their inbox and think, "Irrelevant," you know.

[00:19:48] Jennifer Sebranek: MailChimp makes that so easy. I mean, there are others too, but it's just, it's so easy just to keep it all separate and update. 

[00:19:55] Michelle Calcote King: I like to kind of end our interview with a final lesson. Is there a lesson you would say is one of the most valuable lessons you've learned over the course of your career in architecture marketing that you think other marketers would benefit from hearing?

[00:20:10] Jennifer Sebranek: I think at the end of the day, everybody wants to help everybody. And I think a lot of times we can be embarrassed or a little hesitant to reach out to someone and say like, "Hey, I see you're doing this and it looks great. Can you help me?" I feel like in our industry, marketers are so wanting to help each other. So I totally recommend build your network, be bold and ask people, "How are they doing that? Can they give you some advice?" Because I think a lot of times people think, "Well, they're not going to share their process." But I can tell you my process, but the end of the day, you're going to interpret it in your own unique way. We're not making widgets. We're creating experiences and that means that we're all gonna be doing it differently and you can't copy me because you're not me. So, be open to sharing information, be open to connecting and taking the time to meet others that you really look up to and they will always be willing to share some advice or help you be successful 'cause in this industry, it is the most collaborative sharing group I've ever worked with and it's just phenomenal. 

[00:21:15] Michelle Calcote King: It's fantastic advice. Took me a while to learn, but, once I did it's a game changer.

So we've been talking to Jennifer Sebranek of GBBN Architects. If people want to get in touch and form a relationship with you, what's the best way for them to get in touch? 

[00:21:28] Jennifer Sebranek: Oh, you know, I've got to pitch our Instagram or LinkedIn feed for you to be able to get that peek behind the scenes of what it's like to work with and at GBBN.

We're at @GBBNArchitects and feel free to direct message me through any of those platforms. I get copied on all of those inboxes, so I'm happy to reach out and connect and talk more about the awesome things in this industry. 

[00:21:50] Michelle Calcote King: Awesome. Well, thank you so much. 

[00:21:54]: Thanks for listening to "Spill the Ink," a podcast by Reputation Ink. We'll see you again next time and be sure to click "Subscribe" to get future episodes.

The marketing industry is evolving at warp speed, as Jennifer Haferbecker tells Michelle Calcote King in this episode of “Spill the Ink.” Role specialization, branding, research and technology are increasingly important players in an architecture firm’s strategy. Keeping pace in this constantly changing landscape means being more intentional with both strategy and professional development.

As chief marketing officer, Jennifer Haferbecker oversees the marketing and communications department at HGA, a national interdisciplinary design firm. In our new series featuring architecture marketers, Jennifer and Michelle reflect on the trends influencing the industry and how HGA maintains their strategy-focused, people-first approach. They cover a wide range of topics, including managing a national team as well as leveraging analytics, brand ambassadors and professional development initiatives to improve the client experience.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn

• Who is Jennifer Haferbecker and what is HGA Architects and Engineers

• How marketing is changing in the architecture industry

• The growing importance of role specialization

• How a strong brand impacts client experience

• Why HGA established a marketing technology department

• How to leverage research to improve marketing initiatives

• Why KPQs are as important as KPIs in a marketing strategy

• How to manage a large national marketing and communications team

• How brand ambassadors play a key role in HGA’s strategy

• What professional development and career resources Jennifer recommends 

About our featured guest

As chief marketing officer at HGA, Jennifer Haferbecker is a member of the executive team, a board advisor, executive sponsor of the Planning Committee, and a member of numerous Steering Committees with the firm — all in service of achieving the vision for HGA’s future success and the success of its people. Jennifer collaborates with firmwide leaders to develop, implement and align HGA’s strategic planning process. With more than 20 years of marketing experience, she is responsible for directing market research and strategies, including research into growth initiatives, mergers and acquisitions. 

Jennifer manages the Marketing/Communications department and maintains a strong partnership with Business Development to improve marketing ROI by winning work with clients who value HGA’s expertise and want to collaboratively design an enduring, positive impact. She is currently helping to update and reinstate HGA’s internal Enterprise Leadership Program to advance future leaders within the firm.

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Check out HGA

• Follow HGA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram

• Connect with Jennifer Haferbecker on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Michelle Calcote King on Twitter and LinkedIn

Sponsor for this episode

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a public relations and content marketing agency that serves professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms. 

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services and more.

To learn more visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.

Transcript

[00:00:00] Jennifer Haferbecker: The design industry is changing. To be open to learning, to be willing to be uncomfortable as you apply that learning, I think is extremely powerful. 

[00:00:15]: Welcome to "Spill the Ink," a podcast by Reputation Ink where we feature experts in growth and brand visibility for law firms and architecture, engineering and construction firms. Now, let's get started with the show.

[00:00:32] Michelle Calcote King: Hi everyone. I'm Michelle Calcote King. I'm the host of this podcast and I'm also the principal and president of Reputation Ink. We're a public relations and content marketing agency for architecture, engineering and construction firms and other professional services firms. To learn more, go to rep-ink.com. 

Today we're talking about how do you successfully market an architecture firm? What are the firms who are doing it right? What are they getting wrong? And what are some of those behind the scenes secrets to running a well-rounded marketing department, especially at a larger architecture firm. We're tackling these and more questions in today's episode as part of our series featuring architecture chief marketing officers. 

Jennifer Haferbecker is joining me for today's episode — and I think I got that name pronounced correctly. She's the chief marketing officer and she's a member of the executive team at HGA, which is a national interdisciplinary design firm. Thanks for joining me. 

[00:01:30] Jennifer Haferbecker: Thank you so much for having me, Michelle. I'm very excited for our conversation. 

[00:01:34] Michelle Calcote King: I am, too. Let's start with, tell me how you got here. I always love to hear that. Because when we go into marketing, it's all often a very interesting path that gets us there. 

[00:01:46] Jennifer Haferbecker: I am one of those people. I think the vast majority of professional service setting marketing professionals went to college or started on a different journey. I am one of those cases. I actually went to school for nursing. 

[00:01:59] Michelle Calcote King: Oh, wow. Wow. 

[00:02:01] Jennifer Haferbecker: Exactly. While I was in school, I was working full-time for a commercial interiors firm. I made the decision at one point in that journey to switch my major to business. I ended up spending 19 years in practice for interiors. I started as a project manager, an account manager, that led to leadership on the marketing and sales support side. Six and a half years ago, I moved to HGA as their director of marketing, and then a few years later, I became their very first chief marketing officer. 

[00:02:37] Michelle Calcote King: That's fantastic. And I love to see that this firm really values marketing to have you on the executive committee. Are you the first marketing person to sit in that type of leadership role? 

[00:02:51] Jennifer Haferbecker: The person who preceded me at the firm was a vice president of marketing, and at the time, there wasn't really a full communications department. She was a shareholder. She was part of the leadership, but she did not sit on as a board advisor, and I also play the role of sort of executive sponsor to our planning committee through my board advisor role. So, she did not have some of those roles but she was definitely instrumental in paving the way within HGA, and really teaching the firm the value of marketing and business development and left me a very strong foundation to jump off of to continue advancing that work. 

[00:03:32] Michelle Calcote King: Yeah, that's great. Kind of paving that way. 

I know this is a very large question since you're the head of marketing for a very large firm, but can you tell me what is your approach? What's your firm's marketing approach in a nutshell?

[00:03:47] Jennifer Haferbecker: In a nutshell...

[00:03:49] Michelle Calcote King: I know that's a complex one. 

[00:03:52] Jennifer Haferbecker: Our approach is, I'm going to say, strategy focused. The firm in the past has always had a very strong entrepreneurial spirit. Since 1953, we've been really successful by leveraging expertise and passions to grow the firm. In 2016 under our current CEO, we developed our strategic point of view, articulated our values, and then defined our targeted client. The following years, we did a full rebrand, and then in 2019, we developed a strategic plan. It was really the first time that the firm had articulated goals and initiatives on how to realize that vision. Since then, we've been working to align our planning process at all levels, trying to make sure we're all pointed at the same North Star. We've been really trying to build some rigor into our marketing analysis and market readiness. 

So I'd say strategic planning around a united vision is really what's working. It's really our approach, as is being people-focused. It's allowed us the ability to really prioritize a list of targeted clients and partners, to identify the caliber projects that we want to be working on to allow us to have the impact that we desire, and it enables marketing and BD to understand how our markets are changing so that we can prioritize and better position the firm through a deeper understanding. 

There's so much change happening economically, socially, environmentally. Not only are people internally facing those challenges, but our clients and communities are as well. 

[00:05:32] Michelle Calcote King: So, finalizing a strategic plan in 2019 and then being hit with COVID in 2020, how did that impact your ability to continue forward with that strategic plan that was just done when you had such a wrench thrown into things? 

[00:05:48] Jennifer Haferbecker: That plan was a three-year plan and we've had it for four years because of the pandemic. So we are right now in the process of updating it for the next three years. So looking back on it, it's amazing how forward-thinking we were. We did enter the pandemic with the desire to thrive. We did not want to just survive. 2022 and 2023 have been record-breaking for us in a number of ways — and that's our employee count, recognition, and PR and awards. And that's also one of the biggest challenges because so much has changed and we've had such rapid growth over the last few years. It's challenging, especially on the marketing and business development side. You have so many new people joining the firm; we've been fortunate to be able to promote people within into new roles; and then we have all of these initiatives through equity and sustainability research technology, it's harder for marketing and business development to know all the subject-matter experts. You know, who within the firm can we best position and connect to clients? How to build the right teams? How to understand the skillset of those new people that you're now going to put in front of a client? Do they know how to message and present from the marketing perspective? The warp speed that marketing is changing and evolving, it's crazy how there are thousands of new technologies. 

[00:07:14] Michelle Calcote King: I know. Isn't it wild? It's like, we just caught up with the last thing, and now AI came out of nowhere. 

[00:07:21] Jennifer Haferbecker: And now you need to say strategy, true strategies for content and digital, account-based marketing. And now we have more people to teach inside of the firm about the brand and strategic point of view and marketing process altogether.

In some ways though, it's been amazing to see the change, even within the marketing communications and business development roles themselves. Roles are changing as all of those processes also change. So as a people-focused firm, we really want to stay ahead of how those jobs are evolving so that we can offer training and development. We want our people to be successful. We want them to stay at the firm. So we're really focused on trying to understand how to try to slow some things down in a way that people can learn and have capacity for the amount of change happening. 

[00:08:13] Michelle Calcote King: Yeah, that's really important. I had read on your LinkedIn profile that HGA had its highest revenue in 2022, and that year marked your fourth consecutive year increasing marketing ROI. I'd love to understand how do you measure ROI. What are some of the ways that you're reporting back and being able to really benchmark that? 

[00:08:34] Jennifer Haferbecker: Well, of course, it starts with metrics and an equation on financials. We are an employee-owned firm, so I think the first question to our shareholders is about that investment. If we spend all this money on marketing and overhead in the firm, what is it giving us as far as MSR? So, there's a financial equation, definitely. We've been working very hard over my tenure at the firm to expand that definition of return. We want the impact from the projects. We want to be leveraging our expertise in marketing in a way that puts us in front of the right clients for the right projects. And that we are truly building a brand that is going to last beyond any of us currently at the firm. 

So we talk a lot about the legacy of the projects that we have; the impact on communities. We really seriously take the responsibility of designing something right now that will have impact in future generations and impact on the firm. We are starting to shift to understanding, instead of KPIs, we're trying to understand KPQs, you know, key performance questions that can inform those indicators. And we're trying to understand how to better define what impact it is in a number of ways, instead of just having financial metrics as that ROI. 

[00:09:55] Michelle Calcote King: I love that, looking at it kind of holistically.

I also saw that you have a team of about 40. Can you give us a sense of what is that? Because I work with a lot of smaller firms. Yeah, 40 people doing marketing. Tell me what those disciplines look like. Is that mix changing in terms of, you know, the skill sets that you're looking for? 

[00:10:15] Jennifer Haferbecker: For sure. So we have marketing and communications departments on the communication side. They are national experts that are all specialized in a specific area. So, we have a PR director and a PR assistant. We have a creative brand director. We have writers on staff. We recently hired a content strategist to help us manage all of the content that we have within the firm and elevate it. We have research librarians that sit within communications, and we also have a whole digital team around web, social and our intranet.

On the marketing side, we have a director of marketing and regional marketing managers that are working with our local offices and practices to support their regional goals and building campaigns locally to meet their engagement, and to help them be successful. The marketing managers also manage a staff of marketing coordinators that are really focused on producing marketing content specifically.

Within those departments, we recently developed a marketing technology department. So we have a director there who has a team of people that are experts within all the different softwares. So our CRM, our content asset management platform, our intranet, even the digital person, actually on the communication side, reports up to the marketing technology director. All of those platforms are being updated and changing over the next three years, so we wanted to bring that team together to really manage and grow a marketing technology stack that can talk to each other and really leverage the efficiency of how we're creating and reusing content. Also, we hadn't in the past been great about analytics. We have so much content, but we were really focused on just how to get it out, and then we were on to the next thing. So that MarTech stack is really helping us to learn from how we're putting content out so that we can apply it to the next piece in a better way. 

[00:12:28] Michelle Calcote King: That's a common struggle. It's so overwhelming just actually getting content right and understanding your customers. 

What about the role of research? How does that play a role in your strategy? 

[00:12:40] Jennifer Haferbecker: Research more and more, like I said, in that market analysis, the market readiness, I would say it's two ways. We do have, like, in the communication department, a knowledge manager and a research librarian. And I forgot to mention on the marketing department size, we are a seller-doer model, but we do have dedicated business development professionals. I think we have 18 of them across the firm. So our business developers are really the ones that are hands-on in research at a number of levels to understand their markets, identify potential clients, and qualify those clients. They're tapping our research librarians to help them with that. To dive deeper into clients and/or selection panels, understanding what's happening in the trends of the market itself. Our research librarian also helps project teams look for, you know, code things or changes in materials or a number of ways they can help our projects advance.

In-house we also have what we call our Design Insight Group, and that is a group of PhD researchers and design anthropologists that are doing evidence-based research to help advance design. And we've connected that team with our marketing strategy and our national leaders so that we can identify research that's needed for how the markets are changing for our clients so that we can come to those clients with evidence and proof that design can truly impact and help their business. So, research in a number of ways. 

[00:14:12] Michelle Calcote King: From a high-level industry perspective, how would you say marketing for architecture is changing? What are some of the trends that you're seeing impact your work and how is it changing than, say, how you did things five years ago? 

[00:14:25] Jennifer Haferbecker: Lots, lots of change. I've been doing a lot of recruiting lately, and so I have often told the story that marketing in architecture is really not very old. Marketing was forbidden until the AIA changed its ethical standards in 1972. So in a lot of ways, we are still trying to catch up to other industries. But I do at the same time, we are really navigating all of the disruptors that others are challenged with. The first big disruptor is that customization, that technology piece. We will want to move to a customization of how people engage with us and engage with our content. They've got a company's marketing in digital experiences that are specific to each person's URL. We're trying to remove boilerplate and move to custom messaging. And then move to new formats of content, including video. So that in itself has really advanced how our marketing coordinators work, and in some ways that role within our firm has become a unicorn. They have to know how to write in graphics and technology and ePoms and all these things, landing pages, you know, that role didn't do even, you know, five or eight years ago. 

And then we touched on it, but technology disruption around AI and, you know, all of the different marketing technologies that we can use in itself, it's disrupting how we work and those also require, like I said, our new marketing technology group within the firm. 

I think I also, as an industry, we are still learning the importance of having a really strong, consistent brand. And we're learning how a really strong brand truly encompasses everything, but most importantly, that experience of our clients. You know, the channels and the format or the language that we use when we talk to a dean of music of a music school versus a clinic manager or a developer who wants to build life science or innovation campuses, that the language and those formats might be different, but there really needs to be consistency in our comprehensive approach to design that will lead us to sustainable, resilient and equitable outcomes that we really want to improve the human experience with and help exceed our client's goals.

So regardless of the project type or the geography or the service, we are really trying to consistently leverage our interdisciplinary expertise. The research that I mentioned and really engage diverse stakeholders to prove that design can result in better projects and have a more positive impact. 

[00:17:08] Michelle Calcote King: That's fascinating. Along the same lines, when you were talking about brand, it reminded me — I also saw when I was doing a bit of research that you had spoken recently about creating brand ambassadors. How do you do that? What are some of the ways that you encourage that and enable that?

[00:17:24] Jennifer Haferbecker: The rebrand a few years ago definitely helped us with that because we were able to travel throughout the firm and meet with people, especially before the pandemic, and talk about our new strategic point of view. What that was. You share the values and how they were developed and ensure that they truly resonated with everyone. We slowly, through the strategic point of view, started to teach value propositions, and how we could use a similar structure in how we tell our stories. So, just the education around the brand itself and what brand means, and just empowering people that, you know, everyone within the firm has the ability to impact our success, and to help the future of the firm. So, what does that mean for them in their role and how can we help them be successful in that? 

We have a long way to go, especially over the last few years. We recently had a group of leaders — we have an Enterprise Leadership Program within the firm to help train the next generation of leaders on how to run a firm of our size. They did a research project around brand consistency, you know, the balance of having a national brand versus some sub brands that are starting to develop within each of our sectors. And what they learned, even right now, they did a survey asking I think 200 people within the firm, what our values were, and they ended up with over a hundred different responses. So as we look at this new evolution of our strategic plan, there's a huge opportunity for us to redo that training and get a bit deeper with everyone around what it is and how to live it authentically. 

[00:19:05] Michelle Calcote King: I can see that being such a core step to take, which is educating your internal stakeholders about your brand, and really helping them articulate it in a way that makes sense for their particular world because the bigger you get, those worlds are all quite different. Yeah, that's fascinating. 

[00:19:20] Jennifer Haferbecker: Well, we want it to be authentic. It's harder, but I don't want to give them a script on “This is what you say about the firm and what it means.” I want them to be able to talk authentically about it in their role, and that's harder. It's harder to teach. It's also a bit harder to make sure that they have the opportunity to practice within the firm so that then when they are externally out with others, they can feel comfortable in it. 

[00:19:42] Michelle Calcote King: From a pure self-interest perspective since we're a PR agency, tell me about the role of PR in your strategy and how it weaves in. 

[00:19:51] Jennifer Haferbecker: The director of PR that we brought in, I think she's been with the firm now three years. So that's another example of how marketing and communications has evolved within the industry to have that in-house now. I think she had an amazing impact very quickly because she's an expert in PR. So to bring that expertise in, we are another example of constant learning and education, teaching people what that means. Very quickly, people point to needing more content out or needing more PR, and we spend a lot of time explaining what PR is, how it works. If we can get to a defined creative brief around content, it'll help us ensure that the level of what we're talking about is to a point that other outlets would want to pick it up and feature it. If it's something that we want to have a patrol over and be able to publish on our own or through different marketing campaign processes, but people don't understand the difference of it.

[00:20:58] Michelle Calcote King: You articulated that well, though. 

[00:21:00] Jennifer Haferbecker: That in itself has been extremely helpful in setting the right expectations, and then just the impact of it. We've definitely seen more articles and more features and more clients, the partnerships of clients very early on. So the sooner we can connect our communications teams to clients when we're awarded projects, the stronger those relationships become throughout the project and beyond because it really helps us with the advocacy after in the long-term relationships. 

[00:21:33] Michelle Calcote King: The other thing I wanted to ask about was professional development. So I saw that you're involved in AIA and SMPS. If you're advising your younger team members to, you know, develop, what are some of those resources that you've found the most valuable over your career?

[00:21:49] Jennifer Haferbecker: We definitely encourage everyone within the firm, especially the marketing and communications speakers, to build a network externally. That can be overwhelming all on its own, so to start with one thing that they're passionate about, one organization, and when they connect with that organization to be active in it. Try to be on a committee, try to be part of events, and things going on to really build stronger relationships. A lot of the things that I've experienced in SMPS, both nationally and locally, they can be very different. So when we talk about professional development, we are really trying to understand what people are driving towards. What is their passion so that we can find opportunities for them in the right way?

We send a lot of marketing coordinators to, you know, Adobe MAX Conference. We have a few going out for a conference in AEC in a couple of weeks. We have a few of our marketing leaders participating in leadership executives training, either through programs or through one-on-one coaching.

On the communication side, there's so many different organizations for writers and graphics and PR and communications. It's really about understanding what people want to do so that we can align them with the right resource. 

I also teach that it might not be the right one, right? Go try and see how it fits and see how it resonates with you. Even if it's a personal coach, we might need to try a few until you find something that definitely resonates and you can be comfortable with moving forward. 

[00:23:23] Michelle Calcote King: Yeah, that's smart because you're right there. So there's so much, there's so many disciplines and I'm sure you've got so many specialists, and it's really important to tailor it to that. 

What would be the most important lesson, and let's think in terms of somebody a bit younger in their career starting out in marketing for architecture, what's the most important lesson you hope they take away from this conversation?

[00:23:43] Jennifer Haferbecker: To stay open. One of the pieces of advice I received year way back, I think it was in middle school actually, was from a counselor. She explained to me that the act of learning is intellectual. There's a method to it, but the experience of learning, applying that knowledge, developing something, trying something new, it's emotional. And that is supposed to be uncomfortable because you are trying something new and it's awkward. So that is a lesson that I can apply in every aspect of my life, especially in the marketing realm where we are constantly trying new things. We are learning new technologies and learning new marketing strategies. The design industry is changing. To be open to learning, to be willing to be uncomfortable as you apply that learning, I think is extremely powerful. 

[00:24:41] Michelle Calcote King: That's so smart. It's similar to what a personal trainer will tell you, you know, get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Very similar.

[00:24:49] Jennifer Haferbecker: Exactly. Also recently, there's been too much research that proves that women in particular will hold themselves back. When a woman is presented with a new opportunity, she'll look at the requirements and will not apply until she can check every single box of that requirement. A lot of women will go back to advance their degrees or they'll go for a certification and that will prolong their growth and also add expense to it. Men, on the other hand, are very comfortable with their ability, and so they'll look at a list of requirements for an opportunity and if they can check even half those boxes, they'll apply. I've really been encouraging women in particular, just take your shots. No matter what. You're going to learn from it. You're going to learn one way or the other. And in that also remember to just celebrate your courage for trying. 

[00:25:44] Michelle Calcote King: I'm sure having someone like you who has elevated to such a high role within the industry, you serve as a great role model for that. So, I appreciate that advice.

Well, thank you very much. So, we've been talking to Jennifer Haferbecker of HGA. If people wanted to connect with you, what's the best place for them to do so? 

[00:26:01] Jennifer Haferbecker: They can learn about the firm through HGA.Com. The best way to connect to me is probably LinkedIn and then my messaging and email is connected there as well.

[00:26:12] Michelle Calcote King: Fantastic. Well, thank you so much for your time. It was a great conversation. 

[00:26:16] Jennifer Haferbecker: Yes, I've enjoyed it. Thank you so much for having me. 

[00:26:20]: Thanks for listening to "Spill the Ink," a podcast by Reputation Ink. We'll see you again next time, and be sure to click "Subscribe" to get future episodes.

 

Howie Ferguson is an experienced leader and is the Executive Director of the Construction Owners Association of America. The national association consists of public and private owners who manage facilities development and capital improvement projects. The organization supports owners' success in the design and construction of buildings and facilities through education, information and collaboration.

Howie has a thorough background in civil engineering, serving over nine years as a commissioned officer in the Civil Engineer Corps of the US Navy. He spent roughly 28 years as an institutional owner, including almost two decades as a Project Manager at the University of Florida where he oversaw their planning, design and construction.

In this episode:

AEC firms have a particular need for high standards of quality. So many small details come into play during construction, any of which can have catastrophic effects on the build. Furthermore, those potential defects can directly correlate to the longevity and even safety of the finished product. This creates a demand for higher standards and a sense of trust.

For the Construction Owners Association of America, this is exactly what they aim to do. They utilize education and collaboration across their members to improve the quality of the building process. Howie Ferguson, the Executive Director of the association, has upheld these standards in his own work and as director. So what lessons can be learned by other AEC firms?

Michelle Calcote King has an informative interview with Howie Ferguson, the Executive Director of the Construction Owners Association of America, to discuss the association and the principles behind their work. They go through the organization’s background and how they use education to raise standards. They also touch on a variety of topics for AEC firms, including procuring clients, the value of authenticity and accountability. Hear all this and more on this episode of the Spill the Ink podcast.

Mark Wainwright is an established consultant for business development and sales growth. Through his current firm, Wainwright Insight, he applies his method of fractional sales management to help clients get organized and grow their practice. He also serves as a consultant for giving campaigns, fundraising, and sponsorships for purpose-driven organizations.

Prior to his own firm, Mark had worked in marketing for businesses such as Kotter and GGLO. He received his first job out of college at K2 Sports, where he first learned some of his managerial principles in their bicycle division.

In this episode:

Over the years, the word “sales” has taken on a loaded connotation within the marketplace. It seems to imply a callous and sometimes even greedy mindset when working with other companies. While all businesses are driven by sales, the term itself has started carrying a new meaning. But what would it look like to breathe life into the concept and reemphasize sales in a new way?

Mark Wainwright is a sales management consultant with a thorough background in marketing and development. His approach, which he calls fractional sales management, is both personal and effective for helping clients get organized. He knows the baggage behind sales and has found a way to transform the process. Now he shows you what it looks like in action.

In this episode of the Spill the Ink podcast, Michelle Calcote King talks with Mark Wainwright about sales management and how to adapt to the current business climate. They start with his consultancy and how he uses fractional sales management to give clients the attention they need. They then dive into topics such as making the sales process more comfortable, taking on a vendor mindset and what makes a good businessperson.

With more than 20 years of experience consulting law firms, Marcie Borgal Shunk considers herself a sociologist of lawyers. She is the President and Founder of The Tilt Institute, a firm that provides leadership advisory and training along with business support. Concurrently, she serves as a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management and is a Faculty Member at Conscious Inclusion Company.

Marcie worked with The BTI Consulting Group for over 10 years where she developed an expertise in market research. In addition to all of these positions, she is also a frequent speaker on topics such as competitive intelligence and the future of law.

In this episode:

Leadership comes naturally to some, but even the best leaders need guidance to improve. Especially within complex systems such as law firms, leadership is a tricky proposition that requires extra care. Otherwise, the precise ecosystem of most firms is ruined, not allowing them to operate as well as they could.

Marcie Borgal Shunk works directly with law firms to remedy this very problem. Her firm, The Tilt Institute, offers leadership services and analytics to guide her clients towards greater success. Across 20 years of experience as a consultant and analyst, she’s learned the key principles of great leadership. Want to know what they are?

In this episode of the Spill the Ink podcast, Michelle Calcote King hosts Marcie Borgal Shunk, the President and Founder of The Tilt Institute, to go over how to further develop leadership and culture in law firms. The two talk about the current challenges that firms are facing and how to overcome them. They also touch on the tenants of a great culture, how to use data and what it takes to be a good leader.

Lindsay Diven is a Marketing and Sales Manager for the Blackbox Connectors and a well-known figure in the AEC field. She works closely with her clients and team at Full Sail Partners to research new connectors and how to use them to streamline processes. She is the Founder of Marketers Take Flight, which provides proposal and career development for marketers. She also hosts a podcast of the same name. Previous to her current work, she served as the Director of Marketing and Business Development at BRPH.

In this episode:

AEC firms have the difficult task of selling clients on large projects. They are high-risk and high-reward by nature, which means that marketing takes on a new meaning. A broad approach likely won’t do much, but being able to secure the important projects can propel a firm to great success. The challenge then becomes how to market yourself accordingly.

Lindsay Diven has a good idea of how to do it. Her business, Marketers Take Flight, works closely with AEC firms to create better proposals and improve their marketing. She has more than 15 years of experience across multiple companies, giving her keen insight on how to do it right. Now she shares those same principles with you.

Michelle Calcote King invites Lindsay Diven, the Founder of Marketers Take Flight, onto the podcast to discuss marketing and what most AEC firms are missing. They go over Lindsay’s background and how she’s trying to fill holes in the industry. They then go into key topics such as generating leads, niching your firm and the best tactics for digital marketing. Hear it all on this episode of the Spill the Ink podcast!

Matthew Prinn is an executive with 20 years of experience in legal pricing, marketing and operations. He is the current Principal at RFP Advisory Group, which works with general counsel to manage legal spend and requests for proposals. He honed his expertise at K&L Gates, where he worked for over a decade in business development. Over his career, Matthew has operated on both the buying and selling side of legal services, giving him a unique perspective on RFP.

In this episode:

While law firms tend to be traditional, the legal landscape is changing. Alternative legal services and technology are just two examples of some recent significant shifts. One of the greatest changes, however, has been the rise of Requests for Proposals, or RFPs. 

RFP has quickly become a popular option for managing outside counsel spend. They’re an attractive option for many clients, but they are still relatively new, making them difficult to navigate on both sides. This has opened the door for advisory groups to come in and smooth out the process. One of these prominent consultancies is RFP Advisory Group, which have developed their expertise around best practices for RFPs. So how do you get the most out of the model?

Michelle Calcote King talks with Matthew Prinn, the Principal at RFP Advisory Group, about RFPs and how to use them the right way. They discuss the different trends happening right now, how to properly establish the value proposition and how alternative legal services affect RFPs. They also touch on the mistakes that law firms make early on and how to avoid them. Hear the rest by tuning into this episode of the Spill the Ink podcast.

Valerie A. Danner is the Senior Managing Editor of Legal Management magazine, which is the flagship publication of the Association of Legal Administrators. Legal Management is published 10 times a year and features scholarly articles targeting law firm managers and managing partners. 

Valerie has served as an editor at several prestigious companies, including Krames StayWell, the Institute of Real Estate Management, and the American Massage Therapy Association. Across her positions, she has more than 20 years of experience in content creation, having worked in both digital and print media.

In this episode:

Legal media is oftentimes the separating factor between a respected and an unknown law firm. After all, even if you have the best lawyers, who will see them if they’re not being represented well? Legal media is far more than basic advertising and extends to the presentation of your firm’s brand. How you get your name out there, your approach to design and your online presence all make an impact on performance. So how do you do it right?

Spill the Ink is starting a series of interviews all about legal media and how the experts handle it. They discuss the best ways to frame your firm without sacrificing what makes you unique. To start off the series, we listen to an editor who deals with legal media day in and day out.

In this episode of the Spill the Ink podcast, Michelle Calcote King sits down with Valerie A. Danner, the Senior Managing Editor of Legal Management, to discuss legal media and how to pitch your firm. They go through the topics and interests of the publication before digging deep into what makes a great pitch and how to improve your media. Valerie also talks about the other content she reads to stay informed.

Jennifer Johnson is the Founder and CEO of Calibrate Legal, a consultancy that specializes in recruiting services and legal marketing. They work with diverse applicants to find their way in the legal industry and help law firms achieve the results they’re working towards. She has two decades of experience in her field, having spent six years at an Am Law 100 firm. 

Over the years, Jennifer has served in multiple leadership roles, including Secretary of the International Board of Directors for the Legal Marketing Association and President of Young Executives for Success. She was named as a Global Top 100 Leader by LawDragon for Legal Strategy and Consulting.

In this episode:

Getting the right team for your law firm isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity if your firm has any chance of standing out from the crowd. The experience and success of every member of your team, from intern to partner and everyone in between, is crucial. These important people are “revenue enablers,” the ones who make all of the revenue possible. So how do you find them?

Networking is an integral component of working at a law firm, but that definition will need to expand to find the right people. Jennifer Johnson has spent much of her career in recruiting and legal marketing, learning firsthand the importance of investing in human capital. She’s built her company on this theory, and now, she shares those same ideas with you.

Michelle Calcote King invites Jennifer Johnson, the Founder and CEO of Calibrate Legal, onto the Spill The Ink podcast to talk about revenue enablers and how to find them for your law firm. They discuss the current trends of the legal marketing world and how to stay on top of them. They then go into detail on what makes a revenue enabler, flexible work arrangements and why so many are leaving the legal industry.

Matt Handal is a specialist in contracts, helping firms of all kinds write winning contracts on projects ranging from $500,000 to $2 billion. In 2009, he started his own agency, Help Everybody Everyday, which offers both proposal services as well as instructional content. Concurrently, he continues to work as a Business Development Manager at Trauner Consulting Services, Inc., where he’s worked for more than 18 years.

Matt is best known for his book Proposal Development Secrets, which shares his insight for proposal development. His background in marketing for industrial companies gives him a unique and thorough perspective that he uses in his contract work.

In this episode:

What makes a winning proposal?

Many firms don’t have a solid answer for the question. While marketing and business are common fields with plenty of education, there’s little focus done on the writing of proposals. However, that small component is becoming more important by the day. For construction companies and law firms alike, creating a nuanced and favorable proposal can rake in incredible profits. 

Matt Handal has dedicated his career to writing these proposals and teaching others how to do it. He’s submitted work in almost every state, and with 20 years of experience, he’s more than qualified to answer that initial question. 

In this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast, Michelle Calcote King interviews Matt Handal, the Founder of Help Everybody Everyday, to talk about the secrets behind writing a winning proposal. They start by discussing what most people miss and the small changes they can make to improve. Then they break down the details such as non-technical people writing technical proposals, the newest trends and using data to your advantage.

Perryn Olson is a renowned leader in both marketing strategy and business technology, serving as the Vice President of Marketing for REX.one. The company provides comprehensive engineering and construction solutions under a single umbrella. He has also worked for other businesses in the construction industry including The Brand Constructors and Hinge Marketing. 

Perryn is a Certified Marketer through the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) and was the former President of the Louisiana division. His start came from a 14-year tenure at Design the Planet, starting as a design intern and climbing all the way into the role of Vice President.

In this episode:

What’s the best way to earn someone’s trust in the business world?

From financial to creative limitations and everything in between, firms and agencies of all kinds are reliant on trust. Even acquiring a client in the first place is a difficult proposition of persuasion and commitment. While facts and figures are crucial, there’s no substitute for a personalized approach. This is the primary theory behind account-based marketing and how it targets high-value prospects with a more specialized process. If done right, the outcome can be far more profitable than a shotgun approach. So what does it look like in action?

On this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast, Michelle Calcote King talks with Perryn Olson, the VP of Marketing for REX.one, to hear about account-based marketing and how he uses it in his AEC firm. The two go through a plethora of topics, including niching your firm, the best content for ABM and which tools can help along the way. They also touch on the integration of business development and marketing and how to do it right. Stay tuned for more!

Marc Teer is the Founder and CEO of Black Spectacles and Spectacular. Black Spectacles is a business that offers online videos for architects including courses and tutorials. Their democratized approach to learning is designed for newcomers and established architects alike. He is a Member of The Economic Club of Chicago and the Entrepreneurs’ Organization. 

Marc has learned what architects need to thrive through firsthand experience, working in architecture for Gensler and Legat Architects. He received his bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and his master’s in architecture from Clemson University. In 2020, he was elevated to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects.

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Both architecture and law firms have more in common than you would think. They are both detail-oriented institutions, composed of entrepreneurial individuals and a sense of prestige. They also share the same needs in leadership and support that often get overlooked. Since these careers are so competitive and skill-based, any kind of advantage is needed.

Marc Teer was an architect who saw the need for greater education, so he started Black Spectacles in 2010. The company provides resources to inspire and train architects outside of the conventional classroom. He has also started to lead the next generation of architects into the future with better technology and better leadership. So what does this look like in practice?

Michelle Calcote King takes the time to interview Marc Teer, the Founder and CEO of Black Spectacles, to hear his thoughts on leadership and education in architecture. The two go over pertinent topics including diversity, connecting architects with firms and how to work as a fully remote company. They also discuss the work that Black Spectacles is doing and how it’s made an impact. Check out this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast to hear the rest for yourself!

With a long and intensive career, Gerry Riskin has made his name in consultation for law firms. He is a Co-founding Partner at Edge International, serving clients around the globe for nearly 40 years. His specialties include leadership, governance and structure within law firms. He has served the Conference Board of Canada and is a Visiting Fellow for The College of Law in London among other universities.

Gerry is also an author, writing books such as The Successful Lawyer, Herding Cats, beyond KNOWING and Creating the Marketing Mindset. In addition to his consulting, he also serves as a workshop leader and a prolific speaker.

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Most law firms are deeply rooted in tradition and heritage. Unique from other industries, lawyers tend to be similarly minded in their approach to work. This has led to success for some while leaving the rest in the dust. As the world is changing quicker than ever, doing it the old-fashioned way may not work anymore. It might be time to rethink how your firm operates.

This reevaluation requires a change of priorities, structure and mindset. The goal is to optimize your firm as much as possible, which means a lot of change. Few people know this more than Gerry Riskin, an internationally-known consultant with more than 30 years of experience in transforming law firms. He has firsthand knowledge to update your firm, and now he offers his insight to you.

On this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast, Michelle Calcote King interviews Gerry Riskin, a Co-founding Partner of Edge International, to hear his advice on optimizing law firms. They go over the common stumbling blocks in the age of remote work and how to adapt. They then go into detail on how to keep up with technology, alternative legal services and the benchmarks of a healthy culture. Stay tuned!

Ken Sky is an expert on virtual event production and is the primary producer and coach at Ken Sky Unlimited. He particularly specializes in Zoom meetings, transforming the mundane into engaging. He also works in seminars, conferences, ceremonies and all kinds of meetings. He is the Co-founder of a DIY executive coaching program.

Until recently, Ken also worked at the YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg as a Childcare Supervisor. In addition, he also worked as a technical trainer and RESP account administrator, where he picked up his computer and presentation skills.

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Zoom calls have become an everyday routine for many of us. The technology has proved to be incredibly useful, but can frankly be rather dull. The loss of in-person connection along with increased distractions can make them difficult to sit through. As remote work continues to grow, there has been shockingly little innovation to the informal format. That’s why Ken Sky created a better way.

Ken Sky started his own virtual event agency called Ken Sky Unlimited. He discovered that online meetings can be engaging, informative and surprisingly fresh. Using a combination of personal tricks and technology, he has created a far better experience for workplaces across the nation. Now he shares those same tricks with you.

Michelle Calcote King talks with Ken Sky of Ken Sky Unlimited to hear how he makes the most of Zoom calls and other virtual events. He goes into detail on his process, how he utilizes his background in magic and keeps participants engaged. He then dives deeper into tips for online presentation and where remote events are heading in the future. Hear it all on this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast!

David Freeman is an expert in law firm leadership, currently serving as a consultant for both individual lawyers and law firms through the David Freeman Consulting Group. He specifically works with law firms on their leadership, business development and client service. He has also started focusing on remote work consultation in the wake of COVID-19. 

David is also the Founder of Law Firm CultureShift which was started to work with leadership teams and improve culture at law firms. He is an established two-time best-selling author who has written on each of his specializations. David has been inducted into the National Law Journal Hall of Fame for being voted the #1 business development consultant and coach for three consecutive years.

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There’s a lot that goes into a successful law firm, and now we add another component to that list: business development.

While marketing is crucial and the quality of your work is essential, business development can often get overlooked. Law firms still function as a business and require strategic growth and optimization to be profitable. Especially in light of COVID-19, many law firms have lost the finer details on how to treat clients and improve their services. This relates to every step of the process, but particularly the culture your law firm has cultivated. It can be hard for some lawyers to see this without outside help. Luckily, that’s where David Freeman comes in.

In this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast, Michelle Calcote King interviews consultant David Freeman to hear his thoughts on business development for lawyers and law firms. The two touch on topics of cross-selling, improving your leadership and excelling in the virtual age. They also talk about the culture of your law firm and how to transform it from the ground up. Stay tuned to hear it all for yourself!

Elise Holtzman is a trusted attorney and a certified coach. She is best known as the President and Founder of The Lawyer’s Edge — a boutique firm that provides guidance and resources to both attorneys and organizations. She has been coaching and consulting lawyers for over 13 years, drawing from her own experience in law. Elise is also the host of The Lawyer’s Edge Podcast, where she interviews successful attorneys, legal marketing specialists, business leaders and authors.

Elise has worked for multiple law firms, including Morgan, Lewis & Bockius as well as Fried Frank. She has worked extensively in commercial real estate as a lawyer. Her degree is from Columbia Law School where she also worked as an editor of the Columbia Law Review.

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Lawyers are a highly specialized workforce. Thousands of hours are put into knowing the law and how to survive in a difficult industry. Experience and hard work remain the consistent keys to success. Many lawyers have these but their law firm continues to struggle. So what’s holding them back?

While there could be a myriad of factors, one of the most common is business development. At the end of the day, law firms are businesses, subject to the same needs and obstacles that come with the territory. It’s easy to ignore the development of your firm until it’s too late, having to play catch-up with the other firms around you. There needs to be a greater emphasis on business development, and that’s exactly what Elise Holtzman specializes in.

In this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast, Michelle Calcote King speaks with Elise Holtzman of The Lawyer’s Edge to hear her thoughts on business development for law firms. The two go over some of the common pitfalls and the three pillars to focus on to avoid them. They also dive into topics like marketing, setting new goals and women in the legal industry. Stay tuned to hear it all for yourself!

Bill Coletti is a global crisis strategist, a C-suite advisor and a reputation management specialist. He is the CEO of Kith Crisis Management, which works with businesses to improve crisis communication and manage public perception. He has more than 25 years of experience working with global corporations such as Target, AT&T and American Airlines. 

Prior to Kith, Bill served as the Executive Vice President of Hill+Knowlton Strategies and as a Senior Strategist at Public Strategies. He worked as an executive director and political campaigner before finding his niche in crisis management and strategy.

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How would your law firm deal with a crisis?

It’s all too easy to assume your firm would excel, but you never know until you are put into that situation. Many companies fail to truly recover as their hidden weaknesses and blind spots are revealed. Especially in the age of social media, it is more important than ever to have a strong strategy against crisis. That’s where Kith Crisis Management comes in.

Kith is led by Bill Coletti, a reputation strategist and crisis manager who has worked with some of the largest companies in the world. With a background in political campaigning, he learned firsthand the importance of having a strong game plan. He and his staff work with law firms and businesses to prepare them for crisis before it’s too late. So how prepared is your firm?

Michelle Calcote King talks with Bill Coletti, the CEO of Kith Crisis Management, to learn how law firms can survive crisis situations. The two discuss how to prepare for a crisis, the important steps of dealing with one and how to recover afterward. They then break down Kith’s process, including simulations and handling social media. Find out the rest by listening to this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast.

Chris Kirby is an established professional coach and the Founder of BridgeField Group. He has worked as a business development coach since 2000, working initially for the WJF Institute before founding PCT Solutions in 2005. He then founded BridgeField Group which offers development and diversity programs for firms of all sizes. He has firsthand experience in law, having started his career as an attorney. Now he uses the experience to give firms and individual clients the tools they need to excel.

Dominica McGinnis is an experienced coach herself and the CEO and Co-founder of BridgeField Group. She started out as an executive coach and has worked with influential clients from organizations such as USAA, the City of Austin and Pfizer. She has likewise worked with PCT Solutions in conjunction, working alongside Chris Kirby to train the next generation of firms. Before BridgeField, Dominica worked as a Business Development and Client Services Consultant for MediaTracking.com. She served in the US army for four years, rising to the rank of Captain and Senior Military Consultant.

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Diversity has been the elephant in the room with law firms for decades. Despite the efforts of diversity training, most law firms still struggle to retain a varied staff with their own unique strengths. It’s not only a matter of principle, but also of profits. A lack of diversity and inclusion has been shown time and time again to hurt the performance of law firms. Even the firms that want to improve have struggled to implement it. So how can you do diversity the right way?

One solution is to take the training out of diversity training. BridgeField Group has found tremendous success by utilizing coaching and more personal interactions to fuel that change. It’s no longer a token effort or a checklist, but a broadening of perspective and identity that can transform law firms. They have seen it work with their clients, and now, they show you how they do it.

Michelle Calcote King hosts Chris Kirby and Dominica McGinnis of BridgeField Group to find out about their approach to diversity and inclusion. They go over the unique challenges of diversity and BridgeField’s process for building relationships. The three also touch on pressing topics such as mental health, the hiring process and making lasting changes. Find out the rest by listening to this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast.

Allison Williams is a renowned lawyer, business coach and the proud owner of both Law Firm Mentor and the Williams Law Group, LLC. She most recently founded Law Firm Mentor to help small law firms achieve growth and increase revenue. She is also the current CEO for Williams Law Group which operates as a full-service family firm. 

Allison is an acclaimed lawyer, operating as a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey for Matrimonial Law. She has worked for multiple law firms and even spent time as the editor of the New Jersey Family Lawyer scholarly publication.

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Smaller law firms can often feel hopelessly outmatched. Larger, better-established firms feel like they have every advantage going their way. Even the “small firm” charm can be difficult to achieve in larger cities with more direct competition. You know that your firm is worth it, but how do you convince clients to take a chance on you?

There are a host of variables for the success of a law firm: marketing, experience, social media, specialties and more. These smaller law firms need to excel on all of these fronts to gain the traction they’re hoping for. Multiple legal marketing companies have sprouted up to fill this need, but few have the experience of Allison Williams. She has worked as a lawyer and the owner of a firm. Now, she coaches growing firms to help them thrive in the places they once struggled. She has guided countless firms before, and now she’s here to help you.

On this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast, Michelle Calcote King sits down with Allison Williams, the Founder of the Law Firm Mentor, to learn more about how to improve your marketing as a smaller law firm. They start by talking through Allison’s own rocky start as a lawyer and finding other good lawyers to work with. They transition into marketing advice, going through how to improve your social media, smoothing out your marketing cycle and answering the question “is buying leads worth it?”

Stefanie Marrone is a consultant for law firms of all sizes as well as B2C and B2B companies. She brings almost 20 years of legal marketing experience to the table, working for notable firms such as Sullivan & Cromwell and Morrison & Foerster over the years. Before she switched over to full-time consulting, her last position was the Director of Business Development and Marketing at Tarter Krinsky & Drogin LLP.

Stefanie has also spent much of her career as a prolific writer, getting her start as an Assistant Articles Editor at Redbook Magazine. She continues to write for her popular blog, The Social Media Butterfly, where she talks about issues facing lawyers and legal marketers today.

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How important is your presence on LinkedIn?

For many law firms, social media is not a priority. Other forms of marketing receive all of the attention while their LinkedIn profiles fall to the wayside. Some law firms can do well without it, but many are struggling to find ground. A strong social media presence can not only make your firm more approachable, but it can open new demographics that were once inaccessible. It’s a Swiss Army knife of a marketing tool that is too often ignored. If done right, your LinkedIn output can transform your law firm. This is the approach of Stefanie Marrone, a legal marketing consultant who knows how to get results. Want to find out more?

Michelle Calcote King hosts Stefanie Marrone to find out her approach to improving your law firm’s LinkedIn profile. Together they go over the full process, from how often you should post to creating multimedia content to LinkedIn groups and more. Stefanie goes into detail on her story and how she found success on her own LinkedIn page. They even find time to discuss the specific content that performs well on the website. Learn all of this and more on this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast!