Exploring Mentorship Outside Traditional Channels as AEC Marketers

Professional learning and growth can bloom from unexpected relationships — and these opportunities are abundant in technical industries like architecture, engineering and construction. In this episode of “Spill the Ink,” Michelle Calcote King sits down with Reagan Branham, Chief Marketing Officer at HERA laboratory planners, to discuss the benefits of embracing mentorship opportunities outside the marketing department’s traditional hierarchy. Reagan tells us about a turning point in her AEC marketing career that led her to view each colleague, regardless of discipline or department, as a potential mentor. She also shares how this mindset shift is helping her build a culture of collaboration, knowledge-sharing and shared success at HERA.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn

• About Reagan Branham transition from journalism to AEC marketing and what skills carried over.

• The importance of mentorship beyond traditional hierarchies and how to build symbiotic learning relationships across an organization.

• How AEC marketers can identify cross-departmental learning opportunities with their technical staff and make the most of them.

• How HERA laboratory planners leverages open communication and collaboration in its culture to improve employee retention and enhance professional growth.

• How to navigate billable-hour constraints to pursue impactful mentorship relationships.

• The role mentorship plays in empowering professionals to grow and succeed, especially in remote work environments.

• A real-world example of how constructive feedback can shape long-term career development.

About our featured guest

With more than 25 years of experience in AEC marketing and journalism, Reagan Branham’s diverse background includes graphic design, writing, editing, social media and product design. Reagan is an active member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), writing articles for its magazine and speaking at conferences. She also serves on the board of SMPS St. Louis as education director. Reagan has worked at HERA laboratory planners for eight years, starting as a marketing manager. She currently serves as the firm’s chief marketing officer.

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Check out HERA laboratory planners

• Follow HERA laboratory planners on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram

• Check out the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS)

• Connect with Reagan Branham on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Michelle Calcote King on LinkedIn

Sponsor for this episode

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B 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, crea