From Specs to Stories: Cherise Lakeside's Podcasting Adventure!

From Specs to Stories: Cherise Lakeside's Podcasting Adventure!

"A lot of architects are rather introverted as well, so it takes some work to pull that out. And for me, my win is, did I get you out of your shell to share your passion for what you do for a living and what you create?"

• Cherise Lakeside

About the Guest:

Cherise Lakeside is a seasoned Senior Spec Writer at RDH Building Science. With a rich career path spanning construction, architecture, and building science, Cherise has acquired a profound understanding of the design industry. She has been actively involved in teaching and mentorship, notably being a long-time instructor for the Construction Specifications Institute Education Program. In addition to her professional work, Cherise is the host of the detailed podcast produced by ARCAT, where she shares her industry insights and engages in deep discussions about architectural design and project execution.

Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Zweig Letter Podcast, host Randy Wilburn sits down with Cherise Lakeside, a notable figure in the architecture and design sector. With a career that began unexpectedly in high school, Cherise narrates her journey from administrative roles to becoming a respected spec writer and public speaker in the industry. She emphasizes the importance of mentorship and shares her experiences with speaking engagements and the impact of social media on her career. This episode offers listeners a compelling narrative about career evolution and the diverse paths within the architectural industry.

Cherise Lakeside discusses her unexpected foray into the world of podcasting as the host of the detailed podcast on ARCAT. Initially hesitant, Cherise embraced the opportunity and has since relished the engagement with various experts in the field. Her podcast focuses on sharing knowledge and offering practical insights, making it a valuable resource for professionals in the design world. Throughout the conversation, Cherise highlights the importance of authenticity and connection, which resonates deeply with the podcast's growing audience of listeners seeking technical and inspirational content.

Key Takeaways:

• Career Evolution in Design: Cherise Lakeside shares her unique journey within the architectural industry and the benefits of exploring cross-disciplinary opportunities.
• The Power of Mentorship: Emphasizing the significance of mentorship, Cherise elaborates on her teaching ventures and the impact of guiding the next generation of design professionals.
• Insights into Podcasting: Learn how Cherise transitioned to becoming a podcast host, her strategies for engaging conversations, and the benefits for both mentors and mentees within her content.
• Industry Impact: The detailed podcast serves as an educational platform, addressing real-life challenges in architecture and offering detailed insights that encourage positive changes within the industry.
• Networking and Collaboration: The episode highlights how developing relationships through conferences, social media, and podcasting can lead to substantial professional growth and brand elevation.

Chapters:

• 00:03 - Introduction to the Zweig Letter Podcast
• 02:49 - The Journey of Shareese Lakeside: From Receptionist to Spec Writer
• 14:15 - The Importance of Mentorship in the Design...

Episode Transcript

(00:03):
Welcome to the Zweig Letter Podcast.
Putting architecturalengineering, planning and environmental
consulting advice and guidancein your ear, Zweig Group's team of
experts have spent more thanthree decades elevating the industry
by helping AEP andenvironmental consulting firms thrive.

(00:24):
And these podcasts deliverinvaluable management, industry client
marketing, and HR advicedirectly to you free of charge.
The zweigletter PodcastsElevating the Design Industry One
Episode at a Time hey folks,Randy Wilburn here from the Zweig

(00:51):
Letter Podcast.
I'm your host and I'm excitedto be with you for another episode.
It's funny because I don'trecord these like every week where
I do with some of my otherpodcasts, but when I do, I typically
batch record these episodes.
And so it's always great toconnect with some really amazing
people in that very shortperiod of time that I have to have

(01:13):
these conversations.
And actually the guest that wehave on today is someone that I have
befriended, I want to say,over the past several months.
For those of you that know, Igot involved with Gable Media and
I've.
I've been doing some businessdevelopment work with them.
One of the people I had thepleasure of making the acquaintance
of was Shareese Lakeside.

(01:33):
And Shareese is a senior specwriter with RDH Building Science,
and she's also the host of theRCAT Detailed podcast.
We're kindred spirits becausewe do a podcast.
And so I thought, man, itwould be great to have her come on
the Zweigler podcast,something that I've been doing for
eight years now, and kind ofshare her story about podcasting

(01:57):
and about just the unlikelyfact that she fell into this opportunity
and has just taken it and runwith it.
And when she shares with yousome of the impact that the detailed
podcast has had both for herand for her client, I think you'll
find it really interestingbecause I've been saying for as long
as someone would listen to methat you should be doing a podcast.

(02:19):
Every design firm should havea podcast, full stop.
And if for no other reason,just to be another way to extend
your brand to the world aswell as internally extend your brand
to your team for the purposesof personal and professional development.
And that's my rant.
And I'm going to get off mysoapbox now because I have such an

(02:42):
amazing guest here with metoday, Shareese Lakeside.
Without any further delay,welcome to the zweigletter Podcast.
Thank you, Randy.
Absolutely.
Well, we're happy to have you.
So listen, we always start outwith getting an individual Superhero
origin story, Right?
Because we always want toknow, why should somebody even listen
to someone?
But I would love for you justto share a little bit of your background

(03:02):
and experience in the designindustry, and you can go back as
far as you want.
I always joke, you can go backto the womb, kindergarten, high school,
wherever you want to go, totell the story about how Shareese
came to be.
How Cherise came to be.
Boy.
Well, as far as the designindustry, we'll start in high school.
There we go.
I was a senior in high school,and I had enough credits that I didn't

(03:26):
have to go to school all day.
And a friend of my mom said,hey, we need a receptionist in our
construction company.
So would you like to work halfdays and then on school vacation
days or breaks, you can workfull time.
So I would go to school halfthe day, and then I'd hop on a city
bus and take it out to thisconstruction company.

(03:48):
There was no plan my senioryear in high school to work in the
design industry or to.
I had.
Wouldn't even have known atthat point what a spec writer was.
But I was fortunate enough inthat company for the one year that
I worked there that my mom'sfriend was willing to teach me anything
I wanted to learn.
And I've always been a prettycurious person.

(04:09):
I don't like to be bored.
I've got a little bit of this,okay, OCD is not the right word,
but I have a brain that never stops.
It actually interferes with mysleep sometimes because I'll wake
up at two in the morning and I'm.
I just start going to town inmy head.
And so I worked there for ayear, and then I graduated, went
on my merry way, doing someother things for a couple years,

(04:30):
trying to figure out who Iwanted to be when I grew up.
I'm still trying to figurethat out.
And a couple years later, mymom again.
My mom, I suppose I bettergive her some credit, was my entrance
into this business.
And she had been working as afinancial analyst for Freightliner,
and they had a bunch oflayoffs and she got laid off.
And I didn't live at homeanymore at that point, but my little

(04:53):
sister didn't.
She was a single mom, so shewas working for a temp agency for
a while just to keep food onthe table till she got back into
corporate America.
And she was working for anarchitecture firm as an administrative
assistant type of person,which she had no intention of staying
in.
So she told this firm theywanted to hire her and she's like,
I'm not going to be doing thisfor a living.

(05:14):
But I got this daughter, andshe could probably used to be, she
could use doing something alittle more productive with her life.
At that time, I might havebeen sewing a few wild oats, figuring
out where things were going to go.
And so they ended up giving mea job there.
And I was there for 22 yearsand basically started answering the
phone, typing memos, runningcopies, those kinds of things.

(05:39):
And once again, I'm a prettycurious person.
And so it was a lot of, why amI doing this?
What does this mean?
How does this work?
Well, 22 years later, I wasdoing everything in that firm but
drawing.
I'm an architect, writingspecs, doing all the contracts, doing
all the constructionadministration things.
No kidding.

(05:59):
I did everything but draw.
And at the time, I didn'trealize the value of the experience
I was getting.
I worked for three men, allsubstantially older than me, who,
at a time where women maybedidn't have the same seats at the
table as they do now, werewilling to teach me anything I wanted
to learn.

(06:19):
And so in 2008, when theeconomy tanked, is when they closed
the firm.
And I was terrified, justlike, nobody's going to hire me.
I was just a kid when Istarted here.
I'm not an architect.
And that turned out not to be true.
And one of our consultants, anMEP consultant here in Portland,
who I had worked as ourconsultant for that firm for 22 years,

(06:40):
said, oh, we'll hire you.
And they had originally hiredme to be in an administrative position,
which I was well beyond thatby that point.
And I would say it took about30 days for them to change my job
title.
And so I was in charge ofrewriting all their master specs,
first the masters they use fortheir company, and then establishing
a whole different program forwriting specs, training people in

(07:02):
the firm, establishing a qa,QC process.
I spent about seven yearsthere and then went back to architecture.
And I've been working up untilrdh, where I'm at now.
I worked in architecture foranother five or seven years.
Now I'm working for a buildingscience firm.
What's unique about that, andI think what leads right into our

(07:22):
conversation about podcasting,is not only have I been in this industry
a long time, and I'm trulytrained in the trenches, they teach
you a lot of different thingsin school.
Trust me, I'm not advocatingfor not getting a college education.
My journey is unique, and it'sbeen a lot harder Because I didn't.
But being trained in thetrenches and crossing the lines,

(07:43):
crossing to the dark side.
I never tell anybody which oneof those is the dark side, though.
From construction toarchitecture to MEP engineering,
working with engineers back to architecture.
And now in building science,you have a different lens.
When you look at the industry,you get caught in your bubble sometimes
in this industry, it can bevery siloed sometimes.
And all that matters is what'sgoing on in my world here, even though

(08:06):
no building goes up withoutevery member of the project team.
And when you start crossinglines, you start seeing how the other
half lives, and you starthaving, I think, a little bit more
empathy and understanding thateach discipline needs to produce
their work product in adifferent way.
And that ends up changing theway that you work.
I had one left still at home,and I had more time in my life and

(08:29):
I joined CSI, which is aconstruction specifications institute,
got CDT certified, which I'venow been teaching for 10, 10, 11,
12 years, something like that.
And that opened up these doorsthat I'd never even thought about.
And one of those biggest doorsshout out to you, Paul Traynor, if
you're listening.

(08:49):
I'll know if you listen to this.
One of those doors was havingmy first speaking engagement as a
result of Paul telling me, Ithink you need to do some teaching.
You're so passionate aboutyour work a lot.
You're really good with people.
I said to him pretty much thesame thing I said to Gable when they
called me about the podcastand told him he was insane.
Who's going to listen to me inour industry with my journey?

(09:12):
I'm not an architect.
They're going to tell me I'mfull of you know what and kick me
out of the room.
And he told me I was wrong.
And he convinced me.
So I picked my first that heconvinced me to apply for on what
is our big stage, which is theCSI National Conference.
That's the first time I everspoke in public.
So fast forward, that wasabout 10 years ago.

(09:35):
And that I had never done anykind of speaking engagement outside
of just normal kind of, here'swhere we're at, at work kind of things.
And I've.
I don't know how many it is now.
Last time I counted, it wasover 400, and that was a year ago.
So it's probably somewhere inthe neighborhood of 500 altogether
now.
Speaking engagement is whatyou're referring to?

(09:57):
Yes.
Okay.
And that is what ultimately.
And that and getting alsoinvolved in social media, because
I thought Social media was thestupidest thing ever.
I'll own it.
I'm totally fine with saying Iwas so wrong.
And I went to a presentationthat my friend Joy Davis, who was

(10:18):
another big advocate for me inmy early days of total imposter syndrome
and lack of confidence, wentto a presentation she did on social
media after I told her Ithought it was a bunch of garbage.
And she said, come to mypresentation and then tell me that
when you're done.
And I said, okay.
And I sat through it and I'mgoing, oh, okay.

(10:39):
She's got some points here.
Does it really work that way?
I got involved on socialmedia, and that's how eventually
how I ended up meeting MarkLePage and Demetrius.
I knew them and was connectedto them on social media for a number
of years.
Never met him in person.
Yeah, actually, I was doingthe podcast for about a year and

(11:00):
a half before I finally metMark in person, which is just totally
bizarre.
And so that's.
There's all kinds of sidestories in there.
That's kind of the main thatthis, hopefully the short version
of that journey.
Well, first of all, I reallyappreciate you sharing that.
I think what you just sharedearly on is something that young

(11:21):
people should hear in terms ofgetting involved with the design
industry and how they do it.
There are a lot ofopportunities for people to learn
what this industry is allabout, how you cut your teeth in
it, how you get started.
And, I mean, your wholeapproach is, I think, refreshing
to hear.
I see you now, and I see whereyou are and what you've been able

(11:44):
to accomplish.
I didn't know a lot of whatyou just shared, but I think it's
important for other people tohear that kind of story because it
will encourage folks to getinvolved with regard to getting in
this industry and understandall of the benefits that this industry
offers.
And I think your story is oneof many that I've heard over the

(12:05):
years.
I've been involved with thisindustry since 97, and I've seen
a lot as it pertains torecruiting in this space, working
in marketing, and a lot ofother areas.
But one of the things thatI've always taken away about the
design industry is thatthere's all kinds of opportunities
in the space to work, and itis incumbent upon you as an individual,

(12:27):
if this is an industry thatyou're interested in, that you should
get involved, you shouldconnect with people, that there's
always going to be people likewhat Shareese just described as some
of the founders of the firmshe used to work with that were willing
to sit down and work with her.
I've always seen people likethat throughout my time in this industry
that were willing architects,engineers, environmental consultants,

(12:49):
planners that were willing tosit down and kind of educate you.
Even me as a consultant inthis space, I've gotten a lot of
great lessons out of that.
So I think your story is arefreshing story and a great reminder
that anyone in this spaceneeds to take the time to help out,
certainly the next generation,and to encourage them to be a part

(13:09):
of this industry because it issuch a great and dynamic industry.
But sometimes you just need tohear a story like yours, Shareese,
that will get the ball rollingand get you moving forward.
I.
You are preaching to the choir.
It's one of the reasons Iteach the CDT certification program.
That's 12 weeks, twice a year,two hours a week for 12 weeks.

(13:31):
So 24 hours of instruction.
Not everybody in my class areyounger professionals, but there's
a good chunk that are.
And they're all over all the disciplines.
And I share that story withthem every time.
And I also leave my door openfor my students.
I still get emails fromstudents I had eight years ago, either

(13:54):
sharing a success or tellingme they took a different path or
I love it when they get donewith their test and tell me, Shareese,
your voice was in my ear thewhole time.
It's like, yes, that's whatI'm trying to accomplish.
Mentoring is important.
And with all of our babyboomers leaving and Gen X being so
small, I think that we are.

(14:15):
We have a short now, even moreso than we have in the past.
And for me, I wouldn't bewhere I am today if it wasn't for
the mentors that I had.
And I think we have aresponsibility when we've been given
a gift to pay that forward andgive that gift to somebody else in
whatever capacity we have toshare that knowledge.

(14:35):
It is.
It really is.
And now you're preaching tothis choir because I'm always saying
to people, hey, mentoring ishugely important.
The transfer of knowledge inthis space, in this industry, from,
especially from the boomergeneration, which they've transferred
a lot of knowledge to Gen X inthis space, but then also to millennials

(14:55):
and Gen Z, that there's a lotof opportunities for you to connect
with amazing young people thatcan be like sponges and can gain
insight and knowledge andunderstanding about this industry
and what it represents on thebigger picture in the grand scheme
of things.
And so I think it's Important.
I think every firm needs tohave a fully blown mentoring program.

(15:19):
It needs to be intentional.
It can't be matter of factly.
And as I always tell peoplethat are mentors, you actually should.
If you mentor properly, youtake away as much as you give.
I said the exact same thing I did.
I ran a Young Professionalsday for our national convention for
about five years.

(15:40):
And one of the pieces of thatday was speed mentoring meeting.
They had 15 minutes, but itwas divided in half.
So for seven and a half oreight minutes, the young professional
had to ask the mentor anythingthey wanted.
And then for the other eightminutes, that mentor had to ask the
young professional anythingthey wanted.

(16:02):
I handpicked the mentors.
It was equal seats at the table.
Don't ask anybody how toprogram your phone.
They got a whole lecture fromme beforehand.
And it was such a dynamic.
I miss that we don't do itanymore, but it was such a dynamic
event, and sometimes you justneed to reach out a hint.
They would go around.
This was a few hours of thisto each.

(16:25):
They'd switch after 15 minutesto the next mentor.
Some of these people are stillin touch with each other all this
time later, as a result ofthat, it opens doors sometimes if
you just help somebody put outa hand.
Yeah.
I want to say that designprofessionals are.
Are a very thoughtful group of people.
They have to be based on thework, the line of work that you guys

(16:48):
do.
And I think a lot of thatthoughtfulness comes out in a lot
of different ways.
But I also think that it's oneof those things where you always
need to be thinking about howcan you get this next generation
of young people to get involved.
And anytime I can talk to ayoung person and they asked me about
a career or different optionsthat might be available to them,

(17:11):
I talk to them about thedesign industry all the time.
And I remind designprofessionals every time, and I sound
like a broken record everytime I go to an event that I speak
to them.
It's like, you guys areresponsible for the built environment,
and your role is hugelyimportant in our society.
You need to just recognizethat the work that you do really

(17:33):
does matter above and beyondthat one project that you're currently
working on.
It's a much bigger picturethat you're dealing with when it
comes to design professionalsand what they do.
So I say that all the timebecause I often run into so many
design professionals thatstruggle with, like, imposter syndrome.
And it's like, man, don't getme started.
I mean, what you guys doreally does matter.

(17:56):
And I know you don't hear itenough, but.
And so I say it a lot on thispodcast, and I'm sure the regular
listeners will hear me saythat quite a bit.
But it is meant to edify andencourage more so than anything else,
and to let designprofessionals know that keep doing
what you're doing, because itdoes make a difference.
And we have to be reallyintentional about how we connect

(18:18):
with this next generation ofpotential young people that will
work in the space.
Because I'm trying toencourage some of my kids to get
involved in the designindustry because I see the benefits
that it brings being able totake a project from start to the
challenges that you faceduring the project to completion.
Just that satisfaction thatcomes along with that of any really

(18:40):
good project, like a well doneproject that's done, that you can
actually physically drive downthe street and look at on a regular
basis and say, I designed that.
Or I designed this.
And I always tell the famousjoke that Chad Kleinans, who is the
president and CEO ofZweigroup, tells when one day he
and his wife were talking andshe was asking about, like, kind

(19:01):
of what he did.
He was like, I designed those.
And he was driving down theroad and he was pointing to a culvert.
And so she was like, that'sjust a ditch.
And he was like, that's a culvert.
And there is a specific methodto how those have to be designed
so that they do what they'reable to do with regard to water runoff
and all these other things andjust the strength of the road itself.

(19:24):
And so we sometimes don'trecognize the beauty that goes into
designing what designprofessionals create in the first
place.
And so I think it's importantfor us to remember that.
I agree.
I couldn't agree more.
If you ask my kids, what doesyour mom do for a living?

(19:44):
It's a.
She writes some book about buildings.
So they're kind of like theinstruction manual on how to build
a building.
And that's probably about thesimplest but truest definition of
what I do.
Yeah.
As a spec writer.
But I think when it comes tothese younger people, I think the
best thing we can do is meetthem in their space.

(20:06):
Don't expect them to meet usin ours.
Yeah.
Up in a different day and age.
And I'm not saying weshouldn't share some of the wisdom
we've taken from that journey.
Absolutely should.
But you, you need to come totheir space.
You need to understand their space.
You need to help them in theirspace because they're not doing it
the way we did it.

(20:27):
I hate it when they hear that.
Well, this is how I always did it.
Well, we've always done itthis way.
They're called statementsCharisse can't stand, and that's
one of them.
You cannot approach a youngerprofessional with that mindset and
expect them if you don't havea relationship first, if they don't
bond with you first, you'regoing to get nowhere no matter what
comes out of your mouth.

(20:47):
Piece of advice for some of usthat might be a little older than
25.
Yeah, well, no, and you'reabsolutely right.
And I think it's a goodreminder, especially for those that
are out there recruiting onbehalf of their respective firms,
that you do have to hold handsa little bit more with this next
generation, but then alsodon't feel like there's a lot that

(21:09):
they can teach you too.
And so there's.
That's why I said what I saidabout mentoring and mentorship is
that it really is a two way street.
And a lot of times,unfortunately, when a lot of people
think about mentoring, it'slike, oh, I just got to pour into
this person and it's just one sided.
But that couldn't be furtherfrom the truth.
Keep that in mind.

(21:30):
Absolutely.
So I want to switch gears alittle bit and talk about your journey
into podcasting because, Imean, would you consider yourself
an unlikely podcaster?
That might be a little bit ofan understatement.
I did a very short stint witha podcast a number of years ago,

(21:52):
started an effort online toshare knowledge, did a handful of
episodes and I was souncomfortable and it was hard to
find a groove or feel like itwas for me.
I had a basically needed likean hour pump you up session with

(22:16):
Shareese before I was evenready to get online.
It just wasn't something thatI really thought would be my thing
and not something that I hadseriously considered doing in any
big way.
And I mean, I'm a spec writerand I had done a bunch of public
speaking by the point thisadventure started and that definitely

(22:37):
changed it a little bit.
But yeah, unlikely podcastersare really good way to describe.
I still feel like an unlikelypodcaster to be perfectly honest.
Yeah, a lot of what you'resaying to me makes sense as you continue
to peel back the onion.
And you, you shared 400speaking engagements.
I'm sure at some point youwere probably mortified about getting

(22:59):
up on stage and talking to abunch of people.
But over time the more you doit, the better you get at it.
I always tell people,especially with public speaking,
it's just a muscle that youhave to exercise.
Like, I never think twiceabout speaking publicly, but there
are a lot of people out therethat would, like, just slip my wrist
because I don't want to speakin front of two people, much less
500 people.

(23:19):
And I couldn't even.
I'm, like, on the opposite endof that.
I'm happy to talk to a largegroup at any point in time, and I'll
figure something out becauseit's just something that I really
enjoy doing.
But you kind of married whatyou were able to do from a public
speaking perspective, and youbrought it over into the podcasting
world, and it's not so muchhow you.

(23:42):
Well, how did you get chosen?
Or how did they come to youfor the detailed podcast?
What is that origin piece?
I think they were drinking one day.
I'm joking, to be perfectly honest.
I don't know what made themcall me.
I had been, like I said,connected to Marc LePage and Demetrius

(24:02):
online for a number of years,but I didn't know them well.
Traded comments back and fortha little bit on Twitter, on Facebook,
with the Entre ArchitectGroup, and Mark sent me an email
one day and said, would you beinterested in doing a podcast?
And I am not kidding.
I sat here at my desk bymyself, looking behind me like, who's

(24:22):
he talking to?
This is an email I'm reading.
Like, who's he talking to?
And I said, well, I'm alwayshappy to talk about new opportunities.
And I don't remember what Isaid, but I know I was thinking,
you probably don't have theright person, but I'll chat with
you about it.
I believe in never not talkingabout an opportunity, even if it's

(24:44):
not going to be for you, youshould at least hear it out first.
Yeah, so we had a meeting.
Mark, are you sure you meantto call me?
It's like, I don't even get it.
And he probably had seen maybeone of my webinars or something at
that point.
I don't know.
I need to ask him one of these days.
What made you call me?
Because I don't really know.

(25:04):
So we talked about it a little bit.
While I do get, like, sick tomy stomach before every single speaking
gig.
I do and just pause, I want tomention that a lot of people don't
realize that some of the mostfamous speakers have this issue.
And I even get nervous beforeI go out and speak to A group.
But that nervousness typicallywill subside very quickly once I

(25:27):
get into my groove.
And then the rest of it, I just.
It doesn't bother me.
But I think that's a normal thing.
It's very rare for somebody tojust hit the ground running and they
don't think twice about it.
Everybody gets with thoseproverbial butterflies or anything,
because I just want people torecognize that is a normal feeling.
Even for those like Shareese,maybe myself, that have exercised

(25:49):
that muscle of speaking on aregular basis, you still go through
something in that process.
It's funny, though, like you,once I get through that first minute,
maybe two, but usually it'sonly one.
I forget.
But I also believe that,number one, if you don't get nervous,
you probably shouldn't bedoing it.

(26:09):
Because I have seen speakerswho are great speakers, but it's
so practiced, it's so scriptedthat you lose that.
You lose that passion.
You lose that thing thatconnects you to your audience.
Once I get going, all bets are off.
I'm fine.
Doesn't matter how big theroom is or how small the room is.
I actually get more nervousfor smaller groups than I do bigger

(26:31):
ones.
But it's that first gettingthrough the butterflies, especially
when it's.
I get out of my comfort zone,because now I'm speaking at other
organizations, conventions,and in front of groups that are not
a room full of people where Iknow a lot of faces.
Yeah.
Perfect example is just a fewmonths ago, I spoke at the AIA Florida

(26:54):
conference.
So it's all of the architectsin the state of Florida.
And I had to walk into thisbig room full of a lot of people,
and I literally did not know anybody.
Well, there were a few peopleI was connected to, but I didn't
know anybody in.
There was no comfort zone.
There was no security blanketin that room.
But it was.

(27:14):
It turned out great.
So, yeah, And I know that.
And I don't speak aboutanything I can't speak comprehensively
to.
I don't talk about things Idon't know anything about.
That's really important.
Yeah, that's because there's alot of people that do go out and
figure, oh, well, I'm a goodcommunicator and a good speaker.
I'll just riff on any subjectthat doesn't always end well.

(27:37):
I don't think so.
But especially in my business,do not walk into a room full of architects
or engineers and not know whatyou're talking about, because they
will tell you that you don'tknow what you're talking about.
Well, I always ran into.
Well, I didn't run into that,but I was always mindful of it in
the years that I did trainingsfor Zwei Group, because I knew that

(27:58):
I was training a bunch ofdesign professionals, a bunch of
engineers and architects, ofwhich I am not one.
When I talked aboutleadership, I leaned into the concept
of leadership.
Right.
Which is something that we canall gravitate towards.
Wasn't so much.
So, yeah, of course.
How can an architect be a leader?
How can an engineer be a leader?
The same way that abusinessman can be a leader or fill

(28:19):
in the blank other professioncan be.
It can operate with a level of leadership.
And I just think it'simportant for us to kind of be, as
Shakespeare said, to thine ownself be true.
You have to be you.
And I typically when you areyou, the good stuff will come out.
Right?
And I think that's kind ofwhat we've been experiencing through
your process on the detailedpodcast and the few episodes that

(28:43):
I've had.
The the joy to listen towitnessing you actually record the
podcast at the AAA conventionthis past June in Washington D.C.
at the of the as of the timeof recording this.
First of all, you look like a natural.
You sound like a natural, andyou look super, super comfortable

(29:04):
just having really cool conversations.
And I'd be curious to knowwhen did you feel like you hit your
groove with the detailedpodcast and what is it about that
podcast that really resonatesfor you?
I don't know if I've hit mycurve yet.
I mean, after a hundredepisodes, I always think things can

(29:25):
be better.
Yeah.
I will never be a hundredpercent satisfied with anything that
I do.
I'm always looking for ways to improve.
I know that I have morphed allkinds of things in this podcast from
day one as opposed to what Ido now.
For me, what gets me up in themorning, so to speak, over this podcast
is the people.
At the end of the day, I'm apeople person and I love connecting

(29:51):
with people and kind of notjust pulling out the great information
about the project, but makingthem comfortable enough to relax
and really share the good stuff.
It was early conversation Ihad because this is Arkat's podcast,
it's not my podcast.
And after Gable asked me to dothe podcast, they said, okay, well

(30:13):
we're good with you.
Now we have to get RCAT hasfinal approval and we had a meeting
with rkat and I'm a prettymatter of fact person.
I don't at this point, youlearn a lot of things over the years.
I maybe wasn't always thisperson, but I'm really in a phase
of my life where what you seeis what you get.
I'm a good person and I willdo anything for my friends.

(30:35):
And if you don't like me,somebody else out there you can like,
and I'm okay with that.
But I'm going to give it toyou straight and I'm going to be
honest, because if we're goingto work together or if we're going
to be friends or whatever it is.
Not that I'm not trying toimprove every day, but this is who
I am and that's how I approach this.
I pretty clearly told RKATthat this is who I am.

(30:57):
If we're going to do this, Ireally need to just do me.
If you're looking for a formalBarbara Walters interviewer, it's
just not gonna fly with me.
I wanna dig into you.
You're a person and I wannahear about what motivated you to
do this and how'd you solvethis problem.
And they were like, yep,sounds good to us.
I was like, damn, oh God, Ireally have to do this.

(31:20):
And so the initial deal was,let's do 10 episodes and see if any
of us wanna keep going.
And so that's what we did.
And I was fortunate that a fewof my early guests.
Because this is a brand newthing, I had to go out mining for
gas, which I don't have to dovery often anymore, which is, I think,
a beautiful thing.

(31:40):
I picked a few people I knewwell, who I knew were really smart,
really good at what they do.
I was already connected tothem, already friends with them,
which I knew would make mefeel more comfortable getting my
feet wet.
It was easier in the beginningbecause we only did audio, so I could
hide behind that a little bit.
I didn't have to worry abouthow I looked on the screen or whether

(32:02):
I did something, whatever.
The video came later.
I still struggle with thatsometimes, but it's like, I'm not
having a cute day.
I don't want to do this.
But it went really well.
And I started off with thisstock list of questions I'm going
to ask every.
And I told Arkad also, I saidwhat I'd really.
Because they're like, okay,what do we want this podcast to be?

(32:24):
And I said what I'd really like.
Here's my two cents.
What I'd like to do is have itbe talking about your great project
with the lens of what can weteach our listeners in the process?
I mean, teaching is somethingthat's important to me.
How can we make the underlyinggoal of this podcast my goal?
I tell every guest two thingsbefore I turn on the mic.

(32:47):
One is pretend like we're athappy hour, having a good glass of
whiskey and talking about your project.
And that's all that's going on here.
It's just you and me, nothing else.
And the other thing I tellthem is don't be afraid to get technical
and teach me something.
I want somebody to get up fromlistening to the podcast, run to
their desk, and changesomething they're doing based on

(33:09):
something that you said.
So don't be afraid to go intodetails and explain how you got there.
Not just that you got there,but how you got there.
And that's pretty much beenthe podcast ever since.
Is.
Let's get into the details.
Detailed.
A detailed podcast.

(33:30):
And every guest is different,but for me, it's the guests.
It's connecting with this newhuman being and learning a little
something about them andhaving them share their most.
Not all my guests are architects.
Most of them are, but not allof them.
Architects are inherently alsovery artistic.

(33:50):
Like, I quit asking.
I was really surprised at thenumber of architects that did something
very creative.
Lots of musicians or artists,or I built furniture or just I travel
all over the world.
And so I try to find outsomething about them, make them feel
comfortable, and then get themto tell me all the good stuff about

(34:11):
their project.
And I love, for me, thechallenge is, what can I make you
feel comfortable enough to getyou to share with me?
I want to take it to the nextlevel, not just, oh, tell me about
the structural framing system.
Okay, well, there might beanother way to talk about that structural
framing system that might be alittle more entertaining.

(34:34):
But I love.
A lot of architects are ratherintroverted as well, so it takes
some work to pull that out.
And for me, it's like, my winis that I get you out of your shell
to share your passion for whatyou do for a living and what you
create.
And so that's where I get mykicks from doing this podcast, is

(34:55):
seeing how much I can getsomebody to just relax and really
share what they're doing.
Yeah, well, you've certainlydone a good job of it, and I will
encourage our listeners tocheck out the detailed podcast just
as well.
First of all, some of ourlisteners will benefit from listening
to your podcast.

(35:15):
Most of our, if not all, ofour listeners should and would benefit
from listening to the detailedpodcast and listening to some of
Shareese's expertise, as wellas her ability to maneuver a conversation
and have a really good,engaging and open conversation with
the audience and moreimportantly, with the guest of the
episode.
But so I will certainly.

(35:37):
We'll put a link in the shownotes to the detailed podcast for
folks to check it out.
One of the questions that Ihave for you is you did try out podcasting
before.
Did you realize thatpodcasting has had the long tail
effect that it does have interms of, you know, you create something
today and that two years fromnow, three years from now, people

(36:00):
will still be listening tothat and listening to your conversations
as you go back and forth with somebody.
Did you recognize the power ofpodcasting from that perspective?
Or what was it aboutpodcasting that resonated with you
above and beyond the normal?
You getting to meet somereally cool people, you getting to
just practice and continue tohone that communication muscle that

(36:24):
you have.
What was it about podcastingthat really stuck with you?
For me, originally, when Iagreed to do it, it was just a new
adventure.
The first effort, there wastwo of us and we both had really
busy lives and it was justhard to make it happen.
Different time zones, all ofit, it just didn't quite work out.

(36:46):
But a new adventure and I liketo try new things.
I don't like to get bored.
And so originally that's why Isaid yes.
And it was also only 10episodes, so if it totally tanked,
there wasn't going to be toomuch blood, sweat and tears going
into it.
It soon morphed into something.
It very quickly morphed intosomething else with me because I
remember I went to thisparticular conference geared specifically

(37:08):
towards spec writers, and itwent to this con.
We were really early in thegame, less than 20 episodes, easily
a large number of connectionson LinkedIn.
It's not Justin Bieber levelof connections, but I'm not Justin
Bieber.
And so I started sharing thepodcast right away.
It was the first day of the conference.

(37:29):
So the very first event wasthe welcome reception.
We all done the welcome reception.
And I walk in and I'm lookingaround for anybody I know, because
normally I can go to aconference and find people pretty
quickly.
Hadn't spotted anybody I know yet.
And a complete stranger walkedup to me and said, you host that
podcast.
And I was going, literally, Randy.

(37:52):
I was going, what in the helljust happened?
We just started this thing.
There was no video at the time.
I mean, my little profilepicture was on the landing page.
And I thought, wow.
And there was like threepeople at that conference that said
something to me about the podcast.
And we were just getting started.

(38:12):
We probably weren't.
We may not have even been over10 episodes yet.
And that was a little bit of awake up call.
Number one, wow, this can havea lot of reach even outside of my
immediate circles.
And number two, all the work Idid to build up my social media presence
makes a difference.

(38:33):
Yeah, I think that reallycontributed to helping us take off
and getting a following.
And you guys have reallydeveloped a following over the time
that the podcast has been out.
Have it open on my screen,because I thought you might ask me
that.
So nine days ago I was all excited.
I think you saw my post on LinkedIn.

(38:54):
We hit 800,000 downloads and180,000 unique listeners in 105 different
countries.
Wow.
So that was nine days ago.
Today it's 840,000 downloads,185,000 unique listeners.
And we're about a little underthree years in.

(39:16):
I think it's February, will beour three year anniversary.
So a little over two and ahalf years, which blows my mind.
I don't know how architecturepodcasts do.
I've been told that thesenumbers are remarkable.
I have a hard time owning that.
I'm like, who is listening tome talk?
I don't know what's wrong withyou people, but it's just taken off,

(39:38):
it's exploded.
So now I'm on a mission.
Like, I want to have JustinBieber level podcast listeners, which
I'll never have.
But yeah, you have to havesomething to work for.
But it's done really well andI have received all kinds of great
feedback in it.
I think the key here, in myopinion, is authenticity, because

(40:00):
there's a lot of architecturepodcasts out there.
I might have a tad bit of asassy sense of humor on occasion,
which might not hurt.
But we have real conversationsabout real challenges we deal with
every day on projects.
And I have had a number ofguests say, wow, that was a really
great question.
And I think my lens of workingin multiple disciplines, I send them

(40:23):
questions, but I custom writethe scripts now, which I didn't do
in the beginning.
And I think that has been agame changer because I really, I
trolled you on the Internetbeyond the stuff you sent me about
your project.
And I find little things, butthen they say something.
I call them my rabbit holes.
So my guest answers myquestion, they say something that
my brain goes, well, wait aminute, full stop.

(40:44):
I need to hear More about that.
So we're going to go.
And I warn them that I'm goingto do that.
I don't want them to be surprised.
It's prerecorded so they cansay, I don't have the stats there
to answer this, or I don'tfeel comfortable answering it, or
whatever.
I think the unique lens that Ihave paired with, we just have real
conversations.

(41:05):
It's comfortable, it's relaxed.
I really do feel like minus acocktail, you're sitting just talking
to a new, interesting personyou met.
And I love smart people, too.
I've got to think for smartpeople, and I think that resonates
with people.
It's not this stuffy kind oftalk about the project.
It's not a commercial fortheir project.

(41:26):
I mean, it is in the long runbecause we get to hear these cool
things about this project, butit's more about sharing the passion
and real conversations in thatand real challenges.
And what was hard.
I want to know what was hardand how you fixed it, because that's
where we all learn.
Well, I think that I lovehearing this story, and it's very

(41:47):
encouraging.
The reality is that the top 1%of podcasts get roughly 30,000 downloads
a month thereabouts.
So you can kind of do the mathfrom there.
But so you guys are up in thatechelon of podcast, and I think a
lot of it probably speaks tothe fact that you do focus on a niche

(42:08):
topic and a niche subject.
And so there is that.
Right.
And there it's probably foundthat a lot of people are very interested
in.
In a lot of the topical thingsthat you come up with on the podcast.
And for them, it's like, oh,this is.
I'm going to class with Shareese.
Every time I listen to thispodcast episode, I either learned
something new or she unearthedsomething that I was thinking about

(42:31):
but wasn't quite sure on.
But now that she shared it andhas kind of delivered it out in public,
I can lean into that now andwork on that specific area of my
project.
So I see it as having atremendous impact for design professionals,
especially that work and talkabout the things that you talk about
on your podcast.

(42:52):
Well, I hope so.
I mean, I have people nowreaching out to me and saying, what
do we have to do to be on the podcast?
One thing I love about hostingthis for rcap, besides them just
letting me do me.
Yeah.
Is they let me decide whethersomething is a fit and stays within

(43:14):
kind of the realm that we wantthis podcast to be about.
And there's nothing better inwork or in life than being around
a bunch of both Gable andArkat are the most supportive, empowering
partners in this effort.
And they celebrate what you do.

(43:34):
Right.
They're really gentle aboutthe things that they maybe want you
to change.
And we all work together.
We all have the same goal.
And it's such a.
It's just like the dream workenvironment to do something that
you're already loving doing,but then do it with a bunch of partners
that are amazing humans, thathave the same kind of heart that
you do and the same kind ofpassion that you do.

(43:55):
How could you lose?
I mean, really.
Yeah, this is fun.
No, that's awesome.
I love hearing that because Ithink people that are out there thinking
about why would they want todo a podcast?
Shareese explains a number ofthe reasons why you would want to
do a podcast.
If you were talking and Idon't know if you've had a conversation

(44:16):
with a design firm that hassaid, hey, we really love what you're
doing, but I don't think wecould pull off a podcast like you.
What advice do you typically provide?
Or have you shared in the pastwith others that are like, well,
we can't quite be likeShareese, so we don't know that it's
worth it for us to even godown the road of trying and doing
a podcast.

(44:36):
It's funny that you say that,because I've actually had that conversation
with a number of people thathave, specifically people that know
me or connected to me in someway reach out and say, kind of thinking
about doing this, but lookslike a lot of work and would you
mind sharing?
So I've actually given thatadvice and I'm going to qualify this.
This is just my personal advice.

(44:57):
Different situation.
But for me, I have a day job,a very demanding day job.
One of my concerns was I onlyhave so much bandwidth and to do
an effort like this because weput out an episode once a week, there's
a couple of two breaks in theyear, but we're putting out the episodes

(45:18):
from Green Builder AIA duringthose times and during those breaks,
I'm still recording.
We're just not putting out any episodes.
It's a full hour plus episodeevery week among the other 5 million
things I have going on in my life.
And so, number one, I startwith, what's the value of having
a podcast?
And the first thing I say is,if you're not going to take this

(45:40):
seriously, don't even start.
This has to be somethingyou're committed to doing.
And you have to be patientenough to give it time to spread
and grow.
And that comes with puttingout consistent content that people
want to hear, constantly improving.
So first, be committed.
Second, and this is not ashameless plug for Gable Media, but

(46:03):
it kind of is.
Because one of the things thatmakes this so enjoyable for me to
do is, is that Gable Mediadoes all the hard stuff.
So my second piece of adviceis there are people out there you
can pay to do all the hard stuff.
I'm not saying I don't do any work.
I don't just do the recordings.
I do write all the scripts andI coordinate with the guests.

(46:25):
But once I'm done, Gable takesit over and they do all of the production.
I don't have to note a darnthing about tech.
They told me what microphone Ineeded and then sent it to me.
For me, that's been a game changer.
So if it was a firm looking todo it, if you don't have people in

(46:45):
house qualified to do that,you might want to consider hiring
somebody who is qualified tohelp you get those pieces done.
I do other things.
I share it all over socialmedia, but I get to do all the parts
I enjoy and let somebody elsedo the parts.
I have no desire to even learn.
So my second piece of adviceis, what is your capacity to provide

(47:09):
consistent content?
You have a great marketingdepartment, somebody with some background
in this, maybe you can put itout, but you can't be.
I know what this business is like.
I've had 80 hour weeks before.
If you don't put outconsistent content, there is a thousand
other things out there forpeople to listen to.
And I mean, I'm sorry, whetheryou're binge watching TV shows or

(47:31):
binge listening to a podcast,if you stray off somewhere else,
there's a good chance youmight not make it back.
And so that's my next piece ofadvice is look at what you really
have the bandwidth to do andbe willing to hire somebody to help
you do it.
Yeah, for me, that's a game changer.
I would not be doing this ifit wasn't for the fact that I can

(47:53):
just do the part that reallygives me joy.
We understand.
And so being efficient and howyou do it, instead of taking on something,
understanding how to do it.
Again, the things I didn'tunderstand, Gable explained to me.
So I didn't have to go do aton of homework, but I didn't go
looking for this.
But I have met people who arelooking for it.

(48:13):
And so I share my experience,I share the reach.
I mean, I gave you thenumbers, but I can't tell you how
many amazing kind comments Iget from people online.
It's gone on long enough nowbeing over a hundred episodes.
What are we at?
110?
Something around that.

(48:34):
I have people reaching out tome and saying, I'd really love to
be on your podcast.
I have probably a number of PRcompanies for architects that have
found me one way or anotherreaching out and saying, I've got
this client.
Would you like to interview them?
The bigger the numbers, themore interested the guests are.
And so I am getting standinginvitations to dinner and a project

(48:58):
tour in more cities than I can count.
Like, if you're in town,Shareese, just call me up.
I'll take you around thebuilding and show it to you personally.
Besides this being fun to doand having more and more connections
every day in the industry allover the world that I feel like I
know personally as a result ofevery episode, personally, it's a
game changer for me and Istarted my own little crazy personal

(49:23):
branding thing a number ofyears ago.
I don't know, I feel like Ileveled up after doing this.
I don't know how exactly toexplain it, but I regularly go to
conferences now.
I know a lot of people at myconference, but I can't go five feet
without somebody stopping meand wanting to.
I was complaining a little bitlike, please, could I just go to

(49:44):
the restroom?
I'll be right back, I promise.
But complete strangers thatcome up.
I just wanted to meet you.
I listened to your podcast.
It has a reach.
And I think that for somepeople, we're making a difference
in sharing these lessonslearned and sharing this journey
that's different for everyproject and different for every firm

(50:05):
and every project manager.
So that's.
I share the successes I'veseen and how I think that has made
a difference both for mepersonally and for our cat.
It's their podcast.
I mean, we even have swag bags now.
It's a detailed podcast.
And lip gloss or not lip gloss.
Lip chapstick.
Yeah, I think it's.

(50:26):
I have about 30 on my desk.
I kept stealing them everytime I walked by.
My firm is very supportive andthey understand the value in having.
I'm sure you cited RDHbuilding science in your host and
the reach that has going further.
Every guest hears that.
What's RDH building science?

(50:46):
I don't know whether my firmhas received any new clients from
this, but I know people havementioned to people from my firm.
Wait, Shareese works at your firm?
Brand awareness.
It's just that alone, in andof itself, as much as you've said
it.
So have you had your firm onthe podcast?
I have.
Okay.
So a couple of times, actually.

(51:07):
Okay.
There you go.
Yeah.
Yeah, that helps.
Hello.
I'm sorry.
I work for the best buildingscience firm in the nation in no
abs.
I work with some of thesmartest people I've ever worked
with.
They kind of scare me sometimes.
It's like, oh, this is a wholedifferent level of smart.
You guys are scary.
Yeah.
So I have had them on a couple times.
They're probably due for a newone, too.

(51:29):
Yeah, I love that.
But, yeah.
And they're really supportiveof me being involved in this effort.
They're firm believers in.
We want our people to be happy.
And if you're doing your job,which my job is always done before
anything.
They understand that sometimesthere's things outside of the 9 to
5 that also give you joy.

(51:49):
It's just an added benefit ifit's an industry thing.
Yeah, yeah.
Because they clearly don'twant to have a life.
That was sarcasm.
I have a life, but we all have lives.
But I think something aboutpodcasting that has lent itself to
me doing things that I don'tknow that I would have normally done,
and that, to me, is thatpodcasting has given me something

(52:12):
very special that I don't knowthat I could have replicated in any
other space or sphere.
So I'm very thankful for that.
And I think that when Istumbled upon it back in 2009, it
resonated with me, and Ididn't really take it seriously until
about 2016.
But now, almost eight yearslater, in 1900 episodes later, I

(52:34):
realized the power ofstorytelling, the power of being
able to extend your brandthrough podcasting and what it can
do for a brand.
And so I think you guys, whatyou've done with the detailed podcast,
what RCAD has done, it's theepitome of brand building in a way
that is intentional andorganic, if you will.

(52:58):
And so I certainly applaud allthe work that you've done.
Well, I have to say, I've gotto give one more shout out to RCAT
that a lot of times you'll seea company wanting to do a podcast
or some kind of online effortor whatever that's going to be, and
it's all about how can we sellwhatever we're selling.

(53:19):
Yeah.
And naturally.
So, I mean, every company hasto have to do business.
But RCAT really recognized thevalue in sharing knowledge and providing
value to the industry as a whole.
And I can't appreciate thatenough that there's more than one
way to get a customer.

(53:40):
And one of those ways isproviding value to them.
I really loved that theyrecognized the value of that because
when we first talked about itbefore I ever did an episode, and
they were just deciding, Itold them, I said, if I'm doing a
hour long commercial, I'm just.
Nothing wrong with that, ifthat's what you want to do.
But that's just not me.
Like, that's not going to be me.

(54:03):
It all really fast too, right?
Exactly.
Which is what I said.
As a spec writer, the personwho uses your site on a daily basis.
That's not what I want to hear.
Listening to a podcast, whichis also an underlying thing of what
would I want to hear, whatwould keep me engaged.
And they said, you go, girl.

(54:24):
Basically do your thing andwe'll see where it goes.
And they haven't fired me yet.
They might after this episode.
No, no.
I love that.
I think that is a greattestimony, if you will, to just the
power of podcasting and whatyou've been able to accomplish and
do.
But you're absolutely right.
I mean, it's simply just goingout there and doing something new
and engag.

(54:44):
And it's so funny.
I've told this story beforeand I'll end with this because we've
been going on over an hour nowand I don't know, there's something
about you when you connectwith certain people.
You're like, man, I can justtalk to this person all day.
When I started the zweigletterpodcast, it was literally me just
having Mark Zweig read hisZweig letter articles that he had

(55:04):
written because he's a greatwriter and so he tells amazing stories.
And so we did that.
Then we were like, let meinterview you and we'll talk about
the article.
Then it became, let meinterview you, but then I'm going
to also interview some othercool people that are doing interesting
things in this space.
Then it became, you know, I'mjust going to go out and connect
with a lot of really coolpeople in the design industry because

(55:26):
there are so many stories thathave yet to be told and I want to
help tell some of those stories.
And then I was very fortunateto have people like Ed Friedrichs
on Kit Miyamoto.
I've had so many amazingguests on the podcast that have really
lent themselves to what thispodcast is all about and more importantly,
have been able to really tella great story around what the design

(55:49):
industry is all about.
So my goal is just to continueto tell those stories early and often.
And so you're doing the same thing.
So we're almost like kindredspirits in that sense.
And so I applaud everythingthat you're doing and the success
that you have achieved in theshort period of time.
Three years.
I mean, that's three years.
It's not a lot of time.

(56:10):
And you've.
But it is at the same time, right?
Cause I tell people all thetime, if you're going to do this,
you got to have some type ofcommitment to it and at least try
it out.
Right?
Because there is such a thingas pod fade.
And if you don't have a plan,it's probably not going to work out.
But if you do have a plan, andI think every design firm has an
interesting story to tell, Icould think of so many different

(56:30):
ways that firms couldhighlight what they're all about.
And what they do is podcastingwould be a really fundamental way
for them to continue to finetune the work that they do and who
they are as individuals.
And like they say, I mean,Jeff Bezos has said it a million
times, but your brand is whatpeople say about you when you're
not in the room.

(56:51):
And so I know that when I hearShareese, Lakeside and the work that
you've done, you operate witha level of excellence and people
are always saying good thingsabout you when you're not in the
room.
So I want to applaud you forthe hard work that you've put in
here in this industry.
I'm so glad just learning moreabout the trajectory of your career.

(57:13):
It's fascinating to say the least.
If nothing else, it shouldgive anyone hope that the design
industry offers something foralmost everyone.
It really does.
And I tell my students thatthere is a place if this is really
your thing.
I recently had a student whois an architect.
She has an architecture degreeand was in the middle of taking all

(57:33):
of her architecture exams.
Somebody told her that takingmy CDT class would help her with
a couple of those architecture exams.
Reached out to me abouthalfway through class and said, being
a spec writer sounds like itmight be like maybe that's more my
path.
Can I call you about it?
And she did.
And then I helped hook her up.

(57:55):
I was a reference for her andhelped hook her up with a couple
of independent spec writingfirms and she is now just got promoted
to senior spec writer at Conspectus.
And I was really proud of thefact that I could share with her
that it's not like this is analternate career.
You have to write specs onevery project that happens in our

(58:17):
business.
It's a part of what we do, butit's not what typically architects
go to school for.
They don't tell anybody aboutthis in architecture school that
there are alternate things youcan do.
And she is very happy being afull time spec writer now.
And it's just like, yes, score.
Got a new one in the club.

(58:37):
Yeah, you gotta love that.
Because I think that speaksvolumes to the fact that the road
to where you want to go isn'talways what you think it will be.
So I'm sure she's verythankful for making that connection
with.
It's important as well to nothave a well defined idea of what
that road's going to look likeno matter what you're doing.

(58:59):
You really.
Some of the best things thathave happened in my life have happened
as a result of not beingafraid to look at something new or
not being afraid to consideran alternate path.
Yeah, 22 years inarchitecture, then I go work at MEP
Engineering.
I knew how to write specs, butI didn't.
And I learned keeping an openmind is my best piece of advice.

(59:22):
And listening to your gut.
Yeah, yeah, I love that.
Well, anybody listening tothis outside of.
I'm going to make sure I putyour LinkedIn profile on so they
can connect with you there.
But outside of there, is thereany other way you'd.
You'd love for people toconnect with you?
After listening to thisepisode, I'm pretty open.
I have my email address on myLinkedIn page.
I'm on Twitter, I'm on threads.

(59:43):
I keep my Facebook pretty muchto personal people that are really
super close industry people.
I don't care how peopleconnect to me.
I love connecting with newindustry professionals, sharing knowledge,
sharing ideas.
So you know where to find me.
And you're doing a great jobof it.
I, I will make sure that weput all of that in the show notes
so that our listeners candefinitely connect with you.

(01:00:05):
We'll put a link to thedetailed podcast, which I would encourage
anybody that listens andsubscribe to the zweiglitter podcast
to also subscribe to thedetailed podcast and hear Cherise
at work and hear some of thereally engaging and interesting conversations
that take place on that podcast.
So we'll put all of that out.
There and then don't forgetthe YouTube channel.

(01:00:27):
Oh, the YouTube channel, too.
Yes, we'll put a link for that.
We'll make sure that all ofthat is in the show notes so that
those that are listening tothis, if you've made it all the way
to the end of this episode,which will probably be an hour and
15 hour and 20 minutes long,then you deserve to get everything
available for you.
And we'll make sure all ofthat's in the show notes.
Charisse Lakeside.
Thank you so much for joiningus today.

(01:00:48):
We really appreciate youspending some time with us and sharing
your story.
And we hope to have you backon another episode of the Zwaglider
podcast.
Thank you for having me andyou know where to find me.
Happy to come back.
And we are kindred spirits.
Yes, absolutely.
Absolutely.
So.
Well, folks, there you have it.
I hope you enjoyed thisepisode of the Zweigletter podcast.

(01:01:10):
I do want to encourage you.
One of the reasons why Iwanted to bring Shareese on was because
Zweig Group and Gable Mediahave partnered up to offer some amazing
opportunities to help designfirms develop a podcast.
So along the same lines ofwhat was created with the detailed
podcast for RC and havingsomebody, an amazing talent like

(01:01:32):
Shareese, come on board and bethe face of that podcast, we can
help you actually with that.
And so that's one of the newservices that zweigroup is offering,
partnering up with Gable Media.
And we're offering basically awhite glove service, if you will,
to help you get your podcastoff the ground.
Because like Sheree said, alot of people just don't know where

(01:01:53):
to start.
But we definitely do, and wecan kind of walk you through that.
You can always go tozweiggroup.com and learn a little
bit more about the podcasting program.
It's right there at the top ofthe menu.
You can click on it and learnmore about the program, learn more
about our offerings, and yeah,just check it out.
Because you never know, thedesign firm that you represent might

(01:02:15):
be ripe and ready to have yourown podcast.
And we can certainly help youout with that.
So that's all for now.
We appreciate you listening tothe zweigletter podcast.
Remember, if you want tosubscribe to the zweigletter, you
can do so for free.
It's one of the longestrunning newsletters in the design
industry.
You can just go toZweigroup.com and click on the Zweig

(01:02:37):
letter and you can subscribefor free.
You can sign your whole firmup and you can get that right in
your inbox every Monday morning.
So I really want to encourageyou to do that.
If you like this, like it orenjoy this podcast, please consider
rating and reviewing us onApple Podcasts.
We'd love your feedback.
Any thoughts that you have ifyou know somebody that might be appropriate

(01:02:58):
to come on this podcast.
As like Shareese said, we geta lot of requests.
Our plate is kind of full butwe can always make room for another
great conversation.
So but that's all I have foryou this week.
I am your host Randy Wilburnand we really appreciate you tuning
in to the Zweig Letter Podcast.
We will catch you soon.

(01:03:19):
Peace.
Thanks for tuning in to thezweigletter podcast.
We hope that you can be partof elevating the industry and that
you can apply our advice andinformation to your daily professional
life.
For a free digitalsubscription to the zweigletter,
please visitthezweigletter.com subscribe to gain

(01:03:41):
more wisdom and Inspiration inaddition to information about leadership,
finance, HR and marketing yourfirm, subscribe.