The Shortlist

In this episode of The Shortlist, we’re spotlighting the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) and all the value it brings to AEC marketers. Host Wendy Simmons is joined by Senior Marketing Strategists Grace Takehara and Katy Byers for a fun and reflective conversation about how to get the most out of SMPS, regardless if you’re a long-time member or just SMPS-curious.

Grace and Katy swap stories about how they found SMP...

Award season can sneak up fast, but with the right planning, your next submittal doesn’t have to be a scramble. In this episode of The Shortlist, host Wendy Simmons chats with Julie Flattery and Lauren Jane Peterson, two experienced AEC marketers who have led dozens of award submissions from inside architecture firms.

They break down what makes a submission truly compelling, starting with early planning and thoughtful project select...

Expanding into a new geographic market can be an exciting growth opportunity—but it’s not without risk. In this episode of The Shortlist, host Wendy Simmons is joined by principal Melissa Richey and associate principal (and first-time guest!) Julie Flattery to talk about what it really takes to open a new office or grow your firm’s presence in a new region.

Together, they explore common drivers of expansion—like client demand, econo...

With selection committees tasked with reviewing eight, nine, or even a dozen proposals at a time, it takes more than polished boilerplate for an AEC firm to stand out. Sometimes the winning move is a bold, experimental, and 100% client-focused approach that not only shows off your qualifications but also your team's enthusiasm and understanding of the project. 

In this episode of The Shortlist, Wendy Simmons sits down with Meli...

With over 1 billion users worldwide and 67 million company profiles listed, LinkedIn remains an important platform for marketing, recruiting, and brand building. In Episode 70 of The Shortlist, Wendy Simmons is joined by Middle of Sixers Melissa Richey and Grace Takehara to discuss strategies for using LinkedIn on both individual and company levels—from keeping up with industry happenings, and sharing thought leadership, to selecti...

Storytelling isn’t just for novelists—it’s the secret weapon for AEC marketers too! On this episode of The Shortlist, Wendy Simmons teams up with the creative minds of Becky Ellison and Kyle Davis to talk about crafting stories that grab attention and build real connections. They explore what makes a strong story—clear exposition, conflict, and resolution—and how those fundamentals help proposals and social media content truly stan...

We're shaking things up with a special "book review" episode of The Shortlist! This week, Wendy Simmons is joined by Middle of Sixers Susan O'Leary, Lauren Jane Peterson, and Grace Takehara to explore insights from three influential reads that can inspire AEC marketers. 

Grace reviews Conquer Your Rebrand by Bill Kenney of Focus Labs, offering strategies to build strong, enviable B2B brands. Susan shares key take...

In AEC marketing, design makes in an impact on so many of our day-to-day marketing initiatives. Proposals, websites, social media, brochures, signage, email signatures, presentations—the list goes on and on. On top of that, each medium and message may utilize a whole host of visual elements such as color, layout, typography, form, space, imagery, and more. With so much design and so many applications, how can we make sure our deliv...

Adobe InDesign is a must-have tool for AEC marketers, but let’s be honest—many of us honed our proposal design skills on the job, often under a deadline. Even experienced users sometimes wonder: Am I using the best approach? 

In this episode of The Shortlist, host Wendy Simmons sits down with some of Middle of Six's InDesign "power users" Allison Tivnon, Becky Ellison, and Lauren Jane Peterson to explore the many ways...

A frequent debate for AEC Marketers is the classic “chicken or the egg” question: which comes first—design or content? In Episode 65 of The Shortlist, Wendy Simmons is joined by Middle of Six’s Senior Creative Strategist Becky Ellison and Marketing Strategist Kyle Davis to explore both sides of the discussion. Should content shape the design, ensuring a clear and structured message? Or should design lead the way, providing a framew...

In Episode 64 of The Shortlist, Wendy Simmons is joined by Middle of Sixers Melissa Richey and Becky Ellison for a candid and comical discussion on proposal submission confessions. 

Harkening back to Episode 46, Night of the Living Deadline, this conversation dives into the best, worst, and wildest submission experiences—crazy requests, impossible demands, and unpredictable personalities. From horror stories to hard-learned lessons,...

As challenging as it may be to break away from your day-to-day responsibilities to attend a conference, there is tremendous value in being immersed in new ideas, best practices, and inspiring work. 

But we don't have to limit ourselves and our learning to the AEC industry alone. In this episode, Middle of Six Marketing Strategist Grace Takehara shares her experience attending Circles, a national creative design conference. List...

The importance of psychological safety, particularly in high-pressure industries like architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC), is having a moment—and for good reason! This episode of The Shortlist delves into how stress, especially secondary stress from pressure and insecurity, can negatively affect communication and team dynamics.   

Middle of Sixers Wendy, Allison, and Becky share their own experiences and emphasize that...

Middle of Six Principals Wendy Simmons, Melissa Richey, and Allison Tivnon kick off Season 4 of The Shortlist by diving into strategic planning methods for AEC firms. We explore how these plans can range from formal retreats to informal, and why it’s critical to have a clear, actionable strategy in place—especially in the face of economic challenges like inflation, government budget deficits, and increased competition. Whether your...

The Progressive Design-Build (PDB) delivery method has been growing in popularity since it was introduced in the 90s. With more public agencies opting for "best value" over "low bid" for certain types of projects, PDB has become a go-to tool for state agencies, hospitals, K-12, and higher education procurement. The selection process, which often includes qualifications, proprietary or informational meeting(s), t...

We can thank Toyota for many innovations including honing LEAN process and establishing the "A3" approach to problem-solving. A3's structured way of presenting information concisely now shows up across all industries -- including AEC. Over the last two decades, the A3 proposal format has grown in popularity and quickly became a hot design challenge for marketing and pursuit teams. How do you fit a 20-, 50-, or 80-pag...

Building a brand that authentically reflects the values, expertise, and people in your firm is job #1 for a professional services marketer. Episode 58 of The Shortlist welcomes back Marketing Strategist, Grace Takehara, and Digital Marketing Strategist, Kyle Davis, to discuss some of the trends they're seeing and how (or how not) they provide opportunities to provide insights into your firm and better connect with your audienc...

Most AEC marketers' plates are filled with essential initiatives; developing responses to RFPs and RFQs or creating promotional content for websites, social media, and databases. While those projects are critical to keeping business humming, every once in a while we get the chance to work on a big, collaborative, creative project. It's those rare moments when we get to flex our marketing muscles in new and different ways,...

"How did we do?" It's a question that often remains unasked but holds vital importance. Without periodic touchpoints to gather candid performance feedback, strong relationships and potential repeat work can slip through our fingers. But how do we solicit honest feedback without things getting awkward? How do we select the right questions and deliver them appropriately? And once we have the feedback, how do we distill...