The Shortlist
Welcome to The Shortlist! We are exploring all things AEC marketing and answering listener questions to provide best practices and fresh ideas for marketing strategies to help your firm win the shortlist. New episodes drop each Wednesday. Listen as the team from Middle of Six shares their thoughts on proposals, interviews, websites, social media, marketing planning, business development, and countless other tactics that architecture, engineering, and construction firms rely on to grow their businesses and build strong brands.
Episodes
70 episodes
Creative and Strategic Storytelling
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 attent...
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Season 4
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Episode 69
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39:34
Middle of Six Book Review!
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 ...
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Season 4
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Episode 68
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31:26
Design Psychology
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 mess...
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Season 4
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Episode 67
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34:12
InDesign Rumble
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...
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Season 4
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Episode 66
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1:00:11
What Comes First, Design or Content?
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 Marke...
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Season 4
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Episode 65
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33:13
Proposal Submission Confessions
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 D...
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Season 4
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Episode 64
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28:21
Circles Conference Takeaways
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 ourselv...
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Season 4
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Episode 63
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32:52
Psychological Safety in AEC Marketing
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 se...
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Season 4
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Episode 62
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47:03
Strategic Planning Deep Dive
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 wh...
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Season 4
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Episode 61
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37:11
Leading Design-Build Pursuits
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 fo...
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Season 3
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Episode 60
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49:53
Design Strategies for A3 Proposals
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 ...
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Season 3
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Episode 59
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45:30
Marketing Trends that Establish Authenticity
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 St...
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Season 3
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Episode 58
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56:31
Making of "The Wildcards"
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, ev...
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Season 3
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Episode 57
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1:03:20
Brand and Client Perception Surveys
"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. Bu...
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Season 3
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Episode 56
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1:00:22
Focusing on Team Strengths
From astrology to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), personality theories offer introspection and insights to deepen our understanding of others. We all recognize that marketing is a collaborative effort, encompassing strategic planning to...
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Season 3
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Episode 55
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50:11
What Marketers Want Leadership to Know
Marketing departments have the best chance of success when they receive clear communication from company leadership. Whether that's insights (or input!) into the firm's strategic plan, having a voice throughout the pursuit process, or being res...
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Season 3
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Episode 54
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46:50
Efficiencies in Proposal Development
We've all been there; wishing we had an extra 48 hours to hone a proposal's case studies, graphics, and messaging from "great" to "exceptional." But there are ways to tighten up your existing proposal process to give your team as much tim...
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Season 3
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Episode 53
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47:53
Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking
No matter your position or professional experience, almost all of us struggle with some level of fear and anxiety around public speaking. And from internal meetings, to shortlist interviews, to conference presentations, the AEC industry is full...
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Season 3
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Episode 52
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44:24
Client Care, Gifts, and Swag: Hot or Not
It's never too early to start scheming your next client care gift. In Episode 51, Middle of Six marketing and creative strategists, Grace Takehara and Lauren Jane Peterson, share their best practices for executing a thoughtful client care gift ...
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Season 3
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Episode 51
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51:17
What Marketing and BD Need from Each Other
In the AEC industry, Marketing and Business Development activities are tightly linked. Since marketing plans implement the business and sales goals of the company, a successful execution of strategy demands that marketing and "BD" are in ...
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Season 3
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Episode 50
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51:00
Revisiting Social Media
We've talked about social media before, but since it's an ever-evolving communication tool we're revisiting the topic with a focus on the nitty gritty of managing your firm's social presence. To start, what do you look for in assessing your fir...
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Season 3
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Episode 49
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45:58
Time Management Tricks
The subject of time comes up in virtually every AEC marketing conversation: Time until the deadline, time needed for internal meetings, finding time for special initiatives and non-proposal marketing priorities, and so on. The effect of not hav...
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Season 3
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Episode 48
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51:39
How to Get the Most Out of a Conference
Conference participation is an excellent way to immerse yourself in an industry, gain exposure for your firm, and build relationships with clients and colleagues. Engaging in conferences is also a significant investment of time and resources; h...
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Season 3
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Episode 47
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49:02
Night of the Living Deadline
Amy, an overworked marketing coordinator for Outlaw Construction, has a major design-build proposal due by 5:00 pm. And, as every AEC marketer knows, when it comes down to an important deadline—anything that can go wrong, will go wrong....
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Season 2
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Episode 46
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31:59
Building (and Supporting) a Marketing Team
It's often said that managing people is the most challenging aspect of running a business. While there is some truth to that, the statement implies that "the people" are the issue—when in reality, it's often rushed processes, being unintentiona...
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Season 2
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Episode 45
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39:06