Your Firm Is Not You

Most architecture firms don’t fail because of bad design.
 They struggle because everything depends on the founder.

If every decision must pass through you…
 If quality only exists when you’re present…
 If your team waits instead of decides…
 If you can’t step away without things slowing down…

Then this episode is for you.

In this reference-style episode of The SILL TALKS Podcast, Arc. Egbeiyon Leonard breaks down one of the most important but rarely discussed truths in architectural practice:

A firm is not a person. It is a system.

This is not a motivational talk.
 It is a practical guide architects can return to.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The real difference between a personal practice and a functional architecture firm
• Why Architects struggle with delegation more than other professionals
• How founder-dependency quietly creates burnout, delays, and weak client boundaries
• What a “decision ladder” is and how it prevents everything from escalating to you
• How to start separating yourself from daily operations without losing quality
• How to redesign your firm the same way you design buildings: with structure, clarity, and redundancy

This episode is especially useful if you are:

• A firm founder or partner
• Managing a small or growing practice
• Feeling constantly central, overworked, or indispensable
• Trying to scale without burning out

If you want to build an architecture firm that can think, decide, and deliver without panic — and eventually outlive your constant presence — this conversation will change how you see your practice.

🎙️ Host: Arc. Egbeiyon Leonard
🎧 Podcast: The SILL TALKS Podcast Episode 22

Beyond the drawing board. Into real practice.

Send an email to:
[email protected] to let us know what challenges you are currently facing in your business, to see how best we can help you overcome them.

Preparing for Nigeria’s New Tax Regime (2026) as Architects.

For years, many architects in Nigeria have survived on improvisation — mixing personal and business finances, paying for site expenses from their own pockets, invoicing casually, and hoping everything “balances out” at the end of the year.

That era is over.

From January 1, 2026, Nigeria enters a new tax regime — one that does not attack creativity, but exposes weak systems. And for architects, this shift goes far beyond compliance. It challenges how we run our firms, how we protect our cash flow, and whether we are truly operating as businesses or merely surviving project to project.

In this deeply practical and no-nonsense episode of the SILL TALKS Podcast, Arc. Egbeiyon Leonard takes you inside the real, often uncomfortable realities of architectural practice in Nigeria. This is not tax theory. This is business truth.

Leonard unpacks why many architects feel constantly busy yet financially drained, how blurred boundaries between personal and company finances quietly destroy profitability, and why funding site operations from your own pocket is one of the most dangerous habits in practice today.

More importantly, this episode walks you through a clear operational reset for 2026,  showing you how to:

• Separate yourself from your firm properly
• Create simple but effective bookkeeping systems
• Route client payments and site expenses correctly
• Document purchases, site costs, and operations defensibly
• Build professional frameworks that protect your income and your peace of mind

To support this episode, a free, practical resource has been created specifically for architects:

📄 Architect’s Tax & Operations Readiness Checklist (2026)

This checklist breaks down, step by step, how to assess your firm’s readiness, from banking structure and bookkeeping to invoicing, site operations, payroll, documentation, and mindset. It is designed to be used, not admired.

👉 Download the checklist here:
Architect’s Tax & Operations Readiness Checklist (2026)

This episode is not about fear.
 It is about control, clarity, and maturity.

If you are serious about building an architectural practice that can survive regulatory change, command respect, and grow sustainably in 2026 and beyond, this episode — and the checklist that comes with it — is essential listening.

🎧 Listen. Reflect. Download the checklist. Rebuild.

Send an email to:
[email protected] to let us know what challenges you are currently facing in your business, to see how best we can help you overcome them.

Partnership Is Not Friendship

Many great architectural practices, creative studios, and construction businesses don’t fail because of bad ideas or lack of talent; they fail because partnerships were built on emotion instead of structure.

In this in-depth episode of The SILL TALKS Podcast, Arc. Egbeiyon Leonard unpacks one of the most misunderstood truths in business:

Partnership is not friendship.

Drawing from real experiences at Sill Designs, Leonard shares two powerful, real-world scenarios involving critical decisions with his business partner, moments where disagreement, pressure, and high stakes could have fractured the partnership, but were instead resolved through clarity, systems, and intentional structure.

This episode goes far beyond theory. It explores the psychology, cultural realities, and practical challenges of partnerships in Africa’s architecture, construction, and creative industries — where trust, familiarity, and “vibes” are often mistaken for business compatibility.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why friendship alone is a dangerous foundation for business partnerships
• How structure protects partnerships from ego, emotion, and pressure
• The difference between trust and true partnership alignment
• How pricing, client pressure, and scope creep expose weak partnerships
• Why most creative partnerships collapse under financial stress
• The hidden partnership mistakes architects in Africa keep repeating
• How predefined systems and operating frameworks can save both the business and the relationship
• The 7 pillars that make partnerships sustainable, scalable, and conflict-resistant
• How to enter partnerships with clarity and exit them without bitterness

Whether you’re an architect, designer, creative entrepreneur, or business owner considering a partnership or already inside one that feels fragile, confusing, or emotionally draining.

This episode will challenge how you think, how you decide, and how you build.

This is not a motivational talk.
 It’s a real, honest, and practical masterclass on partnerships — designed to protect your business, your relationships, and your future.

🎧 Press play. Learn deeply. Build smarter.

Send an email to:
[email protected] to let us know what challenges you are currently facing in your business, to see how best we can help you overcome them.

In the architectural profession, few topics create more confusion, fear, and silence than this one:

“Architects must not advertise.”

For decades, this statement has shaped how architects behave, show up, communicate, and even define their own professional identity. But in today’s digital world—where clients discover projects online, trust is built on visibility, and influence flows through understanding—the refusal to be seen has quietly damaged the profession more than we admit.

In this deep, transformative, 13mins+ episode, Arc. Egbeiyon Leonard takes architects across Africa on an unfiltered journey into the heart of the issue:

⭐ What’s the TRUE difference between advertising and marketing?
⭐ Why are architects still invisible in a world where visibility = credibility?
⭐ How did a rule designed to protect the profession end up weakening it?
⭐ Why are quacks, 3D artists, and builders more visible than trained architects?
⭐ How can architects ethically market themselves without breaking any regulations?
⭐ What does the future look like for architects who refuse to show up?

This episode blends storytelling, ethics, business strategy, industry insight, and real-life examples that every architect, young or seasoned, can deeply relate to.

You’ll learn:

• Why the term “advertisement” has been misunderstood for decades
• How marketing, when done ethically, positions architects as trusted leaders
• Why silence is the most expensive mistake architects make today
• Practical ways to build visibility without compromising professionalism
• How to educate, inspire, and influence your audience through storytelling
• The new mindset architects MUST embrace to stay relevant in the modern world

This is not an episode about branding.
 This is not an episode about motivational speaking.
 This is a wake-up call for a profession that has stayed quiet for too long.

If you’ve ever wondered why clients undervalue architects, why the profession keeps losing ground, or why your skill alone isn’t bringing the opportunities you deserve, this episode is for you.

🎙️ Who should listen?

• Architects at ANY stage of their career
• Architecture students
• Design entrepreneurs
• Real estate developers
• Anyone who wants to understand the evolving landscape of the built environment

If you're ready to rethink your visibility, your influence, and your voice as an architect, press play.

🎧 The SILL TALKS Podcast — The show that helps architects build businesses that are sustainable and profitable.

Send an email to:
[email protected] to let us know what challenges you are currently facing in your business, to see how best we can help you overcome them.

You’ve heard it before:

In this brutally honest and humorous episode, Arc. Egbeiyon Leonard tears apart the exploitation culture in architecture — the one that disguises itself as “opportunity.”
From clients who promise “visibility” to firms that expect “free concepts,” this episode speaks directly to every architect who’s ever been underpaid, overlooked, or emotionally blackmailed with the word “exposure.”

You’ll hear:

• Why architects keep falling for the “exposure trap.”
• The real cost of doing free work (and how it silently kills your practice).
• How to tell good exposure from fake exposure.
• Practical, real-world strategies to say “no” politely but firmly.
• How to build your own visibility without selling your value short.

With wit, Nigerian realism, and decades of experience, Leonard delivers what every architect needs to hear:

🎧 Tune in, laugh a little, and leave with the clarity and confidence to stop working for free — forever.

Send an email to:
[email protected] to let us know what challenges you are currently facing in your business, to see how best we can help you overcome them.

Every architect knows that moment — when a client looks you and says,

It feels like a small compromise, a harmless adjustment to secure the job. But that’s often where the real problem begins. Because when you lower your fee to please a client, you don’t just reduce your price — you reduce your power.

In this episode of The SILL TALKS Podcast, Arc. Egbeiyon Leonard, shares raw, real, and hard-earned lessons from practice — about how charging low fees often attracts overbearing clients, drains your confidence, and keeps you stuck in survival mode instead of growth.

He breaks down:
 ✅ Why lowering your fee doesn’t make clients value you more — it makes them question you.
 ✅ The hidden cost of “cheap” projects that steal your time, peace, and creativity.
 ✅ Practical ways to shift from survival pricing to value-based confidence.
 ✅ Why having fewer, well-paying clients leads to deeper trust and lasting respect.

This isn’t just a conversation about money — it’s about self-worth, boundaries, and building a practice that reflects your true value.

🎧 Tune in now, and remind yourself:

Send an email to:
[email protected] to let us know what challenges you are currently facing in your business, to see how best we can help you overcome them.

Ever felt like your client just doesn’t “get it”?

You’ve explained it three different ways…
 You’ve sent drawings, even added labels…
 Yet somehow, they’re still unsure — or worse, they’re pushing back.

In this episode of The Sill Talks Podcast, I unpack one of the biggest reasons architectural projects go off track: poor client understanding.

But here’s the honest truth — it’s not always the client’s fault.
 It’s our job to lead, to explain, and to educate.

This episode isn’t theory or fluff. I walk you through 7 practical, battle-tested steps for educating your clients clearly, confidently, and without frustration.

You’ll learn how to:

• Simplify complex design ideas without dumbing them down
• Use visuals and language your clients actually understand
• Avoid costly miscommunications before they even start
• Turn objections into meaningful collaboration
• Set expectations from the very first conversation
• And transform confused clients into loyal brand ambassadors

I also share real project stories — like how educating a couple in Ondo State completely reshaped how they live in their home today.

 📘 Plus: Learn how these strategies tie back to My bestselling book, The Practical Guide to Business for Architects — available now on silldesigns.com 

👉 For a deeper perspective, listen alongside Episode 14: underpricing-and-how-it-is-killing-your-business, which explores how to charge what you are worth and have a consistent flow of projects and clients.

So if you’ve ever said, “This client is stressing me,” this episode is for you.

Let’s fix it — with empathy, structure, and strategy.

🎙️ Listen now.
 ✅ Subscribe.
 📤 Share with a fellow architect who needs this today.

Send an email to:
[email protected] to let us know what challenges you are currently facing in your business, to see how best we can help you overcome them.

Let’s be honest, in today's fast paced architecture industry,  talent alone doesn’t build a thriving practice.
 You can design the most stunning spaces, yet still struggle with inconsistent income, late-paying clients, or a firm that feels like it’s running you.

That’s the reality for many architects.
 But it doesn’t have to be.

In this episode of The SILL TALKS Podcast, I uncover 7 powerful secrets that can completely change the way you run your architecture business — not next year, but starting now.

These are real lessons — forged from experience, mistakes, and breakthroughs in the field — that have helped our team and countless other architects move from survival to stability, and from stability to scale.

Here’s what you’ll discover:

• 🔑 How to shift from architect to entrepreneur — and start thinking like a business leader, not just a designer.
• 💡 Why visibility is the new currency, and how to position yourself where opportunities find you.
• 🤝 The secret power of strategic partnerships that open doors your portfolio alone never could.
• ⚙️ How systems create freedom and creativity, not constraints.
• 💼 Why diversifying your income is the smartest way to build resilience.
• 🌟 And how mastering client experience keeps your projects — and referrals — flowing effortlessly.

This episode isn’t just about growing your business; it’s about reclaiming control of your career — about building something that gives you profit, purpose, and peace of mind.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or underpaid, this is the episode that will help you turn the corner.

🎙️ Listen now — and start building smarter, not just harder.

📘 Want to go deeper?
 Get the eBook + Audiobook Combo of The Practical Guide to Business for Architects at https://www.silldesigns.com/category/all-products
— your ultimate blueprint for running a profitable, respected, and future-ready practice.

💬 Got thoughts or challenges in your practice?
 Email [email protected]
— We ’d love to hear from you.

✨ Stay inspired — until the next SILL TALKS.

#SILLTalksPodcast #BusinessOfArchitecture #ArchitectEntrepreneur #ArchitectureBusiness #DesignLeadership #ArchitectLife #CreativeStrategy #ArchitectSuccess

Send an email to:
[email protected] to let us know what challenges you are currently facing in your business, to see how best we can help you overcome them.

After years in practice, one truth has become painfully clear: underpricing is one of the biggest traps architects fall into. We do it with good intentions, always wanting to win the client, secure the project, or simply stay busy. But in reality, underpricing is not a strategy, it’s a slow poison. It eats into your profits, undermines your credibility, and leaves you working twice as hard for half the reward.

In this episode of The SILL TALKS PODCAST, I speak from both experience and observation about how underpricing silently kills architectural businesses. It doesn’t just affect your bottom line, it also reshapes how clients perceive you and sets a dangerous precedent for the entire industry.

Here’s what we’ll explore together:

• The silent cost of cheap fees: How they drain your energy, time, and reputation.
• Why good architects underprice: The fears and pressures that push us there.
• The bigger picture: How underpricing lowers standards and weakens the profession as a whole.
• Reframing value: Understanding that clients don’t just buy drawings, they also buy expertise, trust, and outcomes.
• Practical steps: How to break free from survival pricing and confidently charge what your work is worth.

👉 If you want actionable strategies to step into higher-value pricing, I encourage you to also listen to Episode 13: Strategies to Charging Premium Fees for Architects, where I share practical steps to help you transition.

This episode isn’t about blame. It’s about awareness.

 I have been there, and I know how tough those conversations with clients can be. But I also know that the moment you stop underpricing, you take back control of your practice, which is the goal we are here to achieve.

Send an email to:
[email protected] to let us know what challenges you are currently facing in your business, to see how best we can help you overcome them.

The world of architecture is changing. More architects are stepping away from the traditional 9–5 office model and embracing freelancing as a flexible and rewarding career path. Freelancing isn’t simply about independence alone, it’s about learning how to position yourself, manage your time, and build systems that allow you to thrive outside the safety net of a firm.

In this episode of The SILL TALKS PODCAST, we unpack the realities of freelancing in architecture—both the opportunities it creates and the challenges you must prepare for. Whether you’re considering freelancing as a side hustle, a stepping stone to your own practice, or a full-time career choice, this episode will give you practical insights into how to make it work.

Here’s what we’ll explore:

• Mindset shift: Seeing freelancing as a business, not just project-to-project work.
• Building visibility: How to showcase your skills and attract clients in a crowded market.
• Pricing and contracts: Setting fair rates and using agreements to ensure you get paid.
• Time and workflow management: Balancing multiple clients without losing quality.
• Platforms and networks: Where architects can find freelance opportunities.
• Growth pathways: How freelancing can evolve into a thriving practice or long-term business model.

👉 For a stronger foundation, listen alongside Episode 3: Pre-Design Documents to Ensure You Get Paid; because paperwork and clarity are even more critical when working freelance.

By the end of this episode, you’ll have a roadmap for approaching freelancing with confidence, professionalism, and strategy—turning it from a risky gamble into a deliberate career choice.

✨P.S: Do not see freelancing as a form of freedom: it’s about mastering the art of independence with structure and purpose.

Send an email to:
[email protected] to let us know what challenges you are currently facing in your business, to see how best we can help you overcome them.