The Shortlist

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 campaign, common hurdles, and tips for choosing a gift that resonates. Through insightful anecdotes and industry experiences, Grace and Lauren Jane highlight how curated client gifts and thoughtful messaging can be a pivotal tool in personifying your firm's brand and values; critical elements of brand awareness. 

Listen in as the Middle of Six team outlines key considerations when executing a client gift campaign, the power of storytelling in gift giving, and their "hot takes" for choosing items that resonate and are worth the investment.

CPSM CEU Credits: 0.5 | Domain: 5

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 alignment and constantly communicating. 

In Episode 50 of The Shortlist, Middle of Six Principals Wendy Simmons, Melissa Richey, and Allison Tivnon discuss how these two critical business building areas interact and define their bodies of work within a firm. Our conversation will equip you with a deeper understanding of the responsibilities and strengths of each group to help build the foundation of a supportive, strategic, and satisfying work environment for both Marketing and BD. 

CPSM CEU Credits: 0.5 | Domain: 3

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 firm's current approach and what are current best practices for honing your future strategy? Understanding what your target audience is interested in and serving up that content in various forms is one surefire way to build engagement and your firm's digital brand. 

In Episode 49 of The Shortlist, Grace Takehara and Becky Ellison (aka Middle of Six's social media masterminds) share their experience and tips for focusing on the most effective elements of social media to make the process less stressful, more successful, and much more satisfying.

CPSM CEU Credits: 0.5 | Domain: 5

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 having 'enough' time is a significant contributor to the stress and burn-out many AEC marketers may experience during their careers. But what if there were ways to "make" time within the course of the average day? Not only to accomplish what is on your immediate to-do list, but to build in critical space to dream up and explore new ideas? 

Join Wendy Simmons and Allison Tivnon for a conversation that explores the human relationship to time and actionable tactics to maximize your minutes day in and day out.

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; having a thoughtful plan to maximize your return on investment is key. Whether you are new to navigating conferences or been on the circuit for years, this episode has tips and refreshers for everyone.

In the premier episode of Season 3 of The Shortlist, Principals Wendy Simmons and Melissa Richey are joined by Associate Principal Allison Tivnon to provide advice on planning your conference participation strategy. From which types of conferences to attend, to getting approval, addressing return on investment, and bringing back your learnings, the Middle of Six leadership team offers advice to set you up for success. 

CPSM CEU Credits: 0.5 | Domain: 5

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.

Can Amy and her hastily assembled, ragtag crew of colleagues get the proposal submitted on time? Find out on Night of the Living Deadline, an original audio play presented by The Shortlist.

For all the AEC marketers out there who are constantly on a deadline, this special episode is sure to give you some chills—and laughs.

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 unintentional or unspecific about roles and responsibilities, and failing to provide clear feedback or effective coaching that are to blame.

After several years of growth and nearly constant recruiting, the leadership team at Middle of Six has refined their people processes and are excited to share best practices. As a company, we believe that building a strong team starts with clarity in the recruiting and interview process and is maintained by creating an environment of trust, respect, and transparency. 

In the final episode of Season 2, Principals Wendy Simmons and Melissa Richey are joined by Operations Manager Susan O'Leary to discuss their philosophies for recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, and supporting a tightly bonded and highly effective marketing team. 

CPSM CEU Credits: 0.5 | Domain: 6

Marketing teams—heck, all teams—benefit from having dedicated time to reconnect, recharge, and recommit. AEC professionals often feel like they are waist deep in procurement work, so a well-timed and well planned retreat can provide the space needed to refocus and think critically about the myriad other tasks on their plates. Clearly, we're big proponents of hosting an off-site event, but unfortunately not all organizations prioritize a dedicated marketing retreat.

Whether you're building a case to present to your leadership team on the benefits of retreating with your team, or you're planning your firm's annual marketing summit, now is a great time to explore all of the possibilities. With dozens of marketing and corporate events under their belts, Wendy, Melissa, and Allison share their lessons learned for planning an effective marketing retreat, including who should attend, do you need a facilitator, and how to capture and make progress on the brilliant ideas generated as a group. 

CPSM CEU Credits: 0.5 | Domain: 2

If you're feeling some unease in this post-pandemic, up-and-down economy—you're not alone. Lessons from the Great Recession have taught us AEC marketers that in times of uncertainty, our departments come under intense scrutiny. Developing flexible and adaptable processes and perspectives will help you 'change proof' your internal marketing resources and ensure you're ready to pivot to respond to shifts in the economy. 

Tune in to this conversation between Wendy Simmons and Senior Marketing Strategist Allison Tivnon, as they expand on concepts introduced in Allison's book "Marketing at Low Tide." Allison, who also serves as a city councilwoman, possesses firsthand knowledge of the financial challenges faced by local communities and municipalities. The main takeaway? Even in times of economic turmoil and tougher competition, there is still plenty of valuable work for marketers to do to position our firms, protect market share, and keep sailing smoothly.

CPSM CEU Credits:  0.75 | Domain: 6

While it’s difficult to highlight many positive outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic, it did provide an opportunity for open conversations around community and personal health.  As it became necessary to provide flexibility to balance work and home commitments, we were also able to shed light on long-standing workplace challenges in our industry.

For many, the sudden switch from in-person to virtual work environments prompted thoughtful consideration of the impact on team dynamics, workload, burnout, and mental health. In episode 42 of The Shortlist, Wendy Simmons and Becky Ellison candidly share their own struggles working in AEC marketing and discuss positive ways to accommodate and support the unique needs of every team member.  

CPSM CEU Credits:  0.5 | Domain: 6