Most architecture, engineering, and construction firms are so focused on building things that they forget to build their brand. Carey Balogh and Lauren Sleeman, the powerhouse duo behind Brand Groupies, have spent their careers fixing exactly that. In this episode, Bryce sits down with both women to talk about what strategic communications actually looks like for leaders in the built environment — and why getting it right changes everything.

Carey and Lauren bring a combined perspective that's rare: luxury brand storytelling from Gucci and Hublot meets insider knowledge of the construction and design world. They've used that combination to build a nationally recognized communications firm and a podcast network that ranks in the top 5-10% globally. This conversation covers how leaders in AEC can claim their story, show up with authority, and use podcasting as a real business development tool.

This episode is for firm owners, principals, and anyone in the built industry who knows their work is exceptional but struggles to articulate why it matters to the people they want to reach.

About Carey Balogh: Carey Balogh is the Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Brand Groupies, a women-owned strategic communications agency serving the built industry, which she founded in 2015. With a background working with luxury brands including Gucci and Hublot, and years of experience abroad and in New York City, Carey brings a global, high-end brand perspective to architecture, design, and real estate. She also launched the Brand Groupies Podcast in 2018 and previously co-founded Frolic!, a children's play space later acquired by the Children's Museum of Manhattan.

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandgroupies/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/careybalogh/

• Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/lu/podcast/brand-groupies/id1336590849

About Lauren Sleeman: Lauren Sleeman is Chief Executive Officer of Brand Groupies, joining in 2020 after running the fashion and lifestyle divisions at one of New York City's top PR firms. Her experience with legacy fashion brands including Hermès and Burberry, combined with her family's roots in construction and design, gives her a rare dual fluency in brand storytelling and the built environment. Under her leadership, Brand Groupies has grown from a boutique agency into a nationally recognized communications firm. She has been recognized on the New York Real Estate Journal's "Rising Stars" list.

• LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-sleeman-11437982/

What We Cover:

• Introduction — who Carey and Lauren are and how Brand Groupies came to be

• What strategic communications actually means for firms in the built environment

• Why most AEC firms are underselling themselves and how to fix it

• What luxury brand storytelling from Gucci and Hermès taught them about the built industry

• Podcasting as an executive visibility and business development tool

• How to identify what sets your firm apart when you're too close to see it

• What it looks like to build a brand that outlasts any individual project or client

• Where to find Brand Groupies and what working with them looks like

Key Takeaways:

• Your brand is already telling a story — the question is whether you're the one telling it

• Podcasting isn't just content; it's a relationship-building tool that traditional PR can't replicate

• The firms that win future work are the ones that make their expertise visible before someone needs to hire them

• What makes luxury brand storytelling transferable to AEC: specificity, consistency, and knowing exactly who you're talking to

• You don't need a massive marketing budget to build authority — you need clarity and consistency