How do you build trust, attract top talent, and finally make your marketing hit home?

This time around, Katie’s chatting with Ethan Okovikas, Operations Manager at HGA, whose fashion background surprisingly led him into the world of AEC. They talk about how storytelling is at the heart of both industries. Ethan shares how firms can flex their influencer muscles with employee-generated content that feels real and relatable.

If you want your brand to connect on a deeper level, this one’s for you!

Topics discussed in this episode:

• storytelling
• user-generated content
• employee-generated content
• telling stories with design
• digital strategy
• content creation
• marketing strategy
• people behind the projects
• human touch
• brand stories

Connect with Ethan Olkovikas, Content Operations Manager, HGA:

Website: https://olkovikas.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eolkovikas/

Connect with Katie: https://smartegies.com/

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts:

We hope you’re finding value in our AEC Marketing For Principals. Your feedback is important to us and we’d love to hear from you.

Here’s how you can help. Scroll to the bottom, rate our podcast with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Let us know what you found most helpful from this episode!

And if you haven’t done so already, give the podcast a follow, and you'll be notified when new episodes come out.

Want to make a real impact in your AEC business?

Today, Katie chats with Carrie Gonzalez, Director of Marketing at SSOE Group, about her journey from intern to key leader in growing the 1,500-person firm. She talks about how staying flexible and thinking outside the box helped them break into new markets. Carrie also shares how SSOE’s marketing team supports business goals and collaborates with partners to achieve even more.

Tune in for practical tips on leadership, marketing, and managing change to help drive your growth.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• modern marketing
• marketing strategy
• collaboration
• business partnerships
• AEC marketing
• leadership
• Using AI
• AI in marketing
• business goals
• marketing messaging

Connect with Carrie Gonzalez, Director of Marketing at SSOE Group:

Website: https://www.ssoe.com/

Connect with Katie: https://smartegies.com/

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts:

We hope you’re finding value in our AEC Marketing For Principals. Your feedback is important to us and we’d love to hear from you.

Here’s how you can help. Scroll to the bottom, rate our podcast with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Let us know what you found most helpful from this episode!

And if you haven’t done so already, give the podcast a follow, and you'll be notified when new episodes come out.

It’s easy to forget how much architects, engineers, and contractors influence our communities and daily lives.

Host Katie sits down to talk with Malory Atkinson, co-founder of the women-led firm Shear Structural, about how the AEC industry does more than just design spaces. She’s all about breaking the mold by bringing fresh energy and a startup mindset to an industry that’s ready for a shake-up. For Malory, it’s not just about the buildings—it’s about creating schools, parks, and spaces that make a real difference.

Tune in as Malory talks about the need for more diverse leadership, why women should start their own firms, and how Shear Structural is giving back to the community.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• AEC
• making impact
• marketers
• women in business
• designing spaces
• diversity in STEM
• soft skills
• professional development
• adaptive reuse
• sustainability

Connect with Malory Atkinson, CPSM, LEED GA:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shearstructural/

Website: https://shearstructural.com/

Connect with Katie

https://smartegies.com/