In this episode, I’m joined by Ross Hartland. A solo architect and the founder of Initiate, a Bridgend-based practice, in South Wales. Collaborating with homeowners, charities, developers, and local authorities to bring new life, light, and joy to old buildings.

By sharing his journey online, Initiate has cultivated an impressive Instagram following of over 140k, creating a platform to connect with fellow designers, market services, and diversify revenue streams.

Despite being a one-person studio, Initiate ranked in the Top 10 of Beedier’s league of the most popular UK architecture practices on social media and won Archiboo's Best Use of Social Media Award in 2024.

In this conversation, we dive into Ross’s background, he shares his journey, detailing his transition from working in a corporate architecture firm to starting his own practice. We discuss his passion for heritage buildings and adaptive reuse, and the challenges he faces.

Together we discuss and emphasise the importance of marketing, community engagement, and maintaining a work-life balance while navigating client relationships. Reflecting on the realities of running a business and the significance of social media in building connections and generating leads.

This was a great chat - hope you enjoy!

Episode highlights

12:19 Interest in Historic Buildings and Adaptive Reuse

17:07 Starting a Solo Architecture Practice

20:29 Challenges of Winning Clients

26:00 Social Media and Networking

29:29 Conclusion and Takeaways

29:55 Creating Value Beyond Architecture

37:02 Balancing Time and Prioritizing Creative Tasks

43:45 Diversifying Revenue Streams

48:18 Understanding the Financial Aspects of Running a Business

Find us online

You can find Ross Hartland online via his ⁠website⁠⁠, YouTube, TikTok, and ⁠Instagram⁠. And his online store with super helpful assets for designers and architects here.

If you’d like to connect with me, your host Becca Mizzi-Harris, on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠. I would love to connect with you.

This episode is kindly sponsored by ⁠Orangebox⁠. Thank you!

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating/review and share with a friend who might enjoy! And of course, subscribe to keep up with the upcoming episodes.

This podcast is lovingly recorded and produced by Becca Mizzi-Harris at Stiwdio Mizzi-Harris Ltd.

Becca is a commercial freelance interior designer, based in South Wales. Helping dozens of busy designers and design teams grow and smash deadlines. You can find out more at ⁠www.mizziharris.com⁠.