"We didn't want to be somebody that just came in and it was about the bottom line and the revenue. It was about being a part of the community."

In this episode, Michelle Calcote King sits down with Optima Engineering Director of Marketing & Growth Suzanne Epps to discuss why it is a mistake for AEC marketers to blindly transplant their existing strategies when entering new markets.

Through Optima's recent launch in Greenville, South Carolina, Suzanne demonstrates how becoming a true community partner — not just a service provider — creates lasting relationships that outperform traditional advertising investments. She shares practical tactics for leveraging strategic differentiators, such as sustainable design expertise and local community involvement, to build trust and credibility in new markets.

• Why simply replicating strategies from one market to another doesn't work and how Optima adapted its approach for the Greenville market.

• The strategic importance of establishing a physical office presence when entering a new market.

• How to identify and showcase measurable differentiators that resonate with clients in different markets.

• Effective ways to build brand awareness and community relationships without excessive marketing spend.

• The importance of asking questions and understanding what works in each unique community.

• How Optima leverages its expertise in sustainable design and net-zero energy solutions as a key differentiator.

• The balance between data-driven decisions and community engagement in market entry strategies.

Suzanne Epps joined Optima Engineering in 2021 and is the Director of Marketing & Growth. With more than 20 years of industry experience, Suzanne is an accomplished marketing and recruitment professional with a passion for connecting top talent with exceptional opportunities. She has developed a deep understanding of both marketing strategies and the intricacies of talent acquisition. Suzanne has a proven track record of driving successful campaigns that generate brand awareness, increase customer engagement and boost revenue. She excels in crafting compelling marketing messages, developing comprehensive marketing plans and leveraging digital platforms to reach target audiences effectively. Suzanne’s collaborative and strategic approach to marketing and recruitment has enabled her to build strong relationships with clients, candidates and colleagues.

• Check out Optima Engineering

• Follow Optima Engineering on LinkedIn and Instagram

• Connect with Suzanne Epps on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Michelle Calcote King on LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services, creative services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.

In this episode of “Spill the Ink,” Michelle Calcote King speaks with Amanda Waesch, who chairs marketing and business development at Brennan, Manna & Diamond (BMD), about navigating work-life balance in the demanding legal profession. Amanda shares her experiences developing her firm's inaugural maternity policy, advocating for flexible work arrangements and building authentic relationships with clients that respect boundaries.

The conversation explores how law firms can better support women's careers through progressive policies, the importance of setting expectations with clients and practical strategies for maintaining professional excellence while prioritizing personal commitments. Amanda offers valuable insights for attorneys at all career stages on bringing their authentic selves to work while establishing healthy boundaries.

• How to establish healthy boundaries with clients by building authentic relationships that allow for mutual respect and clear expectations.

• The importance of flexible work policies in law firms, including part-time arrangements and supportive maternity leave for both women and men.

• Strategies for saying “no” effectively while still maintaining excellent client relationships and personal well-being.

• How mentorship and transparency with junior attorneys help create cultures that support work-life balance in high-pressure legal environments.

Amanda Waesch serves as Brennan, Manna & Diamond's Marketing and Business Development Chair. She operates a national healthcare practice, focusing on healthcare, employment law, corporate law and healthcare litigation. Waesch advises all types of employers on various matters, particularly healthcare providers including hospitals and physicians.

She chairs the firm's litigation team, which is responsible for handling all reimbursement audits and appeals for healthcare clients and heads up BMD's Provider Relations, Audit, Appeals and Negotiations Unit (PRAAN). This unit manages all-payer audits, appeals, overpayments and payment extrapolations.

Waesch has practiced law since 2008 and is licensed in Florida, Ohio and Tennessee.

• Check out Brennan, Manna & Diamond

• Follow Brennan, Manna & Diamond on LinkedIn and Facebook

• Connect with Amanda Waesch on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Michelle Calcote King on LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services, creative services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.

Most AEC firms recognize research's potential and understand they can’t rely on assumptions or gut feelings to stay ahead of the curve. Still, many firms struggle to implement effective research programs that inform their strategic decisions. In this episode of “Spill the Ink,” Michelle speaks with Julie Witecki, Senior Consultant at FMI Consulting, about how research can shape market strategies and drive business growth in architecture, engineering and construction firms.

Julie introduces the “Five C’s of Context” framework: a comprehensive approach to research that examines climate, customer, competitor, collaborator, and company dynamics and considerations. She explains how firms can overcome common barriers to research adoption and turn data into practical, actionable strategies that deliver measurable ROI.

This conversation offers a preview of Julie’s upcoming session at the Society of Marketing Professional Services Southwest Regional Conference: “Navigating the Road Ahead: Translating Research into Strategy.”

• The make-or-break role of research in AEC firm success and

• How to identify and overcome adoption barriers.

• How to utilize the “Five C’s of Context” framework for comprehensive market research.

• Balancing primary and secondary data sources for maximum insight.

• How to avoid common research pitfalls and ensure actionable outcomes.

• How to integrate research into strategic planning processes.

• Resources available through FMI Consulting to support your research efforts.

With over 20 years in the construction industry, Julie is a strategy consultant, inspiring FMI’s clients to reshape market and business development practices for increased efficiency and effectiveness. She focuses on turning visionary ideas into actionable plans with measurable objectives and realistic budgets. Based in Denver, Julie has a coast-to-coast view of the construction industry. She is active in the Colorado chapter of SMPS and is a certified professional services marketer. She has also achieved the APMP Bid & Proposal Foundation-level certification and the University of Colorado Boulder Leeds School of Business customer experience certification. Julie holds an MBA from Regis University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

• Check out FMI Consulting

• Follow FMI Consulting on LinkedIn, Facebook and X

• Connect with Julie Witecki on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Michelle Calcote King on LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services, creative services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.

Law firms are often seen as slow to change, but diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) can be powerful drivers of innovation. In this episode, Michelle Calcote King speaks with Terra Davis, Chief Diversity and Talent Development Officer at Knobbe Martens, about the business benefits of embracing DEI in law firms. She discusses how effective DEI work goes beyond the surface to create more welcoming and innovative workplaces where legal professionals want to build long-term careers.

Terra emphasizes that when DEI becomes embedded in firm culture rather than existing as a separate initiative, innovation naturally follows. She shares concrete examples, including how law firms, traditionally homogenous, can benefit from mentorship programs, flexible policies and professional development initiatives. She highlights the importance of fostering a culture that values diverse perspectives as well as how it leads to stronger attorney retention, better client relationships and, ultimately, greater innovation across the legal industry.

• The tangible ways diversity, equity and inclusion contribute to innovation in law firms.

• How mentorship programs connect people from different backgrounds and drive professional growth.

• The role of flexible work policies in supporting retention and work-life balance.

• How shifting DEI terminology can help navigate resistance and improve firm culture.

• The impact of qualitative data, like that collected during exit and stay interviews, on shaping DEI initiatives.

• How law firms can modernize policies, such as dress codes, to better align with client expectations.

• Steps anyone in a law firm can take to contribute to a more inclusive and innovative workplace.

Terra Davis is the Chief Diversity and Talent Development Officer at Knobbe Martens, where she is responsible for leading and integrating the firm’s diversity, equity and inclusion, and professional development efforts, focusing on the recruitment, retention and progression of its attorneys. Outside of Knobbe, she served as the 2020-2022 co-chair of the Legal Marketing Association’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Shared Interest Group. In 2024, she was elevated to the Legal Marketing Association International Board of Directors. She is also a member of the Association of Law Firm Diversity Professionals, the only organization in the legal industry dedicated to diversity practitioners. In 2024, Terra was selected to serve the California State Bar’s 10-member Council on Access and Fairness. She is a proud graduate of Howard University and received her DEI certification from Cornell University. Terra is passionate about DEI, serving marginalized communities and pushing the needle forward for change.

• Check out Knobbe Martens

• Follow Knobbe Martens on LinkedIn and Facebook

• Connect with Terra Davis on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Michelle Calcote King on LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services, creative services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.

Professional learning and growth can bloom from unexpected relationships — and these opportunities are abundant in technical industries like architecture, engineering and construction. In this episode of “Spill the Ink,” Michelle Calcote King sits down with Reagan Branham, Chief Marketing Officer at HERA laboratory planners, to discuss the benefits of embracing mentorship opportunities outside the marketing department’s traditional hierarchy. Reagan tells us about a turning point in her AEC marketing career that led her to view each colleague, regardless of discipline or department, as a potential mentor. She also shares how this mindset shift is helping her build a culture of collaboration, knowledge-sharing and shared success at HERA.

• About Reagan Branham transition from journalism to AEC marketing and what skills carried over.

• The importance of mentorship beyond traditional hierarchies and how to build symbiotic learning relationships across an organization.

• How AEC marketers can identify cross-departmental learning opportunities with their technical staff and make the most of them.

• How HERA laboratory planners leverages open communication and collaboration in its culture to improve employee retention and enhance professional growth.

• How to navigate billable-hour constraints to pursue impactful mentorship relationships.

• The role mentorship plays in empowering professionals to grow and succeed, especially in remote work environments.

• A real-world example of how constructive feedback can shape long-term career development.

With more than 25 years of experience in AEC marketing and journalism, Reagan Branham’s diverse background includes graphic design, writing, editing, social media and product design. Reagan is an active member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), writing articles for its magazine and speaking at conferences. She also serves on the board of SMPS St. Louis as education director. Reagan has worked at HERA laboratory planners for eight years, starting as a marketing manager. She currently serves as the firm’s chief marketing officer.

• Check out HERA laboratory planners

• Follow HERA laboratory planners on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram

• Check out the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS)

• Connect with Reagan Branham on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Michelle Calcote King on LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services, creative services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.

With a tight labor market casting a dark shadow over our heads, architecture, engineering and construction firm marketers are increasingly stepping in to support talent recruiting, engagement and retention. Bryce Batts, the Co-Founder of AEC staffing firm Career Collective, sits down with us to talk about how marketing and HR departments are teaming up to attract top talent.

Bryce gives us a glimpse into the state of the AEC hiring market and the top challenges hiring firms are navigating. She also covers how a strong employer brand impacts recruitment, why social media channels like LinkedIn should be a priority, the importance of internship programs, and more.

• About Career Collective and Bryce Batts’ journey to launching a staffing firm dedicated to the AEC industry.

• Key factors driving the AEC talent shortage.

• How marketing and HR are collaborating to improve recruiting, engagement and retention strategies.

• The role of marketing in shaping a strong employer brand and how it can influence hiring.

• How candidates use social media and why it’s crucial for firms to convey authenticity online.

• Bryce’s advice on handling negative reviews on platforms like Glassdoor.

• How marketing assets, project spotlights and a modern website impact seller-doer recruitment.

Bryce has been a recruiter in the AEC industry for over 15 years and is a certified Career Coach. She met her husband in college, and they have two daughters and a Bernedoodle. Bryce earned her bachelor’s degree at North Carolina State University and received her master of business administration from Nova Southeastern. She was a college dancer and cheerleader and loves to cheer professionals on as they gain clarity and confidence when it comes to their career goals.

Bryce is the co-CEO of Career Collective, an AEC recruiting and coaching firm. Career Collective was founded with a singular vision: Providing both candidates and employers with premier access to the best in AEC industry opportunities. Guided by Bryce Batts and Edwin Powali, Career Collective stands at the forefront of AEC recruitment. Bryce's passion for career coaching and Edwin's prowess in talent acquisition create a powerhouse duo dedicated to enriching both the careers of individuals and the teams of employers they serve.

• Check out Career Collective

• Follow Career Collective on LinkedIn

• Connect with Bryce Batts on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Michelle Calcote King on LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a public relations and content marketing agency that serves professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.