Good leadership in architecture has never been just about knowing how to design a building.

Tory Winn, Principal and Co-Managing Director of Gensler's Atlanta office, has thought a lot about what it actually takes to lead well in this industry, and it comes down to people. How you build a team, how you show up for clients, how you bring someone along who's just starting out.

In a conversation with Katie Cash, she talked about why Gensler still believes in getting people in the same room, what mentorship looks like when it's done right, and how firms can stay true to who they are even as the workforce changes around them. She also touched on AI, not as a threat to creativity, but as a tool that helps designers show clients what they're imagining before the words are even there.

The throughline in everything she described? Leadership is less about having the answers and more about making sure the people around you feel like they're part of something.

The firms that get that right, the ones that invest in culture, in connection, in the next generation, those are the ones doing the most interesting work.

Connect with Tory Winn

Principal & Co-Managing Director, Gensler Atlanta
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tory-winn-ncidq-iida-97a087178/

https://www.gensler.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.

Great engineering firms do not scale on talent alone. They scale on repeatable systems and a culture of accountability.

Suzie Engel, PE, President and Owner of Motz Engineering, shares how she transformed her firm by building a process-driven culture that improves communication, protects quality, and creates better client experiences. By implementing structured systems, data tracking, and clear accountability across teams, Motz Engineering delivers consistent results while empowering engineers to focus on solving complex problems.

Suzie also discusses how sharing lessons learned across departments strengthens leadership, improves future project outcomes, and helps engineering firms grow without chaos. For AEC leaders looking to raise standards while protecting team culture, this conversation offers practical insights you can apply immediately.

Connect with Suzie Engel, PE

President and Owner, Motz Engineering

https://www.motzengineering.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.

Brand is no longer a support function in AEC. It is a strategic lever that shapes perception, culture, recruitment, and long-term growth.

Katie Cash sits down with Emily Cannon, Vice President of Brand Strategy at Brasfield & Gorrie, to discuss what it really means to elevate the brand to the executive table. From aligning regional leadership to activating entertainment as a marketing currency, Emily shares how intentional collaboration between marketing and the C-suite is reshaping the firm’s internal culture and external presence. She also explores how brand influences retention, recruiting, pursuit strategy, and even proposal performance.

If your firm is navigating growth, leadership transition, or brand evolution, this conversation offers practical insight on aligning strategy from the inside out and turning brand into a measurable driver of momentum.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• AEC brand strategy
• Construction marketing strategy
• Brand alignment in AEC
• B2B brand strategy
• AEC leadership alignment
• Employer branding in construction
• Construction firm marketing

Connect with Emily Cannon, CPSM

Vice President of Brand Strategy at Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC

https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilycannon1/

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.