This week on the Business of Architecture podcast I release an interview with architect John Warasila, founder of Alliance Architecture – a firm based out of Durham, NC with offices in Maryland, DC, and India.

We connected because videographer Jeff Durkin, who is featured on a couple of previous episodes of this show, was hired to create a film for a redevelopment project that Warasila's firm is involved in.

Today, you'll discover how John got his first architecture client when he started his firm, his most effective avenues for finding and winning new project opportunities, and how he finds and coaches team members to produce great results.

During the interview John mentions that a friend once told him, “You're always marketing!”

So I asked John – what does he do to market the firm and win the impressive projects that they've been able to work on?

He revealed his marketing strategy, which consists of talking to everyone about what he does.

This is second nature for John because he loves what he does and loves sharing it with other people.

For example, on a recent plane ride he was telling his seatmate about his projects, and at the end of the flight a lady in the seat in front of him turned around, gave him her business card, and said, “I have a couple of projects that you might be a good fit for.”

This is the same thing Art Gensler said when I interviewed him – ABM – Always Be Marketing.

John served on the Durham Economic Development for years and made valuable connections with developers.

He used those connections and knowledge to start developing and investing in his own projects – more on that in next week's podcast.

Show Resources:

Alliance Architecture (firm website)