Architecture Business Club with Jon Clayton

Avoiding Costly Miscommunication in Architecture: Clearer Client Communication with Usman Yaqub
Jon Clayton hosts Architecture Business Club with guest Usman Yaqub, president of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists and director at Studio Yaqub Architecture, to discuss how miscommunication and technical jargon damage projects and client relationships. Usman explains that clients, contractors, planners, engineers, and consultants view the same project through different lenses—emotional investment, buildability and program, or compliance and policy—so communication must be adapted to what “success” means for each audience and to reduce “scope canyons” between silos. He shares examples where stakeholders misunderstood milestones and where “planning approval” was wrongly assumed to mean ready-to-build, stressing the need to confirm understanding. Practical tactics include using relatable explanations, storytelling, and visual tools like drawings, BIM, and visualisations, plus framing meetings to invite questions.
Today’s Guest
Usman Yaqub is the current President of The Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists & Director at Studio Yaqub Architecture. He’s an Associate Lecturer at The University of the West of England and holds positions with a number of charities and not for profit organisations. He also established the popular online CPD series - CPD in 43.
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Episode Highlights
00:00 Introduction
01:12 Meet Usman Yaqub
02:11 Different Lenses Different Goals
03:33 Keeping Clients Emotionally Engaged
05:10 Bridging Scope Canyons
06:19 Jargon That Backfires
06:58 Simplicity Shows Expertise
08:04 Making The Process Accessible
10:09 Miscommunication Stories
10:46 Milestones And Expectations
11:59 Planning Approval Confusion
13:12 Spotting When They Don't Get It
14:50 Planning Vs Building Regs Explained
16:25 Bookending Meetings For Clarity
18:28 Tailoring To Each Audience
22:05 Storytelling And Visual Tools
23:57 Biggest Communication Advice
24:59 Final Thoughts And Where To Connect
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Key Takeaways
Think about who you are talking to
Everyone you work with sees a project differently. A client cares about how it will change their life. A contractor cares about how to build it. A planner cares about rules and policy. When you understand what matters to each person, you can talk to them in a way that makes sense for them — and things go much more smoothly.
Simple words show more skill than big ones
Using jargon might make you feel clever, but it can leave people confused and too embarrassed to say so. The real skill is taking something complex and explaining it in plain language. If someone walks away understanding you, that is a much better result than if they walk away impressed but lost.
Good communication means checking understanding, not just sharing information
Saying something clearly is only half the job. You also need to make sure the other person has understood it the same way you meant it. Watch for small signs — hesitation, odd questions, or repeated words — that tell you there may be a gap. Ask "what questions do you have?" instead of "do you have any questions?" to give people a proper chance to speak up.
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Subscribe on YouTube (for upcoming video episodes!) 📺
Send a Voicemail to the show (we listen to every message!) 📢
Connect with Usman Yaqub on LinkedIn 🤝
Learn more about Studio Yaqub Architecture 🖥️
Follow or Connect with Jon on LinkedIn 🤝
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Fixing Budget Misalignment in Residential Projects.
A conversation with Michael Sweebe on Build Cost Estimation. Host Jon Clayton interviews residential architect Michael Sweebe of Sweebe Architecture about the common problem of homeowners’ design goals outpacing their budgets and the lack of early tools to define scope and estimate costs. Mike shares how his childhood experience in an unsuitable apartment shaped his focus on homes as expressions of memory, identity, and aspiration, and how 20 years in commercial practice led him to residential work. He explains how a COVID-era, space-by-space cost spreadsheet helped him give live ballpark project costs, preventing clients from spending money on drawings they couldn’t afford to build. That approach evolved into Scopify, a free homeowner app (beta) that estimates “soup to nuts” build costs by U.S. postal code and delivers pre-qualified leads to architects, reducing unbillable qualification time.
Today’s Guest
Michael Sweebe is a practicing architect & the founder of Sweebe Architecture. Mike’s practice specialises in residential architecture & interior design – designing homes that bring families closer together. Mike is also the founder of Scopify – a new app helping homeowners to estimate & control their build costs from the outset & to connect them with the best service providers.
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Episode Highlights
00:00 Introduction
01:01 Meet Michael Sweebe
01:36 What We Will Cover
02:08 A Childhood Home Mismatch
03:00 Drawing Plans At Age Nine
04:19 Finding Purpose Early
05:41 From Uni To Real Practice
06:40 Why Homeowners Matter More
08:42 Residential Brand Mindset
09:44 Residential Project Pitfalls
10:23 No Tools For Early Costing
12:16 Chicken and Egg Problem
13:14 Building Without Architectural Guidance
14:46 COVID Spreadsheet Solution
15:47 Space By Space Estimating
16:47 Why Homeowners Think In Rooms
18:15 Live Pricing Saves Projects
20:24 Stop Gatekeeping Cost Info
21:51 Limits Of One To One Help
22:29 Sales Funnel Sparks Scopify
24:52 Scaling Impact Nationwide
26:47 Scopify Beta Overview
27:28 Homeowner Experience And Pricing
28:12 Postal Code Cost Algorithm
29:15 40 40 20 cost rule
30:00 Qualified Leads For Architects
30:54 Beta Results And Conversions
34:05 Homeowners Know 85 Percent Of What They Want
34:54 How To Try Scopify
35:23 Key Takeaway
36:16 Must Have Business Resource
39:11 Where To Find Michael Sweebe
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Key Takeaways
Help homeowners understand costs before they hire anyone.
If you work in architecture or home design, one of the biggest problems you will see is that homeowners have no idea what things cost. When they find out late in the process, it can kill the whole project. You can save everyone a lot of time and money by giving people a rough idea of costs right at the start — before they pay for drawings or sign any contracts.
Think about spaces the way the people living in them do.
When you are working with homeowners, remember that their home is about more than just building materials and square footage. It is about who they are, what they care about, and what kind of life they want to live. If you keep that in mind, you will do better work and build stronger relationships with your clients.
Technology can help you reach more people and save time.
If you are a small practice, you can only help so many clients on your own. But if you use the right tools — like an app that lets homeowners self-qualify before they even speak to you — you can spend your time with people who are actually ready to go ahead. That means less unpaid time in meetings that go nowhere, and more clients who are a good fit for your work.
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Subscribe on YouTube (for upcoming video episodes!) 📺
Send a Voicemail to the show (we listen to every message!) 📢
Learn more about Scopify 🖥️
Test the Scopify app 🖥️
Learn more about Sweebe Architecture 🖥️
Curious about podcasting? Click here to book a chat with Jon 🎧
Follow or Connect with Jon on LinkedIn 🤝
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👇 And if you enjoyed this episode…
Please leave a 5-star review or rating wherever you listen to podcasts, and don’t forget to hit the subscribe button so you never miss an episode.

Top Marketing & Lead Generation Episodes for Architecture Practices
Jon Clayton introduces a roundup of Architecture Business Club episodes focused on improving marketing and lead generation for architecture practices beyond a website portfolio and occasional Instagram posts. Jon highlights the most popular marketing and lead generation episode to date, shares a “hidden gem,” and reveals one of his personal favourites.
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Episode Highlights
00:00 Introduction
01:32 Most Popular Marketing & Lead Generation Episode To Date
02:42 The Right Way For Architecture Firms To Use LinkedIn
03:53 A Hidden Gem From Our Marketing & Lead Generation Episodes
05:05 How To Use Pinterest To Build Know, Like & Trust
06:19 A Personal Favourite From Our Marketing & Lead Generation Episodes
07:39 Strategic Marketing System For Small Firms
09:47 Wrap Up
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Key Takeaways
Show who you are, not just what you build
On LinkedIn, you might think sharing photos of your finished projects is enough. But clients want to know you. They want to see your personality, understand how you work, and feel they can trust you. Try sharing why you love what you do or a little about your process — that personal touch can make a big difference.
Pinterest can help you reach clients early
Pinterest is not really a social media platform — it works more like a search engine. If you post helpful content there, people can find you while they are still deciding which architectural designer to hire. Over time, they get to know your work, trust your brand, and when they are ready, they come back to you.
A lean marketing system can work for small firms
You do not need a big team to market well. Start by getting clear on who your dream client is, create a simple core offer, and set up a way to bring in leads. Even a small "gateway offer" — like a paid strategy session — can help turn first conversations into paying work and grow your business step by step.
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Get to grips with LinkedIn in this popular podcast episode
Learn how to leverage Pinterest in your architecture practice
Build an effective marketing system for your micro-sized business
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Subscribe on YouTube (for upcoming video episodes!) 📺
Send a Voicemail to the show (we listen to every message!) 📢
Curious about podcasting? Click here to book a chat with Jon 🎧
Follow or Connect with Jon on LinkedIn 🤝
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👇 And if you enjoyed this episode…
Please leave a 5-star review or rating wherever you listen to podcasts, and don’t forget to hit the subscribe button so you never miss an episode.

Host Jon Clayton welcomes Kathy Ennis of Little Piggy Ltd to Architecture Business Club to discuss why many solopreneurs and micro business owners struggle and what drives success. Kathy explains that talented people often rely on passion and “window dressing” marketing without learning core business skills, especially planning and cashflow forecasting. She outlines her five “Ps”: people (start with psychographics and choose who you want to buy from you), product (for services, productise offers into clear packages and entry levels), price (set targets based on business costs, salary, tax and profit, then align pricing with customer and offer), promotion (balance brand and sales marketing; go beyond social media with networking, lead magnets and email), and productivity (allocate time to run the business, build systems, and outsource).
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Today’s Guest
Kathy Ennis is the founder of LittlePiggy and an award-winning Business Mentor who specialises in working with Solopreneurs, Freelancers and Side-Hustlers to build businesses that actually work and bring them the success they deserve.
After 20 years in the corporate world, Kathy launched her own business in 2000 at 40, knowing nothing about business. It didn't all go to plan – redundancy, a financial crisis, and even pension fraud tested her resolve – but she learned, adapted and built something sustainable. Those hard-won lessons became the foundation of everything she now teaches.
With over 26 years of running her own businesses, Kathy knows that talent and passion aren't enough. You need the business fundamentals. That's why she developed her 5Ps framework – People, Products, Price, Promotion and Productivity. It's a practical, proven approach that takes clients from assumptions and guesswork to clear strategy and consistent profit.
Kathy works one-to-one with business owners and delivers training through organisations including Enterprise Nation and Visionnaires, where she tutors and coaches on start-up and business growth programmes. She previously tutored on the York St John University MBA programme and runs the Women Talk Business programme for the Business and IP Centre Norfolk. She's also a regular public speaker and workshop facilitator.
What sets Kathy apart is her straight-talking, no-fluff approach. She doesn't coach people on their feelings about business, she teaches them what they don't know. Because running a business is a skillset, and it's one you can learn.
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Episode Highlights
00:00 Introduction
00:49 Meet Kathy Ennis
02:15 Why Solopreneurs Start
03:49 Passion vs Profit Gap
04:22 Planning Builds Profit
05:21 Architecture Iceberg Analogy
07:15 Unsexy Business Basics
08:54 Five Ps Framework
10:30 Know Your People
11:01 Psychographics Over Demographics
12:28 Choose Who Buys
13:47 Productising Services
19:40 Packages To Upsell & Downsell
25:35 The Golden Triangle Of Pricing
26:28 Turnover Not Salary
27:42 Tiered Offers Math
28:45 Supermarket Pricing Analogy
29:36 Spreadsheet Stress Test
30:17 Packages Versus Capacity
31:16 Avoid Salary Replacement Trap
33:26 Unemotional Numbers Mindset
34:47 Reevaluate Offer And Audience
35:21 Brand Versus Marketing
36:10 Beyond Social Media
37:52 Lead Magnets And Email
39:49 Productivity For Solopreneurs
41:33 Outsource To Build A Team
44:14 Final Takeaways And Wrap
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Key Takeaways
Running a business is a skill you can learn
Just because you are great at what you do does not mean you automatically know how to run a business. Kathy points out that most solopreneurs are brilliant at their craft but do not understand the basics of business. The good news is that business skills can be learned. Once you start learning things like pricing, planning, and knowing your customers, you put yourself on much firmer ground.
Know your numbers before you set your prices
Do not just think about what you want to take home as a salary. You need to work out how much it costs to run your business, pay yourself, cover tax, and have a little left over to reinvest. Once you know that total number, you can work backwards to figure out your prices and how many clients you need. Using a simple spreadsheet to do this takes the emotion out of it and helps you make clear, sensible decisions.
Plan your marketing and do not rely on social media alone
Many small business owners rely too heavily on posting on Instagram or LinkedIn and hope that their work will speak for itself. Kathy says you need a proper marketing strategy that includes email, face-to-face networking, and things that bring people to you, like a free resource or a short introductory chat. The more people know you and what you do, the more likely they are to refer others to you.
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Subscribe on YouTube (for upcoming video episodes!) 📺
Send a Voicemail to the show (we listen to every message!) 📢
Connect with Kathy Ennis on LinkedIn 🤝
Visit Kathy’s website 🖥️
Curious about podcasting? Click here to book a chat with Jon 🎧
Follow or Connect with Jon on LinkedIn 🤝
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👇 And if you enjoyed this episode…
Please leave a 5-star review or rating wherever you listen to podcasts, and don’t forget to hit the subscribe button so you never miss an episode.

Host Jon Clayton interviews Annette Mashi on Architecture Business Club about repurposing existing website content—case studies, portfolios, photos, and blog posts—so more people see it across platforms and are driven back to the website. Annette explains a top-down process: start with a large piece (e.g., an energy-efficiency case study), turn it into a blog, then break it into topic-specific newsletters and short LinkedIn posts that link back to the blog. They discuss finding content ideas in everyday client conversations and frequently asked questions, using AI tools like ChatGPT as a starting point while editing for voice and avoiding generic language, and why LinkedIn builds awareness, email newsletters nurture leads over long sales cycles, and blogs provide depth and a content library. Annette emphasises client-focused benefits over “we” messaging and highlights the value of a supportive professional network.
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Today’s Guest
Annette Mashi creates magic with words. She gives visibility to female architects, interior designers, and women in the construction industry. She positions them as experts, demonstrates the value they provide, and helps them stand out from their competition so they attract clients they love and win their dream projects.
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Episode Highlights
00:00 Introduction
00:43 Introducing Annette Mashi
01:13 Why Repurpose Content
02:05 Multi Platform Sharing
02:30 Driving Website Traffic
03:14 Channels To Use
03:31 Top Down Process
03:57 Case Study Example
04:22 Turning A Case Study Into A Blog
04:45 Turning A Blog Into A Newsletter
05:02 LinkedIn Snippets
05:27 Main Course Analogy
05:56 No Reinventing Wheel
06:14 Repurpose Podcasts Too
06:52 Guest Appearance Content
07:09 Ask For Transcripts
07:49 Finding Content Ideas
08:27 Marketing Team Analogy
10:48 Client Questions Content
12:30 Social Proof Framing
13:05 AI Repurposing Pitfalls
14:21 Use AI As Tool
17:19 ChatGPT Tells
18:18 Content Ecosystem Package
19:49 Awareness Building Content
20:11 Nurturing Content
20:44 Why You Need To Nurture Leads
21:44 Email Newsletter Opportunity
22:15 How Often To Send Your Email Newsletter
24:13 Flow Analogy
25:12 Results From Just Eight Blogs Per Year
25:39 Building A Content Library
26:42 Long Term Benefits From Content
28:09 Linking Content Together
29:46 Putting It Into Practice
30:55 Getting Started With Content Repurposing
32:11 Sharing Your Process
32:31 Content Marketing Book Recommendations
33:28 Benefits Vs Features
34:29 A Simple Exercise: We Vs You
35:26 The Resource Annette Mashi Can't Live Without
37:15 Closing And Connect
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Key Takeaways
You already have more content than you think
You don't need to start from scratch. Look at what you've already got — a case study, a project photo, a blog post. You can take one big piece of content and break it into smaller pieces for LinkedIn, your newsletter, and your website. It's like getting more meals from one big cook-up. Stop letting good work sit there unseen.
You need to share your content in more than one place
Putting something on your website and hoping people will find it doesn't work. You need to share it across different places — social media, email, your blog. Each place does a different job. LinkedIn helps new people find you. Your email list keeps people warm over time. Your blog shows them how you think and what you can do. Together, they bring people closer to hiring you.
You should email your list at least once a month
Most designers — around 85% — don't send regular emails. That means if you do, you're already ahead of the crowd. People often take a year or more before they're ready to hire an architect. Sending a monthly email keeps you in their minds. Even if they don't read every word, they see your name and remember you're there. That matters a lot when they're finally ready to get started.
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Subscribe on YouTube (for upcoming video episodes!) 📺
Send a Voicemail to the show (we listen to every message!) 📢
Connect with Annette Mashi on LinkedIn 🤝
Visit Annette Mashi’s Website 🖥️
Curious about podcasting? Click here to book a chat with Jon 🎧
Follow or Connect with Jon on LinkedIn 🤝
—
👇 And if you enjoyed this episode…
Please leave a 5-star review or rating wherever you listen to podcasts, and don’t forget to hit the subscribe button so you never miss an episode.