Architecture Business Club with Jon Clayton

Jon Clayton hosts Architecture Business Club with guest Kevin Crawford, an architecture practice leader with 20+ years’ experience who implemented a succession plan at Crawford Architecture via a transition to employee ownership. They define succession planning as future-proofing the business, protecting legacy, and ensuring continuity if the owner retires, can’t work, or dies, noting many practices delay it until it becomes urgent. Kevin shares how waiting until his father was around 70 created pressure and highlights why planning matters for owners, families, staff career paths, valuation, and avoiding rushed sales to the wrong buyer. They discuss that succession planning applies to all firms, including sole practitioners, and stress the need to take time away from day-to-day work, use structured planning (including ideas from the book “Traction”), clarify roles, communicate a shared vision, and maintain discipline.
Today’s Guest
Kevin Crawford is an architecture practice leader with over 20 years of experience running and growing a practice, before putting a succession plan in place through a transition to employee ownership. Today, he’s the founder of Designing Success and co-founder of ASC and Pilotis, where he helps architecture practice leaders design better businesses — gaining more clarity, time and freedom, while strengthening the person behind the practice.
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Episode Highlights
00:00 Introduction
00:46 Meet Kevin Crawford
01:20 Why This Topic Now
01:40 Defining Succession Planning
02:15 Planning For Inevitability
02:49 Family Firm Backstory
03:58 New Ventures Plan From Day One
04:33 Ostrich To Eagle Mindset
05:18 Forced Change And Complexity
05:39 Most Firms Delay This
06:23 Reactive Industry Trap
06:52 Hamster Wheel Workaholism
07:27 Two Year Transition Journey
08:03 Balancing Three Stakeholders
08:29 Protecting The Legacy
08:48 Choosing Employee Ownership
09:36 Others Still Ignore It
10:18 Why Succession Matters
10:42 Time With Family Motivation
12:34 Shared Vision And Culture Shift
13:53 Risks Of Leaving It Late
15:28 Is Succession Planning Relevant To Small Firms
16:33 Buying Time To Plan
20:25 Consequences Of Ignoring It
22:36 Collaboration Over Competition
24:24 Where To Start Today
24:49 Frameworks And Reflection
26:21 Discipline And Weekly Structure
27:41 Key Takeaways
29:26 Employee Ownership Realities
30:31 Must Have Business Resource
30:51 Project Management Game Changer
32:02 Connect With Kevin
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Key Takeaways
Don't put it off — start thinking about succession planning now.
It's easy to say "I'll deal with it later," but Kevin learned the hard way that waiting too long makes everything harder. His dad was 70 before they started planning, and by then it was stressful for the whole family. Even if you're not ready to act right now, you should at least start thinking about what happens to your business when you're no longer running it.
You need to make time to work on your business, not just in it.
Kevin used to think working longer hours was the answer. He'd start at 4am and work until midnight. But that didn't help him plan for the future — it just kept him stuck on the hamster wheel. The real change came when he stepped away from the day-to-day and gave himself proper time to think. You need to block out time in your week to focus on the bigger picture, even if it's just a couple of hours on a Friday.
Succession planning matters no matter how big or small your practice is.
You might think this only applies to large firms, but Kevin says it's just as important for sole practitioners. If your business depends entirely on you, what happens if you can't work? Who looks after your projects and your clients? Having a plan in place protects you, your team, and the legacy you've built — whether you're a one-person studio or a team of twenty.
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Jon Clayton marks Architecture Business Club’s 100+ episodes (nearing 120) and explains how new listeners can quickly find relevant content using newly added episode categories on architecturebusinessclub.com. He lists key themes including business strategy and growth, marketing and lead generation, personal brand, sales and pricing, systems and automations, mindset and wellbeing, career journeys, content/PR/podcasting, industry events, community, and team collaboration. Spotlighting the Business Strategy and Growth category, he highlights the most downloaded episode. He also recommends a lesser-known “hidden gem”, and shares his personal favourite.
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Episode Highlights
00:00 Why This Episode Exists
00:50 The Back Catalogue Problem
01:41 New Website Categories
02:03 All Episode Themes Overview
02:58 Why Categorising Matters
04:00 Business Strategy & Growth Episodes
04:16 Most Popular Business Strategy & Growth Episode
06:28 Hidden Gem in Business Strategy & Growth
08:50 Personal Favourite Of Mine
11:59 Wrap Up
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Key Takeaways
You can break big goals into smaller parts
Instead of planning your whole year at once, divide it into 90-day chunks. This makes it easier to see where you're going and change direction if you need to. It's like planning a road trip in stages rather than trying to map out everything at once.
You will make mistakes, and that's okay
When you run a business, you'll mess things up sometimes. You might waste money or make poor choices. The important thing is to learn from what went wrong and move forward. Don't be too hard on yourself about it.
You need to create urgency to get people to buy
If your service is available all the time, people will think they can buy it later and they'll forget about it. You should use special launches or limited-time offers to give people a reason to act now instead of putting it off.
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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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Architecture Business Club host Jon Clayton interviews structural engineer Sam Dean of Porthouse Dean about common structural design pitfalls in home extensions and how to avoid spiraling costs. They discuss ground conditions as a major uncertainty (especially clay), the influence of nearby large trees and desiccation, and the use of low-cost desktop geological reports based on British Geological Survey borehole data to flag risk. They cover ceiling downstands and why beam position is often a cost-and-aesthetics decision between homeowner, architect, and builder, with installation complexity increasing when first-floor joists run into the beam. Sam explains cantilever “rules of thumb” and how corner bifold-door cantilevers can drive up steel and foundation demands, sometimes requiring columns and large foundations due to uplift forces. They address adding an extra storey and the case for trial holes. They also highlight risks of building onto existing, undocumented steelwork from previous extensions, which can force intrusive investigation or replacement when later loft conversions are planned. Sam explains how the architectural design can affect structural costs and outlines what to expect from a good structural engineering service. They touch on AI-generated architectural information, Sam’s launch of an AI review service, and he shares the software tool his business can’t work without.
Today’s Guest
Sam Dean. He started out as a materials scientist and structural engineer, spent a year in the nuclear industry, then teamed up with his friend Chris Porthouse to start PorthouseDean structural engineering. Sam then got hooked on building business systems and automations - to cut out the boring stuff and let his team do better work. When he’s not solving process problems – he’s cycling to work, playing and watching football, or baking crusty bread and homemade pizzas.
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Episode Highlights
00:00 Introduction
00:39 Introducing Sam Dean
01:38 Managing Risk with Groundworks
03:08 The Clay Problem
04:08 Trees Near Extensions: The Hidden Foundation Cost Driver
04:30 When Is a Site Investigation Worth It? Practical Triggers
05:10 Low-Cost Desktop Geology Reports: A Smart Early Warning
05:49 Designers Missing Key Site Info (Like Trees)
06:59 Case Study: The 20m Oak That Shows Up Too Late
07:55 Using Maps + Clay Likelihood to Spot Risk Early
08:48 Removed Trees Still Matter: Clay Desiccation Explained
10:32 Ceiling Downstands vs Flush Beams: Set Expectations Early
11:33 “Where Do I Put the Beam?” Why Engineers Don’t Always Decide
12:13 Joist Direction Changes Everything (and Can Add Thousands)
13:01 Goalpost Frames & Rear Wall Openings: What’s Cost-Neutral?
14:00 Builder vs Client vs Architect: Who’s Steering the Decision?
14:37 Protecting the Homeowner: Budget Trade-Offs in Plain English
15:36 When Architects Aren’t On Site: How Design Intent Gets Lost
18:06 Roles, Responsibility & the Principal Designer Confusion
19:38 Why Small Projects Are So Cost-Driven (and Getting Worse)
21:07 Cantilevers 101: The Rule of Thumb That Saves Your Budget
23:12 Corner Bifolds + Floating Roofs: The Cantilever Trap
25:23 Engineering Workarounds: Columns, Anchors & Uplift Forces
27:34 Adding a Storey: Foundation Reality Checks
29:32 Building on Existing Steelwork: The Missing Calculations Problem
33:37 Prevention Playbook: Trial Holes, Checks, and Lightweight Options
36:46 Quick Wins to Avoid Spiraling Costs (Wind Posts, Pillars, Layout)
41:45 What Great Structural Engineering Service Looks Like
46:49 The Rise of AI
48:55 The One Piece of Software Sam Can't Live Without
50:18 Final Thoughts
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Key Takeaways
Check the Ground Early to Avoid Big Surprises
Learn what's under the ground before you start building. Clay soil can be a big problem. If there are large trees near your building site (especially within 20 metres), they can make the situation worse. The tree roots dry out the clay, which means you might need to dig much deeper foundations. This can cost thousands extra. Even if you remove a tree, the clay takes about three years to go back to normal. You can get a cheap report to check if clay is likely on your site or dig trial holes, which can help you plan ahead.
Think About Where Beams Go Before You Build
Help your client decide if they want the steel beam to show below the ceiling or to hide it inside the ceiling. If you hide it and the floor joists run into the beam, the builder may need to cut the joists and fix them to the side of the beam. This may cost more money. You should talk about this early with your client and builder. It's a trade-off between how it looks and how much it’ll cost.
Plan Cantilevers Carefully to Keep Costs Down
A cantilever is when part of your building sticks out without support underneath. There's a simple rule of thumb: if you want one metre sticking out, you need two metres anchored back inside the building. If you don't follow this rule, you might need heavier, more expensive beams. Corner bifold doors with cantilevers look great, but to keep costs reasonable, make one side shorter (say 1 to 1.5 metres) with the other side being longer (up to 3 metres for example).
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Subscribe on YouTube (for upcoming video episodes!) 📺
Send a Voicemail to the show (we listen to every message!) 📢
Connect with Sam Dean on LinkedIn 🤝
Learn more about PorthouseDean 🖥️
Curious about podcasting? Click here to book a chat with Jon 🎧
Follow or Connect with Jon on LinkedIn 🤝
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In this episode of Architecture Business Club, Jon Clayton introduces Joshua Ayettey, a chartered architect and founder of JADC Studio and Scattered Hub, a mentorship community for aspiring architects. Joshua discusses his personal struggles through architectural training, leading to his passion for mentoring and creating Scattered Hub. The group focuses on providing support, confidence boosts, and guidance to new graduates navigating the architectural field. The conversation covers the group's organic growth, its impact on members, and Joshua's inspiration and future aspirations for Scattered Hub. This episode also highlights practical advice for building community groups and the importance of tackling failures positively.
Today’s Guest
Joshua Ayettey is a chartered architect and creative problem solver who is passionate about improving the way people live through good design and mentoring the next generation of problem solving designers. He’s also the founder of JADC Studio and Scattered Hub.
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Episode Highlights
00:00 Introduction
00:31 Our Guest: Joshua Ayettey
01:07 Joshua's Background and Scattered Hub
01:45 Organic Growth of Scattered Hub
02:02 Mentoring Journey and Early Struggles
03:09 Helping Others and Building Confidence
04:54 Founding JADC Studio
05:45 Formalising Scattered Hub
06:08 Personal Struggles and Mental Health
07:37 Failures as Catalysts for Growth
08:27 Jon's Struggles That Led To This Show
09:20 Setting Up the Group and Formal Arrangements
10:13 Creating a Peer-to-Peer Platform
11:38 Expanding Beyond Architecture
13:01 Community and Collaboration
14:12 Wins and Success Stories
14:22 Building Confidence and Self-Esteem
17:16 Personal Motivation and Influences
20:09 Future Vision for Scattered Hub
20:49 Collaborative Projects and Ecosystem
24:17 Encouragement to Test Ideas
26:14 Final Thoughts and Takeaways
27:25 Encouraging Young People in Architecture
28:56 Resource Recommendations and Learning
29:40 AI and Future of Architecture
31:39 Connecting with Joshua Online
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Key Takeaways
Don't Be Afraid to Fail
You can learn a lot from your failures, even if you can't see it at the time. Joshua failed his final year and had to repeat it. He also failed his part three exam the first time. But these failures taught him important lessons that helped him later. When you fail, it doesn't mean you should give up. It means you're learning something that will help you in the future.
Help Others Along Your Journey
When you're struggling with something, you can still help other people who are facing similar problems. Joshua struggled during his training, but he still helped other students with their work. By helping others, you build confidence in yourself and create a positive effect that spreads to more people. You don't need to wait until you're perfect to start helping others.
Surround Yourself with the Right People
When you're going through tough times, you need people around you who can support you and remind you of your strengths. Joshua almost quit everything, but people around him helped him see that he was being too hard on himself. Find people who reflect where you want to be and who can help you see things clearly when you're struggling.
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Subscribe on YouTube (for upcoming video episodes!) 📺
Send a Voicemail to the show (we listen to every message!) 📢
Connect with Joshua Ayettey on LinkedIn 🤝
Learn more about Joshua Ayettey’s practice 🖥️
Curious about podcasting? Click here to book a chat with Jon 🎧
Follow or Connect with Jon on LinkedIn 🤝
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Jon Clayton discusses the issue of burnout with career and wellbeing coach Anna Wolas. The conversation digs into what burnout is, how to recognise its signs, and how it differs from stress. Anna explains the reoccurring nature of burnout and its connection to a misalignment between personal values and external expectations. She also outlines common causes of burnout, such as organisational changes, unrealistic workloads, and lack of recognition. Anna shares her DCP framework (Discover, Create, Perform) that helps professionals recover from burnout, prevent it in the future, and activate their full potential. Through practical strategies and real-life success stories, this episode aims to equip architects and business leaders with the tools they need to thrive in their careers without succumbing to burnout.
Today’s Guest
Anna Wolas is a Career & Wellbeing Coach who helps architects and leaders achieve (& earn) more. Anna's approach helps reduce stress, prevent burnout, and create a sustainable, values-driven definition of success.
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Episode Highlights
00:00 Introduction
01:22 Understanding Burnout
02:02 The Burnout Cycle
05:30 Burnout vs. Stress
06:27 Healthy Stress Management
09:27 Signs of Burnout
09:45 Physical Symptoms of Burnout
10:04 Psychological Symptoms of Burnout
10:32 Behavioural Symptoms of Burnout
11:00 Occupational Symptoms of Burnout
11:25 Personal Symptoms of Burnout
11:51 Common Causes of Burnout
11:56 Organisational Factors
12:42 Personal Factors
13:07 Lack of Recognition
13:47 Fear-Based Performance
14:15 Conflict in Relationships
14:34 Overcoming Burnout
14:55 Ineffective Solutions To Burnout
18:45 Effective Strategies For Burnout
18:55 The DCP Framework
19:34 Step 1: Discover
22:32 Step 2: Create
25:00 Step 3: Perform
28:03 Success Stories Of The DCP Framework
28:11 Case Study: High-Level Professional
29:15 Achieving Clarity
30:55 Promotion and Beyond
31:55 Main Takeaways
32:21 Act Now
33:32 Final Thoughts
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Key Takeaways
Burnout is a cycle, not just tiredness
You need to understand that burnout isn't the same as feeling stressed. Stress can actually help you get things done if you have time to rest afterwards. But burnout happens when stress goes on for too long without recovery. It keeps coming back again and again if you don't fix the real problem. Burnout means you're living by other people's rules and goals instead of your own. When this happens over and over, your body and mind get worn out.
Spot the warning signs early
You can notice burnout in five main areas of your life. Physical signs include feeling tired all the time, headaches, and sleep problems. Mental signs include brain fog, forgetting things, and feeling hopeless. You might also get more emotional, angry, or eat differently. At work, you lose your passion and make more mistakes. In your personal life, your relationships suffer and you feel like you're not doing well anywhere. The sooner you spot these signs, the easier it is to fix the problem.
Quick fixes don't work - you need a proper plan
Taking holidays, doing more exercise, or waiting for a project to finish won't solve burnout on their own. Even changing jobs won't help if you don't fix the real causes. You need a proper strategy that helps you understand yourself, create healthy boundaries, and use your real skills and strengths. Don't wait to deal with burnout - the longer you leave it, the harder it becomes to fix.
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Connect with Anna Wolas on LinkedIn 🤝
Learn more about Anna Wolas’s work 🖥️
Curious about podcasting? Click here to book a chat with Jon 🎧
Follow or Connect with Jon on LinkedIn 🤝
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👇 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.