How are clients actually choosing AEC firms today? And what does that mean for your marketing and business development strategy?

In this episode of The Bold Brand Show, Josh Miles sits down with SMPS Foundation Trustees Sarah Kinard and Michele Raftery, FSMPS, CPSM, WELL AP, to unpack insights from the latest SMPS Foundation research conducted with FMI Consulting.

The conversation explores how the AEC industry is evolving, from relationship-driven selling and proximity-based networking to a more sophisticated, research-informed approach to marketing, branding, and client engagement.

Based on input from 200+ industry professionals and firm leaders, the research reveals how client expectations are changing, what marketing and business development teams need to do differently, and how AEC firms can position themselves to win more work in the years ahead.

If you're an AEC marketer, principal, or business developer, this discussion offers a rare look at the data shaping the future of the industry.

In this episode:

• How AEC client buying behavior is changing
• Why traditional relationship-based marketing isn’t enough anymore
• Key insights from the latest SMPS Foundation + FMI research
• What top-performing AEC firms are doing differently
• How marketing and BD roles are evolving inside firms

Subscribe at https://BoldBrand.show

On today’s episode, we’re chatting with Josh Roberts, President & Founder of Rainmaker AEC.

Josh is a nationally recognized professional coach, award-winning marketer, strategist, and short-list interview expert.

Josh has influenced many executives and project teams in the technology, construction, architecture, and engineering industries.

Josh brings a wealth of versatility with a deep background in creative multimedia design, stage and video production, leadership, and A/E/C marketing and business development coaching.

He has supported over 600 collaborative delivery pursuits for numerous high-profile clients helping win 70% of those projects worth over $52 billion throughout North America.

This experience has well-rounded his skill set to empower people to deliver their best performance during short-list interviews, on the biggest stages in corporate production, and other critical moments in business when you want to make an immense impact on your audience.

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Show Notes:

Exodigo
https://www.exodigo.com/

Kallaway on Open Residency
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcqQmrGqthg

SMPS One-2-One Mentorship Program
https://www.smpscolorado.org/one2one-mentoring-program

Rainmaker AEC
https://www.rainmakeraec.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/rainmaker-aec/posts/?feedView=all

Josh Roberts
https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-roberts-a4567aa/
https://www.instagram.com/rainmaker_303

Bold Brand
https://boldbrand.com/

Bold Brand on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@boldbrandllc

✉️ https://boldbrand.com/email

In this episode of the Bold Brand Show host Josh Miles sits down with Michelle Ott, CPSM, Vice President Marketing Operations at JE Dunn Construction, to explore how AI and marketing operations are transforming AEC proposals and firm growth.

Michelle shares an inside look at how one of the nation’s top contractors is rethinking proposal strategy, freeing marketing teams from the constant pursuit treadmill, and using AI to create more scalable, strategic impact.

We discuss:
- How AI is changing AEC proposals (and what won’t change)
- The role of marketing operations in scaling large construction firms
- How AI helps marketing teams focus on strategy instead of production
- What AEC leaders need to understand about the future of marketing

This conversation is a must-watch for AEC marketers, firm leaders, principals, and business development teams who want to modernize their approach to growth without losing what makes their firm competitive.

👤 About Michelle Ott

Michelle Ott, CPSM, is Vice President Marketing Operations at JE Dunn Construction, where she focuses on systems, process, and innovation to help marketing teams work smarter at scale. Her work sits at the intersection of AEC marketing, proposals, operations, and AI. She’s served SMPS in a variety of roles, including SMPS Colorado past president, and last year won the Leonardo Award.

https://jedunn.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-ott-cpsm-16134121/

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Today’s show is brought to you by OpenAsset and Shred.ai.

AEC pursuits are more competitive than ever, and the best firms know it’s not just about what you say, but how you say it.

That’s why leading AEC marketers are turning to OpenAsset, the industry’s go-to platform for managing project photos, staff resumes, and marketing files—all in one easy-to-search place. And now, OpenAsset is even more powerful with Shred.ai, the AI-powered proposal writing tool purpose-built for AEC workflows.

With OpenAsset and Shred.ai, your team can:
- Instantly surface past proposal content
- Draft, edit, and polish responses with AI
- Seamlessly pull in project visuals and resumes
- Eliminate the busywork and focus on the storytelling

Together, they’re transforming how AEC marketers win work: faster, smarter, and with fewer late nights.

✅ Visit https://openasset.com/shred to learn more.

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Connect with us:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuamiles/
https://www.youtube.com/@BoldBrandShow
https://boldbrand.show
https://boldbrand.com
https://instagram.com/boldbrand
https://instagram.com/joshmilescom

#AECmarketing #aecindustry