Marketing and Sales Maverick Embarking on a New Adventure: Acquiring My First Business in 12 Months!

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Olivier Madel

I used to think successful Architects were the ones working until midnight, surviving on coffee and sheer willpower.
Sound familiar?

After 17+ years in Architecture, I've watched too many talented designers leave the profession—not because they stopped loving design, but because the culture of burnout made staying impossible.

I've been the Architect working 70-hour weeks, the one questioning whether this career was sustainable, and the leader trying to prevent my team from burning out while managing impossible project demands.

Now I help Architecture firms and individual Architects build careers that don't require sacrificing health, relationships, or passion for design.

Since I burned out, I turned my life around.
I've lost 75 pounds, earned my Associate role while working normal hours, and started competing in Triathlons.

More importantly, I've helped dozens of other Architects and entire firms do the same. We're proving every day that sustainable practice isn't just possible—it's more profitable and way more enjoyable.

My Background:
🔵 Licensed Architect
🔵 17+ years of Experience in Architectural Practice
🔵 Mentor to Emerging Architects throughout my Career
🔵 Published Writer on Architecture Careers since 2015
🔵 Burnout Recovery in 2017 (Lost +75lbs, Changed My Habits and Life)
🔵 Burnout Prevention Coach and Speaker since 2019

Watching your best people burn out or struggling with burnout yourself?

I share practical strategies in my weekly newsletter and offer targeted workshops for firms ready to change.

Send me a DM to learn more.

Mike AIA

Hey, Architect.
Are there more important resilience skills than these?
Sure. But those are the obvious ones.

———

I wanted a different list.
The underrated stuff.

Skills that don't show up in any continuing education course but quietly make or break an architect's longevity.

Here's a brief take on each.

———

1. Knowing your limits before they know you.
Resilience starts with self-awareness, not willpower. Study yourself like a site.

———

2. Saying no without a thesis.
You don't owe anyone an explanation for protecting your capacity. "No" is a complete sentence.

———

3. A distaste for martyrdom.
Our profession has romanticized suffering too long. If you secretly like telling people how busy you are, resilience will stay out of reach.

———

4. Strategic incompleteness.
Not everything deserves 100%. Knowing which things get 60% — and making peace with that — is a superpower in a profession that worships perfection.

———

5. Emotional vocabulary.
If you can't name what you're feeling, you can't manage it. "Stressed" and "burned out" are not the same thing.

———

6. Sitting with ambiguity.
Projects are uncertain. Clients are uncertain. The profession is changing. Resilient architects work inside the fog without being paralyzed by it.

———

7. A sense of humor about the profession.
Architecture takes itself very seriously. The architects who last longest can laugh at the absurdity — deadlines, clients, fee negotiations, all of it.

———

8. Radical permission-giving.
Permission to rest. To not be the best. To put your health above a deadline. Nobody gives you this. You have to take it.

———

9. Boring consistency.
Sleep. Movement. Time away from screens. Unglamorous. Effective. These habits hold everything else together.

———

10. An eye for what actually matters.
In a profession of urgent everything, resilient architects ask: does this actually matter? Usually the answer is no.

———

11. Trusting slowness.
We equate speed with value. But your best thinking — on a project, a career move, a hard conversation — needs time. Let it breathe.

———

12. A touch of selfishness.
The sustainable kind. Protecting your energy isn't selfish — it's the foundation of showing up well for others.

———

13. Knowing when good is enough.
Perfectionism is fear in a tailored suit. "Done and good" builds a career. "Perfect and never finished" builds resentment.

———

14. Understanding your own patterns.
When do you spiral? What are your early warning signs? What conditions help you thrive? This is strategic self-knowledge.

———

15. Storytelling your recovery. 
The story you tell yourself about hard seasons matters. Architects who recover from burnout don't erase the chapter — they learn to read it differently.

————

Hi, I'm Mike.
If you like posts like this, follow for more!

What do you think? Got any to add?
Drop them in the comments. 👇

Mike LaValley AIA, LEED AP

The Resilient Architect — Architecture is burning out its best people. I help Ambitious Architects and Firm Leaders stop the cycle with the SPACES framework. Follow for weekly tools to build careers and firms that last.

Hey, Architect.
Burnout doesn't come from working too much.
Rather, spending your energy on the wrong things first.

———

You wake up at 7am with a full battery.

• Then come the emails.
• • The "quick" check-ins.
• • • The couple of meetings that were definitely going to be “short.”

———

By 2pm, you're running on fumes.

And the design work, the problem-solving, the thinking that actually matters?

That gets whatever's left.

———

That's not a time management problem.
That's an energy management problem.

———

Your creative capacity is finite.

It depletes with every decision, every interruption, every context switch.

Spend it on trivial tasks first, and you're not just tired. 
You're blocked.

→ Guard your creative hours like a client deadline.
→ Do the deep work before the inbox opens.

———

Your best ideas are waiting.
Don't make them fight for scraps.

———

👋 Hi, I’m Mike
I’m a practicing Architect who overcame burnout on my own. Now I speak and run workshops helping firms stop losing their best people to the same fate. Follow for more.

Hey, Architect.
Are there better ways to retain your staff?
Sure. But that's the obvious stuff.

———

We all know about:
Competitive salaries. Good benefits. Flexible hours.

———

This list is different.

→ The things firm owners rarely talk about.
→ The things that quietly determine whether your best people stay or start updating their portfolios.

Here we go...

———

1. Protect their time, not just their deadlines.
If your staff is context-switching between six projects all day, burnout isn't a risk. It's a schedule.

———

2. Pay them what they're worth.
Not what the market floor allows. What the work deserves. When compensation signals otherwise, they don't forget it.

———

3. Say "Thank you" like you mean it.
A specific acknowledgment of what someone did and why it mattered. Costs nothing. Lands harder than most bonuses.

———

4. Let them own something.
People don't burn out from hard work. They burn out from hard work that feels meaningless. Give them real authorship.

———

5. Shield them from client chaos.
Your job is to absorb the dysfunction so your team doesn't have to. If every unreasonable demand lands on your staff, you're not leading — you're forwarding.

———

6. Talk about careers, not just projects.
When did you last ask someone where they want to be in three years? If you haven't, they've probably had that conversation with another firm.

———

7. Model rest without guilt.
If you answer emails at midnight, your team will too. The hours you keep set the hours they feel obligated to keep.

———

8. Ask before assuming.
"What would make your work more sustainable?" tells you more than any survey.

———

9. Make the path to leadership visible.
Ambition doesn't leave. It finds somewhere else to go.

———

10. Fix the culture, not just the symptoms.
A wellness stipend inside a toxic culture is a band-aid on a fracture. No perk corrects a broken environment.

———

11. Treat mistakes as data.
Firms that punish errors get staff who hide them. Firms that learn from errors run better projects.

———

12. Giving feedback that actually helps.
Vague praise and delayed criticism are both useless. Clear, timely feedback is how people improve and feel seen.

———

13. Leaving the door open, even when they leave.
How you treat people on their way out says everything. Alumni become collaborators, referrers, and returning hires.

———

The Architects who leave weren't always planning to. 

• Most of them waited. 
• • Hoped things would change. 
• • • Gave it one more project.

The ones who stay aren't just better compensated.

They're better led.
They're valued.
→ They're seen.

———

👋 Hi, I'm Mike. 
If you enjoy posts like this, follow for more!

Which one on this list does your firm need to work on most? 
Be honest in the comments.

Hey, Architect.
AI isn't out to get you.
But ignoring it might cost you your career.

———

I've been practicing architecture for 18 years.
I've watched this profession survive CAD, survive BIM, and navigate every wave of "this will change everything" that followed.

———

AI is different.
Not because it's more threatening.
But because it's already here, already inside the tools you use every day
Worse yet, most Architects still haven't decided how they feel about it.

———

That uncertainty is expensive.
Awareness is the difference between keeping up and falling flat on your face.

So let’s talk about AI

Where it genuinely helps, where the real risks live, and how to think about your career in a way that keeps you resilient no matter what the technology does next.

———

It's not doom.
It's not hype.
It's the honest version.

If it resonates, check out the full essay I posted yesterday on LinkedIn

———

👋Hi, I'm Mike.
I help ambitious Architects advance their careers without burnout and Firm Leaders retain top talent using prove frameworks.

Architect - Is AI coming for your job?

Hey, Architect.
Most firm leaders are thinking about A.I. the wrong way.
You may be one of them. 👇

———

The real question isn't how fast you can automate. 
It's what you can't afford to.

———

Every major technology shift brings the same temptation: cut costs first, ask questions later.

Short-term? It can work. 
Long-term? It almost never does.

———

AI will pressure-test that instinct harder than anything before it.
The firms that come out ahead won't be the fastest to automate. 

They'll be the most intentional about where AI belongs — and where it doesn't.

———

I put together a carousel breaking down:

• The operational wins worth capturing
• The three traps that quietly hollow out your firm
• The mindset shift that separates resilient firms from reactive ones

———

If you lead a firm, manage a team, or have any say in how your office approaches A.I. — this one's worth a swipe.

———


And if you want a deeper dive, check out the full essay here:
https://lnkd.in/e6qS9eQy

———

Hi, I'm Mike 👋 

I'm a practicing Architect who overcame burnout firsthand. Now I run workshops that help firms stop losing their best people to what nearly took me out. Follow for more.

Your Firm's Biggest A.I. Mistake

Architects,
Burnout doesn't always come from overwork.
Sometimes it comes from overthinking.

When we stay busy for busy's sake, we convince ourselves we're making progress. 

But we're not moving forward, we're just moving.

And eventually, that wears us down.

The fix is simpler than you think:

→ Pick a handful of priorities that actually matter to you. 
→ Take one step forward. 
→ Check in occasionally.

Where are you, where have you been, where are you headed?

That's it.
Progress > Movement.

———

👋 I'm Mike I help Architects build sustainably-balanced, burnout-resilient careers. Follow for more.

♻ If this resonates, share it with an Architect who needs to hear it.

Architect,
The reason you can't find work/life balance?
You're designing it wrong.

It's not about balancing cups.
It's about designing your life intentionally.

Three shifts that changed everything for me:

1️⃣ Stop treating work and life as opposites.
• They're not competing forces—they're both part of who you are.
• The goal isn't separation; it's integration that actually works.

2️⃣ Prioritize quickly, move slowly.
• Identify what matters most, then make small, sustainable changes.
• Overhauling everything at once is how burnout happens.

3️⃣ Accept that "balance" is temporary.
• Life changes constantly.
• What feels balanced today won't next month—and that's normal. 
• The skill is adjusting, not perfecting.

The Architects I work with who avoid burnout don't have fewer responsibilities.

They've just learned to design their lives with the same intentionality they bring to their projects.

➡️ What's one small change you could make this week?

—

👋 Hi I’m Mike
Helping Architects build sustainable, burnout-resistant careers.
Follow for more.

Hey, Architect.
Firms are using AI more than ever. 🤖
Here's why leaning in too fast may be costly. 

(and how to use A.I. more wisely as a firm owner)

I broke it all down in a new essay you won't want to miss.

———

👋Hi, I'm Mike
I help ambitious Architects grow into leadership without sacrificing their well-being. Follow for more.

This essay was originally from my newsletter The Resilient Architect. For more issues like this to help you advance your ambitious Architecture career

Open article: Why the Fastest Firms To Automate Will Be the First To Run Out Of Project Architects 🤖 by Mike LaValley AIA, LEED AP • 7 min read

Why the Fastest Firms To Automate Will Be the First To Run Out Of Project Architects 🤖

Are you worried about AI as an Architect? 🤖
You should be... and you shouldn't be.
I broke down why in a new essay you won't want to miss.

———

👋Hi, I'm Mike
I help ambitious Architects grow into leadership without sacrificing their well-being. Follow for more.

Open article: Is AI Coming for Your Architecture Job? 🤖 by Mike LaValley AIA, LEED AP • 7 min read

Is AI Coming for Your Architecture Job? 🤖

Hey, Architect.
The most underrated leadership move costs you almost nothing.
Invite someone into your process.

———

Recently, I had to fill out an online form, a standard NYS request for prevailing wage schedules on public projects.

Simple enough. 
But I knew people in the office who'd never done it.

So instead of just doing it, I asked a few of them to watch.

As I worked through it, I explained not just what I was filling out, but why.

That "why" is everything.

———

Revealing the intent behind a task is what lets someone take ownership of it.

It's the difference between handing someone a fish and teaching them how the whole river works.

That's what leadership actually looks like:
• Not delegating
• Not formal training
• Just including people in your process

———

Let them watch how you think.
Explain the decision.
Walk them through your reasoning in real time.

———

It takes 5 extra minutes.
But what it gives them?

→ Days, weeks, even months of experience—compressed into a single conversation.

And here's what most leaders miss: you benefit too.

———

Teaching forces you to:
• Understand your own thinking more clearly
• Reveal gaps you didn't know were there
• Build the kind of trust that makes people want to stay

———

So this week, invite one person into your process.
Not as a task.
As an experience.

That's leadership that actually develops people and keeps them from burning out or leaving your firm.

———

👋 I'm Mike. I help Architect leaders build sustainably-balanced, burnout-resilient careers and firms. Follow for more.

♻ If this resonates, share it with an Architect who needs to hear it.

Hey, Architect.
Architecture taught you to work hard. 
Nobody taught you when to stop

——

An excerpt from this week's Q&A Newsletter.
Check out the full article in my bio.

What's your take on how and when to use PTO?
Comment below 👇

——

👋 Hi, I’m Mike
I’m a practicing Architect who overcame burnout on my own. Now I speak and run workshops helping firms stop losing their best people to the same fate. Follow for more.

TRA Q&A Mar 2026 - Q1

Architect,
Resilience isn't about brute forcing your way through life. 
It's knowing when to slow down.

Two years ago, I injured my foot in an 8k race in downtown Buffalo.

No pain on race day.
But the next morning, my foot blew up beet red.

The diagnosis: 
My first metatarsal (long bone from ankle to toe) was naturally too long, slowly degrading the cartilage in my big toe joint.

"How is this possible?" I thought.

I played soccer in high school, ran long distance to recover from burnout—never had issues.

My doctor said, "It was just a matter of time."

He gave me two options:
1️⃣Wait until the cartilage is gone, and have surgery later in life
2️⃣Have surgery now, recover faster, and keep doing what I love (running, swimming, triathlons)

Three weeks ago, I chose surgery.

The recovery is boring and frustrating, but necessary.

Here's what I'm learning: we need to be proactive about our lives. I don't want to be limited when there's something I can do to improve my quality of life.

Resilience means strategically fighting the battles that are right for YOU—even when it's uncomfortable.

Yes, having surgery to shorten a bone in my driving foot sounds a little crazy.

But being limited temporarily is teaching me to appreciate the life I have and the one I'm building.

Being a Resilient Architect means putting your health first for the long term.

If you're stuck in fear, stress, or burnout, start building resilience now—in big and small ways. 

The dividends compound.

———

👋 Hi I'm Mike
What some help to fight burnout?
I recently developed a 5-step framework to help.

Get it here for free: 
https://lnkd.in/e3k4mUkR

Great conversation started by Rachel R Gresham, Highly recommend for Architects of all experience levels. 

Whether you are a firm owner or a drafter fresh out of college, we all need to be aware of where the business of Architecture is heading. Also, showing an interest in your firm's business is an easy hack to show leaders you work with that you're someone of note for promotions and future leadership roles.

Remember: We get to be Architects (design amazing buildings, sketch interesting concepts, develop complex models) if there's a financial need for our services.

Architect | Business of Architecture Protagonist | Org Design Educator

View Rachel R Gresham, AIA, MBA, WELL AP, CDT’s profile

Architecture friends, let’s talk numbers. Not vibes. Numbers.

The January AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) came in at 43.8. Down from 47.1. That means more firms saw declining billings than growth to start 2026.

Inquiries dropped for the first time since April 2025.
New design contracts softened.
Projects that do move forward? Smaller.

Regionally, everyone felt it except the South, which hovered at flat. Specialization didn’t offer much shelter either. Multifamily has slowed its rate of decline, but hasn’t seen growth since mid-2022. That is not a blip. That’s a pattern.

And here’s the part that should make firm leaders pause:
56% say negotiating fees is harder than it was two years ago.
Most firms are leaning on fixed fees or fee plus reimbursables. Yet only 30% say stipulated sum has been the most profitable method. Meanwhile, traditional design-bid-build is still viewed as the most profitable delivery method, followed by CM at risk and design-build. Corporate, government, and private institutional clients are reporting as comparatively strong profit centers.

So what does this mean?
When revenue softens and fee pressure rises, the margin for casual business management disappears. Strategy becomes oxygen. Fee modeling becomes critical. Client selection becomes a leadership decision, not just a marketing win.

Soft markets test backlog. Soft markets test business acumen.

And if there was ever a moment for architecture firms to understand their numbers as well as they understand their details, this is it.

ABI link in comments. Michele A. Russo Richard Branch Jennifer Riskus

Architect.
Be real with me for a minute.
Are you burning the candle at both ends?

———

If it's not one of these, share something else you're dealing with right now. Maybe I (or someone in the comments) can help!

Hey, Architect. What burnout stress are you trying to fight off the most right now in your life? What keeps you up at night?

The questions Architects ask me in private are the ones the profession never talks about.

——— 

This month's Q&A issue of The Resilient Architect hits three of the most common ones I get from readers — guilt about leaving on time, how to push back on scope creep without burning the client relationship, and what firm leaders can actually offer when they can't match tech salaries.

———

These aren't edge cases.

They're the everyday friction that wears people down until burnout arrives and they wonder how it snuck up on them.

I answered each one honestly.

No fluff. 
No toxic positivity.

——— 

→ Full newsletter is live. 
Drop a 🙋 below if one of these questions hits close to home.

Open article: Resilient Architect Q&A: Vacay guilt, scope creep, and the talent war by Mike LaValley AIA, LEED AP • 7 min read

Resilient Architect Q&A: Vacay guilt, scope creep, and the talent war

Hey, Architect.
Are you worried about AI? 🤖
Here's a few reasons for concern AND for hope.

I broke it all down in a new essay you won't want to miss.

———

👋Hi, I'm Mike
I help ambitious Architects grow into leadership without sacrificing their well-being. Follow for more.
https://lnkd.in/eUvan93p

Hey, Architect.
Just checking in. How are you doing right now?
If you're more "truck on fire" than "balance," reach out. I can help! 🙂

One of the best metrics of success is how we integrate the work we love with the rest of our lives.

Most Architects don't burn out all at once.
They burn out one degree at a time.

———

First, they're great.
…Then good.
…Then alright.
…Then "fine" (which is architect-speak for "I haven't been fine in six months”)

———

By the time they hit overwhelmed, they've already convinced themselves that asking for help is a sign of weakness.

That a good Architect pushes through.
That they'll catch up on sleep when the deadline passes.

———

They don't ask for help.
They wait.
And they wait until they're toast.

———

Here's what nobody tells you in school: 
🔥the match burns brightest right before it goes out.

The moment you feel most capable of pushing harder is often the moment you're closest to the edge.

You don't need to be desperate to deserve support.
You need help when you're alright. 

Not when you're lost.

———

Ask a colleague.
Delegate the redlines.
Tell your PM you're at capacity.
Block out time to actually talk.

———

The earlier you ask, the more options you have.
Wait long enough, and you're just managing the damage.

———

👋 Hi, I'm Mike
I’m a practicing Architect who overcame burnout on my own. Now I speak and run workshops helping firms stop losing their best people to the same fate. Follow for more.

Where are you on the path to burnout now?

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Olivier Madel

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