TZL 1312

TZL 1312

T R E N D L I N E S W W W . T H E Z W E I G L E T T E R . C O M S e p t emb e r 1 6 , 2 0 1 9 , I s s u e 1 3 1 2

Expected marketing spending

There’s plenty of support out there for women in the AEC industry, but the stats still have to catch up to the sentiment. Single working moms

In Zweig Group’s 2019 Marketing Survey of AEC Firms , firms shared whether they expected their marketing spending to increase , decrease , or remain the same over the next fiscal year. Forty-eight percent of firms expected their marketing spending to increase while less than 10 percent expect a decline in spending. Among the firms that anticipate an increase, they believe the marketing spending will increase by an average of 11 percent over the next fiscal year. Participate in a survey and save $320 on any Zweig Group research publication. Visit bit.ly/TZLsp to learn more. F I R M I N D E X Baldridge & Associates Structural Engineering.............................................6 Dewberry................................................4 Greeley and Hansen................................4 LEO A DALY............................................8 Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc.. ....8 M. Grisafe Architects.............................12 Rincon Consultants, Inc..........................8 MOR E A RT I C L E S xz MARK ZWEIG: Lack of email etiquette is still a problem Page 3 xz Driven to do good: Steve Baldridge Page 6 xz PETER ATHERTON: A new definition Page 9 xz GREG SAUTER: Leading an innovative culture Page 11

N ot long ago I was on Facebook and a post showed up on my newsfeed from someone in an “Architects” group. The person wrote, “I’m 30 years old and a single mom. Do you think it’s already too late for me to pursue architecture?” I quickly read through the 131 comments. Judging by the names and pictures of most of the other members of this group, many of the people who commented were male and international. I was surprised that most of the comments were positive and supportive. Here are a few of my favorites (some are edited slightly for ease of reading): ❚ ❚ “It’s not too late. Design is mainly a personal passion. Even if you start at 50, it is still OK.” ❚ ❚ “I was 42 when I got my master’s degree in architecture. You’re far younger than you even realize! Ask yourself this: Would you rather be 35 and in the same place, or 35 and an architect? Either way you’ll be 35. Might as well be an architect too, right?” ❚ ❚ “You already solved the kids problem. Go for it. With your maturi- ty and energy, you have more chances to succeed than your future classmates.” ❚ ❚ “It’s never too late for anything! Considering all the s*@t building around the world, there’s plenty of room for talent ;).” ❚ ❚ “Never too late ... Geoffrey Bawa, the master architect from Sri Lanka, started his architecture in his 40s ... He was a barista ... qualified in U.K. ... Hidden talent was discovered and pursued. He became an internationally acclaimed architect … with some signa- ture designs.” ❚ ❚ “Thirty is nothing. Think about it. Average life is 70. If you start now it can be finished by the time you are 35. That means 35 years in architecture. It’s worth it and you deserve it. Just do it.” ❚ ❚ “It’s never ever too late to fulfill a dream. Go for it, dear, and teach your child what it means to be passionate. Wish you all the best.” I’ll admit I got a little emotional reading this outpouring of support and encouragement, but one comment did sit a little uneasy with me – the one about the “kids problem.” I don’t think the AEC industry is alone in presenting a “kids problem” for young people (to generalize, women), but Zweig Group’s >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12

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