Inside The Firm

On this episode of Inside the Firm, the July 2026 architecture billings still suck, what does the current run of Bitcoin mean for the macro economy, and finally why you should create your firm’s project database, like now! Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Bill Derrick is a second-generation construction leader with more than 50 years of experience as President of the Derrick Companies. He helped guide his family business through the Great Recession, only to face another unexpected challenge when he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer. Through both business and personal adversity, Bill developed a deeper perspective on resilience, faith, and leadership. He shares those lessons in his book, Restored by the Storm: Navigating Through Life's Unexpected Challenges.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, where are people moving and why should architects care, and finally why architecture firms stay stuck in the boom and bust cycle and how to break it. Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Jay Setchell is a Marine veteran, entrepreneur, and lifelong business leader whose life has been defined by resilience, perseverance, and an unwavering belief in personal responsibility. Raised on a working farm and now in his seventies, Jay continues to lead multiple ventures despite being mostly paralyzed. Drawing from decades of success, setbacks, faith, and hard-earned life lessons, he inspires others to embrace adversity and never give up. His guiding philosophy is simple: If it is to be, it is up to me.

Glenn Bostock is the founder of SnapCab, the industry-leading manufacturer of elevator interiors and custom privacy pods. After struggling with learning disabilities in school, Glenn built a one-man cabinet shop into a company of more than 140 employees serving some of the biggest names in the elevator industry. Today, he's the author of A Human Business, where he shares how putting people first, embracing failure, and building a values-driven culture can create both exceptional businesses and meaningful lives.

John Patrick Winberry, AIA is the founding partner and architect at The Up Studio, an architecture, interior, and brand design studio in New York City, specializing in contemporary design. John’s approach to architecture balances theory and approachability, comfortably guiding the client to an understanding of complex design theories. Check out The Up Studio: https://www.theupstudio.com Follow The Up Studio on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgOmL61ajxu55wQMSnUofGg Inside The Firm is a podcast dedicated to architects, entrepreneurs, builders, and professionals. Hosted by Lance Cayko and Alex Gore, each Monday they host a guest across various in...

On this episode of Inside the Firm, the largest housing affordability bill in decades becomes law, and finally why leaders must keep small problems in perspective. Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Andrea Waltz is the co-creator of Go for No!, the bestselling book and business philosophy that has helped more than half a million entrepreneurs and sales professionals rethink rejection, courage, and success. What started as a self-published book became a global phenomenon with more than 5,000 five-star Amazon reviews and translations into multiple languages. For over 20 years, Andrea and her husband, Richard Fenton, have spoken to organizations around the world, teaching that growth comes not from avoiding rejection, but from embracing it. Today, Andrea helps leaders and business owners replace fear with action and turn more "no's" into bigger opportunities.

Alex is a Principal at Mancini, where he leads firm-wide strategy and business development for the nationally recognized design practice. With more than a century of legacy and a forward-looking, technology-driven approach, Mancini specializes in architecture, interior design, and master planning. In his role, Alex shapes and advances strategic initiatives across each of the firm’s practice sectors, developing continuously evolving growth frameworks that integrate research, market intelligence, and relationship development.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, lot sizes for new homes are growing, then architecture’s recovery is on the up and up, and finally the risks and reward of AE firm ownership. Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Lauren Schafer is the founder of Lake House Digital Media, a boutique, high-touch marketing agency supporting clients across the U.S. She’s known for building long-term visibility through SEO and thought leadership, especially for life sciences and startup companies where credibility is everything. Lauren also helps leadership teams show up stronger on LinkedIn through profile optimization and practical training that improves engagement without turning people into robots.

Walter Dusseldorp, known as The Dutch Mentor, is a speaker, mentor, and personal development coach focused on helping people unlock their full potential through resilience, leadership, and growth-minded thinking. Through his platform, TheDutchMentor.com, Walter shares practical strategies and mentorship tools designed to help individuals navigate challenges and create meaningful personal and professional growth. Combining real-life experience with actionable insights, he inspires audiences to think differently, lead intentionally, and pursue continuous improvement. Outside of coaching and speaking, Walter is also a passionate pilot who enjoys flying helicopters and airplanes.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, only three percent of architects are under 30 and why isn’t everyone talking about it? Then architecture’s recovery just collapsed again, and finally why 12 people can out serve 120. Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Ethan Heisey is a tax strategist and the founder of Exponential Freedom, a firm focused on helping business owners reduce their tax burden through advanced planning strategies. After working inside the traditional financial advisory world, Ethan recognized a major gap between tax preparation and proactive tax strategy. Today, he works with high-earning entrepreneurs to identify opportunities their current CPA may not be addressing, with the goal of legally reducing tax liability and increasing retained earnings.

Marcy Sagel is the Founder & CEO of DesignerBank, an online learning platform bridging the gap between design education and professional practice, and the Founder & Principal of MSA Interiors, a leading commercial design firm specializing in multifamily, student, senior, and affordable housing projects. To learn more visit https://designerbank.com/itf/

Savio P. Clemente is a healthcare leadership strategist, keynote and TEDx speaker who helps organizations lead effectively after disruption when pressure remains but clarity fades. Drawing from over 2,000 interviews with global leaders and his own experience surviving cancer twice, he developed the Adaptive Resilience Leadership framework. His work focuses on helping leaders reduce decision fatigue, make better decisions, and sustain performance when it matters most.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, why the well-rounded architect is one of architecture's favorite lies, then bad advice from old architects, and finally the conceit of architects and the public who hates them. Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Zack Tomlin is a business craftsman, author of Craft: The Expedition of Business, and founder of Your Craft Your Climb. After spending over a decade building and leading his own company, Zack shifted his focus from chasing tactics to mastering the deeper principles behind leadership and decision-making. Today, he helps leaders of small and mid-sized businesses close the gap between where they are and what they’re truly capable of by improving how they think, decide, and build. His work centers on creating businesses that perform consistently and environments where people can do their best work.

Jay Bourgana is an operator, investor, and founder of Acquisition Collective, where he helps entrepreneurs acquire and grow cash-flowing businesses. Over the past 25 years, he has built, operated, and acquired companies across manufacturing, real estate, home services, and private equity-backed ventures. His experience includes running manufacturing operations in China, completing more than 20 acquisitions, and helping grow a company to $350 million in revenue before a successful exit. Today, Jay teaches business owners how to buy businesses the right way—focusing on operations, risk management, and long-term value creation instead of hype and shortcuts.

Albert Butler is a CPA, MBA, and nationally recognized strategic advisor with over 25 years of experience in accounting and executive leadership. As a Partner-in-Charge at a national firm, he helps leaders and entrepreneurs build aligned, scalable, and transferable businesses. He is the creator of the Legacy Alignment System, a framework focused on connecting purpose, governance, and financial clarity. Albert is also the author of LIFE: Truth, Love, Loss, Success & Failure, where he blends financial insight, leadership, and personal growth into a message about building something that lasts.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, F9 Productions wins the People’s Choice award for Modern in Denver’s Design in Bloom competition, then how to actually start using Claude, and finally why having a blog still matters. Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Derek Fredrickson is the founder and CEO of The COO Solution, where he helps founders scale their businesses without staying trapped in day-to-day operations. With a background as a second-in-command across multiple six- and seven-figure companies, Derek specializes in turning vision into execution through systems, structure, and accountability. He works directly with business owners to remove bottlenecks, align teams, and build companies that run without constant founder involvement. His focus is simple: help entrepreneurs regain control, scale sustainably, and lead at a higher level.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, the AIA billings for April are out and not so good, then affordable what 30-60 minutes of silence does for your brain, and finally how to win and lose public work. Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

David Pourquery is the founder and CEO of Groas, an AI company building what he calls a fully autonomous Google Ads management system. With a background spanning private equity, venture capital, and hands-on e-commerce, David built Groas to eliminate the inefficiencies he saw in traditional ad management. As a bootstrapped founder, he has scaled the platform to manage more than $35 million in monthly Google Ads spend while challenging the conventional marketing agency model. He brings a sharp, operator-level perspective on automation, margins, and how AI is changing business execution.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, how Boulder is becoming the next Aspen, then affordable units in Denver are more vacant than market-rate apartments, and finally how Spencer Pratt will empower architects and builders to make LA beautiful again. Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Mark Gordon, known to founders as “The Rebel CRO,” is a revenue growth leader who has helped scale companies from $1 million to over $30 million in annual revenue. He specializes in breaking conventional sales and growth models, focusing instead on building predictable, scalable revenue systems that actually work in the real world. Mark works directly with founders and leadership teams to align sales, marketing, and operations into one cohesive growth engine. His approach is grounded in execution, not theory, helping businesses grow without relying on guesswork or hype.

Amber Hoffman is the Founder of The FS Agency, a digital marketing and AI advisory firm that specializes in high-precision visibility for local service businesses and professional firms. With over 15 years of expertise in digital marketing, Amber helps businesses navigate the shift from traditional search to LLM Visibility, ensuring brands are not just found on Google, but are accurately cited by AI models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity.

Rion Westfall is a founder, growth strategist, and creator of the Own Your Revenue program, where he helps small and mid-sized businesses identify the exact revenue levers that drive scalable, profitable growth. With experience spanning over 15 countries, work with the Department of Defense, and nine companies built across multiple industries, Rion brings a no-nonsense, battle-tested approach to scaling businesses without scaling chaos. His focus is simple: find what works, double down, and grow with margin.

Managing Broker Javier Santana plays a central role at Miami’s Sunland Group, a vertically integrated firm with development, design and construction capabilities. Specializing in residential and land sales, Javier leads Sunland’s Land Division, launched just over two years ago and quickly emerging as a dominant force in the market. Focused exclusively on unbuilt residential land, the division fills a critical market gap by providing dedicated brokerage services for an often overlooked yet high-volume segment of real estate.

Danny Brassell is a highly sought-after speaker, trainer, and coach—often called “Jim Carrey with a Ph.D.”—who has delivered over 3,500 presentations worldwide. A former inner-city teacher turned entrepreneur, he is the author of 20+ books, including Leadership Begins with Motivation and Misfits and Crackpots. As co-founder of WellCrafted Story™, Danny helps entrepreneurs and leaders turn storytelling and speaking into powerful client-generation tools. His work focuses on helping people communicate with clarity, authenticity, and impact.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, home remodeling profit margins hit highest rates since 2006, then we are short 10 million homes, and finally Ai workflows for architectural visualizations. Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Ben Olmos is a business leader, entrepreneur, and media founder with over 30 years of experience in the consumer packaged goods industry, working with both Fortune 500 companies and emerging brands. He is the founder of DissedMedia and The Daily Pitch, and the author of 10 Topics to Help Managers, Leaders & Entrepreneurs Get Better at What They Do. In addition to building companies, he has spent more than 20 years in higher education teaching business from undergraduate to doctoral levels. Today, he hosts the DissedMedia: A Startup Story podcast, sharing real-time lessons from building a company and interviewing founders in the trenches.

Phillip Lanier is an entrepreneur who built and sold an eight-figure business after growing up in poverty and experiencing homelessness. He didn’t follow a traditional path—he built success through discipline, problem-solving, and learning in real time. Today, he helps everyday people take control of their money through practical strategies, mindset shifts, and personal responsibility. He’s the author of No College, No Problem and teaches how to move from financial survival to stability and long-term wealth.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, is over regulation a help or kick in the butt for architects to become builders, then an update on interest rates, and finally why the most expensive way to build a house is in a factory. Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

LuAnn Buechler, known as “The Little Spark,” is a transformational speaker, master trainer, and business coach who helps entrepreneurs align their passion with purpose to create meaningful success. After a 25-year career in corporate event planning, she hit burnout and pivoted into helping others build businesses that fuel both profit and fulfillment. She’s the creator of the Make Your Pa$$ion Pay™ Playbook and the 6 C’s Framework, guiding entrepreneurs to grow without sacrificing themselves in the process. LuAnn is also the founder of the iHug Movement™, a national initiative promoting human connection and emotional well-being through simple acts of kindness.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, should institutional investors own single family homes, then an update on interest rates, and finally why is the bar so low for running a successful architecture firm? Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Van Carlson is the Founder & CEO at SRA and has over 25 years of experience within the risk management industry. Van began his career with Farmers Insurance Group as an agent; eventually growing his book to be among the largest in his home state of Idaho. Van’s primary goal is to continue the upward growth of SRA and continue to develop new products to bring to market.

On this episode of Inside the Firm, business conditions for architecture firms may stabilize soon, then lessons from General Contracting, and finally why architects must reclaim the master builder mentality or become irrelevant. Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

Matthew Fornaro is a South Florida business and commercial litigation attorney who has been serving clients since 2003. After working at two AmLaw 200 firms, he launched his own practice focused on contract disputes, construction law, intellectual property, and business formation. As both an attorney and small business owner, Matthew brings practical legal insight to entrepreneurs and mentors emerging business leaders throughout the community.

Carl Fudge is a "narrative strategist" who bridges the gap between deep business logic and world-class design. As the founder of Presentation Mode, he helps startup founders unlock capital by transforming complex business models into high-conviction fundraising stories.