Leadership & Practice Development for Architects and Designers to EXPOSE their full potential

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Transforming your practice for impact that lasts

Making A Mark helps architects and firms build robust and successful practices through in-person mentoring, coaching sessions, and workshops. Whether you are an individual navigating a career shift or a firm ready for a clear leadership development path, the Making A Mark curriculum is tailored to your needs.

How we do it:

Start with the client's "Why"

Understanding your core motivations and goals is the foundation of effective leadership development.

Review workplace culture/staff

Assess current team dynamics, communication patterns, and organizational culture to identify growth opportunities.

Discuss long-term goals

Define clear objectives for personal and organizational growth that align with your vision for success.

Create effective business strategy

Develop actionable plans that transform insights into measurable improvements for your practice.

Attendees will be provided with strategies and techniques to help combat firm vulnerability, improve staff and firm morale, improve soft skills, engage trust, and strive towards a more harmonious and collaborative environment.

The Expose program is a set of sessions focused on recognizing vulnerabilities in projects, as well as learning, coping, and repairing tools. These in-depth sessions are for individuals and organizations interested in leading vulnerable and complex projects.

Program includes:

  • Identification of internal and external issues
  • Webinar materials
  • Soft skills refinement
  • Project retrospective review
  • Presentation of insights learned from projects or situation
Vulnerabilities of Project or Staff Identified

Emerge is a set of 1-on-1 or group sessions centered on early stage, non-licensed staff with 2-10 years experience. We will focus on developing the soft skills needed to increase confidence and abilities, to excel through advancements, and manage increased responsibilities. Initial agendas will be based on participants' professional and personal goals.

Emerge sessions address the concerns of the emerging professional:

  • Envision advancement and added responsibility
  • Reconcile lack of experience with growth opportunities
  • Successful task management
  • When to begin delegation
  • Confidence growth through soft skill development
Career Growth

Personal & professional development:

  • Communication skills
  • Confidence
  • Interpersonal relationship skills
  • Time management habits
  • Learn how to ask questions and why

Career growth tools to enhance:

  • Development plans: ARCs, volunteering, outside study
  • Professional goals
  • Skills assessments
  • Work-life balance
  • Confidence in delegation

Leadership support for:

  • Skills development
  • Staff management
  • Role transitioning

Post hoc support:

  • Sessions and training review
  • Personal action plan refinement

Outcomes of the Emerge program include:

  • Better time management
  • Enhanced coworker and client relationships
  • Effective delegation skills
  • Increased confidence
  • Streamlined problem solving
  • Better work-life balance
  • Improved capabilities for role/responsibilities/advancement transitioning

Expand coaching sessions are conducted in a 1-on-1 or group format, and they are designed for senior staff with 8-30 years of experience. Participants, including newly promoted staff and those seeking promotion, will explore soft skills and what it means to be a leader.

Initial meetings will discover and clarify objectives and goals. Coaching sessions are then tailored to meet specific staff or practice needs.

The outcomes of Expand will be similar to those of the Emerge sessions.

Career Growth

Empower is a structured, executive-level, coaching program for practice owners, executive level architects, sole practitioners focused on helping you create a clear vision for your company.

By spotlighting practice comprehension and soft skills, Empower coaching sessions help you and your team stay on the path towards your long term goal. We will address the skills and issues affecting your practice and ensure a flourishing business.

Empower Program highlights:

  • Consists of 6-12 sessions, twice a month for 90 minutes each
  • Format is 1-on-1 with agendas set by your needs
  • Each session addresses a challenge unique to your practice and outcome desired
  • Practice reviews include operations assessments and SWOT analysis
  • Envision the future with new goals and an action plan
Clarity of the Practice

Outcomes of Empower coaching sessions:

  • Improved clarity on the future of the practice
  • Realigned firm and leader values - the WHYs
  • More confident, practice aligned, decision making
  • Improved work-life balance
  • Reenergized workplace culture

Making A Mark provides the time and space needed to view the practice, its staff, and leadership perspectives holistically to help your team excel personally and professionally.

Podcast

Latest Episode

Gain insights into our most effective curriculum and coaching solutions on the Making A Mark podcast.

On the MaM podcast, we share views on topics in architecture and interview diverse voices in the industry, as they share inspiring perspectives, stories, and tips on growth and leadership.

About

Hello, I'm Mark Steppan!

As founder and CEO of Making A Mark, I specialize in leadership strategy and tactics for architects and designers. Helping architects to be better is my passion, and I am focused on improving architectural & design practices through growth in personal leadership skills and an advanced understanding of practice operations.

I am a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Construction Specifications Institute, and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).

My goal is to help architects and designers build successful teams and practices, by giving them the tools and strategies to evolve into effective leaders and create a productive work environment.

  • Developed and published content on "Leading Vulnerable & Complex Projects" to AIACA, AIAFlorida, and AIANYS
  • Former chair of the AIAEB Professional Practice Forum (PPF)
  • Current board member and past president and treasurer of the AIAEB Chapter
  • Awarded a Presidential Citation from AIACA and Leadership Legacy award from AIAEB in 2024
  • Authored office documentation and accessibility standards for past multiple firms
  • Created Risk Management and QA/QC Policies and Guidelines for past multiple firms

Why Coaching

From leading the PPF to providing guidance on the AIAEB Board, I have always focused on mentoring to help other architects grow in the profession. The founding principles behind Making A Mark developed from this passion for mentoring, teaching, and coaching.

Benefits of Coaching

  • 80% of people who receive coaching report increased self-confidence
  • Over 70% benefit from improved work performance, relationships, and more effective communication skills
  • 86% of companies report that they recouped their investment on coaching
Mark Steppan

"I appreciate Mark's patient approach, both holistically in the overall structure of the series and specifically in each session's content, in really taking the time to break down leadership into a series of digestible topics and discussions. This approach allowed participants to go beyond initial impressions or notions of leadership, and examine with intent the rationale and thoughts behind the types of leadership that resonate. The sessions impressed upon me that leadership is a mindset and a series of thought patterns to be trained, rather than a laundry list of traits to be mimicked. That fundamental lesson, to me, is what allows participants to draw from their own experience and grow into successful leaders that are authentic to each individual's personality. I highly recommend Mark's Leadership Series for firms that are interested in furthering the leadership skills of both its current and emerging leaders."

- Howai Lai

"Mark's leadership coaching is fluid and casual, yet structured with an easy-to-follow curriculum. I have taken many leadership seminars over the years, and this coaching class felt approachable, achievable, and results-driven. Each class offered discussion topics that started with abstract concepts then moved to real-life scenarios. The homework assignments were simple yet encouraged self-reflection. There are many books to teach leadership, but there is nothing like the one-on-one experience that comes with human interaction with Mark as facilitator."

- Yolanda Santiago

"I recently had the pleasure of participating in a leadership coaching session with Mark. As architecture practitioners, we often focus intensely on design and technical execution, but Mark bridges the gap to effective leadership with incredible skill. What stands out most about Mark is his demeanor; he is incredibly calm and grounded, which sets the tone for the entire group. Rather than just lecturing, he is a deeply attentive listener who facilitates genuine conversation. He has a unique ability to make sure every voice in the room is heard and valued. I walked away not just with new knowledge, but with a renewed perspective on how to lead within the industry. Highly recommended for any design professional looking to elevate their management skills."

- Hamid Tabatabaei

Get in Touch

Ready to transform your practice and develop your leadership potential? Let's start a conversation about how Making A Mark can help you achieve your goals.