Blueprint for Success: A 12-Part Masterclass for AE Leaders
About the series
In the world of architecture and engineering, professionals rarely receive the comprehensive business training they need, yet they often find themselves juggling the demands of design and business management. Enter visionary architect and business consultant, Douglas Teiger, FAIA. With a wealth of experience, he has crafted this exceptional series to empower fellow architects and engineers to elevate their firms, mirroring the success strategies of Fortune 500 companies, all while maintaining a harmonious work-life balance.
Meet Douglas Teiger
Douglas Teiger
Douglas Teiger, FAIA, graduated from Cornell University, in 1982 with a BARCH. He opened his own firm in 1989 and grew from a solo practitioner to become managing partner of his 32-person firm.
In 2009, Douglas received a Master’s in Spiritual Psychology from USM, where he learned tools and skills he is sharing with his staff and clients. His ability to effectively streamline the operations allowed for more time to be spent on design and project research while creating a culture that fosters a holistic approach to a work life balance.
In 2017, he served as president of the AIA Los Angeles Chapter and previously served on the AIA National Strategic Council.
In 2019 Douglas transitioned out of his firm elevating three associates to partners, sold his shares and started his next venture, Teiger Consulting.
Douglas’s mission is to “live an inspiring balanced life” whether it involves family, coaching, consulting, painting, or sports.
Upcoming sessions
The Power of Time Management: Balancing Projects, Profitability & Life in the AE World
Part 1 of the ‘Blueprint for Success’ Masterclass Series
In AE practices, time is money. Without proper tracking and allocation of your team’s time, there is no way to understand and manage profitability on your projects. In this foundational session, Douglas Teiger, FAIA, Founder of Teiger Consulting and former managing partner of his own architectural firm for 30-plus years, shows you how to execute advanced time management strategies, including budgeting time to align with project activities rather than just traditional phases, and analyzing the impact of non-billable time on firm profitability. He will also review proven tactics that he uses for his own schedule, like tracking time via buckets, implementing calendar blocking, and creating a realistic, harmonic work-life balance.
The Chart of Accounts: Your AE Firm’s Path to Financial Control
Part 2 of the ‘Blueprint for Success’ Masterclass Series
The chart of accounts is the bedrock of financial insight for your AE firm. In this course, Douglas Teiger, FAIA, demystifies some often-confusing, essential accounting terms and equips you with the power to wield them effectively. Discover the art of creating a customized chart of accounts, tailored to the unique needs of your AE firm, and dive deep into its organizational prowess, understanding how it can illuminate the flow of money within your practice. Join Douglas as he takes you beyond the numbers! Learn how your chart of accounts becomes the cornerstone of budgeting, empowering you to set ambitious goals and navigate the financial terrain of the upcoming quarters with precision.
The Art of Estimating Fees: Unlocking Profitable Projects for Your AE Firm
Part 3 of the ‘Blueprint for Success’ Masterclass Series
Ready to master the art of estimating fees and gain profound insights into their impact on your bottom line? Join Douglas Teiger, FAIA, on a journey that begins at the very inception of a project—when that initial request for a proposal lands on your desk or in your inbox. In this comprehensive course, you will not only learn to define project scope, but also develop a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) for construction costs and estimate project hours. We'll culminate by dissecting how fees are structured and introduce a simplified system to enhance your overall project profitability.
A Guide to Client Onboarding: Crafting Winning Proposals and Contracts
Part 4 of the ‘Blueprint for Success’ Masterclass Series
The proposal is the pivotal part in the client onboarding process, a gateway that holds the power to set the stage for a successful project journey. However, in the world of architecture and engineering, there's no one-size-fits-all proposal. Join Founder of Teiger Consulting and architectural entrepreneur Douglas Teiger, FAIA, in this comprehensive course where he’ll dive deep into the art of crafting compelling proposals that resonate with each unique project and client.
Cash Flow Essentials: How to Calculate Burn Rate & Runway for Your AE Firm
Part 5 of the ‘Blueprint for Success’ Masterclass Series
In the dynamic world of AE firms, understanding your financial runway and burn rate is akin to having a GPS for your practice's financial journey. Your gross burn rate is a crucial metric that measures the rate at which your firm consumes capital before generating positive cash flow. It's the answer to the pivotal question: “How long can we stay in business without signing another project?”
Shaping Success: Strategies for Nurturing Your AE Firm’s Project Managers
Part 6 of the ‘Blueprint for Success’ Masterclass Series
In this transformative course, Douglas Teiger, FAIA, a former managing partner at his own firm for 30 years and Founder of Teiger Consulting, gives an overview of the skillset and training necessary for firm leaders to hire and effectively nurture project managers. By the end of this session, you'll possess the knowledge and tools to elevate your project management practices and drive excellence in your firm's project profitability.
The AE Firm’s Guide to Growth: How Marketing & Business Development Create Predictable Revenue
Part 12 of the ‘Blueprint for Success’ Masterclass Series
Join Founder of Teiger Consulting Douglas Teiger, FAIA, as he unravels the secrets to sustainable growth and revenue predictability. Distinguish between marketing, the craft of establishing your brand and nurturing qualified leads, and business development, the strategic art of cultivating relationships with potential, new, and existing clients.
In this session, Douglas unveils a systematic approach to tracking leads, tailored to teams of all sizes, and helps you design an opportunity pipeline. By the end of this session, you'll possess the knowledge and tools to master finding and retaining ideal clients for consistent and predictable revenue.
Past sessions
The Path to Prosperity: How to Build & Measure Against Your AE Firm’s Strategic Plan
Part 11 of the ‘Blueprint for Success’ Masterclass Series
Join Douglas Teiger, FAIA, for this game-changing session, where AE leaders discover the financial secrets hidden within strategic planning. In this session, Douglas gives a simple breakdown of the strategic planning process, providing a roadmap for development. He dives into the 'who, what, when, where, and how' of strategic planning, making it accessible and actionable. Moreover, he shows you how to identify and leverage essential Key Performance Indicators that will transform your strategic plan into a financial powerhouse, setting your firm on the path to prosperity for years to come.
The Aligned Firm: Crafting Your AE Firm’s Story & Mission-Vision Statement
Part 10 of the ‘Blueprint for Success’ Masterclass Series
Though it may seem aspirational, your AE firm's core values and mission can define the trajectory of your firm. Are your clients aligned with YOUR story? In this session led by Douglas Teiger, FAIA, we'll embark on a journey to sculpt a value-centric practice that resonates with your identity. Discover a step-by-step process to define your firm's core values and craft mission-vision statements that reflect your biggest goals. Additionally, we’ll explore the power of an analyzer tool that confirms if your employees, clients, and projects are harmoniously aligned with your core values.
Join us for this enlightening session and unlock the tools and techniques to forge an AE practice that thrives on its core values and your highest vision. By the end of this session, you'll possess the knowledge and tools to create alignment, purpose, and success in your firm.
The AE Firm’s Foundational Trio: Defining Your Business Structure, Org Chart and Role Accountability
Part 9 of the ‘Blueprint for Success’ Masterclass Series
Discover the myriad of options for business structures and their unique benefits, gaining the insight to make informed decisions that align with your firm's goals. But it doesn't stop there – in this transformative webinar, Douglas delves into the crucial distinction between organizational and accountability charts and how to ensure that the right person is in the right seat to supercharge your firm's performance. By the end of this session, you'll possess the knowledge and tools to craft an organizational structure that ignites alignment, propels productivity, and fuels your firm's ascent to greatness.
What to Track and How to Track It: Essential KPIs for Every AE Firm
Part 8 of the ‘Blueprint for Success’ Masterclass Series
In today's dynamic landscape, staying ahead requires a real-time view into the heartbeat of your AE firm. Dashboards, reports, and scorecards offer critical insights into employee performance, projects, and financials. Join Founder of Teiger Consulting and architectural entrepreneur Douglas Teiger, FAIA, for a transformative course where you'll discover the essential KPIs that drive AE firm success. You’ll also learn to create a system that tracks these metrics month-over-month, reflecting your firm's unique trends and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Join us for this enlightening session and embark on a journey to unlock the power of KPIs to optimize your firm. By the end of this session, you'll possess the knowledge and tools to navigate the AE landscape with precision and achieve unparalleled success.
AE Profitability Metrics Demystified: Utilization Rate, Efficiency Rate, and Cost Rate Multiplier
Part 7 of the ‘Blueprint for Success’ Masterclass Series
Join Douglas as he unravels the vital KPI of profitability, the cost rate multiplier, and explores the crucial distinctions between utilization rate and efficiency rate. He'll explain precisely how to define your breakeven multiplier and unveil your true cost rate, ensuring that financial clarity guides your decision-making. Additionally, discover how to set and analyze your firm's maximum office billing potential, a critical step toward achieving your financial goals. By the end of this session, you'll possess the knowledge and tools to drive profitability, both at the project level and across your entire firm.
The AE Firm’s Guide to Growth: How Marketing & Business Development Create Predictable Revenue
Part 12 of the ‘Blueprint for Success’ Masterclass Series
Most AE teams are extremely thoughtful when developing their designs, but often let communicating their brand or actively pursuing ideal clients fall to the wayside. Marketing and business development are the twin engines that fuel your AE firm's ascent, and understanding their synergy is paramount.
Join Founder of Teiger Consulting Douglas Teiger, FAIA, as he unravels the secrets to sustainable growth and revenue predictability.
The Path to Prosperity: How to Build & Measure Against Your AE Firm’s Strategic Plan
Part 11 of the ‘Blueprint for Success’ Masterclass Series
Join Douglas Teiger, FAIA, for this game-changing session, where AE leaders discover the financial secrets hidden within strategic planning. In this session, Douglas gives a simple breakdown of the strategic planning process, providing a roadmap for development. He dives into the 'who, what, when, where, and how' of strategic planning, making it accessible and actionable. Moreover, he shows you how to identify and leverage essential Key Performance Indicators that will transform your strategic plan into a financial powerhouse, setting your firm on the path to prosperity for years to come.