Episode 122: Entrepreneurship in Architecture, Apostrophe Consulting

What does it take to build a purpose-driven architecture management consulting business?

Co-hosts Evelyn Lee and Je’Nen Chastain are back on the mic — except this time, Evelyn is guiding the conversation and interviewing Je’Nen! On this episode of Practice Disrupted, Evelyn and Je’Nen share how they first connected in the architectural design world, and Je’Nen talks about how her entrepreneurial spirit and non-linear career path gave her a unique perspective in her business, Apostrophe Consulting.

Apostrophe Consulting is a purpose-driven, woman-owned management consulting practice dedicated to helping architects transform their companies. With expertise in talent development, change management, and business strategy, Je’Nen helps her clients navigate growth in a changing world.

To wrap up the episode, Evelyn asks Je’Nen what her hope and vision is for the future of both the field of architecture and Apostrophe Consulting. Stay until the end to hear what Je’Nen has to say, as well as her advice for anyone looking to step into entrepreneurship.

“The number one is finance. And the number two is mental health. Those are the two things that I think most entrepreneurs need to be ready to navigate. I don't think you have to have it all figured out at the start — you can transition into this and still be successful. And there's nothing wrong with that.”

Tune in next week to hear a conversation with Evelyn and Je’Nen about the MIT School of Architecture and Planning and how the program has driven innovation.

Guest:

Je’Nen Chastain, MBA, Assoc. AIA is the Founder of Apostrophe Consulting, a practice focused on helping architects and next-gen leaders strengthen their teams and businesses. In addition to consulting with firm leaders on practice management issues, she co-hosts Practice Disrupted, a podcast with a growing audience of over 30k unique listeners. She earned her MBA from Mills College and BArch from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She has received several industry leadership awards, including the 2017 AIA Associates Award and Presidential Citations from AIA California & North Carolina. She wrote the business plan for the AIA Leadership Institute 2015-2020 and served on the AIA national board of directors in 2010.

📍 Show Links:  

Apostrophe Consulting

📚 Related Past Episodes:

PD #119 Architecture, And: YouTube, Entrepreneurship, & Architecture

PD #89 Entrepreneurship in Practice: Taking Risks to Create Value

PD #75 Growing an AEC Startup, The Evolution of a Company

PD #56 Leading with Finance & Entrepreneurship

PD #26 Climate Action Through Entrepreneurship

💻 Learn about our podcast partner:

👉 This episode is sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction 

 Interested in using your design training to prompt change in our industry? The AISC is looking for creative architects to help shape how our profession approaches structural steel. They’re building a program to bring industry leaders together to harness structural steel innovations. Learn more at aisc.org/architecture. 

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