At the beginning of August, I had the opportunity to attend SMPS Amplify, our national conference, hosted in Columbus, Ohio. As my first time experiencing Amplify, I was struck by the energy, inspiration, and sense of community that filled every room. From powerful keynotes to practical breakout sessions, the conference delivered not just ideas, but tools and connections I will most certainly remember as I get back to the daily grind of work life.

One of the most memorable moments came from the MainStage keynote by Alex Sheen, founder of Because I Said I Would. Sparked by the loss of his father, Alex began sending Promise Cards around the world at no cost, inspiring millions to honor their commitments. His presentation was heartwarming, humorous, and deeply motivating all at once. Each of us walked away with our own Promise Card as a tangible reminder of the commitments we make to ourselves, our teams, and our communities.

With the recent news that Christopher Nolan is bringing us a big budget adaptation of The Odyssey next year, it’s high time to pick up a copy of Homer’s masterpiece, especially if your last read was a forced slog back in high school.

And while there’s plenty to recommend The Odyssey to the general reader, what is there to recommend it to the AEC marketer?

Winning the Room: Interview Coaching That Connects

Shortlist interviews are high‑stakes moments where your strategy, story, and team come down to one shot, and in this episode Damion Morris and Deirdre Booth unpack how to show up and deliver—focusing less on perfect decks and more on mindset, chemistry, culture, and preparation as leadership. Expect practical tactics for coaching and team building, building psychological safety for technical staff, avoiding slide dependence, nailing the make‑or‑break Q&A, and recovering when things go sideways—useful whether you’re leading pursuits or stepping into your first interview. Read more

As proposal professionals, we know that anything that saves time is worth its weight in gold. And as a proposal designer, I live in Adobe InDesign. It’s my favorite of Adobe’s software suite, and it’s packed with tools and tricks that can make the proposal designing process go much faster. Here are three that I find myself using on just about every proposal.

Grid of Frames