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For decades, business development in engineering firms played second fiddle to the technical work. Amanda Payne built a career proving that wrong.

In this episode of The Intangible Brand, Jerry Gennaria and Carl Winstead sit down with Amanda Payne, Vice President and Business Development Director at Horner & Shifrin, to talk about what happens when a firm treats business development as a peer discipline to its engineering work, not a support function bolted on after the fact.

Amanda started in architecture school at Drury University, spent five years defending hand-drawn designs in studio crits, and eventually realized that training was better preparation for business development than for a desk job. She walks us through her rise from business development manager to the H&S board table, why she thinks 100% employee ownership is an underused trust signal with clients, and why too many BD directors get left out of the room where growth targets actually get set.

In this episode

• Why studio crits and all-nighters in architecture school turned out to be Amanda's real training for a career in business development
• Amanda's clear line between marketing and business development — and why blurring the two is her biggest pet peeve
• How Horner & Shifrin's 100% employee ownership becomes a trust signal in front of clients, not just an internal detail
• Why business development directors belong in strategic planning meetings, not just deal rooms
• The leadership lessons Amanda carried from chairing the SMPS St. Louis chapter into her seat on H&S's board
• How the AEC industry has changed for women in business development, and where it still has work to do

Key Takeaways

• Clients respond to an ESOP once it's explained to them — ownership signals that everyone at the firm has a stake in getting the work right, not just an HR detail.
• The instinct to present and defend your own work under pressure, built in architecture school, transfers directly to business development.
• Amanda pushed to have business development represented in strategic planning conversations. If BD isn't in the room, the growth plan and the pipeline stop lining up.
• Leading a volunteer board (SMPS St. Louis) taught Amanda how to delegate and trust a team, a lesson she carries into her seat on H&S's board today.
• Amanda's book pick, Leading Change by John Kotter, reinforced a leadership style that lets people stumble and learn rather than micromanaging every step.

Resource and References

• Leading Change by John P. Kotter: https://www.amazon.com/Leading-Change-New-Preface-Author/dp/1422186431
• Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus: https://lemonadamedia.com/show/wiser-than-me-with-julia-louis-dreyfus/

Learn more about Horner & Shifrin: https://www.hornershifrin.com/
Learn more about The Intangible Brand: TheIntangibleBrand.com

About Amanda Payne

Amanda Payne is Vice President and Business Development Director at Horner & Shifrin, where she leads business development strategy for the firm. She has over 15 years working in business development and marketing within the AEC industry, with a career built on reorganizing business development and marketing strategies, improving efficiency and win rates, managing large-scale project proposals, and cultivating the client relationships that turn into long-term partnerships.

Amanda's leadership extends beyond her role at Horner & Shifrin through her active involvement in professional and community organizations. She has chaired corporate United Way campaigns, volunteered in support of Mercy Hospital special events, and serves on the committee for St. Louis KIDstruction, a fundraising initiative benefiting St. Louis Children's Hospital. Amanda has also held leadership positions with Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) St. Louis and the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) St. Louis Chapter, where she has served on the Board of Directors and as Chapter President.

 Amanda brings a unique viewpoint to conversations about client and employee experience, having spent her career on both relationship building with clients and helping shape internal culture and strategic initiatives.

 She lives in the St. Louis area with her husband, JR, and their three children.

#Horner&Shifrin #AECMarketing #aecindustry #EmployeeExperience #ClientExperience #SMPS #BrandStrategy

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