In this episode of "Spill the Ink," Steven Gallo sits down with Nick Piteo, PE, a principal at Simpson Gumpertz & Heger and chair of the AEI Professional Project Awards jury. Nick pulls back the curtain on what the jury is actually looking for, why the collaboration between marketers and engineers makes or breaks a submission and how to make the business case for pursuing these awards internally.

• What the AEI Professional Project Awards are and why they exist

• What the jury is actually looking for in a submission

• Why the disconnect between marketing teams and engineers is one of the most common submission killers

• The business case for pursuing these awards — from recruiting to getting shortlisted on competitive proposals

• How to get started and why submitting as a full project team can strengthen your entry and reduce costs

Nick Piteo, PE, is a principal at Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH), where he has spent nearly 25 years specializing in building enclosures and forensic engineering. His work spans the investigation of existing structures, rehabilitation design, historic preservation and new design, with a focus on higher education, laboratory, healthcare and museum buildings. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, North Carolina, New York and Pennsylvania and holds bachelor's and master's degrees in architectural engineering from Penn State University. Nick also serves as chair of the jury for the AEI Professional Project Awards.

• Check out the AEI Professional Project Awards
• Learn more about Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH)
• Follow SGH on LinkedIn
• Connect with Nick Piteo on LinkedIn
• Say hello to Steven Gallo on LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services, creative services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.

In this episode of "Spill the Ink," Michelle Calcote King sits down with John Scott, partner and virtual CFO at Anders, to explore how law firms can use financial data to make smarter marketing decisions. The conversation covers which practice areas deserve more investment and how to build the forecasting rhythm that lets firms course-correct before it's too late.

• The most common marketing-finance disconnect at law firms — and why it can go undetected for months

• How dynamic monthly forecasting helps firms course-correct marketing spend in real time

• Why not all practice areas are equally profitable, and how to find out which ones deserve more marketing investment

• How cash flow challenges influence law firms' willingness to invest in marketing

John C. Scott, CPA, AEP, CGMA, is a partner at Anders and heads the firm's legal industry Virtual CFO practice. With more than 30 years of experience in law firm financial management, he helps firms optimize processes, strengthen profitability and prepare for succession or managing partner transitions. He is the author of Judicial Dollars and Cents and works with practices ranging from million-dollar boutiques to $30 million multi-office firms.

• Check out Anders

• Follow Anders on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram

• Connect with John Scott on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Michelle Calcote King on LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services, creative services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.

In this episode of "Spill the Ink," Steven Gallo sits down with Greg Sizemore and Gregory Palmer of the Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) to discuss the organization's annual Awards of Excellence: what they recognize, how the judging process works and what AEC firms can gain from putting together a submission.

• What the Construction Users Roundtable is and why Greg Sizemore founded it 25 years ago

• The three CURT Awards of Excellence — Safety, Workforce Development and Project Excellence — and what distinguishes each one

• Why safety and project excellence submissions are data-driven while workforce development relies more heavily on storytelling

• The most common mistakes firms make when applying and how to avoid them

• Why winning a CURT award carries value well beyond the trophy, from industry-wide exposure to owner pre-qualification signals

Greg Sizemore is the founder and president of the Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) and president of Sizemore & Company LLC. He founded CURT 25 years ago with a mission to help industrial owners get more construction for their money. He also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati, where he teaches construction law and leadership and decision making.

Gregory Palmer is the director of events and digital programs at CURT, where he has worked for more than 25 years. He oversees the organization's awards programs and events, including the annual Awards of Excellence ceremony.

• Learn more about the CURT Awards of Excellence and access applications at curt.org/awards

• Follow CURT on LinkedIn

• Connect with Greg Sizemore on LinkedIn

• Connect with Gregory Palmer on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Steven Gallo on LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services, creative services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.