If project inquiries have dropped off, timelines are getting pushed, or clients are suddenly tightening their budgets—you’re not alone. Economic instability has a ripple effect across the architecture world (and every other industry). But while things might be slower on the surface, this season can still be an opportunity to recalibrate, rethink, and rebuild stronger.

Thinking about leaving firm life behind to go out on your own? Whether you’re daydreaming about flexible hours, better clients, or finally doing work your way, the leap into freelancing or starting your own business can be both exciting and overwhelming. In this post, I’m sharing what I wish I’d known before I made the jump—from mindset shifts to real talk about money—so you can feel more prepared, confident, and grounded as you move toward freedom.

Did you just start using Revit, or have you been using it for a while? I’m willing to bet you’ve made some of these mistakes yourself at some point. These are some of the worst Revit mistakes I’ve seen in my years of teaching Revit and working with other designers. How many of these are you guilty of?

Whether you’re looking to freelance, become a solopreneur, or start a small design business, these tips will help you start off your journey on the right foot. You may want to use this as a checklist or just a guide; either way, these are all tips…

Spend more time making money, doing what you love to do, rather than wasting time doing accounting! Here I’ll show you just how easy it is to track your hours and bill your clients using professional looking invoices.

These are my tips and tricks for doing existing conditions surveys so you can learn best practices for how to keep your drawings clean and organized and avoid forgetting to document important information.

One of the biggest issues I see in projects is duplicate information. This is something I always try to avoid whenever I can. This might mean duplicate information within a single Revit file across multiple sheets, or duplicate information between different programs. One of the best ways to avoid this issue is to link files into your projects rather than manually typing in the information into multiple places so any changes only have to be made once and will update across all of your files.

If you’re looking for a free customizable method for tracking your time and invoicing your clients then look no further! This is the system I created and used when I first began freelancing which was a huge step up from using my notebook. If you hate doing math, I’ll show you the formulas you need to make sure your hours and amounts due are calculated correctly. Best of all you can fully customize your invoices to get them to look however you envisioned!

You can do an existing conditions survey simply with a pen, paper, and measuring tape, but it would take hours longer and leave you with much less documentation than if you were to use these recommended tools.

There's so much more to being a great designer than drawing pretty pictures and building models.

Pretty pictures have to be accompanied by well designed spaces that not only comply with the code but also remain functional. The way to become a great designer is to gain as much experience as you can and know the right material to use as a guide. Having the right resources at your disposal is such an important element in your success as a designer, along with working under a seasoned and skilled professional.

So... you want to pass the ARE's?

Of course you do! And guess what, you probably don't have to spend $100's to do it.

There are so many paid resources out there, but there are so many more free resources you can take advantage of. So before you go spend hundreds on online ARE courses, books, or other paid content, here are my wallet friendly tips for passing the AREs.

Feeling like you’re working nonstop but never getting ahead financially? Whether you’re a freelancer or a design business owner, managing projects, pricing, and finances can feel overwhelming. In this post, I break down the five biggest challenges creatives face—and show how the Firm to Freedom Complete Bundle provides the tools you need to charge confidently, track your money, and build a sustainable, profitable business.

Designing for a warming world and extreme weather conditions doesn’t mean sacrificing beauty or creativity—it means thinking smarter. From strategic orientation to green roofs, cross-ventilation, and even cooling water features, these 10 climate-responsive strategies will help you create buildings that are comfortable, sustainable, and seriously impressive. Whether you're in studio or the field, these tips are essential for any young architect ready to design for the future.

Tracking your money as a freelancer or creative can feel like chaos—payments trickle in from ten different platforms, expenses are scattered, and come tax time, it’s a full-on scramble. You’re not alone, and it’s not your fault—traditional finance tools just weren’t built for the way we work. In this post, I’m breaking down why managing your money feels like a full-time job, and how I finally created a system that makes it easier, clearer, and—dare I say—enjoyable.

Feeling drained after final reviews? You’re not alone. Whether your model’s in pieces (literally or emotionally), these 5 post-semester rituals will help you reset your mind, clear the chaos, and slowly rebuild your energy—for yourself and your next big creative chapter.

If project inquiries have dropped off, timelines are getting pushed, or clients are suddenly tightening their budgets—you’re not alone. Economic instability has a ripple effect across the architecture world (and every other industry). But while things might be slower on the surface, this season can still be an opportunity to recalibrate, rethink, and rebuild stronger.

Thinking about leaving firm life behind to go out on your own? Whether you’re daydreaming about flexible hours, better clients, or finally doing work your way, the leap into freelancing or starting your own business can be both exciting and overwhelming. In this post, I’m sharing what I wish I’d known before I made the jump—from mindset shifts to real talk about money—so you can feel more prepared, confident, and grounded as you move toward freedom.

Feeling overwhelmed and behind on your final studio project? This post is your no-fluff guide to making smart, strategic moves when time (and energy) are running low. Whether you're buried in unfinished drawings or second-guessing everything, you'll learn how to simplify your scope, stay focused, and finish strong—even if you're totally burned out.

Hey Friends! If you recently switched over to Revit 2024 or 2025 like I did, you probably have a lot of questions about some of the latest changes. For one, Toposurfaces are now called Toposolids, and they work very differently. One of the questions I keep getting asked is now to change the depth of the topography in the latest Revit versions. In this video, I'll show you how to do it.

Here I'll show you a better way to keep track of relines in Bluebeam!

Here I'll show you how to ignore text when highlighting in Bluebeam.

Here I'll show you how to create sloped ceilings including vaulted ceilings with multiple slopes.

Have an object obstructing your elevation view? In this quick tips video, I'll show you how to jog your elevation cut line so you can cut beyond those objects.

Is your Revit topography way too deep or so shallow that your foundation walls poke through it? In this quick tip video, I'll show you how to quickly change the depth of your topography so you don't have to draw in fill regions on all of your views!

Looking for a way to make your section line cut through different spaces that don't align in your Revit project? In this video, I'll show you how you can jog your section lines into multiple segments, modify the locations of your cut lines, and reset your section cut.

Confused as to why the room you thought you deleted is still in your project? Here I'll show you how to properly delete rooms from your Revit projects.

Loading 2D profiles into Revit can be a little confusing. Here, I'll show you two quick and easy ways to load profiles into your Revit projects so you can create fascias, gutters, wall sweeps, interior trim, and more!

Forget the tedious ways of creating enlarged plans in Revit. Here I'll show you a better way to create smarter enlarged plans that have tags associated with them and how you can group views together in the Project Browser.

Here I'll show you a quick way to hide view tags at different scales in Revit. This applies to both elevation and section views, will save you tons of time, and make your drawings cleaner!

Tired of trying to learn Revit from YouTube videos? Check out my Foundations of Revit course for in-depth guided lessons gradually teaching you new skills and tools along the way! Don't miss out on my Early-Bird Sale!

Having trouble getting your Revit families to show 2D annotation symbols on hosted sloped surfaces? In this video, I'll show you a super quick fix to get your graphics to show correctly!