The Architecting Podcast: From Simple Blog to Career Resource, with Angela Mazzi
Many architects find themselves spread thin like butter over too much toast. Work-life balance? Forget about it. Giving in to demanding clients can make even the most passionate in the profession feel like they're stuck in quicksand. Enter Angela Mazzi, an architect who knows the struggle and is on a mission to help others be brilliant in their own lives and careers with her podcast, Architecting.
Recently, Angela joined Podcasting in Professional Services to share her journey launching Architecting and the impact it’s had on her career. Listen to the full conversation here:
As a principal at GBBN Architects, Angela practices what she preaches. She focuses on creating purposeful work that elevates the architecture profession, whether it's for healthcare, community, or arts projects. Angela finds her inspiration in designing spaces that empower their users, showing that architecture is not just about bricks and mortar but about enriching lives.
The beauty of Angela's journey lies in the convergence of her passions for coaching and architecture. By starting each day with the mantra "be brilliant," she reminds herself to show up fully in every moment. Angela's story serves as a beacon of hope, proving that it's never too late to reignite your passion for architecture and pave the way for a brilliant career and life.
Architecting Her Own Life: The Journey to Renewed Passion
Angela found herself feeling unappreciated and disillusioned. But instead of wallowing in self-pity, she decided to take action. In 2010, she began a blog called The Patron Saint of Architecture where she could express herself and her passion about life as an architect.
“At the time, I was working in a very toxic firm,” said Angela. “I was feeling like we were often pleasing the client to the detriment of the project when there needs to be a better balance.”
The blog wasn’t a diary. It was a blog. Angela couldn’t name names and slam people and complain, so it forced her to think about what was troubling her and approach topics from a different perspective. This simple act of finding her voice was the spark that reignited her passion.
As Angela continued to pour her heart and soul into her blog, she realized that architects needed more than just a pep talk. They needed a supportive community and accessible resources to thrive.
The Launch of the Architecting Podcast
“I did [the blog] through about 2016, and then stopped for a while,” said Angela. “A career coach suggested I do a podcast and that I rebrand it. And so that's where I came up with the idea of Architecting.”
Angela’s podcast is about the architect as a person and helps listeners bypass the status quo traps in the architecture profession. Her episodes help overwhelmed and burned out architects reclaim their passion for great design.
But why a podcast? Why that medium? “A lot of us are on the go, and it's easier to listen to something while we do something else than it is to have to stop and read and focus,” said Angela. “I shoot for about 20 to 30 minute episodes because I find that's about the length of time most people care to listen. They tend to drop off if you look at the listen rates.”
After more than 230 episodes, Angela has found her workflow to be surprisingly spontaneous for a Medical Planner. “I am not a planner, which is maybe kind of counterintuitive because my title is medical planner, but I hate planning,” said Angela.
“I love being intuitive. I love feeling into things. So about 20% of the episodes are interviews. The others I do as solo-casts. And much of the time I sit down and I say, what do I feel like talking about? And it may be a recent experience that made an impression, either good or bad, on me. It might be an article that I wrote, it might be a suggestion that came in from the audience.”
Salutogenesis for the Soul
Angela's approach to architecture goes beyond just designing buildings. She understands the importance of addressing systemic issues within the industry, such as lack of boundaries and codependency.
In her time studying to be an architect, Angela recalls taking courses on psychology and sociology where she was exposed to the topics that would soon become her passions. “I had a great time exploring how space impacts behavior and through that well being,” said Angela. “I eventually stumbled upon a term called salutogenesis, which was coined by a medical anthropologist named Aaron Antonovsky, and it's Latin for ‘health generating.’”
“The more I studied it, it also has a lot to do with stress—whether it's external things in our environment or social or economic issues—takes away our resources. And when I think about career paths, it also comes down to stress, and it also comes down to resources to cope.”
In 2020, Angela published an article in HERD: Health Environments Research & Design, a peer-reviewed journal, focusing on the effects of health environments on patient, provider, and organizational outcomes. Read Angela’s key takeaways from the article about Salutogenic Design here.
Aside from her architecture career, Angela also offers coaching services for struggling architects. “My signature course I offer is called Stressless Success,” said Angela. “It’s [about] this idea that we can define success on our own terms, not based on how somebody else thinks it should look.” Angela believes bringing in each architect’s clarity, passion, and convergence of influences will allow them to express themselves best.
“To me, it's really important that I do work full time,” said Angela. “I am a practicing architect, so I'm not just giving you advice because it sounds good, right? Everything I talk about I've experienced, I've done in my own life. So I have the money where my mouth is, if you will, or the experience behind it. I know what didn't work for me. I know what has worked. I've learned some painful lessons so you don't have to.”
Transform Your Career
Architects, take a page out of Angela Mazzi's book and start your journey from bored to brilliance. Find your voice, seek out a supportive community, and prioritize your well-being. Advocate for positive change through purposeful work and empower others along the way. Remember, you have the power to architect your career—one that shines brilliantly, like the sun. So, what's your first step on this path to architectural brilliance?
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