Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Daniel Nicely. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Daniel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump into the story of starting your own firm – what should we know?

Great questions. When I was first thinking about getting back into architecture, I was looking for a Mr. Miyagi type of person who could hold my hand and walk me through the process in an orderly fashion. I remembered my experiences in firms from years ago, and knew the order of events, but was (and possibly still am) more than a little bit rusty on some of the techniques. Mainly, I was concerned about front of project things like code compliance, permitting, etc. I was also a little hesitant about closeout. Detailing, working with clients, working with consultants, okay, not too many worries. But for these other things, wanted a sensei to say, “Wax on, wax off, Daniel-san.” I would have paid for that handholding.

Instead, I went to work part-time with a guy who was willing to have me in the office -even though my tech skills are almost 20 years old. That was eye opening. He had (has) a pretty good shop. His people there are moving along quite well. I ended up in the QC area, as well as working with the tech of today, etc. But ultimately, it was, quality control. Tech is great, but tech won’t catch the wrong use of materials or the wrong details, or even some code issues. So that is what I did.

I had a pro bono client already, while I was working part-time, and after a while I started wondering why I was working part-time when I could be working on my client’s project instead. Couple that with some really old dog issues -me -and new tricks, and I was ready to leave after about nine months of work.

Challenges? Getting insurance, setting up the personal license and then the firm license, naming, domain -all were a pain in the lower extremities, but not unduly so. Actually they were a fun pain in the lower extremities. Kind of a fulfillment of a dream that I held before college.

Advice? Explore other industries and careers but keep your architectural saw sharp. If you go off to the corporate world like I did, and leave architecture, don’t lose touch with your passion or the current skills, tech, legislation, all those things. You may return to it at some point. Also, really random, but diversify your income source. I always worked on that -throughout all of my professional life, and even before becoming a professional. It has allowed me to pursue passion over the feeding of an office machine -albeit later in life.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My business is architectural design. Deep down I consider myself an artist with a strong background in materiality and literal assembly of materials. I was a “Builder” in the U.S. Navy Construction Battalion -Reserves, and I worked in architecture before leaving the profession to work for a multi-national that produced building materials.

I started my journey at nine years old when I asked my father what I should do when I grew up, and he said that with my love of art and construction -my grandfather was a carpenter -maybe I would like to look into architecture.

I do mainly pro bono work for select non profit organizations. I also work on “normal projects” that I consider to be both a challenge and a service. However, I do limit the amount of clients that I take on. I learned this the hard way. Now I make room for for my family and for adventure. That’s shorthand for motorcycles and travel. I have three clients right now and that is more than enough.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

This will be anathema to some, and so be it. No pun intended if you look up the definition of anathema. For me, I operate on faith. I trust that the right people will be in front of me at the right time. I like word-of-mouth and believe that this is a natural byproduct of working hard for your clients, however I have seen really competent professionals ruin themselves with trying to hold on to everything all the time with this kind of… well, faithless arrogance. Marketing is always in the mix -intended or not. And knowing who you want to work with and not just what you want to work with is key. But my main strategy is to be clear about my values: Service, Integrity and Fun; to spend time on the right things first thing in the day -for me that is time in the Word and prayer; and to trust that my God knows what is best for me. I can picture people shaking their head, but that’s really it. Put God first. Work hard with integrity and a servant’s heart. Have fun and enjoy the process with the client. If the clients can’t have fun, recommend a different architect to them.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I pivoted when the company I worked for simultaneously changed management roles of some key players on the global stage, and was put up for sale by the parent corporation. I had literally started packing my bags, so to speak, a year before I left. A guy who now runs North American operations for the original parent corporation used to stop by my office on an almost daily basis. One day he asked where one of my art prints had gone. “Oh. That. I took it home,” I said. He graciously left it at that. Almost a year later, I resigned.

I think people know intuitively when things are winding down, even if all the normal trappings are still in place. For me, the management change in my up-line, and the For Sale sign in the window cinched my resolve to finish my career in that world. I had accomplished some of the things that I wanted to accomplish, but I started to suspect that I didn’t like who I was becoming or had become in the C-suite, and I knew that I didn’t agree with some of the changes coming down the pike. I think the converse was also true. The company was more than ready for new blood. I’ve been a company politician, but I’ve never been much of a sycophant. I’m the guy who thinks he is getting paid to both agree and disagree. So it was a good time to take my little severance packet and bow out. A good friend is going through something similar right now for a different company.

After that I had a few small entrepreneurial things going, toured the country on my motorcycle, fell in love all over again with my wife and kids, and generally just enjoyed life. Last year, after closing down one business, I mentioned to a friend that I was thinking about returning to architecture but with this crazy idea of doing mostly pro bono work and a little bit of commercial work. This is the friend that recently exited his multinational company. Like the good friend that he is, he considered this, then he encouraged me, and then he introduced me to my first client, and from there I was off to the races. It’s been challenging but very satisfying and very good. I am thankful for this change.

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