We were lucky to catch up with Matt Poe recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Matt thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

The name STOKE was derived from the hope to create an active design firm that incites potential. A studio where people and places can become the greatest version of themselves. We work tirelessly to become the oxygen to your flame.

The naming process, like our design process, was iterative and collaborative. The company was founded to enhance and give opportunities to those that interact with it, so finding a unique name that expressed that mission was imperative. I searched for a name that could evolve as a brand for a design collective; not just a perceived voice from ownership.

Matt, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I, Matt Poe, grew up in Jonesboro, Arkansas working for a family company founded by my grandfather, P-Poe, in 1967. My grandfather, father, and brother instilled the importance of quality, honest, and hard work as we fabricated and installed commercial HVAC systems around the state. This started as a young teenager and it was on those construction sites that I fell in love with the concept that a single idea for a building design could become a tangible structure that affects the lives of so many people for decades.

With a construction mindset from a family of Engineers, I enrolled at the Fay Jones School of Architecture at the University of Arkansas and the passion for Architecture and design blossomed.

STOKE was founded after 10 years of learning the craft of Architecture alongside many great designers and Architects in Northwest Arkansas. With a focus on high design contemporary architecture, I have played a role in all project typologies from small modular homes to large commercial buildings. We are a full service design firm which means we play a large role in the project from the first sketch idea to the day the space is complete and being enjoyed. Honestly we are a part of the all projects forever… we are connected to them like they are our children and I’m often found taking the “scenic route” to drive by and check on our buildings. Like our buildings, I hope that all clients and colleagues can be life long friends. I’m proud of a recent event, 123STOKE, that we hosted at your office where all our favorite people got together to celebrate and get to know each other!

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

In a way, yes. While I was working full time as an Architect, I was also “moonlighting” as a side hustle on my own projects. These independent experiences allowed me to develop business and client communication skills that are crucial to starting your own architecture business.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

Design and construction develops life long relationships, and we enjoy keeping up with our clients and the spaces that they occupy. If new faces take over the projects that we pour into, then I like to meet that person and let know about our previous history with the project.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.stokearchitecture.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stoke_architecture
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/STOKE-architecture/61576589275022
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stoke-architecture

Image Credits

Daniel Moody Photos