Wine After Work is designed for women who are ready to embrace their autonomy and take full ownership of their careers. Join us as we learn from one another and dive into meaningful conversations. In a landscape where women remain underrepresented across various industries! While I focus on the Architectural, Engineering, and Construction sectors, our discussions feature an incredible lineup of women from diverse fields—female founders, CEOs, entrepreneurs, creatives, and inspiring trailblazers. Hosted by Bryce Batts, this podcast inspires and empowers you to attract and retain top talent!
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September 9, 2026Episode 3032 min
Burned Out and Anxious? What Your Food Has to Do with It and all the Food Recalls
You've optimized your schedule, pushed through the late nights, and kept delivering — but you still feel like you're running on empty. What if the missing link isn't mindset or time management... it's nutrition? Valerie Hawkins is a nutritionist and self-concept coach who left engineering to help women tackle anxiety, burnout, and brain fog through the power of what they eat. In this episode, she shares the science behind the nutrition-mental health connection and her Self-Concept Method for making lasting, practical changes. You'll learn: How your diet is directly affecting your anxiety, mood, and energy — especially under pressure The link between nutrition and conditions like ADHD, migraines, and burnout What easy and effective nutrition changes actually look like for busy professional women How addressing root causes leads to sustainable weight loss AND better mental health Connect with Valerie: valerieHawkinsnutrition.com | LinkedIn: Valerie Hawkins
September 2, 2026Episode 2937 min
Super-Architect: Craft, AI, and the Future of the Profession
Architects have been losing ground for years, and the industry keeps explaining it away with fee pressure, schedule pressure, and software. Beau [Last Name] has a less comfortable answer. He says the profession's own craft has declined, and that decline is exactly why architects keep getting moved further from the decisions that matter. His case runs like this. When drawings are incomplete and coordination is loose, somebody has to fill that gap, and lately that somebody is the builder. The builder absorbs the risk, then reasonably takes the authority that comes with it. Beau and Bryce get into what caused that slide, why architectural education has to become craft centric to reverse it, how AI either accelerates the decline or becomes the thing that reverses it depending entirely on how firms use it, and what he means by the "Super-Architect" and the three characteristics that define one. They also talk about the fracture inside the profession itself and why a national focus on craft may be the only thing that closes it. This one is for principals and firm leaders watching their scope shrink, for emerging professionals who were never actually taught to draw a building, and for anyone in AEC who wants the architect back at the table where the real decisions get made. About Beau Beau Dromiack is Principal of [Firm Name], a practice focused on mission critical architecture delivered with quality, efficiency, and craft. He has integrated design expertise across Design-Bid-Build, CMaR, Design-Build, and Integrated Design delivery, and is a member of AIA, DBIA, SCUP, and NCARB. He holds a Master of Architecture from Arizona State University, serves on the ASU faculty teaching graduate architecture, and mentors emerging professionals. He also volunteers teaching design to design-build teams at Northern Arizona University's School of Construction and teaches STEM based architecture and engineering principles to elementary students, including teaching tools he developed himself. He is the author of The Craft Advantage: Reviving Craft in Architecture to Build a Better Environment and Improve Influence and Super-Architect: The Future of Architecture, which is also available as an audiobook on Audible, Apple, and Amazon in five countries. Beau has been married 34 years, has four adult kids, and spends his free time backpacking, raising chickens in pursuit of the perfect egg, and baking in pursuit of the perfect cookie. What We Cover Introduction and Beau's background as a principal, professor, and author What craft actually means in architecture, and what it does not mean How the decline in craft eroded professional respect The craft gap, and why builders are filling it How poor documentation shifts risk to the contractor and authority away from the architect Why architectural education needs to be craft centric The three characteristics of the "Super-Architect" Using AI proactively to build AI optimized practices and new business models Why a fractured profession is a fragile one What a national focus on craft could actually reunify Where to find Beau and his books, plus closing thoughts Key Takeaways Influence follows responsibility. Every gap in a drawing set that a builder has to close is a piece of authority the architect gave away, whether or not anyone named it that way. Craft is not perfectionism and it is not slowness. Beau's case is that higher craft is what makes speed and integration possible instead of dangerous. Craft cannot be recruited. It gets built through mentorship, documentation standards, and leaders who actually teach, which makes it a firm systems problem rather than a hiring problem. AI will either widen the craft gap or close it, and the deciding factor is whether a firm defines its use proactively or lets AI define the firm. A profession that can't agree on what it is worth is easy to move off the table. Shared standards are a growth strategy, not nostalgia. Resources + Links Beau's website: https://dromiackinvention.com/about Beau Dromiack on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beau-dromiack-aia-dbia-ncarb-scup-310747124/ The Craft Advantage: Reviving Craft in Architecture to Build a Better Environment and Improve Influence Super-Architect: The Future of Architecture (also on Audible, Apple, and Amazon as an audiobook) Career Collective: https://www.mycareercollective.com Bryce Batts Consulting: www.brycebatts.co If this one landed, rate and review Wine After Work wherever you listen. It's the fastest way to get these conversations in front of more people in the industry.
August 26, 2026Episode 3235 min
Stop Playing Small: How a Clear Vision Unlocks Your Career and Life
If you've ever felt stuck, scared to take the next step, or unsure of where you're headed — this episode is for you. Career and vision coach Carey Conley has spent 21+ years helping entrepreneurs and AEC professionals ditch fear-driven thinking and build a life with intention and purpose. In this conversation, Carey breaks down why so many high-achieving women in technical fields stay trapped in survival mode — and exactly how a bold, defined vision becomes the catalyst for everything else. In this episode: Why high achievers are often the most vision-deficient (and what to do about it) How to write a vision that actually changes your behavior and decisions The fear of success vs. fear of failure — and how to stop letting either one run your life Practical steps to align your goals with a purpose-driven vision Connect with Carey at careyconley.com | Instagram & Facebook: @Carey.Conley3 | LinkedIn: CareyConleyINC
August 19, 2026Episode 2730 min
Designing Care, Not Just Buildings: Healthcare Design and AI
Great healthcare design is invisible. You feel calmer, you find your way, your family has a place to rest, and you never notice the hundred decisions that made it happen. Kristin Green, a healthcare architect at Earl Swensson Associates (ESa) in Nashville, builds her whole practice around that idea. In this episode, she walks through what it actually takes to design hospitals that balance operational efficiency with genuine, patient-centered care. We get into the human details and the hard tradeoffs. Why she starts every project by leaving her ego at the door. How ESa levels the room so the nurse's voice carries as much weight as the CEO's. What she'd change about sterile, all-white healthcare spaces. And how AI has earned a real place in her workflow, from generating exterior concepts to building a data-backed space program in hours instead of weeks. This one is for architects, healthcare and AEC leaders, and anyone curious about where design and technology are heading. It's a thoughtful look at building spaces that serve people first and still hold up for the next 30 years. About Kristin Green Kristin Green is a healthcare architect at Earl Swensson Associates (ESa) in Nashville. Known for her collaborative approach, she works closely with design teams, clients, end users, and consultants to guide projects from concept to completion while preserving the integrity of the design vision. A University of Cincinnati graduate, she is skilled in 3D software and driven by the belief that great design should be functional yet beautiful, inspiring, and timeless. Her process starts with intentional listening, so that the spaces she creates reflect the people and stories behind them. What We Cover Introduction and Kristin's path from Cincinnati's co-op program to healthcare design Why ESa's single-office culture in Nashville shapes how the work gets done Intentional listening and the visioning session that starts every project Leveling the room so end users, not just leadership, shape the design Balancing emotional patient experience with operational efficiency The small details that change everything, from daylight to washers and dryers on the floor Emerging trends: hospital robots, pneumatic systems, and AI-enabled patient monitoring How ESa thoughtfully integrates AI, from concept generation to data-backed programming Preserving design vision across years, consultants, and team turnover The Arthur M. Blank Hospital and designing for timelessness over trends Where to find Kristin and closing thoughts Key Takeaways Listening beats telling. The best healthcare projects start with a visioning session where the design team leaves its ego at the door and hears what actually matters to the people who will use the space. Warmth is a design decision. A facility can be cutting edge and still feel human, through daylight, color, and details that fight the sterile, institutional default. AI is a curator's tool, not a replacement. Kristin uses it to generate thousands of concepts and to build data-backed space programs, then applies human judgment to what's real, buildable, and right for the client. The first design is rarely the final one. Collaboration and early contractor pricing often produce a better, more cost-effective result without losing the intended look. Design for decades. Timeless choices matter most in buildings that may not change for 20 or 30 years. Resources + Links ESa website: https://esarch.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-plummer/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/earl-swensson-associates/ Career Collective: https://www.mycareercollective.com
August 12, 2026Episode 2633 min
Systems Are Freedom: Fixing the Overworked Contractor
Growth is supposed to feel like winning. For a lot of contractors, it feels like drowning. Derek Isaac, founder of Rapid Result Creators, spent more than 20 years in construction and real estate before turning that experience into a systems coaching practice for general contractors and home builders. In this episode, he breaks down why a growing business quietly becomes harder to run, and what to do about it. We get into the real mechanics. How to spot the frog-in-boiling-water moment before something breaks. Why owners revert to the tools or start micromanaging instead of leading. How to make new systems actually stick when enthusiasm gets diluted at every level below you. And the difference between growth that builds a business and growth that breaks it. This one is for GCs, home builders, and any AEC owner who feels like the business runs through them. It's a straight, practical conversation about structure, margins, boundaries, and building a company that doesn't need you in the room to function. About Derek Isaac Derek Isaac is a business systems coach who works with general contractors and home builders to bring structure and control to growing businesses. With more than 20 years in construction contracting and real estate investing, he understands how quickly growth creates complexity, reduces visibility, and increases reliance on the owner. Through coaching, training programs, and live education, Derek helps builders strengthen operations, improve margins, and run businesses that are easier to manage as they scale. He's the founder of Rapid Result Creators. What We Cover Introduction and Derek's path from contractor to business systems coach Why technically great builders struggle the moment they become business owners The frog-in-boiling-water problem and the early warning signs owners miss Leadership catching up to growth, and why reverting to the tools is a trap Making systems stick: buy-in, enthusiasm, and the implementation period Finding the bottleneck when the bottleneck is the owner, using the org chart Healthy growth versus growth that breaks the business, and why margin beats revenue Setting client boundaries with a clear "what to expect" approach Hiring as a system problem first, the Ideal Employee Profile, and why good people stay with good businesses The one thing every contractor should fix: their numbers Where to find Derek and closing thoughts Key Takeaways Systems are the foundation that lets your people do their jobs well. They are not bureaucracy, they are what makes a business feel professional and easier to run. When the bottleneck is you, fill the org chart from the bottom up. Document and delegate the lowest rungs first, then build management layers as your finances allow. Margin beats revenue. A 2 million dollar business at a healthy margin has more room and more resilience than a 5 million dollar business running on 5 percent. Boundaries protect the business, not just the owner. A clear "what to expect" conversation earns respect and still earns the referrals and the reviews. Hire like it's a six or seven figure decision. Build the Ideal Employee Profile, go find passive candidates, and keep a database of everyone who ever applied. Resources + Links Rapid Result Creators: https://rapidresultcreators.com Derek on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-isaac Career Collective: https://www.mycareercollective.com
August 5, 2026Episode 2537 min
Gamble on Yourself: Building a Construction Firm and Getting your First Client
Lauren Weinbaum didn't leave a job she hated. She left one she loved, because a client offered to hire her company before she'd even started one. In this episode, the founder and president of Weinbaum Management Group walks through how a one-way flight to LAX and a single conversation turned into a 13-year run in aviation and large commercial construction. We get into the decisions most founders don't talk about. How Lauren watched the 2008 crash freeze high-rises mid-skyline and used it to redesign her career around bond-funded public work. Why she grows slowly and refuses debt. How she thinks about A, B, and C players on a small team. And the mindset shift that comes with trading "am I going to make it" for "do we have the right culture and the right clients." This one is for AEC firm leaders, women building careers in construction, and anyone weighing the jump from a stable seat to running their own thing. It's honest about the mental load, the guilt, and what it actually takes to keep a firm healthy. About Lauren Weinbaum Lauren is the founder and president of Weinbaum Management Group (WMG, Inc.), an owner's representation and construction management firm specializing in aviation and large commercial projects. She leads all business development, program and project management, estimating, scheduling, and bidding for the firm. With more than 18 years in the industry, Lauren built her foundation on major capital programs including the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. She grew up on a working pig and cattle farm in Illinois and started working for her dad at nine. What We Cover Introduction and Lauren's path from a Midwest farm to aviation construction Watching the 2008 crash halt private projects, and pivoting to bond-funded work for stability The one-way flight to LAX and the client conversation that started WMG Leading under pressure on a billion-dollar airport program with competing interests Being a working mom as a productivity edge, and guarding against distraction and mental load Building a small team: A, B, and C players, and why "10 percent of the work" still matters Growing without debt, managing cash flow strictly, and learning to say no to the wrong work Why the right life partner is a business decision What's next for WMG: LAWA with Paslay Management Group, the Centurion Lounge at LAX, and expansion beyond California Where to find Lauren and closing thoughts Key Takeaways Stability is a strategy you can design. Lauren deliberately moved toward bond-funded public projects because that money rarely defaults, and it insulated her from the private-market swings that wiped out her peers in 2008. Gamble on yourself. If you're going to take a risk, take it on your own effort and judgment rather than betting on someone else's company or timing. Grow at the speed of your cash, not your ambition. Waiting until you can cover a new hire before you make it is slower, but it keeps you out of debt and off the payroll cliff. Saying no protects your brand. Taking work you don't have the competent staff to execute costs more than the revenue is worth. Never be too good to call people back. In a distracted industry, basic follow-through is a competitive advantage. Resources + Links WMG website: https://wmgconsult.com Lauren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-weinbaum-wmg/ WMG on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wmgconsult/
July 29, 2026Episode 2728 min
Stop Trading Hours for Dollars: How to Scale Your AEC Business for Real Profitability
Growth sounds good — until it's actually crushing you. More projects, more staff, more stress, and somehow less profit. Award-winning contractor and business scaling expert Shena Marie White has seen it happen to too many firms, and she's made it her mission to change the pattern. In this episode, Shena breaks down the strategic mindset, operational systems, and wealth-building habits that separate businesses that scale sustainably from ones that grow themselves into the ground. Key takeaways: What scaling actually means for contractors — and what it doesn't The most common profitability mistakes and how to fix them now How to build systems that free up your time and increase efficiency The wealth-building mindset shift that successful contractors share Your Pocket CFO — yourpocketcfo.com
July 22, 2026Episode 2330 min
Designing a Space for How Your Brain Actually Works: Autonomy, Fit, and Neurodivergence
Rima Nasser founded TEW Design Studio in 2015 because she wanted to design at the level of care she actually believed in, not the level a typical firm structure allowed. That drive for autonomy eventually led her to launch her own furniture collection, TEWlines, in 2024. In this episode, she talks with Bryce about what real ownership over your work looks like, and why "being your own boss" was never really the point. We also get into something Rima has been thinking about a lot lately: her own ADHD and likely dyslexia diagnosis, and how understanding the way her brain processes space, sensory input, and creative flow changed everything about how she designs and how she leads her studio. She's now pursuing a science in design certification to back up what years of lived experience already taught her. We talk about choosing the right clients, protecting your standards, and what it means to finally understand why you've always worked the way you work. This one is for designers and creatives thinking about going independent, anyone navigating a late-in-career neurodivergent diagnosis, and leaders rethinking how they build teams and choose collaborators. About Rima Nasser: Rima Nasser is the founder and principal designer of TEW Design Studio, a full-service residential and boutique commercial interior design firm based in Raleigh, NC. Since founding TEW in 2015, she's built her practice around designing spaces that fit the people who live in them. Her own neurodivergent diagnosis (ADHD and likely dyslexia) reshaped how she works, leads, and listens to clients, and she's currently pursuing a science in design certification. She holds a master's degree in interior design, has received multiple industry awards, and her work has been published in Kitchen & Bath Business and other trade outlets. In 2024 she launched TEWlines, a curated furniture collection extending TEW's design philosophy beyond individual projects. Originally from Palestine, Rima has been rooted in Raleigh for 15 years. What We Cover: Introduction and Rima's path to founding TEW Design Studio in 2015 What autonomy actually meant to her beyond "being the boss" The decision to launch TEWlines and what it represents How Rima chooses clients, and why fit goes both ways The hard lessons it took to protect her standards Her ADHD and likely dyslexia diagnosis, and how it reshaped her work How understanding her brain changed the questions she asks about every space Pursuing a science in design certification Where to find Rima and closing thoughts Key Takeaways: Real autonomy isn't just ownership of a business, it's ownership of your creative voice, your relationships, and your standards Choosing the right client relationship is a skill, and protecting that standard takes time and real boundaries A neurodivergent diagnosis later in life can reframe years of how you work, not as something to fix but as information Understanding how your own brain processes space and sensory input can directly shape better design decisions for clients Lived experience and formal research aren't in competition. Rima is pursuing both Resources + Links: TEW Design Studio: https://tewdesignstudio.com/ TEWlines: https://tewdesignstudio.com/introducing-tewlines/ Rima Nasser LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rimanasser/
July 15, 2026Episode 2651 min
Nobody Chooses a Firm They Can't See: How Becoming Choosable Makes Hiring Easier
Every firm competing for talent is saying the same things. Great culture. Exciting projects. Competitive benefits. And candidates can't tell any of you apart. That's the problem James Ellis has built a career solving. In this episode, James breaks down what employer brand actually is (hint: not a campaign, not a vibe, not a careers page redesign) and how midsized companies can build a brand that wins talent without outspending bigger competitors. We get into why most employer brand work is theater, what candidates actually believe about your firm, and how to change what recruiters say and hiring managers reinforce. This one is for AEC firm leaders, TA and HR professionals, and anyone tired of posting jobs into the void and wondering why the right people never apply. About James Ellis: James Ellis is the founder of Employer Brand Labs, where he builds choosable employer brands for mid-market companies in 3 to 5 weeks. He's built employer brands at Webflow, Roku, ASICS, and Telecare over more than 13 years, and he's the bestselling author of Becoming Choosable and Talent Chooses You. Based in Chicago, James describes his stage presence as equal parts strategist and friendly arsonist. Find him at employerbrandlabs.com and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/thewarfortalent. What We Cover: Introduction and James's background building employer brands at Webflow, Roku, and ASICS Why most companies don't have a hiring problem, they have a differentiation problem What "employer brand theater" looks like and why it fails How midsized firms can compete for talent without outspending the giants What it means to be a "choosable" employer How employer brand shows up in job posts, outreach, career sites, and interviews Why you can rent attention but you can't rent trust Where to find James + closing thoughts Key Takeaways: Employer brand is a system, not a campaign. It changes what candidates believe, what recruiters say, and what hiring managers reinforce. If your job posts could belong to any of your competitors, candidates have no reason to choose you. Midsized firms win talent through clarity and differentiation, not budget. You can't scale a business faster than you can hire the right people. Employer brand work should be usable Monday morning, not next quarter. Resources + Links: Employer Brand Labs: https://www.employerbrandlabs.com James on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/thewarfortalent Newsletter: https://employerbrandheadlines.com Books, videos, podcasts, and articles: http://www.EB-AF.com Becoming Choosable and Talent Chooses You by James Ellis
July 8, 2026Episode 2524 min
Building a Business (and a Life) in the UAE / Dubai and the tax advantages for AEC firms
Cintia Arnhoffer is a Hungarian entrepreneur, real estate investor, and business consultant based in Dubai. At 21, she moved to Denmark, where she spent 13 years building her career across diverse international environments. She later relocated to Dubai alone, without contacts or an existing network, and built a new life and business from scratch. Today she is Co-Owner and General Manager of FullComm Real Estate Brokerage, where she helps international clients invest in Dubai real estate and navigate the UAE property market. She also helps entrepreneurs and firms with Dubai company formation, licensing, residency visas, and banking. What We Cover: Introduction and Cintia's path from Hungary to Denmark to Dubai Moving to Dubai alone with no network, and what the first year actually looked like Misconceptions about life for women in Dubai, and what's actually true The cultural differences that took the longest to adjust to The mindset shift required to go from employee to business owner in the Middle East Why AEC firms are looking at Dubai as an expansion market What's actually involved in setting up: company formation, licensing, residency visas, and banking Where to find Cintia and closing thoughts Key Takeaways: The biggest barriers to building a career or business in Dubai as a woman are mostly perception, not reality, but the real barriers (cultural, logistical, financial) are different than people expect Building a business in a new country without a network is possible, but it requires a deliberate mindset shift, not just hard work AEC firms considering Dubai have a real, accessible path to entry: company formation, licensing, residency, and banking are all navigable with the right guidance Tax-efficient structuring through Dubai is a legitimate option for firms and individuals, not just a rumor Adaptability matters more than ambition when relocating a business internationally
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