Building a Business, Brand, and Culture with Natalia Castro

Great firms aren’t just built on great design; they thrive through smart operations, strong culture, and client-focused strategy.Natalia Castro, COO of Saltz Michelson Architects, shares her unconventional path from crime analysis to leading operations in a 50-year-old legacy architecture firm. She explains how prioritizing internal culture directly impacts client satisfaction, why listening is an underrated business advantage, and how strategic thinking can open new market opportunities like aviation. From adapting to AI to navigating generational mentorship, Natalia offers practical and inspiring insights for firm leaders.Her perspective blends honoring the legacy of a firm while embracing innovation, proving that operational excellence is just as critical as design expertise in creating long-term growth.Topics discussed in this episode:AEC marketingCOO LeadershipAviation Market StrategyService-driven industryLegacy ArchitectureConnect with Natalia Castro, COO | Business Operator at Saltz Michelson Architects:Website- https://www.saltzmichelson.com/Connect with Katie:  https://smartegies.com/ Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts:We hope you’re finding value in our AEC Marketing For Principals.  Your feedback is important to us and we’d love to hear from you. Here’s how you can help.  Scroll to the bottom, rate our podcast with five stars, and select “Write a Review.”  Let us know what you found most helpful from this episode!  And if you haven’t done so already, give the podcast a follow, and you'll be notified when new episodes come out.