The Shortlist

Proposal deadlines have a way of testing even the most seasoned AEC marketers. No matter how carefully a pursuit is planned, you never know when you'll have to defuse a ticking time bomb, minutes before the deadline. In this episode of The Shortlist, Wendy Simmons is joined by designers Becky Ellison and Lauren Jane Peterson to discuss the “MacGyver moments” that happen when proposal teams are racing against the clock.From InDesign crashes and corrupt exports to oversized PDFs, emergency printer fixes, and hand-assembled printed proposals, Becky and Lauren Jane share stories from the trenches along with practical troubleshooting tips that can save a submission in the final hour. They also explore strategies for making impossible amounts of content fit on the page, compressing files under strict upload limits, and knowing when to make a sacrifice to the "proposal gods" rather than missing the deadline entirely.If you’re a proposal manager, designer, or marketer who’s ever submitted with seconds to spare, this episode offers equal parts practical advice, camaraderie, and comic relief for surviving the chaos of pursuit work.CPSM CEU Credits: 0.5 | Domain: 4

No notes. No outline. No edits. No regrets. (Okay, maybe a few regrets.)In this episode of The Short(er) List, Becky and Kyle are going live. After deciding on the episode topic approximately four minutes before hitting record, they just ... went for it. The result? An unfiltered, unscripted, and unrehearsed conversation about one of AEC marketing's most quietly complicated relationships: the interplay between graphic designers and content writers.Listen to find out if they pull it off. No safety net and nowhere to hide—just raw, organic, and all-natural AEC marketing talk without the artificial colors, preservatives, or added sugar. Sneezes included.

Strong project management isn’t just for the construction jobsite—it’s a critical skill for every AEC marketer. In this episode of The Shortlist, Wendy Simmons is joined by Melissa Richey and Lauren Jane Peterson to explore how marketers naturally step into project management roles across proposals, events, and campaigns. From defining scope and managing risk to leading communication and keeping teams aligned, the MO6 team breaks down practical strategies that keep work moving. We also dive into effective kickoff meetings, visual communication tools, and how project management platforms like ClickUp, Basecamp, and Asana can help streamline workflows. Ultimately, successful project management comes down to clear communication and team accountability to stay organized, efficient, and ahead of deadlines—and this episode is chalk full of tips for day-to-day project management.CPSM CEU Credits: 0.5 | Domain: 6