LEADFORWARD
A 6-month virtual peer program for AEC professionals stepping into new or evolving leadership roles. Build a trusted network of growth-minded peers, work monthly with Sarah Kinard, and leave with the tools and confidence to lead with purpose.
LEADING WELL SHOULDN'T FEEL THIS LONELY
You're not alone. That's why we built LeadForward.
ONE PROGRAM. ONE RISING LEADER. A COHORT OF PEERS.
LeadForward is a virtual peer cohort, not a solo course. You meet monthly with Sarah Kinard and a small group of AEC marketing, BD, operations, finance, and leadership professionals working through the same stage of the same climb — together.
GROWTH-MINDED AEC LEADERS
Directors, VPs, Principals, and other professionals carrying meaningful growth responsibility and stepping into new or evolving leadership roles.
VIRTUAL PEER COHORT
Monthly guided sessions with Sarah, peer discussion, practical tools you can use immediately, plus two Office Hours sessions for deeper work.
WHO JOINS LEADFORWARD?
LeadForward was built for growth-minded leaders across the AEC industry who own part of their firm's growth strategy but don't always have the structure, support, or peer perspective to match it.
PRINCIPALS, VPS & STRATEGY LEADERS
You're ready to connect your firm's vision to execution and lead the people responsible for making it happen.
MARKETING & BD LEADERS
You're tired of reactive planning and want stronger systems, better strategic clarity, and more influence across the firm.
OPERATIONS & FINANCE LEADERS
You're carrying growth responsibility and want greater clarity, focus, and connection between strategy, resources, and results.
WHAT THE SIX MONTHS LOOK LIKE
Each month focuses on a different aspect of strategic growth: leadership clarity, market intelligence, alignment, measurement, technology, and the tools to turn strategy into action.
GROWTH STRATEGY FOUNDATIONS
Define growth and your role in shaping it. Explore what growth strategy is and isn't, how it differs from a strategic plan or BD plan, and where your own influence sits in the process.
Growth Role Clarity Worksheet
READING THE MARKET
Use market intelligence to drive strategy. Learn the difference between data and intelligence and how to build a market intelligence process your firm can sustain.
Market Intelligence Checklist
GETTING PEOPLE BEHIND THE STRATEGY
Work through stakeholder engagement, change communication, and the challenge of building alignment when you have influence without formal authority.
Influence & Engagement Map
Strategy-to-Story Framework
DEFINING SUCCESS: KPIS & MEASUREMENT
Define what success looks like and how to track it honestly. Choose measures that drive the right behaviors rather than merely report activity.
KPI Filter & Alignment Tool
AI & STRATEGIC THINKING
Make sense of AI without the hype and use it to think more strategically: what to adopt, what to wait on, and what to stop doing.
AI Use-Case Prioritization Grid
FROM STRATEGY TO EXECUTION
Turn six months of thinking into action with realistic timelines, goals that drive accountability, and the momentum to keep moving.
Execution Roadmap
Momentum Tracker
STRATEGIC CHECK-IN & COURSE CORRECTION
Reconnect after the cohort ends to name what worked, what stalled, and where people, priorities, or resources need to be realigned against real-world conditions.
Strategic Reflection & Reset Worksheet
READY TO MAKE 2027 YOUR MOST FOCUSED YEAR YET?
Applications open for the 2027 cohort.
Six monthly virtual cohort sessions with Sarah and your peer group.
Strategic check-in and course correction after you've put the work into practice.
A deliberately small cohort designed for meaningful dialogue, support, and accountability.
WHAT YOU WALK AWAY WITH
Per participant for the full 2027 LeadForward experience. Limited to 12 participants so there is space for meaningful dialogue, working sessions, and real peer connection.
SARAH KINARD, HEAD BIRD
With over 20 years of experience leading growth strategies and new market development, Sarah Kinard is the driving force behind The Flamingo Project, a research, strategy, and growth-focused firm. She specializes in research-driven growth strategies and market positioning to help AEC firms thrive.
Sarah brings clarity, structure, and a future-focused lens to every conversation. She helps leaders cut through noise, define what matters, and build strategic rhythms that work in the real world.
Sarah is heavily involved in SMPS. She served as Dallas president from 2021 to 2022, and during her presidency she worked with Fort Worth to re-envision how SMPS serves the market, which led to the SMPS North Texas chapter. She is SMPS Foundation President 2026.
QUESTIONS WE GET
WHO IS LEADFORWARD FOR?
AEC professionals stepping into new or evolving leadership roles who carry meaningful responsibility for growth. That includes Principals, VPs, Directors, and marketing, BD, operations, finance, and strategy leaders who want stronger structure and peer support around the work.
IS THIS A COURSE OR A COHORT?
A cohort. You meet virtually with Sarah and a small group of peers working through the same material at the same time. It is not a self-paced video course.
HOW LONG DOES THE PROGRAM RUN?
Six monthly sessions run January through June 2027, followed by a strategic check-in and course-correction session in September.
WHEN DO APPLICATIONS OPEN?
Applications for the 2027 cohort open October 20, 2026. Spots fill on a rolling basis.
WHAT DOES LEADFORWARD COST?
The investment is $2,500 per participant for the full 2027 cohort experience.
IS LEADFORWARD VIRTUAL?
Yes. LeadForward runs virtually, with monthly cohort sessions and two additional Office Hours sessions with Sarah.
APPLY TO LEADFORWARD
Tell us where you are in your leadership journey, and we'll let you know if the 2027 cohort is the right fit.
Resources
GROWTH STRATEGIZED: A PRACTICAL FRAMEWORK TO TURN VISION INTO ACTION
At The Flamingo Project, we’ve seen this moment happen over and over: a firm sets a bold vision, full of clarity and inspiration, and then stalls when it’s time to bring it to life. The culprit? It’s not the market. It’s not your team. It’s usually the missing link...
GROWTH STRATEGY IN A TIME OF WHAT NOW?
Let’s face it: growth isn’t a straight line. It’s more like a tangle of spaghetti—especially in the AEC industry right now. Markets are jittery. Federal funding is murky. Your principals are pulling in different directions, and “just go after everything” is starting...
KEEP IT SIMPLE: VISIONING FOR 2025
February is a time for reflection at The Flamingo Project. We look back on the past year and cast a vision for what’s ahead. January often feels like a whirlwind of “new year, new you” energy, so we let the dust settle, find our footing, and then go. If you’re...
FALL PLANNING RESOURCES
Here at The Flamingo Project, we LOVE to share generously, which is why we want to give you everything you need to finish out your planning season well! Ready to jump into business planning? If you know you're ready to get to it, check out our Business Planning...
PLANS: SIMPLIFIED AND DEFINED
Every business relies on plans, but not all plans are created equal. From strategic and business plans to marketing, BD, or financial roadmaps, it’s easy to get lost in the jargon or try to do it all at once. Instead, we believe the key is to simplify, starting with...
NEW YEAR, NEW TECHNOLOGY
Unless your head’s been buried in the sand, you know that artificial intelligence (AI) has been in the limelight for good and bad reasons. One of the things that sets businesses apart is their ability to innovate which often means embracing new technology; In this case, AI. At The Flamingo Project, one of our core values is being curious. We also believe in sharing generously, which is why we want to help you understand how to harness the power of artificial intelligence to help you win work differently.
USING MARKET RESEARCH TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE AEC BUSINESS PLANS
Market research for effective business plans is a key component of the business season that’s upon us. Regardless of your role in any business, gathering research and creating meaning from it for the next year ensures your year is not only successful but also has a benchmark for success in place. Let’s explore what makes an effective business plan.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES MARKETING PODCAST: GOOD RESEARCH
Good research begins with a good framework. Listen in, as Sarah chats with Frank Lippert and Kate Robinette of GoStrategies about how to build those plans on good research. They talk about defining the use of the data before you start, reframing the questions to get out of the rabbit holes and back on track, and provide you with resources to get started.
NAVIGATING MARKET SHIFTS IN THE A/E/C INDUSTRY: A 2024 STRATEGY GUIDE
In the ever-evolving landscape of the A/E/C world, market shifts can be both challenging and full of opportunities. As we approach 2024, the industry is experiencing significant changes due to capital market constraints, the cost of money, and the changing expectations of end users. To stay ahead of the curve and thrive in this new environment, it’s crucial to reevaluate your business development (BD) and marketing strategies.
EMPATHY MAPPING FOR AEC FIRMS: A SMARTER WAY TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS
Empathy truly can act as an invaluable communication and business growth tool, if it’s defined and implemented effectively.