AEC Growth Programs
You are responsible for growth at your firm, whether you lead a region or sector, or run marketing and BD. Compare the three below and start with the decision in front of you this quarter.
For Your Firm
Two programs your firm runs as a team, on your own schedule.
The Buyer Shift Decoded
Bring the new buyer into focus for your whole revenue team. One program that aligns your leadership, marketers, BD professionals, and seller-doers around how today's buyer finds you, qualifies you, and selects you before the RFQ ever exists!
Business Plans in 45 Days
You need a roadmap for the work you will pursue and win, along with a clear picture of how much you can realistically take on. Business Plans in 45 Days gives your team the videos, templates, and workshop structure to write a 12-month plan for a region, sector, or profit center, and start when you are ready.
For You
One program for one person, built around a cohort of peers.
LeadForward Strategic Growth Leadership Cohort
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.
Which One Fits Your Firm Right Now?
| The Buyer Shift Decoded | Business Plans in 45 Days | LEADForward | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Your whole revenue team: leadership, marketing, BD, and seller-doers. | The leader responsible for a region, market, or sector. | One AEC professional stepping into a new or evolving leadership role. |
| What you are buying | Alignment across your firm on how today's buyer finds, qualifies, and selects you. | A written 12-month business plan and a process you can run again next year. | Six months of peer development and monthly work with Sarah. |
| Format | Working sessions with your team, on-site or virtual. | Self-paced videos and templates. Facilitated adds Sarah running your timeline and your workshop. | Virtual peer cohort, meeting monthly. |
| How long | Three to four sessions per team over six to eight weeks. | 45 days. | 6 months. |
| When it starts | When you book it. | Any time. | 2027 cohort. Registration opens October 20, 2026. |
| What you build | Principals build a Buyer Opportunity Assessment, marketers build a Channel and Content Strategy, and the BD team builds a BD Strategy, each in the working sessions. | A 12-month business plan, a 90-day action runway, and a planning process you can use again. | The tools and confidence to lead with purpose. |
Learn With Us
Not ready for a program yet? Our blogs cover the buyer shift, growth strategy, and leadership development. All good reading while you figure out your next move.
ResourcesQuestions We Get
Which program should we start with?
Start with the one that matches the decision in front of you. If you are heading into planning season without a written plan, that is Business Plans in 45 Days. If your leaders, marketers, and BD team each have a different read on how clients are choosing firms, that is The Buyer Shift Decoded. If one person on your team is stepping into a growth role and needs peers, that is LeadForward.
When can we start?
Business Plans in 45 Days starts whenever you are ready. The Buyer Shift Decoded is scheduled around your calendar. LeadForward runs as a cohort, and the 2027 registration opens October 20, 2026.
Are the programs virtual or in person?
LeadForward is virtual. Business Plans in 45 Days is self-paced, and Facilitated adds a workshop Sarah runs with your team. The Buyer Shift Decoded is delivered on-site or virtual, whichever suits your firm.
Who from our firm should participate?
It depends on the program. The Buyer Shift Decoded is built for the whole revenue team. Business Plans in 45 Days involves regional or sector leadership, business development, marketing, project managers, and key staff. LeadForward is for one person.
Is this right for a firm that already has a planning process?
Yes, and those firms often get the most out of it. Business Plans in 45 Days gives an existing process a shared structure, a workshop format, and a 90-day runway so the plan gets used instead of filed.
Can we run a program for one office or one region?
Yes. Business Plans in 45 Days is built around one workshop per region or sector, so a single office or region works. The Buyer Shift Decoded can be scoped to one office.
How much time will this take?
Business Plans in 45 Days runs 45 days from kickoff to a finished plan, with the heaviest week being the workshop. The Buyer Shift Decoded runs three to four sessions per team across six to eight weeks. LeadForward asks for one session a month across six months.
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 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.
Not Sure Which Program Fits?
Tell us where your firm is right now and we will point you at the one that fits, or at the reading that helps you decide on your own.
Book a Call With Sarah