ARCHITECTING Podcast - Career + Lifestyle Mentoring for Architects looking to move beyond overwhelm and make a difference thr

Angela Mazzi

If you believe design can change the world, you’ve found your humans here on ARCHITECTING! This show is about the architect as a person and helps you bypass the status quo traps in our profession and teaches you how to make an impact with real life strategies. Angela Mazzi helps overwhelmed and burned out architects reclaim their passion for great design. Together, we‘ll explore Thought Leadership, how to achieve your next career level, Time/Energy Management tips to stay balanced, Promoting Wellbeing in work and life and Conscious Design and Social Change

  1. FEB 3

    Environmental Burnout Triggers that Exhaust Your Nervous System: Interview with Garrett Wood

    Most people think they're burned out because of what they have to do. They're missing a huge contributor when they don't also look at where they do it. In this episode, Garrett Wood shares neuroscience based insights on how the built environment can impact productivity, executive function, cognitive presence and energy levels.  The world is biased towards a sensory setpoint that was deemed "normal." Unfortunately, most people don't match this setpoint. An environment filled with sensory micro-stressors adds an extra stress load. Spaces that overwhelm even one sense can fragment your attention and generally require you to give more effort than the task should require. Environmental sensitivity is not an introvert/extrovert thing. We often give energetic pushes to meet a deadline but fail to give ourselves recovery time making the workplace ground zero for stress and burnout. A sign of burnout is going into energy conservation mode where we can't seem to resist things like binge watching or doom scrolling because our brain needs a break. CONTACT GARRETT: https://www.gnosistherapy.com/ Garrett@GnosisTherapy.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/gnosistherapy/   Sign up for the Leadership Challenge: https://architectingpodcast.com/index.php/leadershipchallenge/ 💡Give Architecting a Google review- be sure to name the episode! https://g.page/r/CVYGVmEtsUjdEAI/review Stay Inspired, Angela Join the architecting community: YouTube, Instagram,  LinkedIn, Clubhouse, Facebook Interested in sponsoring a show or having me as a guest on your podcast or community? Stop here to get information. Into/outro music Alive by Richard Wasson Copyright 2019

    36 min
  2. JAN 27

    A Somatic Approach to Life, Work and Purpose: Interview with Owen Marcus

    It might sound crazy, but thinking and strategizing are often not the best ways to solve problems, make life decisions, connect with others or navigate the workplace. My guest Owen Marcus is a noted psychologist whose work applies the science of somatics to combat stress and the resulting dissociation with our body. Listen in to learn more about how to develop healthier life patterns, unlock your productivity and be better guided by your intuition to the choices that are best for you. The dissociation or stress becomes a default setting over time, making us feel more and more isolated from the people in our lives. Developing connection and quality relationships relies on establishing clear goals, boundaries and giving yourself agency. We are all intuitive, but have stopped listening to the somatic signals it give us. Addictions can arise from a lack of healthy connectivity Toxic masculinity and a culture of codependency in the workplace has had negative impacts for men and women. Communicating and connecting better can over come this and lead to higher performing teams. CONTACT OWEN: owen@meld.community https://meld.community/ Sign up for the Leadership Challenge: https://architectingpodcast.com/index.php/leadershipchallenge/ 💡Give Architecting a Google review- be sure to name the episode! https://g.page/r/CVYGVmEtsUjdEAI/review Stay Inspired, Angela Join the architecting community: YouTube, Instagram,  LinkedIn, Clubhouse, Facebook Interested in sponsoring a show or having me as a guest on your podcast or community? Stop here to get information. Into/outro music Alive by Richard Wasson Copyright 2019

    38 min
  3. JAN 20

    Gatekept: Why Architects Feel “Too Much,” “Not Enough,” and Still Stuck

    You can't make career power moves if you give all your power to others. Gatekeepers who will mirror you inner doubts and tell you exactly why you are both too much and not enough to get that next big opportunity. It's time to shine the light on the sneaky ways they get away with it and start moving towards the career you know you were meant to have. Gatekeeping- the attempt to control who gets access to resources and opportunities is the ultimate power play - if you allow other people to define you. No one can play on insecurities you don't have. Get clear on what you want, know that you deserve it even if you have to work to get all the qualifications, and give yourself permission to take action toward achieving it. Make a plan with a clear timeline and communicate it to others so expectations are aligned. Make your own opportunities instead of waiting for ones to be given to you at your current job. Leverage professional organizations and your network to proactively get the skills and experience you need. Don't make assumptions. ask for explanations. Have the hard talks about what you want, why you want it and what you need to do to get it.   Gatekeeping red flags: bad fit, toxic behavior, moving the goalposts, vague criticism that doesn't match the facts. Sign up for the Leadership Challenge: https://architectingpodcast.com/index.php/leadershipchallenge/ 💡Give Architecting a Google review- be sure to name the episode! https://g.page/r/CVYGVmEtsUjdEAI/review Stay Inspired, Angela Join the architecting community: YouTube, Instagram,  LinkedIn, Clubhouse, Facebook Interested in sponsoring a show or having me as a guest on your podcast or community? Stop here to get information. Into/outro music Alive by Richard Wasson Copyright 2019

    19 min
  4. JAN 13

    Workplace Conflict and Competition Handled: Interview with Dan Tocchini

    Meeting resistance (from others and within ourselves) with curiosity is your career superpower. My guest Dan Tocchini deep dives into what resistance is really telling you and how to leverage it to build teams that produce creative solutions. Every interaction is a design challenge to create psychological safety - get to the why with each team member. We are hardwired with two mandates: stay alive and conserve energy. This is translated to us as looking good, feeling good, being right and staying in control. When we don't have any of these factors, we go into resistance. Criticism, contempt, stonewalling or defensiveness are the ways we protect ourselves from perceived threats. Envy and competition show up when an individual feels threatened by th excellence of others. Creativity is about having an opinion. Design is about refining your field of options. All new possibility presents itself as a threat at first, so you have to release attachment to those opinions. Preparing others to lead and succession planning are signs of a healthy work culture where excellence is celebrated not feared. Sign up for the Leadership Challenge: https://architectingpodcast.com/index.php/leadershipchallenge/   Connect with Dan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dantocchini/ https://takenewground.com/ 💡Give Architecting a Google review- be sure to name the episode! https://g.page/r/CVYGVmEtsUjdEAI/review Stay Inspired, Angela Join the architecting community: YouTube, Instagram,  LinkedIn, Clubhouse, Facebook Interested in sponsoring a show or having me as a guest on your podcast or community? Stop here to get information. Into/outro music Alive by Richard Wasson Copyright 2019

    43 min
  5. 12/24/2025

    They Said No: Drew Ann Long on why she did it anyway

    You know what’s right. But what do you do when every gatekeeper says no? In this episode, Drew Ann Long, inventor of Caroline’s Cart, shares the story of refusing to let a necessary idea die. Her vision was simple—and radical: a shopping cart that makes the retail experience accessible for people with disabilities and mobility challenges. The industry pushed back. Manufacturers said no. Retailers avoided the conversation. Funding didn’t show up. So she invested personally and kept advocating for a need others wouldn’t acknowledge, and stayed the course anyway. Despite the special needs community being the world's largest minority group, products designed for their needs are lacking. This creates a barrier to access not only for them but for their families and caregivers. By introducing more inclusive products like Caroline's Cart, the world was opened for those with mobility challenges, autism and dementia. Success means believing in your cause and taking risks to make it happen no mater what. When the establishment tells you no, cultivate support in the community you want to serve. Innovation happens when you focus on the solution not the problem. Contact Drew Ann: https://www.drewannspeaks.com/ Donate to Caroline's Cause scholarship fund: https://www.carolinescause.com/carolines-cause/ 💡Give Architecting a Google review- be sure to name the episode! https://g.page/r/CVYGVmEtsUjdEAI/review Stay Inspired, Angela Join the architecting community: YouTube, Instagram,  LinkedIn, Clubhouse, Facebook Interested in sponsoring a show or having me as a guest on your podcast or community? Stop here to get information. Into/outro music Alive by Richard Wasson Copyright 2019

    27 min
  6. 12/15/2025

    Architecture Careers Decoded: Interview with Recruiter Bryce Batts

    Architecture school taught you how to design buildings not how to not how to survive, grow, or lead in your career. In this episode of Architecting, AEC Industry recruiter Bryce Batts calls out the rules that quietly keep you small and compliant. This isn’t about chasing the next job. It’s about designing your career on purpose — with clarity, self‑advocacy, and connections that actually move the needle. Architects without personal career clarity get overlooked — even when they’re highly skilled Every architect who advances has a sponsor, not just a mentor. Sponsors can see your potential within the firm and advocate for you to get opportunities. Your career requires constant recallibration in order to be aligned with what you want to achieve at any given point in your life. Keep the receipts of accomplishments and positive reviews- they give you confidence about your strengths, proof of what you have accomplished and reveal patterns around what you truly value. Know when it’s time to renegotiate your role, change firms, or redesign your path Contact Bryce: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryce-batts-recruiter/ https://brycebatts.co/ Get The Career Architect Book: https://www.amazon.com/Career-Architect-Aligns-Vision-Values-ebook/dp/B0FSYM4QLZ?ref_=ast_author_mpb 💡Give Architecting a Google review- be sure to name the episode! https://g.page/r/CVYGVmEtsUjdEAI/review Stay Inspired, Angela Join the architecting community: YouTube, Instagram,  LinkedIn, Clubhouse, Facebook Interested in sponsoring a show or having me as a guest on your podcast or community? Stop here to get information. Into/outro music Alive by Richard Wasson Copyright 2019

    31 min
5
out of 5
22 Ratings

About

If you believe design can change the world, you’ve found your humans here on ARCHITECTING! This show is about the architect as a person and helps you bypass the status quo traps in our profession and teaches you how to make an impact with real life strategies. Angela Mazzi helps overwhelmed and burned out architects reclaim their passion for great design. Together, we‘ll explore Thought Leadership, how to achieve your next career level, Time/Energy Management tips to stay balanced, Promoting Wellbeing in work and life and Conscious Design and Social Change