What happens when you realize being a great leader doesn't mean being the smartest person in the room? This week on Women in AEC: Wine After Work, Bryce Batts sits down with Annie Bevan, founder and CEO of the Sustainability Management & Strategy Collaborative (SMSC), for a candid conversation about entrepreneurship, building successful teams, navigating leadership as a woman, and knowing when it's time to let go. Founders often feel like they need to do everything themselves. Annie has built her business around a different philosophy: hire people who are better than you at something, give them ownership, and trust them to do their jobs. But trust also requires accountability, clear expectations, and a willingness to have the difficult conversations that many leaders avoid. Annie shares how her unexpected unexpected path from being afraid of thunderstorms to studying climatology eventually led her into sustainability leadership and entrepreneurship. She discusses her work helping advance the Common Materials Framework, why collaboration is critical to making meaningful changes in the built environment, and how she's built a business that operates across multiple industries. Bryce and Annie also get into the realities of growing a company: balancing autonomy with accountability, recognizing when a talented employee may no longer be the right fit for the business, and understanding that the people who help you launch a company aren't always the people who will help you scale it. They also explore what changes for women when they reach executive leadership, why trusting your own expertise matters, and how priorities shift after decades of working hard to build a successful career. Whether you're an entrepreneur, a woman working toward a leadership position, or a firm leader trying to build a stronger team, Annie's perspective offers practical lessons about leadership, growth, and knowing when to get out of your own way. Because sometimes the most important thing you can do as a leader is recognize that you don't have to do it all. About Annie Bevan Annie Bevan is the founder and CEO of the Sustainability Management & Strategy Collaborative (SMSC), a company working across the built environment, life sciences, and EPR and packaging industries. Through its divisions, Parallel and Verico, SMSC provides fractional sustainability staffing, strategic consulting, and independent third-party verification services. With more than 20 years of experience in manufacturing, ecolabel and standard development, certification, and nonprofit and for-profit leadership, Annie has helped shape the conversation around sustainable products and materials. Previously serving as President and CEO of mindful MATERIALS, Annie helped lead the development of the Common Materials Framework (CMF), an industry-wide approach to organizing sustainability information that informs leading building standards and initiatives, including LEED v5, WELL v2, the Living Building Challenge, and the AIA Materials Pledge. A former competitive soccer player, Annie brings a team-oriented perspective to leadership. She believes in hiring people who excel where she doesn't, creating clear accountability, and building organizations where everyone has the opportunity to contribute their strengths. And in a particularly relatable leadership moment, Annie admits that her managing director has officially banned her from Excel! Connect with Annie: Website: https://www.smscollaborative.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-bevan-78402b31/ What We Cover Annie's unexpected journey from a childhood fear of thunderstorms to climatology, sustainability, and entrepreneurship. Why sustainability must work within the economic and business realities companies face today. Maintaining an abundance mindset even when the news and industry challenges feel overwhelming. Why Annie founded SMSC and how she's built a business that works across industries. The letter from 95 building product manufacturers that challenged architects to rethink sustainability conversations. Why the building industry needed a common definition and language for sustainable materials. How the Common Materials Framework is helping create healthier, more sustainable buildings, including schools and hospitals. Why clear job descriptions, accountability, and RACI charts are essential when growing a team. The employee who said "not yet" to a promotion and what that taught Annie about changing career priorities. Why Annie believes everyone she hires should be better than her at something. Recognizing when a talented employee isn't necessarily the right person for the company's next stage of growth. Having difficult conversations early instead of allowing challenges to grow. The unique experiences and challenges women face in sustainability, construction, and executive leadership. Why confidence and trusting your expertise become even more important as you advance. What Annie wants her next chapter to look like after years of demanding work schedules and building successful organizations. Key Takeaways 1. Great leaders don't have to be great at everything. If you're the most knowledgeable person in every area of your business, you've created a ceiling for growth. Hiring people who bring expertise you don't have is how you build something bigger than yourself. 2. Trust and accountability go hand in hand. Giving people autonomy doesn't mean removing structure. Clear job descriptions, defined responsibilities, and a RACI chart help employees understand expectations while giving them the freedom to succeed. 3. The right employee for one stage of business may not be the right employee for the next. Growing a business requires different skills at different stages. Someone can be incredibly talented and still not be the right fit for where the company needs to go. 4. Career growth looks different for everyone. Not everyone wants the next promotion, the bigger title, or additional responsibility. Great leaders recognize that employees have different goals and that respecting those goals creates stronger teams. 5. Difficult conversations are part of good leadership. Avoiding uncomfortable conversations doesn't help your employees or your business. Addressing challenges early, clearly, and respectfully creates opportunities for growth and better outcomes. 6. Women in leadership need to trust their expertise. Reaching the executive level brings new opportunities, but also different expectations and challenges. Knowing your value, speaking with confidence, and surrounding yourself with the right people are critical to continued success. 7. Collaboration can create greater impact than competition. Annie's work in sustainable materials demonstrates what happens when organizations come together around shared goals. Progress doesn't always come from owning the solution; sometimes it comes from creating a structure that helps everyone move forward. Resources + Links Sustainability Management & Strategy Collaborative (SMSC): https://www.smscollaborative.com/ Annie Bevan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-bevan-78402b31/ Common Materials Framework (mindful MATERIALS): https://www.mindfulmaterials.com/a-common-language mindful MATERIALS: https://www.mindfulmaterials.com/ WELL Building Standard (International WELL Building Institute): https://www.wellcertified.com/ My Green Lab ACT Ecolabel: https://mygreenlab.org/programs/act-ecolabel/ About Women in AEC: Wine After Work Women in AEC: Wine After Work, hosted by Bryce Batts, brings together women from across the architecture, engineering, and construction industries for candid conversations about careers, leadership, entrepreneurship, personal growth, and the experiences that shape their journeys. From navigating challenges and breaking barriers to celebrating successes and sharing lessons learned, each episode highlights the stories and perspectives of women making an impact in the AEC industry. Pour yourself a glass and join the conversation!
