Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryon McCartney.
Hi Bryon, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
# From Graphic Design to Architecture Marketing
I graduated from Ohio University in 1989 with a BFA in Graphic Design. I immediately moved to Chicago, where the city’s rich architectural heritage—Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, Helmut Jahn—became a fascination that would prove significant later in my career.
My career evolved rapidly through the digital transformation of the 90s. I moved from traditional print design through desktop publishing, 3D animation, digital video editing, and eventually web design. As Creative Director at Unilever’s Project 9X, my team was responsible for prototyping cutting-edge internet concepts for Calvin Klein, Elizabeth Arden Cosmetics, Lipton Foods, and other well-known brands. It was the early web era, and we were learning in real-time what captured users’ attention online.
# Building Agencies Across Continents
In 2000, I moved to Zürich, Switzerland, where I became Chief Operating Officer and Creative Director at Wirz Interactive, Switzerland’s largest online communications agency. The experience taught me invaluable lessons about running an agency, client relations, and the importance of clear communication in multicultural environments.
In 2003, I left to start my own firm. By 2006, my wife, Kellie, joined me full-time, and together we formed Image Engineers. We specialized in visual storytelling, marketing communications, and building digital media libraries for industrial and power generation clients. We grew to seven employees and I developed an award-winning photography practice alongside the agency work.
# Finding Our Niche
When family circumstances brought us back to the U.S. in 2011, we established Be Brilliant Marketing in Southwest Florida. We were helping local businesses but struggling to build a consistent pipeline. Our business coach challenged us to find a niche.
After exploring construction and home services, we had an opportunity to work with a local architecture firm. The connection was immediate—we spoke the same language, there was natural synergy. Suddenly, all those years touring Chicago’s architectural landmarks and traveling Europe as “Archi-Geeks” made sense.
We joined our local AIA chapter and began studying architecture firm websites, starting with a handful of firms. That research has now grown to more than 10,000 firms. In 2016, we launched Archmark, focusing exclusively on helping architecture firms with business coaching, branding messaging, and marketing services.
Since then, our programs have helped more than 5,000 architects increase their visibility and win better projects. We work with firms ranging from solo practitioners to established practices, helping them communicate their value more effectively and grow strategically.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We’ve had many struggles over the years. Two years after founding Image Engineers, our largest client suddenly cancelled all projects due to the global economic slowdown. Overnight, our agency was completely disrupted, and we had to make some difficult decisions to keep the lights on. It taught us some important lessons about managing grow and maintaining cash reserves.
In 2015, we were struggling with pipeline consistency. As a generalist agency, every new client had different needs and objectives. We were starting from scratch with every project, researching and learning each new client’s industry and way of working, often without compensation. We were also struggling to attract good clients because we weren’t seen as experts. After working with our coach, we realized the value of specialization, focusing on architecture firms. Since then, we have developed deep experience working with firms and now have specialized offers that attract our ideal clients.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Archmark?
Archmark is a business coaching, branding, and marketing firm that exclusively serves architecture firms. That specificity is exactly what makes us different. While most marketing agencies work across industries, we’ve built our entire business around understanding the unique challenges architects face: extremely long sales cycles, relationship-driven business models, and the reality that most architects receive zero formal training in marketing or business development. We don’t just create marketing campaigns; we become strategic business growth partners who understand how architecture firms actually win work.
What sets us apart is that we know that award-winning portfolios don’t automatically translate to business success, that the majority of architecture projects come from referrals, and that architects need marketing partners who speak their language. We’ve studied the research, tracked the trends, and worked directly with firms to understand what actually moves the needle. This allows us to provide insights and strategies that generic marketing agencies simply can’t match.
Brand-wise, we’re most proud of how we’ve positioned ourselves as educators and thought leaders in this space. We don’t just sell services—we’re generous with knowledge, transparent about what works (and what doesn’t), and committed to helping architects build sustainable, thriving practices. Our goal is to help architecture firms attract their ideal clients so they can focus on what they do best: designing exceptional spaces.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My best advice is to realize that you will never have all the answers. The sooner you start looking for help from others who have walked the same path you want to walk, the sooner you will learn how to avoid some of the pitfalls that can potentially wreck your business. Reach out to local resources at the SBDC, SCORE, and other services. Look for a business coach to help you install important systems. Don’t try to run your business on instinct. The earlier you can establish systems and processes to run your business on auto-pilot, the better.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.archmark.co
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/archmark
