To excel in an industry that never stops innovating, you have to be willing to grow and evolve with it. Architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) marketers often have to walk the fine line between honoring their firms’ rich history and showcasing how they’re embracing innovation.
Founded in 1915, Gannett Fleming has experienced its fair share of changes over the years. Marketing and Communications Director Justin Juley says he views brand refreshes as opportunities to better define the firm’s story, unify its voice and show employees, clients and prospects that they can honor their legacy while driving the future of the built environment.
In this episode, Justin shares learnings from Gannett’s latest brand refresh, his thoughts on the digital marketing trends shaping his team’s work, and insights into the firm’s content strategy.
Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn
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Gannett Fleming's history and evolution.
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Justin’s biggest learnings and takeaways from helping refresh Gannett Fleming TranSystems’ brand and marketing strategy.
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Why firms shouldn’t be afraid to highlight and champion their talent.
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How to cultivate a stronger employer brand.
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Ways trends in marketing automation, data analytics and channel evolution are impacting AEC firms.
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Considerations for developing an effective brand positioning strategy for a government contracting audience.
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Why Justin believes facilitation is one of the most important skills a marketer can develop.
About our featured guest
Justin Juley, CPSM, is the Marketing and Communications Director at Gannett Fleming TranSystems, where he leads a high-performing team of 20 marketing, communications and graphic design professionals. With nearly 20 years of experience in the AEC industry, Justin is a strategic leader in driving the firm's branding, marketing, and communications efforts to new heights and measurable results.
Joining the firm in late 2020, Justin helped redefine and roll out a revised transportation brand position within three months. Within a year, he was promoted to his current role and immediately helped the firm undertake a brand refresh that included a new website. This was quickly followed by leading the communications efforts on two of Gannett Fleming's largest acquisitions to date.
Justin's professional journey is marked by significant contributions to industry organizations and community initiatives. A dedicated member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) since 2007 and a Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM), he has held numerous SMPS leadership roles, including President of the Wisconsin Chapter and co-chair of the 2022 SMPS Heartland Regional Conference. Beyond his professional endeavors, Justin is committed to charitable causes, notably having served on the Wisconsin State Leadership Board of the American Cancer Society.
Resources mentioned in this episode
Sponsor for this episode
This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.
Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a public relations and content marketing agency that serves professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.
Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services and more.
To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.
Transcript
[00:00:00] Justin Juley: People deliver these projects. People are connecting with people. We're connecting with our clients. We're connecting with employees. And it’s a very — we're in the people business, really. A big part of our strength, and that's within who we are as a company, is our people.
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[00:00:21] Announcer: Welcome to “Spill the Ink,” a podcast by Reputation Ink, where we feature experts in growth and brand visibility for law firms and architecture, engineering and construction firms. Now, let's get started with the show.
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[00:00:38] Michelle Calcote King: Hi, and welcome. My name is Michelle Calcote King. I'm your host and the principal and president of Reputation Ink. We're a public relations and thought leadership marketing agency for B2B professional services firms, including architecture, engineering and construction firms. To learn more, go to www.rep-ink.com.
Today, we're continuing our interview series with chief marketing officers of AEC firms, and I'm really excited to talk today with Gannett Fleming's marketing and communications director, Justin Juley. Thanks for joining me, Justin.
[00:01:15] Justin: Absolutely, great to be here. Thanks for having me on.
[00:01:17] Michelle: Yes. So you've got 20 years of AEC experience. You're very involved in the Society for Marketing Professional Services, but give me the background about, for people listening, who Gannett Fleming is first, and then I'd like to hear a little bit about your career and how you ended up in AEC and your path that led you to Gannett Fleming.
[00:01:44] Justin: Yes, absolutely. Yes, so Gannett Fleming is this really incredible 109-year-old firm that has grown now to be over roughly about 3,200 employees. When you have a rich history like that and you've grown to be what we are today, the firm is really focused on a lot of markets and solutions offerings in the AEC industry. I think, everything from architecture to design, engineering, construction, services, planning, capabilities, and everything in between across several markets. And really strives to be both an employer of choice and a consultant of choice. I think what we find is that it's reflected very much in our tagline of “excellence delivered as promised”, that we really strive to partner with our clients and help them accomplish what they're trying to do and also do it in a way that's collaborative, inclusive. And we're able to bring really innovative ideas to the table to advance infrastructure in our world.
I was able to join Gannett Fleming a few years ago. Started out heading up their transportation, brand and marketing activities, and obviously progressed into the role I am today. Really where I got started too was actually back when I was a senior in college, my dad had this wise advice of, "Hey, college is going to be wrapping up. Have you thought about an internship? Could you take a look at that to give your career maybe a little bit of a jumpstart?" I thought, "Yes, sure, let me take a look into that."
And I was able to do this internship. As the internship was coming to a close, I remember also applying for a wide range of job opportunities in-state, out-of-state, all that you go through to look for what is that career path and had this conversation with my then-boss at the time. I was like, "Hey, I really enjoy the people. I’m learning about the company. I'm really engaged in this industry. Could there be a place for me?" Immediately she was like, "Don't accept any other offers. Let me just validate that we can make something work." That worked for the first 15 years of my career. I do recall, within the first year of a full-time role in the AEC industry, I just dove headfirst into SMPS. Started not just the membership but chapter board position, and that led from there.
I think what certainly has been valuable and what I valued along the way, what makes me stick with the career and continue to make the shift to Gannett Fleming and stay in this industry, a lot of it is the people we get to work with, a lot of talent in this industry. Also, just the work that's done by AEC firms is pretty incredible. The impact they have on shaping our communities, the infrastructure within it, it's a pretty resilient and exciting industry to be in. It's always evolving. I think those are some of the things that keep reminding myself how could I not want to play some role in this industry, let alone at two really great firms I've had the opportunity to work for.
[00:05:13] Michelle: Yes, it is a really cool industry. I love it because I hire a lot of former journalists who really haven't been exposed to the industry, and then they get in it and they're like, "This is cool stuff." It's fun to watch their exposure to it and realize how this industry really impacts our day-to-day lives and for them to be able to learn about an industry that is so impactful, especially today, and the problems that we're facing today.
I've been excited to interview you. I know one of the people on your team and she speaks so highly of the team that you have there. You guys have a marketing team of, I think, around 20, is that correct?
[00:06:05] Justin: Yes.
[00:06:07] Michelle: Well, I've got a lot of things I want to ask. I know that when you joined, you went through a rebrand. Is that correct?
[00:06:13] Justin: Yes.
[00:06:14] Michelle: Tell me about that. What led to the rebrand? Tell me about the process of that rebrand and some of the thinking that went into that. I know rebrands in the AEC industry are probably a tough — I've done them for companies — a tough sell, especially an industry that is a bit traditional. Tell me a little bit about that.
[00:06:44] Justin: Yes, sure. When I joined, there was conversation about things that probably needed to happen anyway. Aside from what I characterize as more of a brand refresh that we went through. We knew we were going to need a new website, for example. Those were some of the conversations of, what did we need to upgrade anyway? But it also led to a broader conversation, I think, about how, as a firm like Gannett Fleming, who has an incredible history in the industry, how do we stay relevant? How do we keep modernizing with the times to still demonstrate that we're delivering great value for our clients, that we're delivering great value for our employees, and where we're going is an exciting place to be?
With that conversation, I was able to jump into the role I am today partially midstream. A brand survey was done, a perception survey was done, some indicators there, but also, this advancement of website. Then that also led to the conversation about, when we think about staying relevant and modernizing, modernized logo comes along with that. As a part of that, the whole modernization allowed us to really better tell our story, better define it, better tell that story in today's times, even simple things like when I now, when we went through the process and we talked about just the intentionality of the logo, as one example, that logo really has inspiration from our founder who initially designed the iconography in its initial conception.
Now today to be able to give a nod to that history, but also have this story that, hey, there's meaning behind those shapes, the triangles, the strength and core of our people, the open circle represents our inclusivity values, the diamond atop represents our ingenuity and innovation. I think that opportunity to really own a story was a piece of the puzzle there.
[00:08:59] Michelle: Interesting.
[00:08:59] Justin: In addition, I'd say just, where I think the power of brand can come in is just a unified voice. Yes, there's the visual side to that of consistency, but really a unified voice and the ability to define that and provide that for our employee base to be able to communicate that through our marketing and communications activities, under a more unified voice and a way to go forth into the marketplace was also really important. Several learnings along the way: I would say, "Hey, inventory assets, get that inventory set early." That's one of the things that always seems to take time, and you find these hidey holes of —
[00:09:49] Michelle: I can imagine, yes.
[00:09:50] Justin: — where things are okay, right?
[00:09:53] Michelle: Digital asset management has become a phrase we're very familiar with, yes.
[00:09:59] Justin: Yes, absolutely. When I think about these brand refreshes or rebrands when necessary, from my perspective, the learning comes back to: define your audiences. Start with that understanding of — how are you perceived with those audiences? And do you want to reinforce or change any perceptions that might be there? Then that could mean strategizing on how to accomplish that in different ways.
Through this — what I learned, of course, with this brand refresh — it was the opportunity to really take a pause and assess and really be intentional about what the brand needs to be to be successful and how to do that well. Setting it up right from the start, I think, was really important to then — how does that get maintained long term and evolve and continue to evolve and grow as we do, too? That, combined with leadership's ability to embrace and model the brand, can go a long way as well.
[00:11:09] Michelle: Yes, that's great. That's great that you came into it. I know you came in and there was already a sense of “we need to modernize.” You weren't having to, I don't want to use the term fight that fight, that battle, but you weren't having to convince them. There was already a, "Hey, we need to do this." You had that backing that you need. Because I see that a lot with firms that there's that generational divide often. People have this feeling of affinity toward the brand and they don't want to let go of the historical aspects of it. That's great that you had that. One of the things I loved — I took a look through the website and you actually feature team members on your homepage. I thought that was really great. Tell me a little bit about your decision to do that. What your thinking was around that?
[00:12:23] Justin: Yes. I certainly have the mindset — and I think it's shared by others — that people deliver these projects. People are connecting with people. We're connecting with our clients. We're connecting with employees. We're in the people business, really. A big part of our strength, and that's, within who we are as a company, is our people. Our clients rely on those people as trusted advisors. Really, it's one of our core values that our employees are key. We can't neglect that as being part of our DNA. We've had a lot of success in highlighting people in our content. No matter what we look at, when we highlight people, it's some of our top-performing content. It aligns really closely with our employer-brand value proposition.
At Gannett Fleming, we talk about that when you join Gannett Fleming, you're going to get a chance to work on some really impactful projects. You're going to get some meaningful professional development, so much so that you will likely be recruited to work elsewhere. But it's our collaborative approach. It's our innovative culture. It's our inclusive culture, along with all the great benefits we provide to our employees, which means you're never going to want to leave. I think even in our value proposition, we're tackling that head-on. As a company, we know we have lower-than-average industry voluntary turnover rates. We lean into why that is and not shy away from the fear that maybe other employees might be taken away from the firm.
[00:14:04] Michelle: I love that. Yes, that's fantastic. That leads into a trend. I want to get into trends a little bit. Obviously, right now, this industry is facing a talent shortage. A lot of what marketers are doing is bleeding into sort of this recruiting HR. Our roles are shifting a little, or it's becoming about becoming an employer brand. Can you talk to me a little bit about that? How much of your work tends to be about building that employer brand and what you do there?
[00:14:45] Justin: Yes, so we spend a good amount of energy on our employer brand because of the applicability it has with a wide range of things. You can tell great project stories, and it has dual benefits, both to communicating to our clients about the great work that we do but also to demonstrate the types of work that if you were working at Gannett Fleming, you'd be exposed to or could have the opportunity to work on. There are those cross-beneficial ways we look at content to tell multiple stories that align and intersect with employer brand.
We also are very closely joined at the hip, I would say, with our HR director, our senior manager of talent acquisition, to understand what is going on internally as well as externally. That allows us to really refine our approach to how our employer brand shows up in different spaces. That's everything from the career fairs to the content you see on our website to campaigns we're embarking on, things like that.
Certainly, I think that the employer brand space has found this natural alignment and partnership with HR, but also we really can play well to — the content just has such versatile use, I would say. It intersects in different ways beyond just a strictly internal employer brand versus an external versus what you're trying to say to clients. I think thinking through that from this “mix-ternal” and cross-functional usage has been really helpful in how we take a look at our content, what we're doing for marketing and communications activities, and the alignment to that value proposition we're trying to communicate helps guide our way.
[00:16:42] Michelle: That's great. Tell me, what are some other trends that you're seeing?
[00:16:48] Justin: Yes, it's tough to go a discussion without AI.
[00:16:52] Michelle: I know.
[00:16:54] Justin: I think just to touch on that, I think we're all aware of the tools out there today. I think we are aware that they're not perfect. The human element is still so critical. Inputs, outputs, how to use it. There are certainly some efficiencies gained in it as well, but also the ability to maybe challenge ourselves creatively or get some different perspectives on things. Help us through the learning journey too, if we needed such.
Where that seems to trend, at least, or where I'm excited to see it go a little bit is — AI has been around for a long time. Now we've got generative AI, which provides some additional ease of use. If you see that trend start to continue, you get into the [unintelligible] to today, we have things like custom GPTs. Where can that take us to almost low-code, no-code software that then helps us accomplish our work better? Where can it play a role in automation and predictive analytics? All those sorts of things. To me, it's not just about, oh, you can type a prompt and the output is going to be the most perfect thing to copy and paste verbatim. That's not the approach to take. It's — how does it sit alongside of us, just like many other software tools that complement the work that we're going to be doing. Obviously, we're going to see advancements there. It is a game changer, but we'll continue to advance quickly. There is some exciting potential there.
[00:18:34] Michelle: Yes.
[00:18:34] Justin: The other trend I think I've seen too, which can be tied to AI, is in the data and information space. We have access to more data and information than ever before. I think that there's more tools and reporting mechanisms for that data. I mentioned the way to get that data into, then, predictive analytics is a trend. It allows us to take a bit of a pause and say, “well, what questions are we really trying to answer with data?” Then also, just from that acknowledgement that there's privacy rules that have changed and will probably continue to change. People are certainly more cognizant about the data and information that they're sharing. There's legislation that works its way through that will help set the legislative perspective on what that is.
I think we want to pay close attention to that when it comes to data and information. Where's that transaction of information for value along the way, too? I think that's something to keep an eye on and stay attuned to. The other one I would say, if I have to pick three, is just digital marketing channel. Evolution will continue to evolve. I talked with our digital manager, and she's like, "Yes, every few months LinkedIn throws us curveballs."
[00:20:06] Michelle: I know, isn’t it wild? Yes. It's like playing that algorithm game, right? Yes.
[00:20:12] Justin: It totally is. Yes. I think with the infusion of AI, SEO will get interesting, too, with Google. Google search revenue is still top of their game, so they're going to have to keep that going for themselves, but SEO will adapt. I think we've seen some things in just how we all consume content on demand. I want what I want, when I want. I want it now. I want it in the format that I want and the platform that I want. I think understanding that is critical. I think that ties in a little bit to personalization. Not personalization necessarily that my name is inserted in an email campaign, but really just the content that is fed to me, is it personalized? Or to our audiences, is it personalized? Where automation can play a role or segmentation and such can play a role there.
[00:21:11] Michelle: Keeping up with those changes can feel like a full-time job. It really is quite wild how quickly that changes. I'm glad you brought that up because I'd love to talk about content and thought leadership and tell me a little bit about your approach to developing content. How do you work with your subject-matter experts? Tell me a little bit about how that works within the firm. Is there a struggle to get that? We're a content and PR firm. I've talked a lot about knowledge extraction and working with SMEs. What's that like at Gannett Fleming?
[00:21:58] Justin: Yes. I think one of the things, at least our marketing communications team has to keep in mind, is where can we give a helpful hand to our SMEs, our technical professionals for that knowledge extraction? I do think that's an important part of overcoming challenges to that. Really, it does start with first just alignment, firm vision, mission values, our business plans, our marketing communications plans are crafted to support all of that. That can really set the framework for — where does thought leadership play a role within, not just thought leadership, just content in general — where does content play a role, then, in those marketing communications plans?
That has really close partnership with leadership across the organization. It helps to have that alignment. So then, as we're going forth to these other thought leaders, subject-matter, technical professionals, there is a just cause on why this is important —
[00:23:07] Michelle: It's a great point.
[00:23:08] Justin: — to help accomplish what we want to do. We certainly, when it comes to that partnership, it's very collaborative, I would say. There are always challenges or things that come up if someone can't get to something. That's okay because the great thing about Gannett Fleming is there's such a wealth of resources to tap into, such a pipeline of good stories to tell. We're able to feed that pipeline in many ways. As bumps in the road come along the way in content development, there's still plenty of other opportunity to still get the alignment we have, the communications and marketing activities that we want to accomplish.
When it comes to our content, there is really, I'd say, heavier emphasis that I’d place on a few different things. Thought leadership, of course, is a big part of that. Our clients have goals they want to accomplish. They have challenges to achieving those goals. There's problems to be solved. There's new ideas to be advanced, all those things. We can speak to that through thought leadership.
I'd say the other piece of that is really the project story. Us helping our clients deliver amazing infrastructure work in the world. Bringing those innovative ideas to fruition. Working through those problems — us solving those problems and the outcomes that they achieve for communities. That's really somewhat of the proof behind thought leadership in some ways, too. It gives a bit of that proof. It certainly aligns with our “excellence delivered as promised” tagline, too, at the end of the day. Then we touched on it earlier, which is employer brand content, as well. That alignment with the collaboration with the leadership, combined with where we're placing emphasis in our content, shapes our approach.
[00:25:12] Michelle: That's great. I love it. Are you experimenting with different content types? Do you have a favorite type of content, or what tends to work best, have you found, with your audiences?
[00:25:28] Justin: Yes, absolutely. Digital to me is, first and foremost, I think we've seen the evolution over to mobile, too, over the course of time, and so that weighs into it. Really to me, it's about — if you have a good story to tell, tell it multiple ways and to where your audience is going to show up, where you see them showing up or where you're able to actually effectively draw them in.
That can look a little different for people. We've found success in things like our INSIGHTS Webinar series. To have this really great — not only does it provide free PDH credits and other kinds of credits, and it's a longer form piece of educational content, but we're able to take a piece of content like that and look at repurposing, of course, too. How do we take that webinar series to flip it into a blog? Maybe it's going on the conference circuit after that, or you could look at short-form video clips through that. Those are the types of things that we're challenging ourselves, and of course, the data informs some of this as well, of where we see outperforming places. I think that the concept to me of just, if you have got a good story to tell, tell it multiple ways. Find the right channels.
[00:26:53] Michelle: Yes. I love the idea of starting with one format, if you will, and then taking it and breaking it up into a million different ways and starting with that bigger, longer format type. Then using it in a million different ways. It just makes it a little bit easier. I think a lot of times people have a hard time figuring out where to start. Often with clients, I think, okay, well, let's just come up with a one big piece, and then we just can chunk it out in different ways. Webinars are a great way to do that. What about PR? Do you do a lot with the trade publications? Do you take your content and place it there?
[00:27:40] Justin: Yes, I think it depends on the story we're trying to tell, certainly from the PR/media relations side of things. “What's the newsworthiness?” is the question we keep coming back to. If we are able to answer that question effectively and are able to form a pitch, yes, media relations certainly is the tool in the toolbox to help broaden the awareness, broaden the reach, give the third-party validation along the way.
I think there are some interesting ways that trade publications have grasped onto this thought leadership content approach as well, which is, I think, great for companies like ours. We just had a great, quick-turnaround Roads & Bridges interview, at a conference that we were attending. Those types of opportunities that really, again, align with what we're trying to achieve, but also — we challenge ourselves to answer that "is it newsworthy?" question before we started embarking on the media relations approach.
[00:28:50] Michelle: Not everyone does that. Yes. Tell me about CSR, corporate social responsibility, and DEI and how you've approached that in your marketing.
[00:29:04] Justin: Yes, absolutely. When I look at those components, they are components of who we are as a company, they're components of our brand, it's vision, mission values, touch on those types of things. I think as a company, we can be really proud of the work that we've accomplished for social responsibility and DEI. We have a great ESG report that characterizes and summarizes some of that, as well. We acknowledge there's always more work to be done in that space. It's along the lines of just the right things to be doing as a company in our industry. I think what's really important first and foremost is that being able to market or communicate these activities is not the drive. What's most important is the work actually happening to improve our communities, to empower employees to feel like they've found a company that they belong in.
Some people are willing to share their stories in relation to that, and others are not, and that is completely okay, too. I think that that's really important to keep in mind. We do, then, find opportunities to share that, to demonstrate the type of culture Gannett Fleming has, the type of place we are to work for, the type of firm we are to work with. It really helps us, I think, tell that broader story of this — we're creating a better future together, and one of the ways we're doing that is through “excellence delivered as promised”, and that is inclusive of things like our social responsibility, our DEI values, and so forth.
[00:30:56] Michelle: Yes. Is that ESG report something you do on an annual basis, or is that less frequent?
[00:31:05] Justin: Yes, it's on an annual basis and actually stemmed from a corporate sustainability report and then evolved into more of an ESG because we were covering so many great ways that the firm was supporting the various elements under what could be characterized under ESG.
[00:31:25] Michelle: Yes. Two more things that just came to mind that I hadn't thought of before, but as an infrastructure firm, I assume that a lot of your audiences are government audiences, so federal and state decision makers. I've always felt that audience is a different beast in terms of how you influence them than a private corporation, so to speak. Can you talk to me a little bit about that audience and how it might differ a bit, and how your approach differs when speaking to that audience?
[00:32:05] Justin: Yes, and I know I probably start with some fundamentals here of like, where do they show up? Then, you have that added layer of — how are you allowed to engage them, communicate with them? What are the legal considerations? There might be, I know, of course, in the public sector things like gift-giving policies. There are things you can't do. Once you understand those parameters, that's where you can really start working within those parameters to say, how do we develop a brand-positioning strategy within that?
We know that a brand-positioning strategy takes time to accomplish. Changing perceptions takes time. There are plenty of tools in the toolbox available to us to do so. But I think what's also important is when you look at an audience like that, federal and state decision-makers, what you also have to understand is like, marketing is not a siloed activity in a marketing communications department. That all employees can really play a role through a coordinated series of activities, some led by the marketing department, some perhaps not, that can still accomplish a positioning strategy. You can measure that in different ways, but you can see the success of that playing out as you grow, as well.
I think it's that intersection of you have, perhaps, something you want to share, a conversation to take place. Where is it best to have that conversation? I know when you think about just brand awareness, there's a wide range of things, conferences in the traditional space and sponsorships and advertising can play a role, digital and traditional. You can look at content campaigns that still get the right materials in front of that audience. To me, it comes back to just making sure you have a clear understanding of the parameters that you have to work within and then craft it from there because different clients might be slightly unique, as well, and so you have to factor all that into your approach.
[00:34:34] Michelle: Yes, no, that's great. The very last thing I want to — I saw on your bio that you worked for six years and you continue to dedicate a lot of your time to working with the American Cancer Society. I wanted to ask about that and tell me where that passion came from and what you continue to do with them.
[00:34:58] Justin: Yes, absolutely. I've had a lot of joy from working with the American Cancer Society, our fulfillment from it. I had several family members and friends that had to hear those unfortunate words of “you have cancer” and have seen it take its toll in different forms over the years. On one end of the spectrum, seeing a college roommate go through a unique cancer and pass away at a young age from that, as one end of the spectrum.
The other end of the spectrum is certainly more positive. My aunt got the all-clear from her doctor, and that is unbelievable news for a cancer survivor and everything in between. When you go through that experience, I definitely had this feeling of, in those different instances, of — what can I do? What should I do? I think that the American Cancer Society provided an additional outlet for things that I could be doing when you can feel like maybe there's not much you can do outside the support and things of that nature. When I got involved, it was with the Young Professionals Group. Had a friend invite me to an event, and at that event, I think they were like, "Hey, you want to co-chair our inaugural event for the Young Professionals Group?" I was like, "Absolutely."
[00:36:30] Michelle: I know. You shouldn't raise your hand around those groups. They're like, "You get to be the leader." [laughs]
[00:36:39] Justin: Yes, absolutely. That one thing leads to another and I ended up on the state board here in Wisconsin for the Cancer Society. What I would say is, I did — and this was just a couple of years ago — we were going to be welcoming our second son to the world. We were moving to this Madison area that we're in now. I was co-chairing an SMPS regional conference. I was in this new role. All these things were stacking up, and I had to assess and prioritize. I slowed down a bit at the involvement in the Cancer Society, still stay connected and things of that nature.
I think now is the time where, now I'm a couple of years later, too, where I'm like, okay, now I can look at the opportunity of — how can I now get back to contributing in new and different ways because of that fulfillment that I got from the prior experience. It's a great organization. Provides a lot of great benefits beyond just research funding. They do a lot of things for patients and cancer survivors along the way. I think I know I'm going to find my way back there, even in a greater sense, looking ahead too.
[00:37:52] Michelle: I love that you had those personal experiences and turned it into action. What is one final thought that you'd love to leave our listeners with, around, using your career in AEC marketing to add value for our listeners?
[00:38:17] Justin: Yes. I've had the great fortune of working in this industry my entire career, and I think there's a lot of enjoyment people get from this industry and the work that we do and all those things we touched on earlier. I think one of the things that I've learned along the way and as a very, maybe a practical thing to keep in mind is, when I thought about what skills do I need to build to be successful long-term, one of the things that I was exposed to early on, I got exposed to early on a lot of the client account management strategy, capture planning strategy, and obviously the marketing communication strategy.
One of the skills that inevitably I really worked on and honed and learned from was facilitation skills and the ability to bring groups together and guide them through by asking really thought-provoking questions and really challenging questions to uncover what should be done. What are the right strategies? How does that help shape and define your strategies and implementation of it?
My guess is that perhaps you may not find many people who had previously joined like International Association of Facilitators or got some specific training on facilitation, or got a chance to learn from really talented facilitators. I think that was an underrated skill set now that I like fast forward to where I am today, that I built that then now allows me to collaborate with leaders across the company, within our team, across all stakeholders, and guide ourselves in a way that makes sense for us. If I have parting words of wisdom is — don't neglect those facilitation skills that can help you accomplish what you're trying to do and be influential, and really challenge how you want to ask questions to get the right outcomes.
[00:40:23] Michelle: I love that. Especially since you're a leader of a large team. I can imagine that's an incredibly important skill to have, to guide that many people and to keep them motivated and moving forward to facilitate their discussion and their own thinking. The worst you can do is just to be preaching and to not get their contributions, so that's a fantastic thought. Thank you very much. We have been talking to Justin Juley of Gannett Fleming. If people want to connect and talk more with you, what's the best way for them to do that?
[00:41:03] Justin: Absolutely. I always say LinkedIn is best for me. Find me on LinkedIn. You can search for Justin Juley. I'm always happy to connect down there.
[00:41:10] Michelle: Well, thank you so much.
[00:41:13] Justin: Great. Thank you.
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[00:41:17] Announcer: Thanks for listening to “Spill the Ink,” a podcast by Reputation Ink. We'll see you again next time, and be sure to click “Subscribe” to get future episodes.
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