Earned reputation, made visible.

Your firm has already earned its reputation. Let’s make sure clients can see it.

Hearthside Strategies is a marketing strategy consultancy for architecture firms in Chicago and on the North Shore. We help firm leaders turn the reputation they’ve already earned into visibility and pipeline, so the right clients know your firm before they ever ask.

Why it matters

The most expensive sentence in architecture

“We have enough work right now.” Principals say it when the studio is full, and in that moment marketing goes quiet. When the pipeline thins, as it always does, the firm starts from zero.Hearthside Strategies works with firm leadership to front-load marketing into the strategic plan, so it keeps working in the busy years and is ready for the lean ones.

How we work

  1. Start with the why. Every engagement begins with why your firm wants to grow, and only then turns to how.

  2. Build the system. We connect your positioning, visibility and marketing into a clear plan with measurable goals.

  3. Hand it back. You own the system. Your team runs it, without extra meetings on a principal’s already overbooked schedule.

Is this the right time?

Firms get the most from Hearthside Strategies at a turning point:

  • A leadership transition or strategic hire

  • Staying visible as clients shift to AI search

  • Building a marketing system for a growing firm

  • Adding or promoting a new location or practice area

  • Leaders who don’t yet agree on what growth should look like

Services

Four ways we help firm leaders get known first

Every service fits one of four areas, each tied to a question about your firm.

Visibility

Visibility

Can clients find you in search and AI tools, and are your leaders known for their expertise? Our flagship program, Known First, starts here.

Clarity

Strategy & Positioning

Does leadership agree on how the firm wants to be known? Clarity sessions, visioning, positioning and client perception research.

Alignment

Marketing Leadership & Teams

Are leadership and marketing working toward the same goals? Fractional marketing leadership, team development and AI tools training.

Measurement

Systems & Measurement

Do you know what’s working, and is there a system to keep it going? Audits, a marketing system you own and quarterly check-ins.

Kate Besler, PCM, Founding Principal of Hearthside Strategies, marketing strategy consultant for architecture firms in Chicago and the North Shore.

Meet Kate

Kate Besler, PCM

Kate spent a decade in marketing at firms including SOM and HOK, rising to senior marketing leadership. Today she works alongside architecture firm leaders to front-load marketing into the strategic plan, so marketing dollars and principal hours go where they have the most impact.

Experience

Experience you can confirm

  • A decade in marketing at SOM and HOK, rising to senior marketing leadership

  • Professional Certified Marketer (PCM), American Marketing Association

  • Co-founder and past Executive Committee member, Council on Vertical Urbanism Chicago Chapter

  • Former adjunct lecturer, Northwestern University Master of Project Management

  • Moderator, AIA Chicago Practice Forward Symposium 2026

Every engagement sets baseline measures at the start, so you can see what the work produces.

Services

Marketing strategy services for architecture firms

Hearthside Strategies helps architecture firms and other professional services firms make clear, confident marketing decisions. Every engagement has a fixed fee, a defined scope and measurable goals, set around your firm’s situation, and ends with something your team owns.

Not sure where to start? Take the Hearthside assessment or book a free 30-minute discovery call.

Four service areas

Visibility

Visibility

Can clients find you in search and AI tools, and are your leaders known for their expertise?

Clarity

Strategy & Positioning

Does leadership agree on how the firm wants to be known?

Alignment

Marketing Leadership & Teams

Are leadership and marketing working toward the same goals?

Measurement

Systems & Measurement

Do you know what’s working, and is there a system to keep it going?

Visibility

Visibility

Can clients find you in search and AI tools, and are your leaders known for their expertise?

Known First: Executive Visibility Program

Make your firm, and the leaders behind it, known before the first conversation.

Clients check Google, AI tools like ChatGPT and your leaders’ profiles before they ever reach out. Known First makes sure what they find reflects the reputation you’ve already earned: your firm shows up clearly in search and AI answers, and your principals are known for what they know.Best for: firms whose work is stronger than their current visibility, and leaders who should be more visible to clients, peers and future hires, including during a leadership transition such as the onboarding of a strategic hire or the promotion of key talent.

What we’ll do together

  • Review what search engines and AI tools currently say about your firm, and close the gaps (SEO and GEO)

  • Define each leader’s areas of expertise and the audiences that matter most

  • Strengthen professional profiles and set up a simple content and speaking plan

  • Choose the right opportunities, and write press pitches, award entries and conference submissions

  • Train leaders and marketing staff to keep it going

Timeframe: typically 3 – 6 months, depending on the number of leaders
You’ll walk away with: a firm that’s easier to find, visible leaders, a calendar of opportunities and a team that can sustain it.

Clarity

Strategy & Positioning

Does leadership agree on how the firm wants to be known and the marketing investment it will take to succeed?

Marketing Clarity Session

Start with one focused strategy session.

You don’t need a big project to make real progress. In one focused session, we’ll look at where your firm is, what matters most and what to do next, so you can move forward with confidence.Best for: firm leaders with a specific question who want expert direction before committing to a larger project.

What we’ll do together

  • A short review of your firm and its marketing before we meet

  • A 90-minute strategy session focused on your biggest questions

  • A one-page action plan with clear next steps

Timeframe: scheduled within 1–2 weeks, with your action plan delivered within 3 business days
You’ll walk away with: clear priorities and a practical plan you can start right away.

Leadership Visioning Workshop

Define where your firm is going before deciding how to get there.

Marketing works best when leadership agrees on the destination. This workshop gives principals and leadership teams a structured way to define what the firm should become and what it will take to get there.Best for: firm leaders planning growth, a leadership transition or a new direction, and partners who don’t yet agree on what growth means.

What we’ll do together

  • A short questionnaire before the workshop

  • A working session (half a day for one leader, or a half or full day for a team) covering your vision for the next three years, your ideal client, what sets you apart and which goals matter most

  • A break-even discussion using your own fees and earnings, to show what any marketing investment would need to return

Timeframe: about 2–3 weeks, including your written roadmap
You’ll walk away with: a written roadmap of your priorities, first steps, what you can handle yourself and what’s worth paying for, plus a 30-minute call to review it.

Positioning & Value Proposition Workshop

Get clear on who you serve and why they should choose you.

When your ideal client and your message are clear, everything else gets easier: your website, business development, referrals and even how you price.Best for: firms that do strong work but struggle to explain what sets them apart, or whose leaders describe the firm in different ways.

What we’ll do together

  • Review your firm, your market and how you show up today

  • Run a working session to define your ideal client, sharpen your value proposition and name what sets you apart

  • Turn it into a clear statement of who you help and how, ready for your website, outreach and conversations

Timeframe: about 3–4 weeks from start to final deliverable
You’ll walk away with: a message you can say with confidence, and a foundation for every marketing decision that follows.

Client Perception Research

Learn how your clients actually see your firm.

Firms often describe themselves differently from how their clients would. Client perception research replaces assumptions with evidence, in your clients’ own words.Best for: firms preparing to reposition, rebuild their website or push for growth.

What we’ll do together

  • Agree on which past clients and partners to interview, and what to ask

  • Conduct confidential interviews, so people speak openly

  • Analyze the themes: why clients hired you, what they value most and where you could improve

Timeframe: about 4–6 weeks, depending on the number of interviews
You’ll walk away with: a report of findings and recommendations, with anonymized client language you can use in your message.

Alignment

Marketing Leadership & Teams

Are your leadership and marketing teams working toward the same goals?

Fractional Marketing Leadership

Senior marketing leadership without a full-time hire.

For firms that need ongoing strategic direction, Kate serves as part-time marketing leadership, embedded with firm leadership and accountable for results.Best for: firms not yet ready for a full-time marketing director, or in-house teams that need a senior leader.

What we’ll do together

  • Own the marketing strategy and roadmap

  • Hold vendors and agencies accountable to clear measures

  • Report to leadership in plain language on what the investment is producing

  • Coach your in-house marketing staff

Timeframe: ongoing, with a three-month minimum
You’ll walk away with: senior direction, a stronger team and marketing that answers to your business goals.

Marketing Team Development

Help leadership and marketing work as one team.

Your marketing team is only as effective as its alignment with leadership. These workshops and coaching sessions build skills, confidence and a shared way of working.Best for: firms with in-house marketing staff, and leaders who want marketing and leadership working from the same goals.

Options include

  • Leadership & Marketing Alignment Workshop: a shared, goal-oriented vocabulary so leadership and marketing staff mean the same thing when they talk about results

  • Team coaching: one-on-one or group coaching for marketing staff

Timeframe: single workshops or ongoing coaching, scoped to your team
You’ll walk away with: leadership and marketing working from the same goals, with the skills to reach them.

AI Tools Workshop

Use AI to promote your firm without losing your voice.

Your team learns to use ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude for research, planning, first drafts and turning project stories into posts, while keeping your firm’s voice consistent and client information confidential.Best for: marketing teams and firm leaders who want to save time with AI and know where human judgment still matters.

What we’ll do together

  • A quick look at how your team uses AI today

  • A hands-on workshop built around your own projects and content

  • Simple guidelines for voice, accuracy and client confidentiality

Timeframe: one workshop, scheduled around your team
You’ll walk away with: a team that uses AI with confidence, and guidelines that protect your voice and your clients.

Measurement

Systems & Measurement

Do you know what’s working, and is there a system to keep it going?

Marketing Foundations Audit

Find out what’s working and what to fix first.

If your firm is already doing some marketing but it’s hard to tell what’s paying off, an audit gives you a clear picture in plain language. You can stop guessing and put your time and budget where they’ll count.Best for: firms with marketing activity in place that want to know what’s actually working.

What we’ll do together

  • Review your website, email, social media, search visibility (including AI search), referral sources and other channels

  • Look at the numbers you have and explain what they mean

  • Deliver a short, jargon-free report on what’s working, what’s missing and what to fix first

Timeframe: about 2–3 weeks
You’ll walk away with: a clear, prioritized list of next steps you can act on right away.Pair the audit with the Positioning & Value Proposition Workshop as a starter package.

The “I Start It, You Continue It” Marketing System

Connect your marketing into a system your team can run.

Your firm has pieces in place, and you’re ready for them to work together. This engagement builds a repeatable marketing rhythm around your goals, with simple tracking and a playbook, so it keeps working after we’re done.Best for: growing firms, and in-house marketing teams ready to own a system.

What we’ll do together

  • Map your current marketing and connect it into a clear monthly rhythm

  • Set up a simple tracker with 3–5 key numbers, explained in plain language

  • Build a playbook, and train you or your team to run it with confidence

Timeframe: typically a minimum of 3 months, depending on scope
You’ll walk away with: a marketing system you own, understand and can run confidently on your own.For larger firms, the scope can expand to include multiple teams, offices or practice areas.

Quarterly Strategy Check-ins

Stay on course after an engagement.

A quarterly review of your results, based on specific metric tracking, what they mean and one or two adjustments for the next quarter. It’s light, practical and optional.Best for: firms that have finished an engagement and want an outside check on progress.

What we’ll do together

  • Review your results and what they mean

  • Agree on one or two adjustments for the next quarter

Timeframe: one session per quarter, as many as desired
You’ll walk away with: steady progress on the system you already own, without starting over.

About

About Hearthside Strategies

Hearthside Strategies is a marketing strategy consultancy for architecture firms in Chicago and on the North Shore. The firm is strategy-led, working above the deadline, not inside it.

Services span fractional marketing leadership, positioning, client perception research, search visibility (SEO/GEO), executive visibility, thought leadership, brand audits and marketing team development. Each one helps firm leadership turn the reputation they’ve already earned into visibility and pipeline.Every engagement starts with the why behind your growth goals, and only then turns to how.

Kate Besler, PCM, Founding Principal of Hearthside Strategies, marketing strategy consultant for architecture firms in Chicago and the North Shore.

Founding Principal

About Founding Principal Kate Besler, PCM

Kate Besler, Founding Principal of Hearthside Strategies, is on a mission to prove that most architecture firms have already earned the reputation they’re trying to buy. The story is in the talented work, the client relationships and the projects nobody outside the studio has heard about.Nobody’s ignoring it. Marketing is chasing the next deadline, principals are running the next project, and a story nobody has time to capture is a story nobody can use.

A decade inside firms including SOM and HOK, rising to senior marketing leadership, taught Kate what exceptional work looks like, and how easily it goes unclaimed. Today she works alongside firm leadership to front-load marketing into the strategic plan, so marketing dollars and principal hours go where they have the most impact. She builds the system, then hands it to the firm’s own team to run, without adding extra meetings to a principal’s already overbooked schedule.Kate is a co-founder and past Executive Committee member of the Council on Vertical Urbanism’s Chicago Chapter and a former adjunct lecturer in Northwestern University’s Master of Project Management program. She holds the Professional Certified Marketer credential through the American Marketing Association and a digital marketing certification from the Digital Marketing Institute.

Credentials

  • A decade in marketing at architecture firms including SOM and HOK, rising to senior marketing leadership

  • Professional Certified Marketer (PCM), American Marketing Association

  • Digital marketing certification, Digital Marketing Institute

  • Co-founder and past Executive Committee member, Council on Vertical Urbanism Chicago Chapter

  • Former adjunct lecturer, Northwestern University Master of Project Management program

  • Moderator, “The Most Expensive Sentence in Architecture,” AIA Chicago Practice Forward Symposium, November 13, 2026

Connect with Kate on LinkedIn.

FAQ

20 questions about working with Hearthside Strategies

Select a question to see the answer.

1. Who is Kate Besler, and what are her credentials?

Kate Besler, PCM, is the Founding Principal of Hearthside Strategies, a marketing strategy consultancy for architecture firms in Chicago and on the North Shore. She spent a decade in marketing at firms including SOM and HOK, rising to senior marketing leadership. She is a co-founder and past Executive Committee member of the Council on Vertical Urbanism’s Chicago Chapter, a former adjunct lecturer in Northwestern University’s Master of Project Management program, and a Professional Certified Marketer through the American Marketing Association.

2. Where is Hearthside Strategies located, and what areas do you serve?

Hearthside Strategies is based on the North Shore and serves the Chicago area. It works in person with architecture firms in Chicago and across the North Shore, including Wilmette, Evanston, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park and Lake Forest. Firms elsewhere can work with Hearthside virtually, and on-site work outside of Illinois is available by arrangement.

3. Is the discovery call free, and what happens on it?

Yes. The Hearthside discovery call is a free 30-minute conversation about your firm, your goals and whether we’re a good fit. You’ll leave with a clearer sense of where to start, whether or not we work together. You can also take the short Hearthside assessment beforehand.

Book a discovery call · Take the assessment

4. How do I know if we should work together?

Hearthside Strategies is a good fit for architecture firms and other professional services firms that are at a turning point or facing a specific challenge. Common examples include a leadership transition or strategic hire, staying visible as clients shift to AI search, building a marketing system for a growing firm, and adding or promoting a new location or practice area. If you’re unsure, the discovery call or the Hearthside assessment will help you decide.

5. What does a marketing strategy consultant do, and how is that different from a marketing agency?

A marketing strategy consultant helps firm leadership decide who to pursue, how the firm should be known and what marketing should produce. A marketing agency produces the ongoing work: websites, graphics, social posts and campaigns. Hearthside Strategies focuses on strategy rather than ongoing production and does no pursuit work, so the advice isn’t shaped by what an agency wants to sell. Clients use the strategy to direct their in-house team or to brief and evaluate agencies.

6. Should we hire a full-time marketing director or a consultant?

Many small and mid-sized architecture firms are better served by a marketing strategy consultant before they hire a full-time marketing director. A consultant brings senior experience without the cost of a salary and benefits, and builds a system your current team can run. If a full-time hire becomes the right move, the strategy gives that person a clear place to start.

7. Is marketing worth it for a small architecture firm?

Marketing is worth it for a small architecture firm when it’s tied to a clear goal and measured. Before recommending any investment, I work through a break-even calculation with your own fees and earnings, so you know what marketing would need to return. That turns “Is it worth it?” into a number your leadership can decide on.

8. How much does strategic marketing consulting cost, and how much should we budget for marketing?

Most short-term Hearthside Strategies services, such as audits and workshops, start at $3,000. Each has a fixed fee and a defined scope, set by the work, the timeline and the size of your firm. For your overall marketing budget, 2026 industry surveys show businesses typically invest about 5–10% of revenue in marketing. Smaller service firms usually sit at the higher end, and firms pushing for growth often invest more. That total covers staff, tools and outside help, not consulting alone.

9. My practice mostly relies on referrals. Why do I need marketing consulting?

Architecture is a relationship-driven profession, and referrals will always be important. Today’s clients also check Google, AI tools like ChatGPT and your website before reaching out, even when a trusted colleague recommended you. If what they find is outdated or unclear, a strong referral can stall. Marketing consulting makes your online presence back up your referrals and keeps your firm visible when referrals slow down.

10. What is GEO, and why does it matter for architecture firms?

GEO, or generative engine optimization, means making sure AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Google’s AI results describe your firm accurately and recommend it. More clients now ask AI tools for architect recommendations before they search the traditional way. The Hearthside Marketing Foundations Audit includes a review of what AI tools currently say about your firm.

11. Can you help us understand how to use AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude to promote our firm?

Yes. Hearthside Strategies offers a standalone AI Tools Workshop, and the same coaching is part of building your marketing system. Your team learns to use ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude for research, planning, first drafts and turning project stories into posts, while keeping your firm’s voice consistent and client information confidential. You’ll know where AI saves time and where human judgment still matters.

12. How do you help leadership teams that disagree on marketing goals and growth targets?

Hearthside Strategies helps leadership teams align through the Leadership Visioning Workshop. In it, leaders agree on where the firm is headed, who the ideal client is and which targets matter most. The Leadership & Marketing Alignment Workshop then coaches leadership and marketing staff to build a shared, goal-oriented vocabulary. That way both groups mean the same thing when they talk about results, and decisions move faster.

13. Can marketing help with recruiting and keeping staff?

Yes. A strong brand helps architecture firms recruit and keep talented staff, because it shapes how architects and designers see the firm just as it shapes how clients do. A clear identity, visible leadership and a consistent story make recruiting easier and give current staff pride in where they work.

14. How long are your strategic marketing consulting engagements?

Most Hearthside Strategies engagements run for at least three months, because strategic marketing work builds over time. That gives us time to set direction, build the system and hand it off to your team. Some firms prefer to start smaller. They might begin with an audit or the Marketing Clarity Session, usually finished within two to four weeks, or a Leadership Visioning Workshop to clarify direction, before committing to a full engagement.

15. What happens in a Leadership Visioning Workshop, and who should attend?

A Leadership Visioning Workshop is a working session where leadership defines what the firm should become and what it will take to get there. It runs half a day for one person, or a half or full day for a team. You complete a short questionnaire beforehand. Afterward you receive a written roadmap of your priorities, first steps, what you can handle yourself and what’s worth paying for.

16. What do we need to prepare, and what will we receive at the end?

Preparation for a Hearthside engagement is light. It’s usually a short questionnaire, a note on where your recent clients came from, and basic fee and earnings numbers for the break-even discussion. At the end, you keep written deliverables such as an audit report, a baseline of current measures, a strategic roadmap and a workshop workbook in print or digital form. A review meeting walks you through them.

17. What are your payment terms?

Every Hearthside project has a fixed fee and a defined scope, so you know the full cost before work begins. The fee is due at signing, and work begins once payment clears. Any third-party costs are approved by you in writing in advance.

18. Do you help with thought leadership, including press pitches, award and conference submissions?

Yes. Hearthside Strategies helps firms choose which awards, publications and speaking opportunities fit their strategy, and writes press pitches, award entries and conference submissions. Each one ties back to the story your firm wants to be known for, so every opportunity you pursue adds to the reputation you’re building.

19. Who will I actually work with, and what happens when the engagement ends?

You work directly with me, Kate Besler, from the first call to the final handoff, and your work is never passed to junior staff. When the engagement ends, your team owns the system: the roadmap, the playbook, the tracking tools and the training to run them. Some clients add Quarterly Strategy Check-ins, but there’s no requirement to keep paying for what you’ve already built.

20. What can I expect after working with you? We’ve hired marketing consultants before who didn’t deliver.

With Hearthside Strategies, you can expect clear, measurable progress and no surprises. Before work begins, we agree in writing on the scope, the deliverables and measurable goals, which is where many consulting engagements go wrong. Every step has defined metrics and KPIs, so you see what the work is producing along the way. No consultant can honestly guarantee specific results, but you’ll always know where things stand and why.

Accessibility Statement

Hearthside Strategies is committed to making this website accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, Level AA, and we review the site regularly using automated tools and manual testing. Last reviewed: November 5, 2026.Some content is provided by third-party services, such as our scheduling and assessment tools, which maintain their own accessibility standards.If you have difficulty using any part of this site, or need information in another format, please contact Kate Besler at [email protected]. We will respond within two business days and work with you to provide the information you need.

Privacy Policy

Last updated: November 5, 2026Hearthside Strategies LLC (“Hearthside Strategies,” “we”) respects your privacy. This policy explains what information we collect through hearthsidestrategies.com and how we use it.

Information we collect

We collect information you choose to share with us, such as your name, email address, firm name and your answers when you email us, book a discovery call or complete the Hearthside Assessment. Our website host may also collect basic technical data, such as browser type and pages visited, to keep the site running.

How we use it

We use your information only to respond to you, schedule and prepare for conversations, deliver services and improve our website. We do not sell or rent your personal information.

Third-party services

Scheduling is provided by Calendly and the assessment by Paperform. These services collect information under their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to review.

Keeping your information

We keep information only as long as needed for the purposes above, or as required by law.

Your choices

You may ask us to access, correct or delete the personal information we hold about you by contacting [email protected].

Changes

We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top of this page shows the latest version.

Contact

Hearthside Strategies LLC, Illinois · [email protected]