In this episode of the AEC Women on Top podcast, host Lauren Homme sits down with Halina Mark, the Lead Designer for Refined Design—the specialized, in-house interior design studio at DJK Custom Homes. Drawing from her unique professional trajectory and structural eye for residential environments, Halina pulls back the curtain on the complex operational orchestration required to build and execute high-end custom homes. The conversation targets a critical tension within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industries: the delicate balance between a homeowner's idealized digital vision and the harsh technical, financial, and spatial realities of construction execution.

Halina discusses the strategic evolution of Refined Design Studio, which was developed over three years ago to serve as a vital protective layer and consultative roadmap for luxury residential clients. Moving past surface-level aesthetics, she explains how a dedicated professional design resource protects clients from the costly, cascading errors that often arise during multi-phased custom builds. The episode breaks down why custom residential architecture cannot simply be handled independently by a layperson, drawing a clever structural parallel to leaving a vehicle at a mechanic shop, establishing design as an empirical, technically disciplined field rather than a casual hobby.

Listeners will gain tactical business insights into how Halina and her team navigate the widespread cultural phenomenon of the "Pinterest Fail." Halina dissects how subconscious structural components—specifically spatial scale, color undertones, material transitions, and microscopic detailing—dictate how a human being experiences a physical space. By prioritizing proactive alignment and seamless structural collaboration with DJK's construction crews, Halina provides a masterclass on how women leaders in AEC are leveraging empathy, analytical precision, and deep system guidelines to redefine client trust, drive financial efficiency, and protect both the creative vision and the bottom line of major capital developments.

In this high-impact episode, Lauren Homme sits down with Margi Kaminski, the firm-wide Health Practice Leader at CannonDesign, to pull back the curtain on what it truly takes to build a lasting legacy in the AEC industry. Spanning four decades of professional evolution, Margi shares her circuitous path from launching her own interior design firm in the 1980s to navigating a high-stakes corporate buyout and leading hyper-specialized healthcare modalities for global firms.

Moving past standard corporate talking points, this raw conversation dives deep into the multi-generational shifts in work-life balance—from an era where women entirely hid their children to protect their careers, to the modern, often exhausting pressure of "having it all" while presenting to a firm with a baby on your hip. Together, Lauren and Margi confront the unsustainable intensity and frenetic velocity of the modern workplace, delivering a validating, essential roadmap for women striving to protect their time, claim their power, and redefine success in an evolving industry.

In this episode, host Lauren Homme sits down with Anne Marie, the Director of Business Development and Marketing for SV Design Architecture and Interiors, to discuss her non-linear career path and insights on navigating the AEC industry. Moving from early experiences in community advocacy to product design, and eventually returning to her architecture roots, Anne Marie shares the unique challenges of balancing an "artist's heart" with corporate strategy.

The conversation dives into the operational distinctions between business development and marketing, the impact of prioritizing community-centric projects like affordable housing, and why the industry must shift away from traditional, masculine-skewed definitions of leadership to embrace "sleeper leaders." Packed with moments of vulnerability and sharp professional advice, this episode serves as an empowering guide for women looking to lead authentically, champion empathy as a strength, and build lasting, trust-based relationships in a highly competitive field.