A/E/C Podcasting Duo: Why Two Branding Pros Joined Forces

PSM Podcast Co-Hosts David Lecours (left) and Josh Miles.

PSM Podcast Co-Hosts David Lecours (left) and Josh Miles.


A/E/C Stories is an ongoing series of posts featuring individuals who excel in the architecture, engineering and construction industry.  Nominate someone.


It’s not every day that a successful podcasting opportunity falls into your lap. But when the original creators of PSM.Show (a podcast for professional services marketers) decided to move on, they asked Josh Miles, co-founder of branding agency MilesHerndon and author of Bold Brand 2.0, to take the reins.

“Around that time I met up with David Lecours at the Brand New Conference in Chicago,” says Miles. “I threw out the idea that he should do this with me.”

Lecours, who serves as the principal at LecoursDesign, a branding and digital marketing consultancy, was quick to accept the offer.

“Josh is very persuasive — he strong-armed me into joining him,” says Lecours, laughing. “In all seriousness, it’s been a great opportunity. I’m excited to do it.”

Miles and Lecours are still in the early days of PSM (they’ve produced nine episodes as of this writing), but the duo is excited about continuing to build their audience.

“I could definitely see this as a business development vehicle, as a lead generation tool,” says Miles. “I also see it, primarily, as a thought leadership or positioning tool. It’s more about David and me together helping to boost one another’s reputation in the market, more so than a direct ask for business.”

Lecours concurs with Miles’ assessment. He says that while their personal brands are intertwined with their business brands, they see the value of doing the show together.

“The benefits are significant,” says Lecours. “Having a conversation — in other words, dialogue — is much more compelling than a monologue. Just being able to talk about topics we’re both passionate about, it’s sort of a 1 + 1 = 3 kind of effect. We think it’s more interesting for the audience to listen to more than one voice.”

Miles and Lecours co-presented "The New Wave of A/E/C Websites and Digital Marketing" at an SMPS San Diego workshop in 2014. Photo by Mike Torrey.

Miles and Lecours co-presented "The New Wave of A/E/C Websites and Digital Marketing" at an SMPS San Diego workshop in 2014. Photo by Mike Torrey.

That said, the two hosts represent competing businesses in a highly competitive market. But rather than viewing that fact as a threat, both men see the show as an opportunity to grow and offer listeners complementary perspectives.

“The benefits far outweigh the risk,” says Lecours. “We’ve taken this on and we’re all-in. We don’t have any sort of formal agreement. But we’re both adults and friends, so if an opportunity comes up where, say, a firm wants to work with both of us or one of us, we’ll take it on a case-by-case basis.”

Miles says he didn’t have any concerns about his co-host being a potential competitor.

“I was more interested in what would add to the show and what would add some diversity of thought and a different point of view,” says Miles. “I felt like having someone from another firm added more value than it did cause concern that he might pick up a business lead that I didn’t get.”

Above all, PSM has given Miles and Lecours a fun way to share their opinions.

“When I was first starting my business, I was also a teaching adjunct for a local university,” says Miles. “I loved teaching, but I got to the point where I couldn’t justify the time commitment. I naturally transitioned to doing more speaking. And podcasting kind of scratches that itch for both teaching and speaking.”

Check out a few recent episodes of the PSM podcast:
Email Marketing (1 of 2)  
Email Marketing (2 of 2)
Video as a Marketing Tool 

And take a listen of Miles' other podcast: Obsessed With Design.