Ivi Gabales

Twenty years in AEC taught me one thing over and over: the work follows the relationship.

I write about business development, positioning, and everything that happens long before anyone opens a drawing set.

Seattle

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Hi, I’m IVI

I started out as an architect. I thought I’d spend my career designing buildings. Instead I got hooked on figuring out how building projects get won — the relationships, the pursuits, the interviews, the messy human stuff that happens long before a line is drawn.

That path took me through design, then marketing, then pursuit leadership, and eventually into business development strategy for AEC firms across the Pacific Northwest. Today I lead business development strategy at Skanska in Seattle.

I’ve also been an entrepreneur my whole life — childhood hustles, a nationwide cake company launched during a pandemic, and a consulting practice I ran for AEC firms and the people driving them. Every single one taught me the same thing: clarity of message, strength of brand, and real relationships beat everything else. Every time.

This site is where I keep what I’ve learned. The articles, the posts, the half-formed thoughts that eventually turned into something. If you’ve ever watched a firm with a worse portfolio win the job anyway and wondered what you missed — that’s what I write about.

Everything here is mine — opinions included. Views expressed are my own and don’t represent my employer.

You’re going to the events. You’re making the connections. So why isn’t it turning into work?
That’s the gap I write about — the difference between a relationship that leads somewhere and one that just… doesn’t. Once a week, from someone who’s been on both sides of the table.
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Where I Show Up

Where I Show Up

Consider this your standing coffee date with a BD friend — the honest version of what’s working, what isn’t, and what nobody tells you until you’re already in the room.

Four places, four different reasons. Start wherever you like.

Substack — BD in Your Inbox

Longform, once a week. Relationship building, positioning, and how work actually gets won. Free posts every week, plus a paid tier for the deeper systems, scripts, and frameworks.

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LinkedIn — The Short Version

Quicker thoughts, industry news, and whatever I’m chewing on this week. This is where the conversation happens — 3,000+ AEC pros already follow along.
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Instagram — @ivigetsreal

The unfiltered version. Behind the scenes, real talk, and the stuff that doesn’t survive a LinkedIn post.
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Pinterest — The Visual Archive

Every idea worth saving, in boards you can actually come back to.

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From the Archive

Longer pieces on positioning, pursuits, and the parts of BD nobody trains you for.

New pieces go out weekly on Substack. Older long-reads live here.

Tried-and-True Doesn’t Cut It: How AEC Firms Can Refresh Their BD Strategy in 2025

Hello dear friend— Let me ask you this: Do you feel like you’re doing all the right things—going to industry events, networking, staying active on social media, checking in with....
READ MORE

Tried-and-True Doesn’t Cut It: How AEC Firms Can Refresh Their BD Strategy in 2025

Hello dear friend— Let me ask you this: Do you feel like you’re doing all the right....
READ MORE

From AEC Veteran to Founder: Launching a Consulting Practice from the Inside Out

For most of my career I worked inside AEC firms—first as a designer, then in marketing and....
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Your Marketing Isn’t Broken. Your Messaging Might Be. 

In the last few weeks, I sat in on a business development meeting with firm leaders around....
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Latest Insigths

The Dormant Relationship: How to Reach Out When It's Been Too Long by Ivi Gabales

The silence feels bigger in your head than it does to them. Here's how to close the gap in under five sentences.

Read on Substack

The 72-Hour Follow-Up System by Ivi Gabales

What to actually do after every holiday party, client dinner, and year-end event, before the conversation goes cold.

Read on Substack

How to Actually Plan Your Last Quarter for Business Development by Ivi Gabales

Why the BD machine doesn't get an off season, and what to do about it before January.

Read on Substack
SEE MORE

Kind Words From the Consulting Years

A few notes from people I worked with when I was consulting. Keeping them here because they still mean a lot.

Melody Leung

Stemper Architects

 “Ivi was an incredible help to our office while we were searching for a permanent marketing/business development coordinator.”

VIEW FULL NOTE…

Luis Adan

Adan CM-Consulting, LLC

“Ivi is smart, resourceful, and hardworking. She combines creativity with practicality, often developing innovative ideas that lead to meaningful results.”

VIEW FULL NOTE…

BD in your inbox.

Every week: the pursuits, the follow-ups, and the relationship moves that actually turn into work. Written for AEC leaders and the people they’re counting on.

Say Hello

Speaking, podcasts, collaborations, or you just read something that landed — I’d love to hear from you. I read everything that comes through.

Currently: leading BD strategy at Skanska in Seattle. Not taking on consulting clients right now.

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© 2026 Ivi Gabales. All rights reserved. Views are my own.
Ivi was an incredible help to our office while we were searching for a permanent marketing/business development coordinator. She knew exactly what our firm needed for responding to proposals, industry lingo, and understanding of client processes and protocols.

Additionally, she was familiar with all of our public agency clients and consultant firms, and provided some great strategic connections for future work. For the short time that Ivi provided services to our office, she fulfilled the marketing and business development role seamlessly, creating a worry-free/stress free environment for us, and freed up time for me to attend to other important tasks.

I definitely recommend utilizing her expertise and deep knowledge of the AEC industry without reservations.

Melody Leung
Stemper Architects

I am writing to highly recommend Ivi Gabales, a long-time friend and respected colleague in the A/E/C community here in the greater Seattle area. While Ivi and I have not officially worked together on a project, we have pursued opportunities side by side, and I have consistently been impressed by the strategic thinking and insight she brings to the table. Her ability to guide teams toward thoughtful and well-informed decisions has been invaluable. 

Ivi is smart, resourceful, and hardworking. She combines creativity with practicality, often developing innovative ideas that lead to meaningful results. She communicates clearly and articulately, asking insightful questions that help teams uncover the real issues at hand. Equally important, she listens attentively and provides advice that is both thoughtful and actionable. 

Another strength that sets Ivi apart is her wide network of colleagues in the industry, who respect and value their relationships with her. She has generously shared this network with me and with others, often recommending connections that prove helpful to my practice and highlighting opportunities worth pursuing. This willingness to connect people and open doors adds tremendous value to anyone fortunate enough to work alongside her. 

I have great respect for Ivi’s character, integrity, and leadership. She has a remarkable ability to build authentic relationships, and she treats every client and collaborator with sincerity—making you feel as though you are the most important client in the room. 

I speak from the perspective of over 30 years as an owner’s representative in the commercial real estate industry, having represented prestigious commercial developers in the market such as Schnitzer West, Urban Visions, Vulcan and Unico Properties. With this background, I have had the privilege of working with some of the best in the industry, and I can confidently say that Ivi belongs in that category. 

For all of these reasons, I wholeheartedly endorse Ivi. Any team that has the opportunity to work with her will gain a trusted partner whose strategic guidance, strong network, and commitment will bring tremendous value. 

 

Sincerely, 

Luis Adan 
Principal 
Adan CM-Consulting, LLC 
luis@adan-cm.com 
805.404.7783 

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Former architect turned business development strategist. I write about the real engine behind growth in AEC, relationships, positioning, and strategy that actually win work, along with the behind-the-scenes lessons no one teaches you until you’re in it.