John Urban

Details, Details

Position: Principal, Urban Architectural Group

Business: Architectural and interior design solutions for commercial, multifamily and residential clients

Web site:www.urbanarchitecturalgrp.com

Age: 44

Education: B.A. in 1987, Bachelor of Architecture in 1988, Master of Architecture in 1993, all from UNC Charlotte

Experience: Urban Architectural Group, 1997-present

Career advice: Even in an age of specialization, be versatile and develop a broad base of knowledge.

Big Picture

Essential business philosophy: Know and develop the strengths of your team, which will lead to working smarter, not harder.

Best way to keep a competitive edge: Keep learning, and honor both your clients and employees.

How you grew your company: Slowly, with a deliberate emphasis on teamwork and finding team players to buy into the Urban brand of signature service.

Biggest recent accomplishments:Two things stand out: First, really revitalizing the team concept, using an outside consultant to work with the office. Second, successfully completing and breaking into the multifamily market in the Charleston, S.C., area, which came about from a successful relationship with a local developer.

How you defined your market: By being client-driven.

Goal yet to be achieved: A larger, self-sustaining design firm, allowing me to focus my time on design and clients.

Judgment calls

Best business decision: Starting my own firm.

Toughest business decision: Starting my own firm.

Biggest missed opportunity: Someone once said, "Youth is a period of missed opportunities." I am fortunately past that period.

Biggest business lesson learned: Although esteemed as an art, architecture must be engaged as a business.

Mentor: My father, who bestowed upon me the self-employed spirit.

True Confessions

What gets you up in the morning: My wife, and the sheer responsibility I have to the families of my employees. The best part is a heartfelt accolade from a client.

Like least about job: The ever-increasing paper-pushing.

Pet peeve: N.C. highway interchanges. The engineers must have an aversion to simple cloverleaf designs.

If you could meet anyone, it would be: Julius Caesar. The era of his reign was an inspiring time period in Roman and Western civilization.

Three greatest passions: Family (my wife, four daughters and granddaughter), flying and sailing.

Predilections

Favorite quote: "Under-promise and over-deliver."

Most influential book:First, Break all the Rules, by Marcus Buckingham.

Favorite cause: Community involvement and service in the town of Matthews.

Favorite status symbol: Being a pilot.

Favorite movie:Patton.

Favorite vacation spot: Any place with blue water and sand.

Automobile: Voodoo Blue 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser.