Losing a pursuit is never fun but it can be one of the most valuable opportunities for growth. In this episode of The Shortlist, Wendy Simmons is joined by Melissa Richey and Katy Byers to talk about what it really means to “fail forward” and how to turn losses into smarter strategy.

From running more effective debriefs and asking sharper questions to digging into scoring feedback and gut-checking your go/no-go decisions, the team shares practical ways to understand what happened and how to improve next time.

And because losing streaks are part of the process, the conversation also leans into the human side: keeping team morale high, celebrating wins (big or small), and recognizing when a new approach or perspective might be exactly what your team needs.

CPSM CEU Credits: 0.5 | Domain: 4

Most firms treat RFP questions as a formality—a quick clarification before the real work begins. But what if the questions you ask (and how you ask them) could actually give you the answers you want?

In this episode of The Short(er) List, Becky and Melissa are back with their eagle eyes fixed on the details, cutting through the noise on one of the most underutilized tools in the AEC pursuit process: the RFP clarification question. We dig into strategic phrasing and considerations, air a few grievances, and talk about how to use questions to uncover hidden value and efficiencies. Did you even read the RFP? After this episode, there will never be any doubt.

In the AEC industry, RFPs and RFQs are a fact of life—but that doesn’t mean we can’t vent about the quirks that make RFPs unnecessarily challenging. From overly detailed questions squeezed into tight page limits to unclear addenda, Monday due dates, and outdated submission requirements, Middle of Six principals Wendy Simmons and Melissa Richey swap tales of headscratchers and horror stories alongside designers Becky Ellison and Lauren Jane Peterson.

And in true roast fashion, the panelists also turn the spotlight on themselves, confessing their own “Wildcard" marketer tendencies that show up when proposal deadlines loom. The result is a candid, relatable roast for anyone who has ever opened an RFP and wondered … why?

CPSM CEU Credits: 0.5 | Domain: 4