Leading Your Firm’s Growth With Account and Project Management

Leading Your Firm’s Growth With Account and Project Management

Thanks for joining us at Monday Night Brewing! 🍻

It was a pleasure to present these sessions alongside Jenny and David. I’m grateful you joined us to dig into the real work of project management: the kind that lives in the space between account and project leadership, where empathy, clarity, and strategy collide.


📑 The Essential Principles of Good Project Management

Keynote slides → [Download here]

TL;DR: This talk is about the foundations that make great PMs. Not frameworks. Not jargon. Principles. I walked through 10 human-centered, strategic guideposts that help you thrive in chaos, connect across disciplines, lead with empathy, and use tools (including AI) with intention. If you want to refresh your practice or explain to others what PMs really do, this is the place to start.


📑 Leading Through Project Management

Keynote slides → [Download here]

TL;DR: This session is about leveling up: from managing timelines to leading organizations. Strategic project management is about connecting today’s projects to tomorrow’s goals, evolving your practice, and stepping into a leadership mindset. We talked about ditching dogma, exercising empathy, mixing process models to fit reality, and using AI as a tool — not a replacement. The big takeaway: AI isn’t a leader. You are,

Work with me

I coach, consult, and run workshops with creative and tech teams who want to deliver better work without burning out. If you’re curious about how I can help your agency, product team, or leadership group — get in touch.

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Here’s a long list of supporting articles, videos, resources, and templates I've created (everything mentioned in my slides is linked below).

Want more? Click the "Subscribe" button here and head over to Same Team Partners to do the same. I create content and resources regularly PMs and leaders.

Project Management for Humans

I wrote Project Management for Humans to make project management more approachable and, well, human. I’m now working on the second edition—coming in 2026—with fresh insights on leadership, AI, and the evolving role of PMs.

Grab a copy of my book today!

More on Account and PM

Before you jump into my other resources, check out the AM/PM tension keynote I presented earlier this year, along with the article that went viral on Linkedin and prompted the presentation.

Dear Agencies: You Still Need Someone the Client Likes
McCann is betting on project managers to replace account leads. Here’s why that move won’t work—and what agencies should do instead.

Resources mentioned in The Essential Principles of Project Management

Principle 1: Chaos Junkies

Burnout is the hidden project risk
Burnout is the hidden project risk. Learn how to spot the signs, protect your team, and prevent quiet exhaustion from derailing delivery.
How AI Is Changing Project Management (But Humans Still Win)
AI can speed up your work, but it can’t replace real leadership. Learn how project managers can stay human and stay ahead.

Principle 2: Professional Translators

Better Communications
Make work easier.
Teamangle Conversation Cards by Same Team Partners
Teamangle Conversation Cards help leaders and teams break through communication barriers, build trust, and spark meaningful conversations. Designed for real-world team challenges, each deck provides structured yet flexible prompts that drive productive discussions, strengthen collaboration, and create a culture of psychological safety. Whether you’re navigating tough conversations, improving alignment, or fostering deeper connections, these cards offer a proven way to engage your team in a way that feels natural, impactful, and effective. Ideal for team meetings, leadership development, and one-on-one check-ins, Teamangle Conversation Cards turn dialogue into action—because better conversations create better teams.

Principle 3: Lovable hardasses

Lovable Hardass by Same Team Partners
Same Team Partners official merchandise
There’s no framework for empathy (but you still need it to lead)
Or: Why we should’ve listened to the Pope instead of your Scrum Master Let me guess. Your company just rolled out a shiny new “operating system” for teams—Agile, EOS, whatever acronym your leadership team copy-pasted from LinkedIn. There’s a coach, a training module, a new meeting cadence,

Principle 4: Always in beta

Continuous learning for teams: How to build resilience and drive engagement
Help your team stay resilient and engaged by embedding continuous learning into meetings, 1:1s, and everyday workflows.
How open dialogue brought one team closer together
The team wasn’t broken. Work was getting done. Projects shipped on time. But something felt off. People were quiet. Updates were surface-level. Decisions happened in closed loops. The meetings were efficient—but not energizing. The team was polite. But not connected. They weren’t dysfunctional. They were just... disconnected.
Encouraging open dialogue
How to build communication that strengthens teams You’ve probably felt it: that moment in a team meeting where something important should be said—but isn’t. A tense silence, a half-spoken concern, or a vague nod of agreement that doesn’t hold up later. And then? Misunderstandings. Delays. Resentment

Principle 5: Purpose over process

Episode 4: Create a Project Plan (w/ Brett Harned)
Corey and Deane talk about how project plans rarely stay intact upon first contact with real life. Then, we chat with Brett Harned, author of Project Management for Humans, about his definition of a project plan, creating better retrospectives, and how to help clients and project teams keep on track. (Also, Brett tells us the best album in his record collection.)
Project planning: 7 steps for a people-first process that works
The ultimate guide to creating project plans that prioritize people—your most valuable resource for project success.
SMART Goals for Project Managers: Examples + Template
Learn what a SMART goal is and what it stands for. See examples of how to write SMART goals as a project manager, plus download our free SMART goals template.
How diversity in planning and teamwork leads to breakthrough success
The breakthrough potential of diverse teams Innovation doesn’t happen in an echo chamber. It emerges when teams bring together different perspectives, experiences, and expertise to tackle challenges in new ways. Diversity is more than a talking point—it’s a proven driver of success that fuels innovation and resilience.
Why Skipping Process Destroys Projects (and How to Fix It)
Skipping process feels efficient—until it explodes. Learn how to streamline without chaos and protect your projects from costly failure.

Principle 6: Radically transparent

You’re a Project Manager, Not Superman - PMHut - Project Management Articles for Project Managers
You’re a Project Manager, Not Superman - PMHut - Project Management Articles for Project Managers
Building trust: practical strategies to strengthen team connections
The foundation of high-performing teams Trust isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s the cornerstone of any successful team. Without trust, even the most skilled groups struggle to collaborate, communicate, or achieve their goals. With it, teams unlock their potential, solve problems faster, and foster a culture where creativity thrives.

Principle 7: Big picture bosses

How to Create a Realistic Project Plan: Templates & Examples
Learn what a project plan is and why it’s so important in project management. Plus, get templates and examples you can use to guide your own planning process.

Principle 8: People first, always

The 1:1 playbook for stronger teams
The missing manual for the most crucial part of leadership—human connection. Most managers are never taught how to lead meaningful 1:1 meetings. This playbook changes that. Build trust. Support your team. Lead with impact. Buy the Playbook – $49 Instant digital download. No filler you can’t relate to, just
Start strong: defining roles at project kickoff for team alignment
Setting the stage for success Imagine your team is gearing up for an important project. Everyone is excited, bursting with ideas, and ready to dive in. But after the initial energy fades, confusion creeps in. Who’s responsible for what? Why hasn’t Task A been addressed? Who’s supposed

Principle 9: Tech with intention

When AI replaces us, what’s left?
AI isn’t just replacing jobs—it’s eroding connection, purpose, and trust. A human-centered call to rethink how we lead in the age of automation.
How AI Is Changing Project Management (But Humans Still Win)
AI can speed up your work, but it can’t replace real leadership. Learn how project managers can stay human and stay ahead.
Smarter AI prompts for project managers
Project managers, meet your AI intern. Learn how to write smarter prompts, save hours, and actually get useful results.
How the right tools drive team alignment and efficiency
The power of the right tools A great team with poor tools is like a race car with a flat tire—capable but unable to perform at its best. The tools your team uses directly impact how they communicate, collaborate, and achieve their goals. For cross-functional teams, the stakes are
Why project management is more human than technical
Project management isn’t about tools. It’s about people — messy, brilliant, flawed people.

Principle 10: Strategic navigators

Project management is a leadership role—own it
Strategic PMs don’t just manage timelines—they lead. Here’s why the future of project management starts with people, not process.
Why Strategic Project Management Is the Future of PM
Project managers aren’t just task trackers—they’re strategic leaders guiding how work happens, why it matters, and what drives value.
Why “just managing tasks” isn’t enough anymore
Project managers aren’t task trackers—they’re strategic leaders. Here’s why the role is evolving and how PMs can lead with empathy and impact.

Upcoming events

I love getting out from behind the laptop, meeting new people, and sharing ideas that (hopefully) spark something useful—or at least start a great conversation. Speaking events are one of my favorite ways to trade stories, connect with smart folks, and learn while I teach. Here’s where you can find me next:

I'm hosting the 2025 Digital PM Summit in Portland, Oregon.
Join me for a workshop on October 29, Navigating Change with Confidence: Human-centered Strategies for Digital Project Managers.
Learn PM with me in this 12-week cohort where we'll read and discuss my book Project Management for Humans.

TL;DR: Project management isn’t about choosing sides between AM and PM — it’s about thriving in the space where both meet. The healthy tension between relationships and delivery is where real leadership happens. These talks explore the essential principles that ground PMs, and the strategic practices that help us lead teams, clients, and organizations through change.