Jordan Parrott believes the field of architecture weds two very different perspectives—artistry and engineering. “You have an experimental, highly conceptual side and a side that’s purely efficient,” Parrott says. “The task of an architect is to marry these two. We need a balanced approach with good conceptual design and practicality.” Since launching his own architecture firm, PAR Design, in 2021, he’s added a third perspective into the mix—entrepreneurship.

Parrott got his balanced approach with an undergraduate degree that focused on the artistic side of architecture and a graduate degree that specialized in the practical. He spent time between his undergrad and grad experiences doing custom millwork for high-end Italian cabinetry. After earning his graduate degree, he worked for David Corban Architects in Naples, as well as MHK Architecture and Planning in downtown Fort Myers.

Like many entrepreneurs, he eventually reached a point at which he realized that he had enough know-how to go into business for himself. On the architectural side, he was solid. For the firms where he worked, he’d handled everything from a $10 million country club renovation to custom homes to 25,000-square-foot warehouses. “I felt confident that I could manage any architectural project,” Parrott says.

On the more practical side, he was also learning important lessons about choosing clients and managing budgets. “It got to the point where my direct report would bring me a project and I’d say, ‘We’re not going to make any money on this.’ I could size up projects and determine which ones would be lucrative.”

Reaching that point was crucial to Parrott. He calls it “the traditional entrepreneurial attitude—the feeling that I could do it better.” That was the moment when he decided to make the leap to being his own boss. The only thing he needed was a patron, a “big fish” client who would give him enough work for his new architecture firm to gain traction. And he got it. He signed with a client who wanted him to design a large office building, and he knew that the fee would be enough to sustain him for a year. “That was my foundational project,” he says.

Today, Parrott credits his success to multiple elements—experience, knowledge, an entrepreneurial mindset and a large project that helped jumpstart his business. These are all key for entrepreneurs, he said. So is being brave. “You have to take the risk, take the leap of faith. Once you make the decision and put in your resignation letter, it’s go time.”

The Last Word

Parrott’s strongest piece of advice for other entrepreneurs is one that’s not heeded enough, but he insists that it’s crucial. “Answer your phone,” he says. “Be available to your clients. At the end of the day, that’s what we’re here for.”