Middle of Six

What Middle of Six does

Middle of Six is a privately held, woman-owned professional services firm that provides marketing consulting exclusively to Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) firms. Founded in 2016 by Wendy Simmons and headquartered in Federal Way, Washington, the firm operates from offices in Federal Way, Tacoma, Bellingham, and Portland, with team members distributed across Washington, Oregon, and California. Its core service lines are Proposal & Interview Development, Staff Training & Team Coaching, Marketing Strategy & Research, Websites & Digital Marketing, and Branding & Design — all delivered as custom, project-based engagements through a sales-led, consultative GTM motion in which the team positions itself as a 'seamless extension' of the client's in-house marketing function.

The firm employs approximately nine full-time AEC marketers, each of whom is presented as a former in-house practitioner, which is the central value proposition and differentiator versus generalist marketing agencies. Revenue is generated entirely from professional services fees on custom engagements; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Middle of Six complements its services with two proprietary content sub-brands: The Shortlist, an award-winning AEC marketing podcast of 98+ episodes across five seasons that qualifies for CPSM continuing education credits, and The Wildcards, a behavioral content series on pursuit team dynamics. The firm holds a Washington State Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) certification and has accumulated a dense portfolio of SMPS Marketing Communications Awards, SMPS Seattle Reign Awards, a Davey Silver, and a 2023 South Sound Business Magazine Best Marketing Firm recognition.

Middle of Six is a bootstrapped, founder-led firm with no disclosed external funding, no subsidiaries, and no mergers or acquisitions. Its strategic posture is organic, community-anchored growth within the AEC vertical, leveraging SMPS chapter relationships, owned media (podcast, blog, social), and WBE certification to generate enterprise demand across architecture, engineering, and construction clients such as Revel Architecture & Design, TCF Architecture, Westlake Consulting Group, Auburn Mechanical, and FCS Group.

Name

Middle of Six

Legal name

Middle of Six

Website

https://www.middleofsix.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Middle of Six is a woman-owned AEC marketing consultancy that provides proposal development, interview coaching, branding, and digital marketing services to architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the Pacific Northwest and nationally, using a team of approximately nine former in-house marketers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AEC Marketing Consulting Services

NAICS

Marketing Consulting Services (541613), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Customer, Marketing & Sales Consulting (BPAHACAG)

Keywords

• AEC marketing services
• Proposal development
• Interview coaching
• Brand strategy consulting
• Website development

Headquarters

HQ city

Tacoma

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Marketing Consulting Services: Professional services including proposal and interview development, staff training, team coaching, marketing strategy, research, website development, digital marketing, and branding and design services for AEC firms

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Middle of Six is an AEC (Architecture, Engineering, Construction) marketing consultancy that provides professional marketing services including proposal and interview development, staff training and team coaching, marketing strategy and research, website development and digital marketing, and branding and design. The firm acts as a seamless extension of in-house marketing teams at AEC firms, leveraging former in-house practitioner experience to deliver customized marketing support that helps clients win contracts and grow their businesses.

Product overview

Middle of Six is an AEC (Architecture, Engineering, Construction) marketing consultancy offering a portfolio of professional services including Proposal & Interview Development, Staff Training & Team Coaching, Marketing Strategy & Research, Websites & Digital Marketing, and Branding & Design. The company also maintains branded content properties including The Shortlist Podcast (award-winning AEC marketing podcast with CPSM CEU accreditation) and The Wildcards (educational content series on pursuit team behavioral challenges). The offerings are delivered as service engagements rather than a software product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Shortlist: Award-winning podcast about all things AEC marketing, featuring episodes on proposal development, strategy, team building, business development, branding, and digital marketing.
• The Wildcards

Products and services

• Proposal & Interview Development Strategic proposal writing, storytelling, and design services to help AEC firms win contracts. Includes RFP/RFQ management and interview preparation coaching for architecture, engineering, and construction firms.
• Staff Training & Team Coaching Communication expertise and team coaching services that help AEC professionals communicate their expertise, build connections with decision-makers, and strengthen in-house marketing capabilities.
• Marketing Strategy & Research Strategic marketing research and planning services for AEC firms, providing a fresh perspective backed by in-house AEC marketing experience.
• Websites & Digital Marketing Website design, development, and digital marketing services for AEC firms, including modern design, striking visuals, and compelling content creation.
• Branding & Design Comprehensive branding and design services that amplify AEC firm personalities through visual identity, messaging, and design execution.

Quantifiable outcome

• Award-winning work recognized by AEC industry peers

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SMPS (Society for Marketing Professional Services)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerActive membership and participation in SMPS chapters including SMPS Seattle and SMPS Oregon. The Shortlist podcast is eligible for CPSM (Certified Professional Services Marketer) Continuing Education Credits through SMPS.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stein IAS: Global B2B marketing agency with industrial and aerospace practices; comparable on the broader B2B/industrial marketing playbook though not AEC-specialized, and competes for the same enterprise client relationships at a different scale.
• Bader Rutter: Large independent B2B marketing agency with deep manufacturing and industrial sector practices; comparable as a broader incumbent that frequently competes for the same enterprise B2B/industrial marketing RFPs, though without Middle of Six's sole AEC focus.
• Godfrey: B2B marketing agency serving industrial and technical industries with brand, content, and digital capabilities; overlaps with Middle of Six across digital marketing, branding, and content for technical buyers, but at much larger scale.

Emerging players

• Sagefrog Marketing Group: B2B marketing agency focused on healthcare, technology, and industrial verticals; similar size band and integrated marketing services overlap (branding, digital, content), though its verticals differ from AEC.
• Walker Sands: B2B marketing and PR agency serving technology and industrial clients; comparable as a mid-sized integrated B2B services firm pursuing the same kind of niche-down vertical strategy, though its center of gravity is technology rather than AEC.
• Industrial Strength Marketing: Industrial-focused B2B marketing agency serving manufacturers and engineered systems companies; comparable because it applies the same vertical-specialist, niche-down playbook that Middle of Six uses for AEC, with similar team-extension go-to-market.

Regional players

• CoreAxis Marketing: Mid-sized integrated marketing agency with brand, digital, and web capabilities serving B2B clients in similar service-bundles to Middle of Six (branding, websites, digital marketing); regional overlap in the U.S. consultancy market with comparable scope, though broader in vertical mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wendymariesimmons
• Instagraminstagram.com/middleofsix

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Middle of Six