Today is also the 101st anniversary of architect Taylor Hardwick's birth, an American architect best known for work in Florida, especially the Haydon Burns Library in Jacksonville, and numerous mid‑century modern schools and civic buildings.

His work blends expressive color, playful forms, and modern materials—useful if you want a mid‑20th‑century, regional-modernism angle with a touch of exuberant geometry and color.

As I meandered into his career, I learned something his Wikipedia page barely mentions: he produced fourteen 16 mm films. He used them to explain his work to clients and the public—documenting buildings, telling the “story” of projects, and reframing architecture as something you experience rather than just see in static photos.

He “felt he had to make them” because they were the best tools available to:

• Show how a building actually worked in use (people, cars, light, color).
• Reach more people than one‑to‑one office meetings.
• Pre‑qualify clients by letting them see his sensibility and approach before they ever call him.

In other words, his films functioned as early, analog content marketing: repeatable stories about his work that educated clients, built trust, and differentiated him in a local market long before social media.

More on that later. First, the other aspect of his career I spent hours discovering, Skinner's milk houses.

In the 1950s and 60s, refrigerators were becoming commonplace. This caused a business that people depended on for decades to become extinct—daily milk delivery.

Although Skinner’s was part of a broader mid‑century drive‑through dairy trend, Hardwick’s “milk houses” were a distinctive local expression of it rather than the very first of their kind.

I found addresses for 19 of the original buildings that still exist. None of them are still drive-through milk stores, though.

Each is identifiable by a dramatic butterfly roof: two long canopies rising up from the central roof, forming a V‑shaped profile. The canopies are larger in area than the enclosed shop, giving the roofline a wing‑like, almost sculptural presence that shelters cars on both sides. Glass side walls under deep overhangs; sliding glass doors read almost like full-height storefront glazing in miniature.

Early stores were uniformly painted orange, dark brown, and off‑white. Orange “wings,” dark brown end walls, off‑white undersides, and glazed sides create a highly legible color blocking that reinforces the sculptural roof.

Two‑sided drive‑through and sliding glass doors read as a modern, slightly glamorous neighborhood outpost—Hardwick’s architecture did as much branding work as the signs.

Their strong form and color make them act as tiny local landmarks—part of the neighborhood’s visual memory, even now in reuse.

Now, on to the more serious meandering.

As I mentioned, Hardwick's Wikipedia page merely states, "...he produced fourteen 16 mm films." I didn't find a clean public filmography listing any of the 16 by title.

If Hardwick were practicing today, those 16 films would probably be a YouTube playlist.

My business mentor, Darren Hardy, advises treating social media as a dangerous distraction and a business tool—not a place for oversharing or ego—and to tightly limit how and why we use it.

Therefore, I've avoided sites like Facebook and LinkedIn for a year or two. However, as I launch a new design firm, I'm feeling compelled to learn how to use them as tools.

"Start a YouTube channel" is the modern-day equivalent of "you need a website" from twenty years ago.

It's the advice of the decade!

But before you start clearing off a desk for a studio setup, let’s look at this with a healthy dose of reality. The advice is popular because video is incredibly powerful, but running a channel is a major commitment that doesn't make sense for every business model.

Here is a breakdown of why people recommend it, the actual reality of what it takes, and how to decide if it's right for you.

The arguments in favor of YouTube are genuinely compelling:

• The World's Second-Largest Search Engine: People don’t just use YouTube for entertainment; they use it to learn "how to" do things. If you can answer their questions, you build instant authority.
• The "Know, Like, and Trust" Factor: Video lets potential clients see your face, hear your voice, and evaluate your expertise. By the time they actually reach out to hire you, they already feel like they know you.
• Evergreen Value: Unlike social media posts on platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn—which disappear into a feed after 24 to 48 hours—a helpful YouTube video can continue to get views and generate leads for years.

Instead of trying to feed the YouTube algorithm weekly, you can build a library of 5 to 10 highly polished, evergreen videos. These could be "How to prepare for your first consultation," "Understanding our design process," or "Common mistakes to avoid in [whatever]." Host them on YouTube, but embed them directly on your website and use them in your email onboarding.

While the benefits are real, the effort required is often understated. Trust me. I know. Some of you may remember when the weekly Monday MINUTE email had videos.

• It’s a High-Effort Grind: Producing a high-quality video requires scriptwriting, filming, editing, thumbnail design, and SEO optimization. A single 10-minute video can easily eat up 5 to 10 hours of work.
• Slow Organic Growth: Unless you get incredibly lucky with the algorithm, building an audience takes months—sometimes years—of consistent weekly posting before you see a tangible return on investment.
• Equipment and Learning Curve: While you can start with a smartphone, you quickly realize you need to learn about lighting, good audio (which is actually more important than video quality), and editing software.

Instead of asking "Should I have a YouTube channel?" ask yourself: "How does video support my existing business goals?"

Generally, businesses fall into a few categories: national, local, and technical brands (designers, builders, custom crafters).

If I were to launch a channel, I would focus on portfolio & process. Showing "behind-the-scenes" of how a project comes together, explaining complex regulations, or doing virtual walkthroughs.

A source of inspiration is AIBD Board Member Jeff Fry, CPBD. Although not on YouTube, he's started using Facebook Live to record videos. Here's one showing off one of his nearly completed designs. Many of Jeff's other videos are about ICF construction.

Early on in the process, here's what Jeff posted, "Well, those live videos didn't turn out too great! Give me a break, I'm a rookie!"

Many would argue that amateurish videos are better. Many content creators are using AI to create high-quality, perfect videos. Therefore, a less-than-perfect one is seen as more trustworthy.

Besides, as humans, anytime we try something new, we're going to feel awkward and, more than likely, not be so good at it. That's normal.

We've all observed babies learning to walk. They wobble around like tiny, over-caffeinated penguins, listing hard to one side before face-planting directly into the carpet.

They stand back up, shake it off with zero dignity, take one giant step that completely defies physics, and immediately fold in half like a cheap lawn chair. It is a chaotic masterclass in physical comedy—but they never give up!

To quote another influential mentor, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom [of content marketing]."

I added that last part.