Great places don’t just happen. They’re shaped.
Place Shapers, hosted by Todd Fidelman, explores the bold ideas, unlikely risks, and radical origin stories behind some of real estate’s most influential residential and mixed-use communities. These aren’t just developments—they’re places that become destinations, cultural landmarks, and catalysts for entire regions.Through candid conversations with the visionaries who imagined them, Place Shapers reveals how empty land turns into thriving hubs, how communities are designed with purpose, and how long-term vision can redefine a geography. From first sketch to lasting impact, the show goes deep on the thinking, tradeoffs, and leadership required to build places people actually care about.If you’re interested in real estate, placemaking, urban development, or how bold vision turns into lasting value, Place Shapers offers a rare look behind the blueprints.
Place Shapers is produced by Merrick Studios – where culture takes the mic.
Justin Marshall on Scaling Multifamily Without Losing the Culture Behind the Company
Justin Marshall, President of Property Services at Fogelman Properties, joins Todd Fidelman to talk about scaling a multifamily operator toward 50,000 units without going rigid or corporate. They get into why private ownership changes how Fogelman operates, why every asset gets its own strategy instead of a standardized playbook, and how reputation has quietly become one of the clearest signals of operational health.
Place Shapers is hosted by Todd Fidelman and produced and distributed by Me...
4 Jun 2026
Stephanie Lynch on Customer Experience, the Power of Place, and Where Real Estate Brand Goes Next
Host Todd Fidelman sits down with Stephanie Orton Lynch, Merrick Creative's new Chief Growth Officer, for a conversation about what she has learned across a career spent shaping how people experience the places they live, work, shop, and gather.
From Nordstrom to The Greenbrier to her most recent role at Tri Pointe Homes, Stephanie shares what surprised her about crossing over to the developer side, how AI is reshaping real estate marketing, and why connectivity will define the mixed-use win...
13 May 2026
Chris Clifford on Adaptive Reuse, Experience-First Retail, and Building Places Worth Staying
In this episode of Place Shapers, host Todd Fidelman sits down with Chris Clifford, retail broker and developer at Cast Capital Partners, to explore what it really takes to transform the way people experience a place — from the ground up.
They discuss the philosophy behind the Cliff, a $72 million adaptive reuse project turning a former Henderson office campus into an open-air, experience-first retail destination, and why Chris believes the projects worth doing are always the hardest ones. Chris shares how he's curating community over commerce, bringing breakout San Diego concepts to the Las Vegas Valley, and why asking for people's time is more powerful than asking for their money.
A conversation for anyone rethinking what retail can be — and bold enough to build it.
Learn more about The Cliff.
Place Shapers is hosted by Todd Fidelman and produced and distributed by Merrick Studios. Check out all of our episodes at https://merrickstudios.com/place-shapers-pod
30 Oct 2025
Noel Carson on Authentic Branding, Emotional Design, and the Power of Connection
Noel Carson, VP of Marketing, discusses authentic branding and emotional design with Todd Fidelman, revealing how connection shapes experiences in multifamily spaces in this interview.
1 Aug 2025
Joanne King on Agency Life, Client Loyalty, and the Art of Creative Operations
Joanne King recounts her extensive agency career to host Ryan Strohl, detailing the evolution of creative operations and highlighting the importance of client loyalty in an interview.
23 May 2025
Neil Kumar on Designing for People, Not Just Spaces
Neil Kumar discusses designing communities with courage, patience, and intelligence, redefining suburban spaces with bold design in this interview with Todd Fidelman.
9 May 2025
John Clarkson on Creativity as the Catalyst for Residential Transformation
From metro-topping towers to campus-cool student digs, John Clarkson has seen (and steered) residential developments of every size and shape. As Senior Managing Director for Greystar Development Services, he leads innovative, landscape-shifting projects across the Mid-Atlantic—and still finds time to geek out over site plans and Spanish poetry. Join us as John shares inspirational wisdom gained over years of dedication to his craft. In this episode of Place Shapers, John pulls back the const...
24 Apr 2025
Harry Merrick on Legacy, Creativity, and the Future of Real Estate Marketing
In this special conversation, host Todd Fidelman welcomes advertising veteran Harry Merrick for a compelling conversation about the evolution of marketing, leadership, and legacy. As the co-founder of Merrick Towle—now Merrick Creative—Harry helped shape one of the real estate industry’s most influential creative agencies. Though recently retired after 40 years at the helm, Harry continues to support the firm in an advisory capacity. Harry reflects on four decades of creative innovation, the ...
17 Apr 2025
Place Shapers Trailer
Place Shapers, hosted by Todd Fidelman, dives into the often radical origin stories of real estate’s most prized residential and mixed-use communities—many of which have become thriving hubs, cultural landmarks and rejuvenators of entire geographies. The Place Shapers podcast is made for ambitious professionals who love bold ideas and fresh perspectives, and is part of the Merrick Studios family, alongside Unglossy: Decoding Brand in Culture and Pitch Lab: Where Branding Meets It’s Insp...
Who has been a guest on Place Shapers
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Noel Carson
Joanne King
Neil Kumar
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
556,813
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 28 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
8
Social presence
0
YouTube
86
Engagement
32
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