All of us have something unique to offer, something that sets us apart. Yet, many motion designers ignore that and become generalists instead. Today’s guest finds that it’s her unique niche that lands her more work while allowing her to develop a style all her own. About Jess Herrera Jess Herrera, aka Herrerasaurus, is a freelance 3D character artist based in Australia. Whether it’s design, modeling, animation, lighting, or rigging, Jess has been there. Having worked for studios in the past, Jess understands and appreciates what it means to go freelance. Becoming a Master of Your Niche and Style Take a quick glance at Jess’ work and you can see that she makes her style all her own. Rather than being a jack of all trades, Jess is hyper-focused on her own form of 3D character design. To her own surprise, Jess found that her specialization attracts more clients than she would find as a generalist. By honing her own style, Jess sets herself apart for prospective clients. That doesn’t mean that you need to work entirely on your own. Jess frequently collaborates with others to come up with fresh new ideas and projects. Taking the Leap into Going Freelance Jess discusses her initial hesitations about going freelance. At first, she was hesitant because freelancing involves a lot of work beyond motion design. However, she found that for her the freedom that working for yourself provides far outweighs the other work. Most of all, the freedom of freelancing allows Jess to control her own schedule and location. As a freelancer, she has travelled the world and found some amazing work opportunities along the way. Read The Full Show Notes Links & Resources Find Jess Herrera online Follow Jess on Instagram | Vimeo | Twitter | Linkedin The Freelance Manifesto Additional Resources Podcast music licensed by Big Waves sonosanctus.com dankoch.net Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

For those of us who start a studio, we think it will lead to a new level of freedom. Before too long, we realize that it’s a business and that creativity is just one part of it. Today’s guest helps creative business owners improve the business side of what they do so that they can focus on the parts that they love. About Joel Pilger Joel Pilger of RevThink is a consultant who helps creative studios become industry leaders. He focuses on helping owners in specific areas – genius, expertise, positioning, marketing, and sales – so their firms can produce their greatest work in the world. Finding your freedom, genius, and niche We all want the freedom to produce great work. Having your own motion design studio often gives you this freedom. But it’s not that simple. Joel explains how you can get the clients you’re after by curating a community, showcasing your expertise, and crafting your unique message. These aren’t simple and easy things. Yet, with the right approach and guidance it is completely achievable. Work is very personal to creatives. Joel urges creatives who are searching for a niche to serve to look within their own genius to find it. Identifying your genius will lead you to your niche. If you can focus on what you love to do, you can serve the best clients for you and find joy and inspiration in your work. Your community is the key to your success In the end, much of a studio’s success is derived from its community. Reaching out within your network is the best place to find the employees you want and the best clients. Joel explains how this community doesn’t happen by accident. It takes regular and intentional curation and engagement. Joel describes how identifying people’s problems and offering yourself as a solution is an effective way to become an integral part of this community. Quotes “The foundation is focusing on your genius. You have to identify your genius and focus on it. That informs your positioning, you build your community, you work with those best clients, and great work shows up.” [10:43] “Yes, I’m a big fan of working and focusing on a niche. However, niching down is a byproduct or a symptom of focusing on your genius.” [11:32] “That’s ultimately the shift that we’re all going through if you’re in this business - from being an order-taker and providing services to becoming an expert and providing value, results, and outcomes.” [34:35] In This Episode How consultants help studios improve various parts of their business [1:48] The different challenges of freelancing and owning a studio [4:40] How your niche derives from your genius [11:10] Growing a studio without giving up your creative pursuits [16:45] How curating a community can lead to new work [27:20] The shift that needs to happen to become a leader in your field [35:00] The one thing every motion designer needs to do to survive tough times [40:38] Key Takeaways Creativity is just one ingredient in owning a business. It should be the source of what you do and who you serve, but you’ll need help with the rest of the operation. Reaching out within your community will help you find the right people for your studio. Communities do not happen by accident. You need to curate your community and continually make offers within it. This will provide you with the best resource your studio needs to succeed and grow. Links & Resources Find Joel Pilger online Follow Joel on Instagram | Linkedin RevThink Podcast  Additional Resources Podcast music licensed by Big Waves sonosanctus.com dankoch.net Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative Show Notes 

Do you ever feel that you have too much client work to focus on personal projects? It can be tough making the time for something that doesn’t bring you any direct income. However, these personal projects are an important part of your craft. They’ll help you sharpen your skills while imparting a sense of satisfaction that other work doesn’t. About Qais Sarhan Qais Sarhan is a 2D motion designer based in Reading. He creates simple, succinct animations in order to promote and explain complex marketing messages. When not creating for studios and agencies, Qais creates silly gifs about cats and food. The Rewards and Challenges of Remote Work As someone who works on all aspects of a project, Qais is able to work remotely. In this capacity, he seldom needs to come in-house and has the freedom to live outside of the major hubs. Even though you might not be physically in the room with clients, Qais urges you to stay in frequent communication.  Regular emails, calls, and messages will put them at ease and let them know that their project is in good hands. Leveling Up with Personal Projects When not working for clients, Qais is constantly refining his own skills. Personal projects are a great avenue for this. By investing in yourself, not only will your craft improve, but you will also gain a sense of satisfaction that only comes creating for your own development. It will also help you avoid being too harsh on yourself so you can focus on the joy in what you do. Full Show Notes Links & Resources Join Client Quest Find Qais Sarhan online Follow Qais on Linkedin | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Vimeo | Behance | Dribble Wipster Feck Perfuction Additional Resources Podcast music licensed by Big Waves sonosanctus.com dankoch.net Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative  Show Notes

There’s certainly a lot of unknowns in the world these days. This is true for the motion design industry as much as anything else. Long-term survival is likely going to involve both adaptability and keeping focused on your priorities. About Ryan Summers As 2D creative director at School of Motion, Ryan is busy making courses to help other motion designers move forward in their career. This allows him to keep a close eye on trends in the motion design world and get ready for what the future brings to this industry. The New Landscape of Motion Design The world is changing fast. While many of these changes bring new challenges, they also involve new opportunities for motion designers. Ryan shares his observations and predictions for what this means for us. For one thing, remote work is more accepted and widespread than ever. It also presents more opportunities for individuals and small studios which can operate without the massive overhead required by the big studios.   Specialization as a Key Elements of Success In the crowded field of motion design, it’s crucial to set yourself apart. With all the generalists put there, Ryan sees the importance of specializing in something that shares your unique voice. It may weed out some potential clients, but it will make sure that you work with the right ones in the end.   “There’s great opportunity when the world changes as fast and as all-encompassing as it has.” [5:14] “That’s the part of every artist’s challenge and every studio’s challenge; You have to redefine yourself while the world changes around or you’ll get lost.” [7:43] “You have different processes on the creative side based on your needs at the moment. Why shouldn’t you have the same thing business-wise?” [28:49]   How new trends are affecting the world of remote work [4:30] The importance of agility during unpredictable times [10:03] Why specializing will not only set you apart but also keep you focused on your passion [18:55] What it takes to set your portfolio apart from the competition [24:55] Creating long term connections by passing work off to others and having partners [28:36] Maintaining your own passions and taking care of yourself as a necessary part of staying in business [35:43]   The business and creative world is quickly changing. Being adaptable and agile in order to avoid pitfalls and take advantage of new opportunities is a must. This means being creative about how you operate your business. Even though how you run your business may need to change, maintaining your creative passions as priorities will give you the drive to keep going. Just as you cultivate your artistic skills, you need to tend to your own wellbeing. Your work can be a great way to feed your own creative self. However, getting caught up in just the money-making aspect is not sustainable in the long run.   The Motion Designer Client Challenge   Follow Ryan on Twitter   School of Motion Episode 22: Art School vs Online Courses: The Pros & Cons Episode 64: How to price your work as a motion designer   Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative  Podcast music licensed by Big Waves sonosanctus.com dankoch.net

Karl Doran explains what he’s learned by going from freelance motion design to owning his own studio. He describes his process for landing clients without the use of traditional advertising. He also talks about setting clear expectations with clients so that everyone is happy with the results of his work. Both freelancing and running your own agency have their advantages. There’s a sense of freedom to both, but they come with different responsibilities. My guest on this episode started his own successful agency after years of freelancing. Today, he’s sharing some lessons he learned from this switch. About Karl Doran Karl Doran is a creative director and founder of Flow Creative, an animation studio and branding agency in Manchester. His team of eight illustrators, designers, and project managers has created animated explainer films, brand films, and social content for numerous companies and arts and culture organizations. How can you leverage your network to land the next big job? We would love to hear from you. We are @motionhatch on Twitter and Instagram. Have you transitioned from freelance to studio work? What’s one lesson you learned from the switch? Let us know on Twitter or Instagram. Find full show notes here. Join the Motion Design Client Challenge Join the waitlist for our brand new course Client Quest. Find Karl Doran online Follow Karl on Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin Motion North Meetup Harvest Xero Thanks for Listening! Podcast music licensed by Big Waves sonosanctus.com dankoch.net Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative  

Freelance life can go from feast to famine in an instant. As a Motion Designer, it can be easy to get discouraged when your business is down. Plus, even when you have a project, there’s no guarantee that you’ll have work waiting when it’s done. That’s why I love consistent clients. In this solo episode, I want to talk to you about what it takes to land clients that keep coming back to you. To be successful in Motion Design you should regularly be engaging in client outreach. It may not be your favorite part of the job, but it’s critical to your long-term success and sanity.    Maker Time vs Manager Time In the episode, I talk about two distinct ways to structure your work time, “maker” time and “manager” time. Maker Time - Large blocks of time (~4 Hours) used to focus on creative work.  Manager Time - Smaller blocks of time (

How to build your freelance business to just the right size. As freelancers, most of us would like to see our business grow. While you may work a lot on your own, meaningful and sustainable growth is a group effort. There are also reasons to limit how big you grow your business. Today’s guest successfully grew her practice to just the right size with the help of strategic collaboration and teamwork.  Erica Gorochow is a Brooklyn-based director and designer at PepRally. She fluctuates between building teams as a studio, independent directing, and doing her own freelance work. Erica focuses on making high-quality work for brands, networks, agencies, and startups. In addition to client work, she produces projects internally to continue exploring new technologies, techniques, and ideas.   Should you have a studio or be a freelance motion designer There’s a lot to consider as you expand your work as a freelancer. Even what to call your practice is something Erica dealt with. She really recommends establishing yourself with studio work before scaling up as a freelancer. That way you’ve already built up a name and reputation for your work.    Collaboration with others can add more value to your motion design work Although she does a lot of solo work, Erica loves collaborating with others. Mostly, it’s just more fun to succeed as part of a collaborative effort. Working with others adds more value to the work and fosters personal growth as a creator.   In this episode Considerations for naming your studio or practice Deliberate steps to take when scaling up your freelance work Advantages that come when working in a coworking space Collaboration as a way to foster personal and professional growth Tips for creating a budget with prospective clients Why you shouldn’t scale up simply for the sake of scaling up Getting big clients without creating a studio   Quotes “If I’m not going to toot my own horn, how can I expect others to do it for me?” [13:14] “I don’t know that I always have the absolute best idea. I think you’re much more likely to get to the best idea vis-à-vis collaboration.” [15:09] “Growth is whatever you define it to be. It can be personal. It can be scaling. It can be anything in between. Try to be honest with yourself about what kind of growth will lead to happiness knowing you’re allowed to change your answer.” [47:07]   Links Find Erica Gorochow online Follow Erica on Instagram | Twitter | Vimeo Company of One by Paul Jarvis Join the Client Quest waitlist

Coming up with a budget for clients and knowing what to charge for your motion design work is a common point of confusion. To shed some light on this, I’ve brought on a special co-host to answer some tough questions on charging for your projects and building industry relationships. Kyle Hamrick is a motion designer and educator based in Kansas City. He hosts a weekly live show on YouTube with Evan Abrams, Motion Design Hotline. As a freelancer, Kyle creates everything from animated explainer videos to live event visuals; from IMAX documentaries to full graphics packages for professional sports franchises. How to charge for motion design Today, we get into how to determine what you charge prospective clients and how to understand their wants and needs. There’s no single answer here. Rather, there are many factors that all need to be considered. Determine how long a motion design project will take A particular challenge of freelancers is time management. Kyle and I recommend tracking your time. This will help you determine your actual productivity. It will also increase your efficiency and help you determine what your time is actually worth. Recognize the value you provide as a motion designer Most of all, it comes down to recognizing the value you provide. What you do helps others save time and make money. Understanding this leads to a mindset in which you can be of real service for your clients while earning the right compensation for what you do.   In this episode Factors to consider when determining clients’ budgets Managing the challenges of time management as a freelancer The importance of advocating for yourself when factors are outside of your control How to know when to say no to a client Building connections within your industry as a way to get referrals  Quotes “If you want to be making $300,000 a year, then figure out what you need to be charging to do that. If you want to make $20,000 a year and spend most of your time surfing in Asia, figure out what you need to do that. That’s the thing about freelancing. You get to decide what these things mean for you.” [8:07] “You’re going to make mistakes and that’s okay. You’re going to underbid a project and regret it and be mad at yourself.” [11:08] “Don’t forget to advocate for yourself. Just because someone works at an agency does not necessarily mean they know what they’re doing. And just because someone works at a cool production company, they very well might know what they’re doing, but they’re too busy to pay attention to your project.” [25:23] “If you say yes to that crumby project today and then a really good project falls into your lap tomorrow, which one are you going to have to do? The one you already agreed to, right?” [36:47]   Links Find Kyle Hamrick online Follow Kyle on Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram   Motion Design Hotline Episode 47 with Evan Abrams Episode 64 with Blair Enns Wipster Loom   Join the Client Quest Waitlist   Thanks for Listening! To share your thoughts: Leave a note in the comment section below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. To help out the show: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help. Subscribe on iTunes. Podcast music licensed by Big Waves sonosanctus.com dankoch.net Some of the links above are affiliate links. Basically, this means that if you decide to make a purchase through one of these links, we will earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. You can be sure that we would recommend these products whether or not we made any commission on them. Please don’t spend your money on them if you don’t think that they will truly help you improve your business, although, in our experience, they will.

Commercial work pays the bills. But as motion designers and creatives we have tons of our own ideas. Today’s guest has a huge portfolio of her own personal work and animated gifs. Not only is this a creative outlet for her, but it has also led to many great paying jobs. Annie Wong, aka Headexplodie, is the creator of some really awesome work. She creates short-form videos, GIFs, stop motion, and other fun content for the digital world. Her creations have landed her work with some pretty big brands, such as Vans, Facebook, and the Washington Post. She even has over 2 billion views on Giphy. She tells us how making animated gifs has lead her to lots of opportunities and funny stories but has also helped her to get client work. Make Money with Animated Gifs Annie has mastered the process of letting her creations become her resume. With a platform like Giphy, Annie makes sure that she includes her contact information so potential clients can find her. By creating short little projects that are easy to share, you’re putting your talent further out in the world. For Annie, this is a fun and easy way to advertise her craft.   Self Care as a Freelance Motion Designer is Important Creating the space you need for yourself and your personal work is a real challenge for freelancers. Annie knows the importance of setting this time aside for self-care. This isn’t always easy. Obviously, the more you work, the more you earn. But if you don’t take the time, you will pass up the opportunity to do what is actually truly important for yourself. In the end, self-care will allow you to create better work and serve yourself and your clients in a more present way. In this episode Using platforms like Giphy to find client work. How sharing your personal work can help you get noticed all over the world. The kinds of projects that are both personal and easily shared. Blending your client’s vision with your own personal style to create something that satisfies you both. The difficulty of setting time aside to make your own creations. Creating opportunities for self-care in a busy schedule. Using Patreon to diversify your income and create a deeper connection with your supporters. How to make money with animated gifs.   Quotes “If it’s an art form that you enjoy doing, just creating short loopable animations, it’s just a really convenient and easy way for people to find your work.” [3:31] “It’s kind of a weird paradox to create something that is personal but shareable. I tend to lean towards emotions or experiences that I think just kind of relate to being human.” [8:42] “I can’t necessarily satisfy my personal creativity through client work. A lot of times, they will blend because clients will come to me wanting my style.” [15:17] “When you’re hustling for work, it’s easy to forget what value you bring to the world. People need artists. People need your fun and colorful and weird ideas.” [36:35]   Links Find Annie Wong online Follow Annie on Instagram | Linkedin | Vimeo | Twitter Giphy The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer Perfect Day Exercise Patreon   Related Episodes How to turn your Motion Design skills into smart income with YouTube with Premiere Gal How to use social media to get more clients with Golden Wolf How to use YouTube to grow your motion design business with Ben Marriott   Thanks for Listening! To share your thoughts: Leave a note in the comment section below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. To help out the show: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help. Subscribe on iTunes. Podcast music licensed by Big Waves sonosanctus.com dankoch.net Some of the links above are affiliate links. Basically, this means that if you decide to make a purchase through one of these links, we will earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. You can be sure that we would recommend these products whether or not we made any commission on them. Please don’t spend your money on them if you don’t think that they will truly help you improve your business, although, in our experience, they will.

We motion designers all feel like weirdos at times. Don’t fight it! It’s time to embrace what makes you unique and sets you apart. In fact, your surreal side can create its own opportunities. Today’s guest is in high demand precisely because of his weirdness. We chat about how personal work can get you big motion design clients. Nick DenBoer, AKA Smearballs, does a bit of everything. He’s a director, animator, editor, music producer, and remix artist. He’s worked on Conan and created unique music videos for deadmau5. Nick has worked on some very memorable projects for big brands including KFC and Old Spice. Personal work can get you big motion design clients We chat about what inspires Nick to create his unique personal work. Aside from fulfilling his artistic need to create, Nick credits his personal work with landing him commercial jobs. He doesn’t necessarily do personal work with this in mind. In fact, he thinks it may scare away as many opportunities as it creates. However, it also has landed him the type of clients who really appreciate what he has to offer. Setting client expectations in motion design As someone who works with a wide range of clients, Nick honed his process of explaining what he does. Describing your creative process and timeline is important for setting client expectations. So is maintaining regular communication throughout the project so they know what you’ve been up to. The value of creating a team of freelance motions designers When it comes to large or complex projects, Nick finds that it’s helpful to bring in specialists. However, being too specialized can slow down the project if something unexpected comes up. With that in mind, we talk about the value of having a team with a wide range of knowledge as well as experts on something very specific.    In this episode Using your personal work to highlight what makes your work unique Making the important distinction between personal work and client work How personal work can get you big motion design clients Creating passion projects to stay in control of your career Effectively explaining what you can do for eager clients How to expand your team when working on complex projects The value of both generalists and specialists Concerns about not infringing on brand copyrights   Quotes “I see my personal work as a business card…. People actually hire me because of that off-putting, weird, crazy stuff.” [6:32] “If you literally are in a financial position where you have to take every job, you lose control over your own career.” [13:42] “You need people who can put a whole project together and do everything from scratch and you also need specialists. So I think there’s shoes to fill in both realms. It’s not like one is better than the other.” [32:10]   Links Find Nick DenBoer online Follow Nick on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Vimeo | YouTube