Motion Hatch: Helping Motion Designers Do Better Business

Want personalised coaching from me? Check out Balanced Business Bootcamp: https://motionhatch.com/workwithme

Interested in joining Balanced Business Bootcamp? Take our quick quiz here to see if it's the best next step for your career. As we draw 2024 to a close, I thought a Q&A episode would be a nice way to end the year on the podcast. I get questions all the time about specific problems that motion designers face when running their businesses. So, the chances are that you're facing these problems, too. In this episode, I share my thoughts on how you could run a successful subscription-based motion design business, my opinions on charging for your project files and how much time you should actually be spending on outreach. In this episode, I cover:- How to justify long timelines to clients- How to stand out amongst other motion designers- Should you charge for project files?- How to build a profitable subscription-based motion design business- How to find time and motivation for business tasks- How to write the best copy for LinkedIn- How much time you should be spending on outreach Links Mentioned:Sign up to our email list hereSubmit a question hereDownload our Vivid Vision ExerciseDownload our Social Media Guide 2.0

Click here to grab the Perfect Your Pricing Toolkit

This is a special bonus episode of the Motion Hatch Podcast! I recently got back from Camp Mograph in the US, and while I was there, I filmed a mini-podcast episode with Jess Herrera. (This episode was filmed outside, so listen out for the birds in the background.) We chatted about whether it's worth travelling for this kind of mograph event and whether they can help you grow your network and get clients. Thanks to Agustin Eguia for filming and cleaning up the audio and Jen van Horn for helping set up for filming this episode!Links mentioned:

I have some news for you this week...We are taking a short break from the podcast and YouTube channel until the Autumn (fall). We'll be coming back even bigger and better with the second half of season 2. I hope you have a wonderful summer, and thank you so much for supporting Motion Hatch! Links mentioned:

Flow Creative is an award-winning animation and branding studio based in Manchester, UK.In this episode, Karl Doran, owner and founder, shares his insights into running Flow Creative, along with key points on his journey from freelancer to studio owner. In this episode, you'll learn:How to start an animation studioThe difference between freelancer and studio ownerHow to get clients as a studioHow freelancers can get hired by studiosTransitioning from a creative to a management roleFollow Flow Creative: Website | InstagramFree resources to grow your career:

Caleb and Shelby Ward founded Curious Refuge after going viral for using AI to create a fake Wes Anderson x Star Wars movie trailer.In this episode, I ask Caleb and Shelby how motion designers can realistically utilise AI in their workflows, the best AI tools to use and how we can future-proof our careers against the rise of AI.In this episode, you'll learn:How Caleb and Shelby went viral with their AI projectHow they formed Curious RefugeWill AI make roles in animation redundant?What AI tools should motion designers be using?How can you implement AI into your pipeline?How can you future-proof your motion design career against AI?Follow Curious Refuge: Website | InstagramFree resources to grow your career:

Get 12 months of personalised support, coaching and accountability in Balanced Business Bootcamp!HaZ Dulull, founder of HaZimation, is a multi award-winning Film and Games Director, developing & producing feature films, tv and video games using Unreal Engine. In this episode, HaZ shares his journey from in-house VFX artist to indie film director. We also discuss how to access funding for original content/IP, how to win pitches, and how to start your own studio.In this episode, you'll learn:How HaZ went from VFX artist to indie film director/studio ownerTechniques and strategies for winning pitchesHow HaZ wrote/directed a fully animated film released on NetflixThe importance of networking at conferencesHow HaZ transitioned from indie filmmaking to building a game in FortniteHow HaZ fully utilised Unreal Engine in his careerFollow HaZimation: Website | InstagramFree resources to grow your career:

Sign up for our free training, Balanced Business Masterclass here! https://motionhatch.com/podMothers of Mograph are trying to combat feeling alone as moms in the creative industry. Parenthood is often considered a taboo topic in the creative industry, something Jennie Davis and Kaci Smith are on a mission to change with Mothers of Mograph. In this episode, Jennie and Kaci share challenges and solutions to being a creative while being a parent, how they manage their schedules and how they've both benefitted in their careers since having children.Jennie and Kaci discuss:What is Mothers of Mograph?The impact that becoming a parent can have on your careerHow to better manage your time with kidsThe positive outcomes of being a parent and a motion designerHow the creative industry can better support parentsFollow Mothers of Mograph: Website | Instagram Free resources to grow your career:

Sign up for our free training, Balanced Business Masterclass here! https://motionhatch.com/podKwame Christian is an expert in negotiation. He is the Founder and CEO of the American Negotiation Institute, host of the world's most popular negotiation podcast and author of two best-selling books. He is also a contributor at Forbes, and his TEDx Talk, Finding Confidence in Conflict, was one of the most popular TED Talks in 2017.In this episode, Kwame shares his negotiation secrets to better discuss rates/budgets with your clients, how to adopt an abundance mindset and setting expectations with clients with better communication.We also share a Q&A with Kwame from a call with our Motion Hatch students in Balanced Business Bootcamp.In this episode, you'll learn:How to negotiate with your clientsHow to raise prices without losing clientsCommon negotiation mistakes and how to avoid themHow to be confident in saying 'no'Maintaining client relationships through the negotiation processNegotiating expectations, not just transactions.Techniques for negotiating with stubborn individualsThe role of likeability and leverage in negotiationsFollow Kwame: Instagram | Linkedin Links: American Negotiation Institute | Negotiate Anything PodcastFree resources to grow your career:

Jessica Hische is a lettering artist, freelancer and author, selling books and craft supplies in two brick and mortar stores in the US. Jessica has built an incredible personal brand by building a following on social media, writing her own children's books and speaking at events such as OFFF and Adobe Max. Her network has helped her to land huge clients, including working on titles for director Wes Anderson.In this episode, Jessica shares her networking secrets to land big clients - including the benefits that smaller clients can offer. She also discusses how to make the most of pitching to clients, how newsletters may be the future of communicating to clients and how to avoid social media burnout.In this episode, you'll learn:How Jessica worked with Wes AndersonWhy networking is important as a designerHow to make the most of pitching to clientsHow to avoid social media burnoutBehind the scenes of Jessica's brick and mortar storesHow to land big clientsFollow Jessica: Website | InstagramLinks: My First Book of Fancy Letters Free resources to grow your career:

Kevin Rapp made $500,000 in his first year freelancing after discovering the value of content systems and passing this on to high-profile tech companies.Kevin is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary creative director with vast experience ranging from start-up disruptors to Fortune 500 companies.In this episode, Kevin shares his unique approach to building video content systems. We also discuss strategies for attracting clients on LinkedIn and practical tips for motion designers to transition to a more business-oriented mindset.Since recording this episode, Kevin reached an astonishing $1 million in sales!In this episode, you'll learn:How Kevin made $500,000 in his first year as a freelancerWhat are scalable content systems?How to shift your mindset into the business side of motion designHow to get clients using social mediaHow to efficiently get clients from LinkedInHow to negotiate with clientsFollow Kevin: Website | LinkedInFree resources to grow your career:

We're back with a brand new season of the Motion Hatch Podcast featuring some incredible guests! Motion Hatch helps motion designers to start and scale their businesses.We dive deep into the challenges freelancers and studio owners come up against and have conversations with a wide range of business and marketing experts through the lens of motion design, as well as designers, animators, and artists who are just a few steps ahead of you.Together, we uncover the exact next steps you can take to a thriving and sustainable motion design business. If you're new to Motion Hatch, you might not know that the podcast already has over 100+ episodes in its back catalogue.This season, we're taking it up a notch, exploring the tough questions freelancers and studio owners face every day.

The Motion Hatch Podcast is BACK! We're thrilled to announce that Season Two of the podcast will return on the 28th March! We have some incredible guests lined up for you too, we can't wait to share it with you!

Should you niche down as a designer? We've all heard this advice! So, does niching down help you to win more clients or empower you to be seen as an expert? In this podcast, Hayley speaks with one of our Accelerator students, Giuseppe about how he niched down his animation studio Motion Aptitude to work on projects he loves. About Giuseppe Forestieri Giuseppe Forestieri is the Animation Director of his own studio, Motion Aptitude and has a background in visual communication, specialising in animation and Illustration. Motion Aptitude is the fusion of two of Giuseppe's biggest passions in life: creativity, and the great outdoors. In this episode, he explains how he found his niche and hopes he can inspire other designers to pursue the work they love.  Read the full shownotes

When Motion Hatch first started it was a side hustle, now it's a company! Have you considered starting your own motion design project to help you grow your career? Our founder Hayley Akins explains how and why she started this motion design podcast and what she's learnt along the way. About Hayley Akins Hayley started Motion Hatch with the aim of helping freelance motion designers with the business side of motion design – but she wasn't sure how to achieve this. At the time, Hayley felt she had three choices for a motion design project: a podcast, blog or YouTube channel (she now has all three!). Initially Hayley didn't feel confident filming videos and writing wasn't her passion, so she decided to focus on creating her own motion design podcast. Read the full shownotes.

Looking to pursue motion design side projects but unsure how to find balance with your day job? In today's episode Charli Marie explains how side projects can help motion designers to improve their craft and process. About Charli Marie Charli Marie is a Youtuber, podcast host and Creative Director at email marketing company ConvertKit.  Throughout her working career, Charli has always pursued some side projects outside of her 9-5 role. Currently she creates weekly content on her YouTube channel and podcast, Design Life, sharing insights into life as a professional designer alongside tutorials and advice on design tools and concepts. Read the full shownotes 

Ever wondered how motion design studios become known worldwide for their work? In today's episode Jay Grandin explains how he built Giant Ant from the ground up and why he feels the studio has been so successful. About Jay Grandin Jay is Co-Founder of Giant Ant, an animation studio in Vancouver. As Creative Director, Jay oversees nearly every project in the studio—leading the concept development and script writing processes, as well as being actively involved in design and animation. In 2006, after unexpectedly creating a series of viral videos with his wife Leah, the married couple found themselves quitting their full-time jobs and working on a freelance basis for MySpace. Slowly Jay and Leah's videos evolved from low budget live-action content to videos starring other people. Over time, the pair found themselves hiring team members and expanding into animation too.  Eventually (after the arrival of twins!) Jay and Leah split the business into two: one for live-action and the other is the Giant Ant we know and love today. Jay's story shows how even the top motion design studios have humble beginnings. Apply for our Accelerator Programme Read the full shownotes

Looking to make six figures as a motion designer, but not sure where to start? Motion designer John Filipkowski discusses how he hit this financial goal and how other freelance motion designers can achieve six figures too. About John Filipkowski John Filipkowski is a freelance motion designer based in Chicagoland, USA. He specialises in both 2D and 3D motion design and has worked with some amazing clients - from Sony, to Paypal and Samsung! After already achieving a six-figure salary through full-time employment, John wanted to make the move to freelancing and gain more working freedom, but he also wanted to be sure he could match his salary. Through extensive outreach, building a large network of fellow motion designers and potential clients, and most of all, keeping a level-headed approach, John has achieved this goal. He hopes he can inspire other freelance creatives through his story, helping them to make six figures as a motion designer and find a more rewarding way of working. Read the full shownotes

Do you ever feel like you've hit the ceiling in your motion design freelance business in terms of how much money you can make? Web designer, online educator and digital marketing consultant, Brad Hussey, presents a whole new way of thinking about how motion designers can do business and productize their services.  About Brad Hussey  Brad Hussey started his career as a freelance web designer and spent time working at an agency, where he worked as a front-end developer collaborating with motion designers and other creatives to develop everything from apps through to mini games. Disenchanted by the fluctuation of freelance income, he decided to explore ways to add another income stream to his web design business. He started to run his own online courses, leveraging his expertise and helping creatives build their own websites, learn to code and design their own websites. Over time he had unlocked a new way of working – productizing – something that Brad has turned into a career both as a web designer and a coach. Now, he has taught more than 600,000 indie designers, developers and professionals how to get better at their craft and make a living doing work they love.  Read the full shownotes

Many motion designers dream of making passive income. But how do you actually go about doing it? Justin Archer is a freelance motion designer who also makes passive income selling templates for final cut pro editors. He has almost 22k sales from Envato alone! In this episode, we explore how he started making money through After Effects templates and how you can still be successful even if a market is saturated.  About Justin Archer Justin Archer has been a professional motion designer for the past nine years. For half of this time he worked for companies and for the other half, he's been freelance whilst also pursuing different personal projects. He started building templates for Final Cut Pro more as a way for him to start commissioning his own personal projects. He wasn't getting enough work for 3D projects at the time and so he started using Envato as a way to make his portfolio more diverse - if he sold anything, that was simply a bonus. He did some research and noticed that it was more multi-purpose motion graphics that seemed to sell well, so he started creating these - things like titles and lower thirds. Before he knew it, he had a thriving side hustle that was generating him passive income. Here's how he did it. Read the full shownotes.

For some people, the idea of working with an agent who helps you to find work seems like a dream come true. But how do you even go about getting signed by a motion graphic design agent?  Join Hayley and Drew Melton, Founder of artist representation agency Closer and Closer as he shares his tips on how to find the perfect agent and foster an amazing partnership with them. About Drew Melton Drew Melton started out his career as a graphic designer. He dropped out of college and started freelancing full-time. He started a blog called The Phraseology Project. People could submit their work and he used this to practice his typography and grow his following at the same time. He started Closer and Closer out of an attempt to get out there and meet people - he felt like he lived in a beautiful, extroverted city but he spent all his time indoors in front of a computer screen. He decided to leverage his natural people skills and his experience to bring people together to accomplish more than they could on their own. Read the full shownotes.

Ryan Koral has spent the past 13 years telling brand stories through video storytelling. In that time, he's learned a thing or two about working with all different kinds of clients. Join us as he shares his top takeaways on how to build a great working relationship, no matter the brief or project. About Ryan Koral Ryan Koral has always loved shooting video. He started his business 17 years ago and what started as a $300 one-off shoot for his first client quickly lead to him and his team flying all around the world shooting beautiful weddings. But as time went on and he started a family, he wanted to grow his business without the need to travel so frequently. A friend of his said “Ryan, you can tell peoples' stories through video - it doesn't have to be the story of their wedding.” and this opened his eyes to the possibilities in front of him. He then rebranded his business, which is now called Tell Studios and 5 years ago he started another business called Studio Sherpas, where he talks about the business side of growing a video business. He also has a weekly podcast called Grow Your Video Business. Read the full shownotes here.

When you price your motion design projects, do you think about the value that you'll bring to your client? How about asking them what success would look like? These two things in combination will allow you to create your best work and get paid well for it. Join Brand Strategist Melinda Livsey as she teaches you how. About Melinda Livsey Melinda Livsey started her career as a graphic designer before turning to brand strategy and education. She teaches other designers how to make the switch from designing to becoming a brand strategist.  She really wanted to work on bigger projects so she made the move from graphic design to brand identity. From there, she learned she could solve even bigger problems and help businesses to make their brands more profitable and memorable. Read the full shownotes here. 

Katie Menzies and Abel Reverter started their motion design studio Cabeza Patata in 2018. Their signature style and playful character designs have won them work with brands like Google, Spotify and The New York Times in just three years. Recently, they've been working with more and more fashion brands too. But how did they go about setting up their studio and being hired for their signature style? Find out in our latest episode. About Cabeza Patata Katie and Abel were both freelance motion designers and they're also a couple. Their individual styles of work are very different so they didn't at first think of joining forces.  They worked together on creative projects in their spare time and things grew organically from there. Before long, they started to think of themselves as a studio and the name, Cabeza Patata came along, as did their website. Abel says that working freelance allowed them both to differentiate between the kinds of work they would do for clients on a freelance basis, compared to the kind of work they wanted to create as a studio. Read the full shownotes here.

We're all getting older - it's something we can't avoid. But what does it mean for your career in animation?  In our latest episode, we explore some of the key areas around ageing in animation and how you can feel confident and happy in your career, no matter your age. About Hannah and Helen Hannah Lau Walker is a freelance animator and the organiser of ‘She Drew That', an organisation that runs workshops for women in the animation industry. Helen Piercy is a lecturer for the animation and visual effects course at Norwich University of the Arts. She's also the Education Advisor for Animated Women UK, an organisation that supports women working in the creative industries.  Read the full shownotes here.

Do you constantly find yourself wishing you had more hours in the day? With multiple clients, deadlines and projects looming, life as a freelance motion designer can be stressful and overwhelming. But what if you could find a way to structure your days so that stress became a thing of the past instead of a regular occurrence? It might sound too good to be true, but this week's guest will teach you how. About Matt Ragland Matt had tried blogging and podcasting before he settled on YouTube as a final creative project. What he realised through his prior experiments with blogging and podcasting is that the reason he hadn't hit the goals he set himself was because he hadn't been consistent enough. YouTube was really his last attempt at growing an audience on a platform. He started out by posting one video a day for the entire month of February, then one new video a week for the rest of the year. Matt says that consistency truly is key when it comes to creating any form of content. You also have to let go of your perfectionism - just focus on creating something and sharing it consistently. It doesn't need to be perfect. Read the full shownotes here.

Everybody’s talking about Clubhouse! This audio-only platform is taking our industry by storm. But what exactly is Clubhouse? Is it worth joining? Can you get more clients through the app if you’re a motion designer? Join Hayley as she answers all of these questions and more. So what exactly is Clubhouse? Clubhouse is an audio-only platform where you can attend “rooms” which is essentially an event to hear someone speak. Within the event, you are given the opportunity (if you want it) to take the floor and speak. One of the key benefits of Clubhouse for motion designers is that it gives you an opportunity to join discussions with industry experts and learn from and connect with them. Read the full shownotes here.  

Our Mastermind Mentors have a wealth of experience behind them. So when we gave our students the opportunity to hop onto Clubhouse and ask for their advice about something they’re struggling with in their careers, they jumped at the chance. About the Mograph Mastermind Mentors  Hayley Akins is the Founder of Motion Hatch. Jess Peterson leads business, operations, and concept development at Mighty Oak, an award-winning creative studio specializing in hand-made animation and design.  Monique is a San Francisco-based, Miami-born, animator, illustrator, and director. Christopher Bernal is a Bay Area Motion Designer with over a decade of experience in the animation industry. And Jason Mallet is an award-winning freelance motion designer and video editor. About the Mograph Mastermind students Gabrielle is a motion designer and illustrator from Philadelphia. She’s a serial Mastermind student who has enjoyed the program so much, she’s returned more than once! She’s joined by student Brent, a freelance motion designer and animator and Ivan, a motion designer from California. In today’s episode, they asked the Mograph Mastermind Mentors to help them to tackle the biggest issue they’re currently facing in their careers.  Read the full shownotes here. Apply for a place on the Mograph Mastermind before registration closes. Download our free Social Media Guide for Motion Designers.

As a freelance motion designer, sometimes you find yourself taking on work that you’re not particularly passionate about just to pay the bills. But what if there was a way that you could exclusively work with brands who align with your personal values AND make a good living in doing so? Today’s podcast guest will show you how she created a successful niche studio that supports veganism and plant-based living. About Roxy Vélez Roxy Vélez grew up in Ecuador but moved to the US to study a master's degree after she finished her studies in graphic design. After she finished she moved to New York to become a freelance designer. She then moved across the world to Berlin and gradually made the transition from freelance motion designer to becoming a studio owner in 2018.  Here’s how she did it. How Vexquisit Studio was born Vexquisit Studio works exclusively with vegan products, brands and organisations.  The studio was born from Roxy’s desire to work exclusively with brands that aligned with her personal values. She worried that being freelance and working for agencies would mean that she would be assigned to projects for companies that went against her personal beliefs. It was also difficult for her to say to colleagues that she didn’t want to work on certain projects because of her beliefs because she loved working for the agencies and the people that she worked with. She felt conflicted because as much as she believes in veganism, she also had to pay her bills.  Meanwhile, in her personal life, she had started to become more involved in vegan events. This allowed her to build more connections in the vegan community which, in time, helped her to start her studio. How to find clients who align with your values Roxy found clients who are aligned with her values primarily through going to vegan events and conferences.  Of course, the emergence of Covid-19 has put a stop to these in-person events, however, Roxy says there is still ample opportunity to connect with the kinds of clients you’d like to work with online. In fact, online events mean that you can easily find international clients, too. She also credits LinkedIn as a great way to find new clients. She follows lots of vegan companies on LinkedIn and makes sure she spends some time actively engaging with them - liking and commenting on their posts. She also says that content is key. It’s important that you spend some time creating content for social media to promote yourself. Creating work that has meaning beyond just making money Many freelancers will get to a stage where, beyond just making money, they want their work to have impact and meaning. Roxy says that when she worked for agencies, if an ad went viral she would feel nothing - it wouldn’t make a difference to her work. Whereas now, if she works on an advertisement for a client that goes viral, or even if it just becomes popular on social media, it has the potential to contribute to less animal consumption, which is a cause that she feels incredibly passionate about. Roxy also updated her portfolio to reflect projects that she knew her ideal clients would find appealing to help her to win more clients. How to raise your freelance rate to give you space to breath Whilst Roxy was setting up her studio, she decided to raise her freelance rate to give her more financial freedom to work on her passion project. She decided that if she was going to spend her time doing work that wasn’t ideally what she wanted to be doing, it made sense to charge more for that work.  The best way to raise your rate is to just communicate the changes with your clients - some will say no, but make it clear that you can still work together if you have availability, but that you’ll have to prioritise clients who are willing to pay your new rate. How to find people to support your mission Roxy found her first freelancers through animation community groups on Facebook. From there, her first hire recommended a friend of hers and from there, the studio has grown to a consistent team who are all personally invested in their work.  Roxy isn’t in a huge rush to grow the studio into a huge business - she has a great working relationship with her clients and the people who work for her, and as long as they continue to work with brilliant clients on projects that excite her, she is happy to continue that way. Most of all, it’s important to hire people who genuinely care about what you’re doing because when people care, the quality of work speaks for itself. What are the kinds of clients that you’d really like to work with? Would you like to start a niche studio one day? Leave a comment on the episode page and let us know! Read the full shownotes.

Nowadays it’s common for people to have more than one job or income stream. Having a side-hustle allows you to have more freedom and control in your career as it’s not your only source of income - but how do you go about choosing one? And how do you get started? Today’s guest has a popular Etsy store selling stationery as well as a successful career in motion design. In fact, having a side-hustle allows her to be pickier over the kinds of clients she works with. Find out how you too can start your own side-hustle to complement your motion design career. About Mary Hawkins Mary Hawkins is a freelance motion designer, animator and art director. She joined our Mograph Mastermind last year to help her to get clarity on the kinds of clients she wanted to work with and because she was suffering from a massive case of burnout. As a result, she has gone from being an in-house freelancer to an independent freelancer and she now gets to work with clients such as charities as well as broadcast designer clients. How to start a side-hustle as a motion designer Mary has built up an extremely successful Etsy shop selling voting-themed stationery - she’s made 12,000 sales in the past 4 years. She credits her success to having such a niche store. Mary makes products for volunteers to write postcards to voters. Writing postcards to voters was a new idea back in 2017 that has become increasingly popular, which is how Mary Likes Postcards was born. She paid $300 to get lots of printing done back in 2017 and has been running the business ever since. She’s never had to take out a business loan, or invest more money into it and even during a bad year like 2020, it still manages to pay for her family’s health insurance. How to choose a side-hustle if you don't know where to begin Although Mary was happy in her career, the really interesting jobs would often get sent to a big agency in NYC rather than be kept in-house. As a result, she wasn’t spending much of her time at work actually designing, but she’d always find herself doodling designs at her desk. Therefore it came as no surprise to Mary that her side-hustle incorporated something that was a pain-point in her career. However she’s a designer, not an artist, and she knew she needed to create something with direction that people wanted. When she designs for her store, she is always thinking “who’s going to like/buy this?” “What is the emotional response going to be?” As a motion designer, you have a very specific set of skills so when choosing a side-hustle you should stick to things that you’ll enjoy doing and one that makes use of your skillset.  Some of the best ways to make money through a side-hustle as a motion designer would be teaching based content - 1:1 coaching for other designers or teaching YouTube tutorials. You could also make money digitally, such as creating and selling an online course or make and sell templates, printables or fonts. You could also create a print on demand business, where you print designs on tote bags, cards, pins or other physical products but you only create the product once the order comes in.  The key benefit of this is that you don’t want to have an inventory of stock. However, Mary’s business requires an inventory of stock, which of course takes up space and costs money to buy upfront but she says allows her business to be more profitable. The difference between a hobby and a side-hustle Mary sees her side-hustle as a micro-business. A side-hustle is not something that you do full-time, or for anyone but yourself.  It’s also a business that doesn’t require your attention on a full-time basis. There’s also a difference between a side-hustle and a hobby. For example, if you are a designer who is making a short film, you’re an artist rather than someone with a side-hustle - as your primary goal is not to make money. Having a side-hustle will make you a better motion designer Mary says that having a side-hustle has allowed her to be a better organiser, a better planner, and a better marketer Each of these skills, in turn, has allowed her to be a much better motion designer.  The pitfalls of having a side-hustle  One of the key downsides of having a side-hustle is the pressure it puts on you when it comes to time-keeping and organisation. Having a side-hustle, even a small one, will undoubtedly take up a lot of your time. When you’re a “yes person” like Mary, who loves to say yes to many projects at once, you can find yourself stressed and overwhelmed with a never-ending to-do list. There are also copyright issues when it comes to designing and selling work online. Running two different kinds of businesses also means that tax and accounting can become more complicated. Should you sell products on Etsy, Amazon or Faire? Amazon requires sellers to jump through a lot more hoops than other platforms. They also take a large chunk out of your earnings, however, everyone is on Amazon as it’s such a well-used company. Etsy is a smaller marketplace but people seem to respond to the handmade element of businesses better due to the nature of the product.  Faire is a similar platform to Etsy but for wholesale buyers.  It might be better for you to have your own website rather than sell with a platform - it depends on the product you are selling. There are all sorts of marketplaces out there, you just have to search for them. But ultimately, your side-hustle has to be something you’ll genuinely enjoy doing and something that people want and will pay for.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for general guidance only and discusses the legal position in the UK at the time of publication unless stated otherwise. You must take legal advice and not rely on the information provided in this podcast before taking action. We do not update our podcasts and therefore, past podcasts may not reflect the current legal position. There are 5 million self-employed people in the UK and if you’re listening to this episode, it’s likely you’re one of them. If you’re a freelance motion designer you’ve probably heard about the IR35 tax law - but what does it mean for you and the way you do business? In today’s episode, you’re going to find out. About Andy Chamberlain Andy Chamberlain is the Director of Policy for The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE).  IPSE is the only non-profit organisation in the UK providing support to independent professionals and self-employed people in the UK. What is IR35 and does it affect me as a freelance motion designer in the UK? IR35 is a term used to describe two sets of tax laws that stop what is known as “disguised employment”.  This is when an individual acts like an employee and is treated like an employee but they disguise that employment by portraying themself as a limited company rather than an individual. By doing this, both the individual and the employer who is hiring them essentially pay less tax - however, it’s illegal and a form of tax evasion. IR35 will only affect you if you’re an individual operating as a limited company. If you are a sole trader, it does not apply. So what is changing with IR35?  As it stands, the government is changing the way that IR35 works in the private sector - moving the responsibility from the individual receiving the payment to the end client. The issue with this is that now many individuals are having to pay tax like an employee even though the company they work for gives them no employee benefits. As an employee, when you get paid, the amount you receive has already had the tax and national insurance deductions taken out of it. Under new IR35 rules, the same will now happen for self-employed people. This is making companies less likely to hire self-employed people because they don’t want to spend time putting them on their “books” and making tax deductions if they won’t be with the company for very long. Therefore they are now advising self-employed people to work under an umbrella company that will make those tax deductions for them instead. This is because if they pay someone through their payroll, they have to make employers national insurance contributions which is an additional 13.8%. Umbrella companies also don’t want to have to pay the 13.8% so they say to the individual “we need you to reduce your day rate so that we can afford to pay your employers national insurance contributions.” So who benefits from this new system? The only person who is really benefiting from this new system is neither self-employed people nor the end client - it’s the government. Rather than waiting a year for a self-employed person to submit their tax return, they are now able to gather a lot more tax from self-employed people more quickly. End clients are now worried - because if they say that IR35 doesn’t apply to a contractor they are working with and carry on paying them their gross pay as before, HMRC can approach them at a later date and they will be held liable. Because IR35 is so complicated, many end clients are choosing to put all self-employed workers under the IR35 rules rather than risk being penalised later on down the line. Does IR35 apply if I am a sole trader? IR35 only applies if you are a self-employed person working as a limited company and not if you’re a sole trader. Historically end clients have preferred to work with people who operate under a limited company because it mitigates their risk. For example, there are some laws that apply whereby if a sole trader didn’t pay the correct tax, the person who paid them could be liable.  If you currently have a limited company and are concerned over the implications of IR35 on you and your freelance business, you could consider dissolving your limited company and become a sole trader, provided your clients were still happy to work with and pay you on that basis. There are benefits and drawbacks to being a sole trader or a limited company. Ultimately, only you can decide what is best for you.  Am I inside or outside IR35? Andy explains that for employment to exist, you need to have each of the following: Personal service - one individual required to do the work themselves, they cannot send a substitute. If you feel you can send a substitute to do your work, this is one of the key ways in which you could dispute an IR35 claim. Mutuality of obligation - is the end client obliged to provide the contractor with work and is the worker obliged to accept that work and do it? Contractors are able to turn down work, whereas employees are obliged to carry out any work they are given. Control - how much control does the individual have over the work they are doing? If you are an employee, the employer has the right to control your work. However, if you’re a freelancer, you are largely able to dictate your own work and the way in which you produce it. If you can prove that any one of these three elements does not exist in the end client relationship, then IR35 does not apply to you. What should I do as a freelance motion designer to prepare for this? Andy advises freelance motion designers to consider what factors distinguish them from paid employed inside the companies that they are currently working with. If you are unsure whether IR35 applies to you or not, you can use the Check Employment Status for Tax tool (CEST) on the Government website, print out the results and show them to your client. Small company exemption rules The rules we have covered so far in regard to IR35 tax rules only apply to end-clients who are medium or large in size. Small companies don’t have to make these considerations under the small company exemption rules. A small company has to meet two of the following three criteria: The company has less than or equal to 50 employees The company has less than or equal to £10.2 mil turnover Less than or equal to 5.1 million on their balance sheet Protecting yourself with a Statement of Work Contract A statement of work is a type of contract that sets out the set deliverables and milestones required for you as the contractor to carry out the work. Payment is then on delivery of those milestones. If you have a contract like that then it makes it very hard for anyone to claim IR35 applies to that written contract, so long as the work carried out matches what was in the contract. A Statement of Work Contract could be a great way to carry on working as you have been with no IR35 implications. If you’re unsure about your existing contracts, consider paying to get them independently reviewed. Andy finishes off the episode by answering some frequently asked questions that have been submitted by Motion Hatchlings, so make sure you listen to the end to see if your questions have been answered. Ultimately, the best advice around IR35 is to make sure you have researched the topic and are aware of your rights should your clients try to claim you are within IR35 when you know you are not. Do you have any other questions about IR35? Do you think it’s going to affect the way you work? Leave a comment on the episode page and let us know! Read the full shownotes. Find more guidance on IR35 on the IPSE website. Follow Andy on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Do you use LinkedIn as a way to get direct clients? If you haven’t previously considered using this awesome platform, then this week’s guest might just persuade you. About Marc Lawrence Marc Lawrence spent 20 years working in the corporate world - starting out as a motion designer and moving upwards to eventually have a leadership position in his company. But ultimately, Marc found himself at a crossroads when he faced redundancy in his job. The commute to work was becoming increasingly difficult and despite loving his job and the company he worked for, he felt that a change was well overdue. How to make the transition between being employed and going freelance Marc decided that he would like to specialise in creating motion graphics specifically for social media. Despite having no experience running a business, no professional network and very few peers in the industry, Marc was determined to make freelancing a success. He started his freelance career by becoming a Motion Hatch Mastermind student. This helped him instrumentally with branding himself, setting up a website and figuring out the practical steps for attracting the kinds of clients he really wanted to be working with - which in his case was working with direct clients. How to utilise Linkedin to get direct clients Marc soon found that LinkedIn was a brilliant platform to form real connections with people. Though Instagram is also a great platform for motion designers, he believes it’s better suited to those seeking work with agencies than work with end clients like himself. He started connecting with established creatives in different fields - motion design, graphic design, copywriting and more - and asking if they would be willing to have a quick, 30-minute Zoom call with him.  Much to his surprise and delight, almost everyone he contacted said yes.  Marc says that consistently engaging with people on LinkedIn - liking and commenting on their posts and being genuine in your comments - is one of the key ways to ensure success on the platform.  He also says that the best piece of advice he was given in regard to how to craft posts on LinkedIn was “write as though you’re talking to someone in a pub.” He says that the minute he took a step away from the dry, corporate posts he’d been writing before and became more personable, people started to respond and engage. How do I make sure my posts perform well on LinkedIn? Marc has experimented with posting at different times but he finds that posting first thing before 9am seems to give his posts more traction.  Similarly, many experts recommend trialling posts that are published around lunchtime at 12-2pm and dinner time after 5pm. Ultimately, how well your posts perform depends on your audience and what time they are online. You should spend some time trying different times and seeing which consistently perform well with your audience. Other ways to drive engagement on LinkedIn include asking questions in your posts, posting external links in the comments of your post rather than in the main body of text (LinkedIn doesn’t like links that take people away from their platform), tagging relevant people in your posts, and creating a poll to find out your audience’s thoughts on a topic. How do I make my posts stand out on LinkedIn? As amazing as your animations may be, Marc says that there is a window of opportunity that motion designers are not taking advantage of.  One of his most popular services is creating animated written testimonials for clients - something that historically has only really been done in static, image form.  This is something that you can easily create from your own testimonials as well. Pick out the best bits of the text, make them kinetic, pick out a nice background and you have a quick, easy way to display the testimonials that are attention-grabbing and unique to you. Case studies are also a valuable form of content. Take your audience down a journey from when the client initially got in touch with you, to the end result animation. If you can include tangible results and data as well as the actual animation, this puts you in an even more favourable position for potential clients. Marc decided to offer one of his first-ever clients a discount on the package in exchange for 12 weeks of analytics data from the Instagram images. With this, he was able to show potential clients that what he produces gets brilliant results. After 12 weeks of posting animated content on Instagram, the client’s revenue increased by 198% and their engagement by 500%. Also don’t forget to put your contact details in your LinkedIn bio and make your headline stand out. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step - Lao Izu As nerve-wracking as it can be starting on a new platform, or one that you have but rarely use, the first thing to do is gather the confidence to post something (our Social Media Guide can help with this!) It can be hard putting yourself out there - but the more you do it, the easier it will become. Marc says that the worst thing that can happen is that people aren’t interested in your post - and to bear this in mind whenever nerves, anxiety or imposter syndrome get the better of you. Do you have a LinkedIn account? Do you remember to post on it regularly? If not, you could be missing out on an awesome platform to grow an audience, engage with people in the industry and attract exciting end clients. Leave a comment on the episode page and let us know! Read the full shownotes Links & resources Download the free Social Media Guide for Motion Designers. Find out more about our Mograph Mastermind program. Find out more about our Client Quest course. Find Marc on his website and LinkedIn account. Podcast music licensed by Big Waves sonosanctus.com dankoch.net Podcast production by the team at BE MORE Media

As a motion designer, it’s likely you have a lot of different skills. But knowing which projects to invest your time and energy in can be overwhelming. This week’s guest has a successful YouTube channel and Patreon account. But he wants to spend more of his time creating games as that’s what he really enjoys. Join Hayley as she helps Ross Plaskow to find his direction and focus as a designer. About Ross Plaskow Ross started out his motion design career by doing an animation degree at the University of Portsmouth before getting a job working for an agency - the first one he ever contacted! He worked there for a number of years before leaving that job to go freelance full-time. How to land that first job once you go freelance In typical freelance fashion, the road to freelancing success wasn’t straight-forward for Ross. It took him 6 months to get his first freelance gig. Ross attributes this to not tailoring his approach when it came to approaching clients - his portfolio was very diverse and he feels he should have been more selective in the examples of work he sent over to potential clients.  It took him 6 months to really perfect his showreel and once he did, he found that getting work became a lot easier. Therefore you shouldn’t be afraid to niche down, even at the beginning of your career. How to diversify your revenue streams as a motion designer Ross started his YouTube channel in 2016 making cartoons and tutorials. Things started out positively but he hit a wall with creating content when he got too busy with his freelancing.  He almost gave up entirely, but then he hit a quiet spot in his freelance career and made the decision to create very niche tutorials and put them on the paid content subscription site, Patreon.  He now has over 200 paid members on the platform and his YouTube boasts an impressive 105k subscribers.  Ross says that the reason his YouTube videos have done so well is because of good SEO - using common sense and researching what kinds of video titles are already out there and filling that void. His first tutorial video now has over 2 million views! How to balance freelancing full-time with other ventures  These are impressive achievements. However, Ross voiced to Hayley that despite his successes with YouTube and Patreon, he finds it difficult juggling his freelance career with these other ventures and knowing where to invest his time and energy. Even though he has built up an impressive number of subscribers, Ross finds himself falling out of love with YouTube and wanting to pursue his real passion of making games instead. Picking between what you CAN do and what you ENJOY doing As a freelancer, it’s likely that you can do a lot of different things. But the way to achieve better job satisfaction is to spend more time doing the things you enjoy doing, rather than the things you can do just to get paid. Even though Ross spends the majority of his time animating characters for other people in his work, he feels that his true passion lies in making games, however, he is doubtful that he could make a living doing what he loves. Hayley explained that once you take control of these limiting self-beliefs, you’ll see that there are unlimited opportunities to make money as a motion designer or animator.  Ross and Hayley discuss the different ways in which you could carry on working whilst still working towards your dream of doing what you love full-time. How to find direction and focus Hayley recommends picking a focused goal for each and every year - such as Ross’s current goal of saving up to buy a house. That helps you to prioritise and focus your mind. She also gives her advice on what she would do if she was Ross to combine her dream of making games whilst taking advantage of the large YouTube audience he already has. She says you shouldn’t under-estimate the power of sharing the journey and behind the scenes with your audience. It’s an effective way to not only add value to your audience but also spark their interest in the project you’re trying to launch. Sharing your goals with your audience will also help to keep you accountable and creating a proper plan will help you to keep on track. If creating a plan for the year feels too intimidating, break down your goals into Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4. Are you brimming with ideas but you struggle to know which ones to invest your time in? Do you believe you can make a living doing what you genuinely love to do? If not, why not? Leave a comment on the episode page and let us know! Read the full shownotes Links & resources Explore Ross Plaiskow’s work on his website, YouTube channel, Twitter and Instagram. Complete the Perfect Day Exercise and SMART Goals. Learn more about Client Quest. Learn more about using accountability to achieve your goals through a Mastermind group. Podcast music licensed by Big Waves sonosanctus.com dankoch.net Podcast production by the team at BE MORE Media The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod.

Many motion designers dream of starting an animation studio one day - but how do you know if it’s really the right decision for you? Are you willing to give up the creativity of actually doing motion design work to become a strategist, manager and entrepreneur?  Our latest guest will help you to decide if aspiring to own a studio is right for you and how to make it a success. About Mack Garrison Mack started Dash Studio in 2015 from a desire to create beautiful, bespoke work for clients and champion the creative talent of motion designers in the process.  Before starting Dash he had a diverse and varied career in different specialisms of design, before settling on motion design and in time, co-founding his own studio. Making the move from freelancer to motion design studio owner Mack started freelancing after he graduated as, like many new graduates, he struggled to find a job. This led him to try lots of different design specialisms, eventually niching down into motion design. He then joined a local agency where he worked his way up to become an Art Director but ultimately, he knew he wanted more creative control over his day-to-day and the freedom to be able to create really bespoke, personalised work for his clients. The pivotal moment for Mack was when he and his colleague (and now business partner) Corey were offered a huge, 15 video project. To take on the project they would need to quit their jobs at the agency. Hiring a great team is vital to your success A large factor in the success of Dash Studio are Mack and Corey’s complementary skill sets - where Mack struggles, Corey is able to help and vice versa.  Many people believe that you can’t succeed in certain areas if you lack certain skills, but by hiring people in-house or remotely you can build a multi-skilled, talented workforce. Dash now has a team of 8 members of in-house staff and 20-25 contractors working on anything from 8-16 projects at any one given time. The combination of full-time employed staff and freelancers allows Mack to be flexible to the needs of different clients and projects. Everyone has different skills and one of the best things you can do for yourself is to work out what your individual strengths are and your weaknesses - that way you can recruit the skills that you don’t have into your team. You can then collectively use everyone’s talents to make amazing work that is beyond what you’d be able to make on your own. They created a pitch deck, won the work, and planned to start freelancing full-time once they finished. But a bigger conversation arose, they decided to pool their talent, skills and resources and that’s how Dash Studio was born. Understanding what you want your career path to be Mack suggests that if you like the idea of creating something special yourself, growing a business and managing people, then starting a studio could be incredibly rewarding for you. However, if your passion lies in actually doing the motion design work yourself, then becoming a studio owner may not be the most satisfying career path for you because as your studio grows, you’ll find yourself doing the work less and less. It’s important that you don’t try to do it all and that you work out a defined role within your studio. If you want to start a studio with a business partner but you have no idea how to find one, it’s important to look to your community and network to find someone who has a similar mindset, outlook and work ethic as yourself. Do you dream of starting your own studio? Is it something you would tackle alone, or with a partner? Has this podcast made you think differently about your goals? Leave a comment on the episode page and let us know! Read the full show notes. Links & resources Download the Portfolio Checklist The E-Myth: Why most small businesses don’t work and what to do about it by Michael E. Gerber Rocket Fuel: The one essential combination that will get you more of what you want by Gino Wickman Check out Dash Studio Check out the Dash Bash festival Follow Dash Studio Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Vimeo Podcast music licensed by Big Waves sonosanctus.com dankoch.net Podcast production by the team at BE MORE Media

Finding work with a major studio making feature films can seem daunting. You may wonder if your work is good enough. But what if it’s not your work that ultimately gets you hired but something else entirely? If you’ve ever wondered how animators get to work on huge films, today’s guest is going to tell you how she did it. About Nikki Braine Nikki has been an animator for many years. Her career spans games, VFX, and feature films including ‘Paddington 2’ and  'Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them'. She was recently hired on as the animation supervisor for a new Netflix show. What it Takes to Land Big Jobs Nikki takes us on her journey into VFX and feature film work. She describes the interview process and why you shouldn’t be nervous during them. The truth is, once you’ve landed an interview, you’ve already made it past the majority of the hurdles to get hired. Just be yourself and show them that you’re a nice person to work with.  Although she received a formal education as an animator, Nikki doesn’t suggest that for everyone. There are so many great online schools and programs that can teach you what you need to know. Nikki suggests finding a specific aspect of motion design that interests you and exploring the online programs that focus on it. Attitude is Everything Nikki credits her eagerness to take initiative as what landed her in the job as lead animator. Getting this type of work takes problem-solving skills, great communication, and being approachable. Animating is just a small part of the job. It’s being able to effectively lead and inspire a team that makes a great lead animator. What interview tips can you share with us? Leave a comment on the episode page! How do you approach large studios when looking for work? Leave a comment on the episode page! Read the full show notes Links and resources Download the Portfolio Checklist Follow Nikki Braine on Linkedin Animsquad iAnimate Animentor Academy 11 Second Club Podcast music licensed by Big Waves sonosanctus.com dankoch.net Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative 

How you brand yourself may be one of the most important parts of being a profitable motion designer. There are so many ways to go about it though. Do you brand yourself as a studio? Should you show more of your personality on social media? What about a logo? How do you stand out from the crowd? Today’s guest is going to help us answer all these questions. About Hollie Arnett Hollie Arnett is a branding coach and strategist. She specializes in helping creatives brand their passion so that they can build a business that allows them to do the thing that they love. The Central Elements of Any Good Brand Hollie boils effective branding down to three main elements. The first is clarity. Both you and your audience need to be clear on what you do and who you target. Next is creativity. You need something to help you stand out as you convey your messaging. Lastly, you need consistency. Being consistent with your messaging will help people remember and recognize you. The Best Branding is Simple Branding Creating a logo for yourself may seem intuitive for a motion designer. However, it’s not always a simple task. Hollie suggests considering whether or not you even need a logo. If it’s holding you back, skip it altogether. Or, just use your name in a font you like. Ultimately, your brand is much more than a logo.  To effectively build a recognizable personal brand, Hollie recommends keeping it simple and recognizable. Just a few core colours and fonts along with some patterns and photos should help get your core message and identity across. Keeping this consistent across all the channels you use will keep you recognizable and memorable. How can you use branding to convey your identity as a creative? Leave a comment on the episode page! What do you struggle with the most when identifying your brand? Leave a comment on the episode page! Read the full show notes Links and resources Find Hollie Arnett online Follow Hollie on YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Brand Your Passion Podcast Vivid Vision by Cameron Herold Chris Do - YouTube Learn Brand Strategy with Melinda Livsey Creative Strategy and the Business of Design by Douglas Davis Related episodes Episode 10: How You Think Of Your Freelance Business Matters with Chris Do Additional resources Podcast music licensed by Big Waves sonosanctus.com dankoch.net Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative  

Sometimes we create outstanding work that doesn’t mean that much to us personally. Should you include it on your site anyway? Today’s guest suggests that we cut that out and only include the type of work that we really truly want to make. That will get you to the heart of using your unique voice to drive your business. About Monique Wray Monique Wray is a San Francisco based animator, illustrator, and director. She specializes in creating character-focused illustrated and animated content for a wide range of companies. What Makes You Unique is an Asset As Monique pivoted her business from freelance to studio owner, she went on a mission of discovery to find her unique voice. There is something that differentiates everyone and sets us all apart. Monique found that focusing on that not only helps her get noticed by clients but also leads to more personally fulfilling work. Simply put, when you present the work that you want to do the most, you’ll attract the clients who want to hire you to do that sort of work. Being Yourself to Find the Right Clients for You We all want to create work that gets us hired. Monique finds that doing so should not be separated from your values, identity, and the impact that you want to make. It may take intentional work to discover or rediscover what those elements are, but it’s worth it. When your work is imbued with your values and identity, the right clients will resonate with it and be all the more eager to work with you. Read the full show notes Links and resources Find Monique Wray online Follow Monique on Instagram Find Your Artistic Voice by Lisa Congdon The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert Related episodes Episode 77: How to Plan Your Best Motion Design Year Ever Additional resources Podcast music licensed by Big Waves sonosanctus.com dankoch.net Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

It’s nice to get paid for your work. But for many of us, that’s not the ultimate reason we’re in this business. We need to find a purpose in what we do and understand how we can positively impact the world with our creations. Working Towards a Bigger Goal Once we are earning enough to cover basic needs, the desire to work towards something bigger takes root. I find that motion designers are generally a group of people who care about what happens in the world. Finding work that aligns with your values is perhaps the best way to make a contribution. But before you can find the clients who will give you this work, it’s important to really identify the values that drive you. Discovering Core Values Identifying your core values means knowing what makes you unique. Take a step back and think about it. What is your unique perspective? How do you look for meaning? What would you do if money weren’t a concern? These are hard questions, but asking them will lead you to finding your true values and purpose. An Exercise to Find Your Vision To identify your vision, go somewhere quiet with a pen and paper. Break your vision into two categories: personal and career. What do you want these to look like in three years? Write it as if you’re living it now. Brainstorming about what you want your life to look like will bring your values to the forefront.  The next thing to do is learn how to attract the clients who align with these values. You’ll need to make a plan and implement it. This can be hard to do when you’re already busy, but taking small actions now will inevitably move you closer to achieving your vision. Read the full show notes Links and resources Apply to the Mograph Mastermind Ruined by Design by Mike Monteiro Vivid Vision by Cameron Herold Additional resources Podcast music licensed by Big Waves sonosanctus.com dankoch.net Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

Clients can come from many different places. In this line of work, we motion designers can take advantage of numerous resources for this. Today’s guest explains how he does it using Behance and how you can too. About Felipe Vargas Felipe Vargas is a freelance illustrator and motion designer from Chile. His specializations include designing, directing, and animating a wide range of motion projects. He also enjoys editorial illustration work. He finds many of his opportunities from his Behance page. This has led to opportunities to work with many great brands, such as Adobe, Yahoo!, The World Bank, The WHO, Facebook, Citi, JP Morgan, and many others. Breaking New Ground in Chile Felipe entered the world of motion design when it was relatively unheard of in his country. He credits his early success to a combination of having a top-notch portfolio reel, his tenacity, and luck. Today, motion design is growing in popularity in Chile. By being there from the start, Felipe finds himself well-positioned to take advantage of this new trend. Using Behance to Find Work with Many Different Clients Felipe credits a lot of his success as a freelancer to Behance. This platform creates opportunities to network that few other platforms provide. Since many clients are just as interested in your process as they are with your final product, Felipe finds that Behance is a great tool for showing how he creates his work. He credits consistency and attention to detail when using it to create a successful portfolio. Although Felipe creates a lot of work for advertisers, he also sees the value of working for a variety of client types. If you can be the first motion designer that someone works with, you can guide them through the possibilities of your creations. This gives you more freedom and opens up possibilities that may not exist elsewhere. Read the full show notes Links & Resources Download the free portfolio checklist! Find Felipe Vargas on Behance | Vimeo | Instagram Additional Resources Podcast music licensed by Big Waves sonosanctus.com dankoch.net Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

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. Quotes “Every few months I’ll sit back and think, what’s one area in my skillset that I really want to develop and work on and how can I make that happen in my spare time.” [8:21]   “Don’t stress about the idea of the personal project so much. You need to enjoy the process. You need to develop your skills.” [12:31] “You are a business and you’re promoting yourself as a business. If you are following any other kind of business, you don’t need to see personal posts from the employees. You just need to give people what they want.” [30:03] “Don’t obsess with being the best because that’s exhausting.” [33:12] In This Episode How remote work creates geographic freedom as a motion designer [2:09] Tips for communicating with clients remotely [4:45] Harnessing personal projects to improve your skills [6:48] Avoiding the pressure of perfectionism [15:30] Using Linkedin and other social media to share your work [20:20] How treating yourself as a business can still highlight your personal identity [30:28] Key Takeaways Being able to work remotely opens many doors. It allows you to live and work wherever you want and take on clients outside your geographical area. However, you still need to be in regular communication with clients. Keep them updated as much as possible on whatever platform they prefer.   Personal projects are a necessary part of being in a creative line of work. They’ll help take your skills and abilities to the next level and keep you passionate about your craft. It’s often difficult balancing these projects with client work. Since they’re your own creations, you can break them down into manageable pieces that still leave room for your other work. Links & Resources Join the Motion Hatch 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.