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 Sa...
May 11, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 87
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 ...
Apr 27, 2021•53 min•Season 1Ep. 86
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 yo...
Mar 30, 2021•52 min•Season 1Ep. 85
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 freela...
Mar 16, 2021•42 min•Season 1Ep. 84
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 difficul...
Mar 02, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 83
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 Univers...
Feb 16, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 82
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 champ...
Feb 02, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 81
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 ...
Jan 19, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 80
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 ca...
Jan 05, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 79
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 ...
Dec 15, 2020•31 min•Season 78Ep. 1
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 v...
Dec 01, 2020•11 min•Season 1Ep. 77
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 pag...
Nov 17, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 76
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, Jes...
Nov 03, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 75
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, posit...
Oct 20, 2020•44 min•Season 1Ep. 74
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 market...
Oct 06, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 73
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 brin...
Sep 22, 2020•44 min•Season 1Ep. 72
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 s...
Sep 08, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 71
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 f...
Jul 07, 2020•13 min•Season 1Ep. 70
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 bui...
Jun 23, 2020•49 min•Season 1Ep. 69
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 vi...
Jun 09, 2020•43 min•Season 1Ep. 68
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 bra...
May 26, 2020•44 min•Season 1Ep. 67
We motion designers all feel like weirdos at times. Don’t fight it! It’s time to embrace what makes you unique and sets you apart. In fact, your surreal side can create its own opportunities. Today’s guest is in high demand precisely because of his weirdness. We chat about how personal work can get you big motion design clients. Nick DenBoer , AKA Smearballs, does a bit of everything. He’s a director, animator, editor, music producer, and remix artist. He’s worked on Conan and created unique mus...
May 12, 2020•53 min•Season 1Ep. 66
Social media is a powerful tool for getting your animations out there and finding more work as a freelancer. However, actually connecting with the right people is not a straightforward task. To clear up any confusion, We’ve brought on a freelance motion designer who has 25k followers on Instagram to share how to use Instagram as a motion graphic designer. How to make the jump into being a freelance motion designer Sam Burton is an expert in using Instagram to create opportunities for his freelan...
Apr 28, 2020•49 min•Season 1Ep. 65
Most of us got into motion design because we like to create. But to stay in business, we need to know how to sell what we do and how to price your work as a motion designer. Selling can feel like a dirty word, but I’ve brought in a guest who explains how its actually a creative tool for offering great value to your clients. Many people have heard of Blair Enns from his book The Win Without Pitching Manifesto . He runs a sales-training organization for creative professionals. From public and priv...
Apr 14, 2020•47 min•Season 1Ep. 64
With the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, life is full of uncertainty. This causes a lot of anxiety which is a real mental health burden. Being a freelancer right now adds another layer of unpredictability. To assist in navigating these unprecedented times, I’ve brought on a special guest to help us make sense of our concerns. Today, I’m talking with Dr. Anna Symonds , a clinical psychologist with Elysian Psychology in Nottinghamshire, UK. She is registered with the Health Care Professions Counci...
Mar 31, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 63
Today I want to talk to you about the number one thing that changed my motion design career. It’s masterminds! In case you don’t know what a mastermind is or you aren’t clear how they work, I’m here to tell you all about it. A mastermind is a peer support group where you can learn and grow together. I tell the story of how mastermind groups led me to where I am today. It really has made all the difference and I owe the existence of this podcast to it. So that you can get the most out of a suppor...
Mar 17, 2020•13 min•Season 1Ep. 62
Tech companies are creating more and more opportunities for motion designers to work in UX design. Instead of the traditional studio work, this means working with one company on a specific product. But what does it mean to do this work and how is it different from other types of motion design? Sharon Harris is a senior motion designer at Google. As part of the Google design team, Sharon works with the editorial design platform , conducts interviews and podcasts, and arranges the annual design co...
Mar 03, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 61
As motion designers, our primary goal is often centered on delivering our animations to clients. However, that’s not always enough to stay in business. Increasingly, there are more opportunities to work with clients beyond motion design and get involved in the design side of brand strategy. We also talk about how to use partnerships and content to get more clients. Philip VanDusen is the founder of Varhaal Brand Design , a brand strategy, design, and marketing agency in New Jersey. He also has a...
Feb 18, 2020•52 min•Season 1Ep. 60
Creating tutorials is a great way to get your name out there and promote your work. Social media channels like YouTube are wonderful platforms for making this happen, but figuring out where to start can be a challenge. Today’s guest started his tutorial channel just under a year ago and he’s already amassed an incredible following. Ben Marriott is a freelance motion designer and YouTuber from Australia. Specializing in 2D design, Ben illustrates and animates short humorous videos and gifs to cre...
Feb 03, 2020•48 min•Season 1Ep. 59
It seems that every year or so something major changes in the world of motion design and freelancing in general. Keeping up with the changes means staying flexible as well as resolute in the way you work and find clients. Today’s guest has not only weathered these changes but continues to thrive. Brian Gossett has been a motion designer and illustrator for fifteen years and works remotely as a freelancer out of Austin, Texas. His many projects have ranged from music videos to animated and live-a...
Jan 21, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 58
