The Futur with Chris Do: Recent Episodes
The Futur
The Futur podcast is a show that explores the interesting overlap between design, marketing, and business.Our host (and CEO of The Futur), Chris Do, holds candid conversations with inspirational people from the worlds of design, technology, marketing, business, philosophy and personal development.These conversations go deep. With the aim of understanding who these incredible people are, what drives them to do what they do, and what can we—the listener—learn from it all.Visit thefutur.com/podcast for show notes and additional information from each episode.
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In this episode, I dive into the concept of personal brand misalignment—when people perceive you differently than you see yourself. But what if that perception is actually working in your favor? I share how small, intentional changes in style and presentation can shape the way people see you, often before you even announce your next move.
From my own journey into fashion to a friend’s transformation with just a new shirt and pockets, we explore how signaling change can create opportunities. If you’re looking to refine your personal brand and be seen the way you want, this episode will show you how.
Timestamps:
(00:09) - Personal Branding and Style
(01:06) - Understanding Personal Branding
(02:02) - The Launch of a New Fashion Line
(03:04) - Embracing Change in Fashion
(03:40) - The Transformation of Style
(04:27) - Transformation and Perception
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
We want to hear from you. If you're open to a quick chat with our producer or any of the other options, it only takes a few seconds to sign up: https://forms.gle/Enzzpq5FCVQKbHV9A
In this episode, I sit down with Robert Brunner — the design mind behind Beats by Dre, former Apple design director, and founder of Ammunition — to unpack what it really takes to build enduring, emotional, and market-shifting products. We explore the tension between risk and restraint, the power of story in industrial design, and what separates mediocre products from cultural icons.
Robert shares hard-won wisdom from 40+ years in the field, working with legends like Jimmy Iovine, Paula Scher, and the teams behind Apple and Beats — and how he now helps startups design with both craft and business outcomes in mind.
Timestamps:
(00:00) – The Fascination of Objects and Their Stories
(05:49) – Navigating Client Relationships in Design
(11:26) – The Evolution of Design Partnerships
(23:20) – The Rise of Beats by Dre: Origins and Inspirations
(30:17) – The Evolution of Design and Craftsmanship
(41:37) – The Challenge of Perfection in Design
(45:30) – Design Perspectives and Personal Favorites
Check out today's guest, Robert Brunner:
Robert's Website: https://www.ammunitiongroup.com/
Robert's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertbrunner
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
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Closing a client isn’t about luck—it’s about process. In this episode, I break down why sales cycles vary depending on project size, client needs, and how well you handle the budget conversation. Many creatives avoid discussing money upfront, leading to wasted time and ghosting. I share why transparency is key, how to gauge client readiness, and a simple framework to talk about pricing without discomfort. Plus, I give real-world examples, from my own experience to the way high-value projects are evaluated. Whether you're closing five-figure deals or negotiating seven-figure contracts, this episode will help you take control of the sales process.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Understanding Client Closing Timelines
(01:50) - Understanding Client Engagement and Money Conversations
(02:23) - The Dilemma of Decision-Making in Financial Situations
(05:18) - Discussing Budget Upfront
(06:16) - Understanding Body Language in Communication
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
We want to hear from you. If you're open to a quick chat with our producer or any of the other options, it only takes a few seconds to sign up: https://forms.gle/Enzzpq5FCVQKbHV9A
In this episode, I sit down with Matt Lakajev — sales strategist, lead gen expert, and creator of Seven Figure Creators—to dismantle the myths about content, branding, and cold outreach. Matt reveals why most creators are stuck posting into the void, and how a tiny, targeted LinkedIn presence can outperform big audiences.
We break down the real math of monetizing a service business online—and how to turn every post, profile visit, and DM into an effortless sales system that scales.
Timestamps:
(00:05) - The Power of a Small Following on LinkedIn
(03:02) - Transitioning from Cold Outreach to Warm Leads
(16:16) - Setting Up an Effective Email Outreach Strategy
(20:02) - Effective Communication in Sales
(26:54) - Effective Call Structuring for Sales
(35:23) - Lead Generation as a Business Priority
(37:27) - Generating Leads: Strategies for Small Businesses
(45:35) - Sales Process and Event Strategy
(49:55) - Pricing Strategies for Success
(55:54) - Sales Strategies and Early Challenges in Business
Check out today's guest, Matt Lakajev:
Matt's LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/mattlakajev
Matt's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@matthewlakajev
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
We want to hear from you. If you're open to a quick chat with our producer or any of the other options, it only takes a few seconds to sign up: https://forms.gle/Enzzpq5FCVQKbHV9A
In this episode, I sit down with Jodie Cook—entrepreneur, writer, and brand strategist—to dive deep into the real meaning of personal branding in the age of digital identity. From dismantling societal boxes to embracing your law of least effort, Jodie shares how she built influence without following anyone else’s template.
We explore how true branding is about meaning, impact, and integrity—not vanity metrics—and how creators, coaches, and entrepreneurs can scale their presence by stacking their unique strengths.
Timestamps:
(00:06) – Embracing Authenticity
(00:30) – Understanding Personal Branding
(08:37) – The Value of Personal Branding
(16:00) – Breaking Free from the Box
(22:05) – Exploring Personal Identity and Societal Expectations
(27:35) – Finding Your Creative Stack
(35:16) – The Intersection of Personal Growth and Community
(41:41) – Exploring the Intersection of Passion and Profit
(47:39) – Embracing Mistaken Identity
(54:02) – Embracing AI for Fitness and Performance
(59:06) – Finding Your Personal Brand
(01:01:50) – The Journey of Self-Discovery
Check out today's guest, Jodie Cook:
Jodie's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodie-cook/
Jodie's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Jodie_Cook
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
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We’re back with part two of my conversation with Brendan Kane, and this time, we’re putting formats into action. We go deep into what the social media algorithms actually care about (hint: it’s not boosting or shadowbanning), why going viral isn't the goal—but meaningful impact is—and how to make even the “boring” stuff relatable and widely viewed. Brendan unpacks practical examples from real estate to insurance to dentistry, and we workshop my own man-on-the-street concept live on the podcast. We also explore the psychology behind pricing, personal branding, and how your unique personality traits can shape your content strategy. If you’ve ever wondered how to grow an audience while staying authentic, or how to deal with the pressure of content performance, this episode delivers straight talk with plenty of “aha” moments.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction
(03:40) - Shadowbans & algorithm myths
(05:27) - What virality really means
(07:19) - How niche creators can reach wider audiences
(10:49) - Formats for “boring” businesses
(12:14) - Mindset shift for viral potential
(14:50) - Man-on-the-street brainstorm
(17:04) - What can go wrong with live formats
(20:45) - Dialogue demo & emotional tension
(23:25) - Should you delete non-performers?
(25:14) - Faceless content vs personal connection
(32:25) - Brendan’s personal brand & communication style
Check out today's guest, Brendan Kane:
Brendan's Website: https://brendanjkane.com/
Brendan's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrendanJamesKane/
Brendan's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendankane/?hl=en
Brendan's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrendanKane/
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
We want to hear from you. If you're open to a quick chat with our producer or any of the other options, it only takes a few seconds to sign up: https://forms.gle/Enzzpq5FCVQKbHV9A
In this episode, I sit down with Brendan Kane—strategist, speaker, and author of Hook Point—to talk about what really drives social media success. Spoiler alert: it's not hacks, trends, or frequency. Brendan breaks down why storytelling beats every algorithm trick in the book and how creators can find sustainable, repeatable success by understanding proven content formats. We dive deep into the five steps to virality, what most people get wrong about content creation, and why shifting from passive to active consumption can transform your strategy. Brendan also unpacks what formats are, why they unlock creativity (not restrict it), and how even a single tweak in your delivery can massively shift performance. If you’ve ever felt like you’re spinning your wheels online, this conversation will help you realign your approach and focus on what actually works.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction
(01:02) - Why storytelling matters
(03:26) - Algorithms favor great stories
(06:01) - Five-step social media success formula
(08:57) - The role of content formats
(12:10) - Format vs. trend: the big shift
(15:23) - How to find your winning format
(18:12) - What makes a video go viral
(21:40) - Creating ideas within formats
(25:00) - Real example: Tanner’s bag deconstructions
(28:34) - Monetizing without selling
(31:15) - ROI = size of your vision
(33:50) - Why consistency and time matter
(36:28) - One video at a time
(38:45) - Learning through reflection
(40:55) - Final thoughts and teaser for Part 2
Check out today's guest, Brendan Kane:
Brendan's Website: https://brendanjkane.com/
Brendan's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrendanJamesKane/
Brendan's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendankane/?hl=en
Brendan's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrendanKane/
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
We want to hear from you. If you're open to a quick chat with our producer or any of the other options, it only takes a few seconds to sign up: https://forms.gle/Enzzpq5FCVQKbHV9A
In this gripping Part 2 episode, Chris Do goes deep with Simon Squibb on the business model that powers his viral mission of giving away money to strangers. But this isn’t charity—it’s strategy. Simon unpacks how he built a profitable, self-sustaining content engine that funds dreams, spreads hope, and disrupts the traditional education system.
From revenue breakdowns across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and brand deals to his "infinite giving" philosophy, Simon shows that you can do good and make money—at scale. This episode is a masterclass in purpose-driven entrepreneurship, and a behind-the-scenes look at how generosity can become a business advantage.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Why Simon’s mission seems crazy—but works
(01:30) - Giving strangers cash on the street… how? why?
(03:00) - The psychology behind belief, opportunity, and self-worth
(04:00) - Why school failed him—and how he’s replacing it
(06:00) - “Fun-education”: content that teaches people to start with $0
(08:30) - You don’t need money to start a business—here’s proof
(10:00) - How Simon’s videos spark action worldwide
(12:00) - Giving without expectation vs. manipulation
(14:00) - The business of giving: profitable, scalable, repeatable
(16:00) - Acting like you have no money (even when you do)
(18:00) - The flaw in traditional charities—and how Simon avoids it
(20:00) - Core belief = business engine: fixing education, freeing people
(23:00) - Real estate example: using purpose for competitive advantage
(26:00) - Content model = exposure, not just cash
(28:00) - Pattern-interrupting the system: why Simon talks to strangers
(31:00) - Charity vs. marketing: what’s the real difference?
(33:00) - The 3-stage revenue system: YouTube, brand deals, products
(36:00) - Affiliate deals, subscription models, and ethical monetization
(38:00) - New brands: Dream Brew coffee + Purposeful Clothing
(41:00) - Revenue transparency: breakdowns from YouTube & TikTok
(44:00) - Why exposure > money—and how every view funds dreams
(47:00) - What’s next: scaling impact without losing soul
Check out today's guest, Simon Squibb:
Simon's LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/simonsquibb
Simon's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonsquibb/?hl=en
Simon's Website: https://simonsquibb.com/
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
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In this raw and deeply emotional episode, Simon Squibb sits down with Chris Do to unpack the moment he won a $1 million prize—and why it brought him to tears. From sleeping on the streets at 15 to selling a company to PwC, Simon reveals the powerful story of loss, hustle, purpose, and rebuilding from nothing. He challenges what we think we know about money, success, and charity—and makes a compelling case for why anyone, anywhere, can start a business.
This isn’t just a business interview—it’s a masterclass in emotional resilience, reinvention, and the psychology behind purpose-driven work. Whether you're broke, burned out, or just looking for a reason to keep going, Simon’s story will make you believe in possibilities again.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - The dream spark: How Simon helps people start with nothing
(01:30) - The serendipitous $1M moment at the 1 Billion Followers Summit
(03:00) - Why Simon cried on stage (and what people misunderstood)
(06:30) - Childhood trauma: Being kicked out at 15 after his father's death
(09:00) - Billy Elliot, judgment, and the underdog narrative that made him weep
(12:00) - Small-town England to global entrepreneur: Breaking out of expectations
(14:30) - The family divide: estrangement, identity, and redefining connection
(16:00) - Why selling his business felt like another kind of loss
(20:00) - Dealing with hate: tribal psychology and toxic social media reactions
(23:30) - Purpose vs. profit: Why helping for free is Simon’s real power move
(25:00) - From homeless to hustler: how a messy garden became his first business
(29:00) - Scaling with no resources—and becoming the first customer himself
(34:00) - Selling his agency to PwC and losing his “fluid” identity
(40:00) - Depression post-success: What happens when you no longer “need”
(44:30) - Purpose as survival: Why not needing money can leave you lost
(49:00) - Giving without expectation—Simon’s philosophy on modern generosity
(52:00) - Why building a business to help others is the future of entrepreneurship
Check out today's guest, Simon Squibb:
Simon's LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/simonsquibb
Simon's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonsquibb/?hl=en
Simon's Website: https://simonsquibb.com/
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
We want to hear from you. If you're open to a quick chat with our producer or any of the other options, it only takes a few seconds to sign up: https://forms.gle/Enzzpq5FCVQKbHV9A
Join Chris Do and veteran coach Jule Kim in this unfiltered conversation about the realities of coaching, personal growth, and professional responsibility. From ethical boundaries to the complexities of respect, they dive deep into what it really means to help others grow.
Timestamps:
(0:00) - Intro
(1:44) - Can "Anyone" Can Be a Coach? 🤔
(7:15) - Coaching VS Therapy
(7:54) - Handling Difficult Client Situations
(14:28) - Money & Ethics Real Talk
(23:44) - Power of Words & Communication
(32:35) - Defining Internal Beliefs
(42:40) - Understanding True Respect
(56:12) - Setting Better Boundaries
(1:00:43) - Breaking Patterns
(1:07:13) - Say YES
(1:09:38) - What's the Ideal Client?
(1:11:35) - No More Bullsh*t
(1:17:19) - Next Episode Preview: Quantum Physics
Check out today's guest, Jule Kim:
Jule's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julekim/
Jule's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsjulekim
Executive Coach Jule Kim : https://adviceactually.com/
Imposter Sydrome Episode (#263): https://www.thefutur.com/content/imposter-syndrome
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
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In this episode, I sit down with David Fastuca, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Locomote. David shares the raw, behind-the-scenes truth of building, scaling, and exiting a startup without raising external capital. We explore the emotional challenges of entrepreneurship, the toll it takes on relationships, and why success without alignment can still feel like failure.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction
(01:15) - How David started Locomote and scaled without funding
(06:32) - The personal cost of building a business
(10:55) - Dealing with burnout and founder guilt
(13:44) - Navigating identity crises post-exit
(18:20) - How his business affected his marriage
(22:11) - What true alignment in business and life looks like
(25:40) - Stepping back from ego-driven decisions
(28:55) - Why purpose matters more than success
(33:28) - What David would change if he started over
(37:10) - Mental health strategies for founders
(41:45) - Closing thoughts
Check out today's guest, David Fastuca:
Buy David's Book: https://www.growthforum.io/buybook
David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidfastuca/
Check out The Futur:
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In this episode, I explore the critical issue of brand misalignment—when the public’s perception of your brand doesn’t match your internal vision. Using examples from major companies like Chevy, Jaguar, and Domino’s, I break down how businesses either fail or succeed in bridging that gap. We discuss the power of social listening, the importance of honest brand positioning, and why execution always trumps ideas. From Spirit Airlines embracing its budget identity to Montana’s tourism campaign flipping “nothing here” into a strength, this conversation is all about aligning perception with reality. If you're looking to refine your brand’s message and build stronger trust with your audience, this episode is for you.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Why execution beats ideas
(00:34) - What happens when branding goes wrong
(01:17) - The Chevy Camaro & Jaguar missteps
(02:06) - How to fix brand perception
(03:45) - The Domino’s Pizza rebrand success story
(06:12) - Spirit Airlines and brand honesty
(07:01) - How Montana turned “Nothing Here” into gold
(08:46) - The power of embracing public perception
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
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Check out Chris Do:
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In this episode, I sit down with the incredible Mark Manson, bestselling author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, to talk about suffering, creativity, and what it really takes to find meaningful work. We dive into the paradox of avoiding pain, why some struggles are worth it, and how Mark discovered that writing—not music—was his true calling. We also geek out on content creation, the power of differentiation, and the business of being a creator. Mark opens up about the mistakes he made, the detours he took, and how he found his way back to what he truly loves. If you’ve ever struggled with burnout, self-doubt, or figuring out your path, this conversation is packed with insights that just might change the way you think about success.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction
(00:45) - The paradox of suffering
(02:05) - Finding meaningful struggles
(06:13) - The “shit sandwich” you don’t mind eating
(09:30) - Discovering your natural talents
(14:25) - When to push through vs. when to quit
(18:09) - Mark’s journey from music to writing
(24:21) - The myth of “finding your passion”
(28:47) - Secrets to creating engaging content
(33:19) - The power of being a “correct contrarian”
(37:14) - Social media as media, not social
(42:25) - Business model shifts & the future of online media
(48:08) - AI’s role in personal development
(50:12) - Closing thoughts
Check out today's guest, Mark Manson:
Mark's Website: https://markmanson.net/
Mark's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markmanson
Mark's New Community: https://findmomentum.com/
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
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Check out Chris Do:
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Chris Do is coming to Singapore! 🇸🇬
Over the course of one unforgettable week, join Chris for three transformative workshops on personal branding, conversational selling, and an exclusive VIP experience designed to unlock your full potential as a creative professional or entrepreneur.
🗓 June 2–7, 2025
📍 Four Seasons Hotel, Singapore
👉 Secure your spot on the waitlist: https://chrisdo.asia/waitlist
In this high-impact episode, Chris Do sits down with Victoria Dior Wang—CEO of Goldzone Group and a trailblazer in experiential leadership education—to unpack why most professionals, especially in Asia, are selling all wrong. From cultural beliefs rooted in Confucian values to a widespread fear of self-promotion, Chris and Victoria explore why talented people keep playing small—and how to break free.
They dive deep into why traditional sales methods feel manipulative, the shame that comes with self-promotion, and how personal branding can help you sell with confidence (and integrity). This conversation is a must-listen for creatives, consultants, entrepreneurs, and anyone struggling with visibility, pricing, or imposter syndrome.
Timestamps:
(00:00) The Nature of Creative Struggles
(03:45) The Power of Branding in Business
(07:54) Cultural Preservation and Modernization in Japan
(19:22) Changing the Sales Mindset
(24:33) Cultural Perspectives and Personal Growth
(31:40) The Value of Experience
(35:16) Understanding the Value of Money
(39:51) Understanding the Value of Money (duplicate – consider editing or removing)
(46:15) Overcoming Fear in Business Decisions
(51:43) The Importance of Staying on Track
Check out today's guest, Victoria Dior Wang:
Victoria Dior Wang's Website: http://victoriadior.com/
Victoria Dior Wang's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriadiorwang/
Victoria Dior Wang's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriadiorwang/
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
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Check out Chris Do:
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Welcome to part two of my conversation with Tom Bilyeu! If you haven’t heard part one yet, go check it out—we covered the realities of making millions, the impact on relationships, and why money doesn’t change who you are at your core. In this episode, we dive deeper into why so many talented people never succeed. Tom breaks down the mindset traps that keep people stuck and the hard truth about what it actually takes to win in business. We debate the role of impact, money, and personal growth, and Tom shares why he believes mindset alone isn’t enough—execution, skill acquisition, and timing matter just as much. He also opens up about his emotional journey trying to change lives at scale and why he’s now focused on shaping the next generation through storytelling and entertainment. If you're looking for real, unfiltered insights on success, this is a must-listen.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction
(00:17) - Why talented people stay stuck
(01:12) - Money as a scorecard for impact
(03:00) - The myth of "good people" winning in business
(04:50) - The hard truth about entrepreneurship
(07:17) - Mindset vs. skill acquisition
(10:45) - Business success is about timing
(14:20) - The brutal emotional journey of trying to help people
(20:10) - Why Tom gave up on helping adults
(25:46) - Teaching personal growth through entertainment
(32:10) - The pursuit of truth vs. utility
(40:37) - How Tom rewired his mindset for success
(49:16) - The moment that changed Tom’s self-esteem forever
(52:30) - Fun rapid-fire questions with Tom
Check out today's guest, Tom Bilyeu:
Tom's Website: https://impacttheory.com/
Tom's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu
Tom's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TomBilyeu
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
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LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
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In this episode, I share my personal philosophy on parenting and how I raised my two sons to be independent, creative, and entrepreneurial. I reflect on my upbringing as a first-generation immigrant, the parenting styles I observed, and how I deliberately avoided helicopter parenting to foster self-sufficiency in my children.
I discuss the importance of setting firm boundaries while allowing freedom, why letting kids fail is crucial to their development, and how I instilled values of respect, decision-making, and responsibility. I also explore the long-term impact of parenting styles, how wealth and privilege affect children's behavior, and the consequences of overprotective parenting. If you're a parent, thinking about becoming one, or reflecting on your own upbringing, this episode offers valuable insights into raising resilient and capable kids.
Timestamps:
(00:00) – Why I’m sharing my parenting philosophy & my sons’ success stories
(02:51) – The difference between helicopter parenting and my laissez-faire approach
(06:24) – How my own upbringing shaped my parenting style
(10:42) – The two firm rules I set for my kids: Respect and Zero Tolerance for Violence
(16:02) – How affluent parents unintentionally weaken their children
(21:30) – The impact of decision-making skills on independence
(27:50) – The psychological effects of over-parenting and why kids struggle with confidence
(33:48) – Teaching kids financial responsibility and why my youngest filed taxes at 18
(40:46) – The illusion of choice: A strategy I learned from a family therapist
(47:16) – How enforcing boundaries and respect prepares kids for the real world
(53:12) – Breaking generational trauma and the dangers of repeating parenting mistakes
(58:40) – Final thoughts: How to raise kids who are capable, not coddled
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
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Check out Chris Do:
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In this episode, I sit down with entrepreneur and impact-driven business leader Tom Bilyeu to discuss the journey from startup to billion-dollar exit and the deeper personal costs of ambition. Tom opens up about the moment he saw life-changing wealth hit his bank account, only to realize that money doesn’t solve internal struggles. We dive into his relationship with his wife, Lisa, and how they navigate the balance between high-performance entrepreneurship and maintaining a strong marriage. Tom shares how he defines success, why skill acquisition is the key to freedom, and how he maintains his relentless drive while keeping his personal life intact. This conversation goes beyond business strategies—it’s about mindset, relationships, and personal growth. If you've ever wondered what happens after financial success or how to maintain a healthy marriage while chasing big dreams, this episode is for you.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction
(00:22) - Chris Visits Tom’s Studio
(01:04) - Billion-Dollar Exit: The Real Story
(02:33) - The Moment Money Hits Your Account
(03:47) - Money as a Tool vs. Self-Worth
(07:12) - The Thrill of the Chase
(08:32) - The Personal Cost of Success
(13:15) - Marriage, Relationships & Entrepreneurship
(17:03) - Prioritizing Marriage While Pursuing Success
(22:42) - The Balance Between Work & Love
(27:04) - The Importance of Understanding Your Partner
(31:55) - Making Relationships Work Long-Term
(38:08) - Chris & Tom Reflect on Ambition & Drive
(38:38) - Part Two Teaser: Creative Entrepreneurship
Check out today's guest, Tom Bilyeu:
Tom's Website: https://impacttheory.com/
Tom's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu
Tom's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TomBilyeu
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
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Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
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Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
In this episode, I challenge the common belief that you need to niche down to succeed. Many creatives look at artists like Post Malone, who seamlessly transitions across genres, and assume they can do the same. But the reality is, these people mastered one thing before expanding. I discuss why copying someone’s success without understanding their journey is a mistake and why intentional practice and depth of knowledge are key. We explore the concept of the T-shaped skill set, the risks of diversifying too soon, and how social media growth favors consistency. If you’ve ever struggled with whether to specialize or go broad, this episode is for you.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - The problem with copying success
(00:39) - Post Malone’s career evolution
(02:12) - Why success leaves clues
(03:35) - Finding your starting point
(04:17) - The power of deep expertise
(05:00) - Social media and consistency
(06:15) - The restaurant analogy for niching
(07:01) - Outro and call to action
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
In this episode, I’m joined by Hamlet Azarian, a seasoned marketing executive with over 20 years of experience in scaling early-stage startups from ideation to success. Hamlet breaks down his data-driven approach to marketing, emphasizing the importance of multivariate testing, customer personas, and psychographics to deeply understand user needs.
We discuss actionable strategies, such as rapid testing of ideas through prototypes and landing pages, and leveraging tools like Hotjar and CallRail to optimize customer engagement. Hamlet also highlights the power of focusing on progress over perfection and shares insights from his journey of building an agency with a mission to educate and empower future marketers.
Whether you’re a creative professional, an entrepreneur, or simply curious about growth marketing, this episode is packed with insights to help you take your ideas to the next level.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction to Hamlet Azarian
(01:30) - Early-stage startup dynamics
(03:00) - Example: Scaling Camino Financial
(08:00) - Multivariate testing and audience targeting
(15:00) - Understanding customer personas and psychographics
(25:00) - Building marketing strategies through interviews
(32:50) - Optimizing landing pages and pre-launch campaigns
(38:20) - Growth mindset and startup culture
(50:30) - Tools and tech stack for data-driven marketing
(54:00) - Closing thoughts and action steps
Check out today's guest, Hamlet Azarian:
Hamlet's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamletazarian
Azarian Growth Agency's Website: https://azariangrowthagency.com/
Hamlet's Website: https://hamletazarian.com/
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
In this episode, I sit down with Maria Ross, an author, speaker, and empathy advocate, to explore the power of empathy in leadership, branding, and creative work. We unpack the two types of empathy—cognitive and affective—and how understanding them can transform relationships, client interactions, and even pricing strategies. Maria shares insights from her books, The Empathy Edge and The Empathy Dilemma, addressing misconceptions around empathy in business. We discuss how ego and insecurity can block empathy, the dangers of "empathy hijacking," and the balance between compassion and high performance. Whether you're a leader, entrepreneur, or creative professional, this episode is packed with practical strategies to integrate empathy into your work without burning out.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction to Maria Ross
(00:33) - Maria’s background in branding and empathy advocacy
(01:49) - Why empathy matters for small teams and solopreneurs
(02:14) - The business case for empathy in leadership
(07:13) - Why creatives struggle with empathy
(09:03) - The two types of empathy: cognitive vs. affective
(13:33) - Ego and insecurity as empathy blockers
(20:04) - The problem with "radical honesty" and weaponized empathy
(29:07) - How to respond empathetically without "hijacking" the conversation
(36:41) - The power of curiosity in empathy
(40:15) - Empathy in pricing: charging based on client impact
(50:13) - Leadership challenges: balancing empathy and performance
(57:22) - How to build an empathetic workplace culture
(59:10) - Where to find Maria and her books
Check out today's guest, Maria Ross:
Maria's book website: https://theempathydilemma.com/
Maria's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariajross
Maria's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redslicemaria
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
In this episode, I sit down with Mike and Kass Lazerow—serial entrepreneurs, business partners, and husband-and-wife duo—to discuss the realities of entrepreneurship, leadership, and working together as a couple. We dive into their journey from launching Golf.com to selling Buddy Media to Salesforce for $745M. Mike shares his instinctive, visionary approach to business, while Kass offers sharp operational expertise, revealing the balance that has fueled their success. We talk about the myths of entrepreneurship, the importance of embracing failure, and how firing people with kindness can change lives. The conversation takes a candid turn as we explore what it means to navigate business, marriage, and parenting while staying aligned. If you've ever struggled with leadership, scaling a business, or balancing work and relationships, this episode is full of valuable insights and honest reflections.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction
(05:10) - Mike & Kass’s journey from Golf.com to Buddy Media
(11:45) - The biggest myths about entrepreneurship
(18:30) - Learning to embrace fear and uncertainty in business
(25:55) - How Kass approaches firing people with kindness
(32:40) - Navigating marriage and business: The challenges and rewards
(39:15) - The importance of trusting your gut vs. making data-driven decisions
(45:50) - How social media has changed entrepreneurship
(52:30) - The right way to pivot when a business idea isn’t working
(59:05) - Leadership lessons: Why transparency matters
(1:05:40) - The mental load of running a business and parenting
(1:12:15) - Shoveling Sh*t: A sneak peek at Mike & Kass’s new book
Check out today's guests, Mike and Kass Lazerow:
Mike and Kass' Website: https://www.kassandmike.com/
Mike and Kass' LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kassandmike/
Mike and Kass' Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kassandmike/
Shoveling Sh*t Website: https://shovelingshit.com/
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
In this engaging crossover episode, I join forces with Eric Siu’s Leveling Up podcast for a thought-provoking conversation. Together, we explore the art and strategy behind building personal brands and creating authentic connections in the digital age. We dive into the intricacies of running masterminds, including their pros, cons, and the lessons learned.
Eric and I discuss the value of storytelling, self-awareness, and vulnerability in establishing a meaningful online presence. Whether you're considering launching a mastermind, enhancing your personal brand, or looking to deepen your connections with your audience, this episode delivers a mix of actionable advice and honest reflections.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction and episode setup
(02:00) - Building authentic personal brands
(06:30) - Vulnerability and Storytelling online
(11:15) - The power of masterminds
(16:50) - Structuring masterminds effectively
(21:30) - Balancing personal growth with branding
(27:00) - Social media strategies and engagement tips
(35:20) - Long-term brand-building insights
(42:00) - Overcoming criticism and self-doubt
(48:15) - Closing thoughts on authenticity
Check out today's guest, Eric Siu:
Eric's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericosiu
Eric's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericosiu
Single Grain's Website: https://www.singlegrain.com/
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
In this episode, I sit down with Andrea Sampson, a seasoned strategist turned storytelling coach, to explore the power of storytelling in branding, leadership, and public speaking. Andrea shares her journey from the high-pressure world of advertising to coaching TED speakers and thought leaders. We discuss the essence of compelling storytelling, how personal experiences shape narratives, and how anyone can harness their unique voice to captivate an audience. Andrea also breaks down the psychology behind storytelling, the role of emotional connection, and why differentiation is key in personal branding. Whether you're a creative professional, a speaker, or an entrepreneur, this conversation is packed with insights to help you refine your messaging and make a lasting impact.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction
(00:39) - Chris Do on storytelling & self-consciousness
(01:11) - Andrea’s career shift from advertising to TED coaching
(05:17) - What does a strategist do in advertising?
(13:11) - Inside an advertising pitch: E-Trade campaign
(19:50) - What clients look for in an ad agency
(25:11) - Andrea’s soul-searching moment at 50
(31:44) - Discovering TEDx and becoming a speaker coach
(36:12) - Coaching scientists & translating complex ideas
(44:06) - The science of storytelling & emotional engagement
(50:01) - Personal branding: Awareness, authority, and differentiation
(57:36) - How storytelling makes ideas memorable
(1:00:23) - What stories people should tell more
Check out today's guest, Andrea Sampson:
Andrea's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/acsampson
Andrea's Website: https://talkboutique.com/
Andrea's Instagram: https://instagram.com/thisisandreasampson
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
In this solo episode, Chris Do examines the dynamics of leadership and followership, exploring how clearly defined roles can create healthier relationships in teams, families, and businesses. Chris shares his perspective on when to lead, when to follow, and why trying to merge the two often results in frustration.
Using relatable stories, he explains how leaders can empower others by giving them full autonomy while maintaining respect for the roles people play. This thought-provoking episode is a valuable resource for anyone looking to navigate complex relationships with more clarity and empathy.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction to solo episodes
(00:38) Misconceptions about leadership and listening
(01:17) The balance between leading and following
(02:23) The dangers of blurred roles
(03:00) The black sheep’s role in families and teams
(04:50) Institutional knowledge and preserving history
(05:34) Trusting the leader and letting go
(06:50) The frustration of mixed instructions
(07:22) Summary: Defining and sharing roles
Check out The Futur:
➤ Website | Courses | LinkedIn | Podcasts
➤ Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok | YouTube
Check out Chris Do:
➤ Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
➤ TikTok | Threads | Zaap | Clubhouse | Behance
In this episode, I sit down with Matthew Encina for an intimate look at his inspiring transition from Creative Director at renowned design studio Blind to successful YouTube entrepreneur. Following the viral success of his home office redesign video that catalyzed his independent career, Matthew shares the strategic thinking and creative courage behind his pivot.
We dive deep into his evolution as a product designer, exploring how he artfully balances aesthetics with practical functionality in everything from workspace design to digital products. You'll hear Matthew's unique insights on maintaining creative momentum while working solo, including his morning fitness routine that fuels his productivity. We also geek out over his passion for custom mechanical keyboards and explore how this hobby influences his design philosophy.
Whether you're a creative professional considering the leap to entrepreneurship or simply fascinated by the intersection of design and business, Matthew's candid discussion of risk-taking and personal growth offers valuable lessons for navigating your own creative journey.
From sophisticated workspace solutions to cultivating sustainable creative practices, this conversation delivers actionable insights for anyone looking to elevate their creative game.
Timestamps:
(01:22) - Matthew Encina's Journey: From Student to Creative Director
(02:33) - Venturing into Content Creation
(03:10) - The Big Decision: Leaving The Futur
(06:07) - Success on YouTube: The First Viral Video
(11:58) - Balancing Content Creation and Product Design
(15:11) - Financial Success and Personal Freedom
(17:25) - The Transition to Independent Projects
(24:44) - Collaborating with Grovemade
(29:00) - Reflecting on Gratitude and Success
(30:16) - Diving into Mechanical Keyboards
(31:53) - The Joy of Custom Keyboards
(34:37) - Business Structure and Partnerships
(39:15) - Lessons Learned and Future Plans
(48:32) - Personal Insights
Check out today's guest, Matthew Encina:
Matthews Website: https://matthewencina.com/
Matthews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthewencina/
Mod Musings Website:https://www.modmusings.com/
Mod Musings Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mod.musings/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/matthewencina
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
In this episode, I sit down with Caleb Ralston, a creative strategist who’s had an incredible journey in the digital space. From shooting powerlifting videos as a teenager to working alongside Gary Vaynerchuk and later leading the media team for Alex and Leila Hormozi, Caleb has seen it all. We dive into his experiences managing content at scale, what it was really like working behind the scenes with Gary Vee, and how he built and led a powerhouse content team for the Hormozis. Caleb also shares why he decided to step away and start his own venture, offering insights into building a personal brand and the future of content creation. If you want to learn how to grow a media empire, scale a creative team, and transition from creator to leader, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction
(02:16) - How Sean Cannell & Gary Vee inspired Caleb
(06:18) - From church videography to fitness content
(12:52) - Working with top bodybuilders & cold-pitching gigs
(18:35) - Joining Team Gary Vaynerchuk as a videographer
(24:15) - Managing chaos: Filming, logistics, & real-time content
(32:02) - The challenge of scaling Gary Vee’s content
(39:00) - Why Alex & Layla Hormozi reached out to Caleb
(46:22) - Building Mosey Media & growing a team from scratch
(54:10) - Why Caleb left to start his own business
(1:05:30) - The future of content & personal branding
(1:20:15) - Advice for aspiring content creators
Check out today's guest, Caleb Ralston:
Caleb's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calebralston/
Caleb's Website: https://www.calebralston.com/
Caleb's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calebralston
Caleb's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CalebRalston
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
In this episode, I sit down with communication coach and mindfulness expert Melanie Whitney to explore the power of emotional regulation, mindful communication, and overcoming core wounds. Melanie shares her personal journey, from struggling to find direction after graduate school to discovering her passion for helping others build healthier relationships with themselves and others.
We dive into practical strategies for self-awareness, recognizing emotional patterns, and understanding how past experiences shape our present reactions. We also break down her P.E.A.C.E. framework — a tool to help individuals identify and heal from core wounds like unworthiness, rejection, and grief.
This conversation is packed with insights on how to show up authentically, communicate with intention, and lead a more empowered life.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction
(02:45) - Melanie’s backstory and education journey
(08:30) - Emotional regulation and communication
(16:00) - Patterns and ego in communication
(23:00) - Emotions as records of the past
(31:45) - Identifying core wounds
(40:30) - The P.E.A.C.E. framework explained
(50:15) - The power of self-awareness
(58:00) - How attachment affects growth
(01:06:30) - Practical steps for emotional regulation
(01:15:15) - Empowerment through self-compassion
(01:25:00) - Final reflections and closing thoughts
Check out today's guest, Melanie Whitney:
Melanie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melaniewhitney_
Melanie's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-whitney/
Melanie's Website: https://www.mindlesstomindful.com/
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
In this engaging episode, Chris Do connects with Adrian Per, a talented filmmaker, creative director, and rising social media influencer, to unpack his journey of perseverance and self-discovery. Adrian reflects on his early creative spark—dissecting music and visualizing scenes as a child—and how that passion blossomed into a career in filmmaking.
He shares the struggles of growing up as the son of immigrant parents, dealing with societal and familial expectations, and navigating financial challenges. The conversation delves into pivotal moments, including Adrian’s move to Los Angeles, his transition from music videos to branded content, and the lessons he learned about humility, collaboration, and self-expression.
Adrian also provides a fascinating glimpse into his creative process, from scripting to self-shooting, and discusses the importance of authenticity in both personal style and professional projects. With humor, vulnerability, and practical insights, this episode is an invaluable resource for creatives and entrepreneurs aiming to make their mark.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction
(00:42) - Meeting Adrian Per
(01:17) - Adrian’s creative journey
(07:15) - Music videos and early inspirations
(14:00) - Struggles and lessons from immigrant parents
(22:00) - Adrian’s move to Los Angeles
(28:23) - Transition to content creation
(34:10) - Networking and social skills
(41:00) - Adrian’s creative process and filming techniques
(52:00) - Evolution of personal style
(55:45) - Reflection on Instagram recognition
If you want to see the video, please check it out on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KvUO_1lrNcQ
Check out today's guest, Adrian Per:
Adrian's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omgadrian/
Adrian's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@omgadrian
Adrian's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adrianper
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
In this insightful episode of The Futur, Chris Do welcomes Michelle J. Raymond, a LinkedIn strategist and B2B specialist, to discuss maximizing LinkedIn for business growth. Michelle shares her journey from sales in the chemical industry to becoming a LinkedIn expert, emphasizing the platform's potential for fostering authentic connections and community building.
Together, they explore strategies for overcoming hesitations businesses have about LinkedIn, the importance of content relevance, and innovative uses of company pages for advocacy. From tactical advice like leveraging the search bar to long-term brand-building strategies, Michelle offers actionable insights for businesses and individuals aiming to grow their influence and client base on LinkedIn.
This conversation is a must-listen for professionals seeking to stand out in an increasingly crowded digital space.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction to Michelle J. Raymond
(00:57) - Michelle’s professional background
(02:53) - Discovering LinkedIn’s potential
(06:00) - Shifting from secrecy to transparency in business
(10:00) - Addressing challenges in converting LinkedIn followers
(14:56) - Defining and targeting your dream client
(25:00) - Leveraging company pages strategically
(37:00) - Overcoming content creation fears
(50:00) - The energy behind content creation
(58:45) - Trends and predictions for 2025
Check out today's guest, Michelle J. Raymond:
Michelle's LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/michellejraymond
Michelle's Website: https://b2bgrowthco.com/
Michelle's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/good_trading_co/?hl=es
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
In this quick yet impactful solo episode, Chris Do outlines the five biggest mistakes creatives make that risk losing their clients. From the pitfalls of poor responsiveness and inflexibility to the dangers of unclear processes and taking client relationships for granted, Chris offers practical advice on how to safeguard and nurture these valuable connections.
He emphasizes the importance of keeping clients informed, creating inclusive communication, and consistently engaging in dialogue to ensure alignment and trust. This episode provides essential insights for creatives aiming to build lasting client relationships and avoid common missteps.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction to solo episode
(00:38) Importance of client retention
(01:00) Mistake 1: Lack of responsiveness
(01:51) Mistake 2: Inflexibility and resistance to input
(03:00) Mistake 3: Unclear process or next steps
(04:13) Mistake 4: Expecting clients to speak “creative language”
(05:39) Mistake 5: Taking relationships for granted
Check out The Futur:
➤ Website | Courses | LinkedIn | Podcasts
➤ Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok | YouTube
Check out Chris Do:
➤ Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
➤ TikTok | Threads | Zaap | Clubhouse | Behance
In this episode, Chris Do talks with Finn McKenty, a marketing strategist, designer, and YouTube creator known for his unique insights on building influence and branding in the digital space. Finn shares his journey from designer to business strategist, revealing how his career pivots shaped his perspective on marketing and credibility. Together, they dive into effective communication, the power of a consistent personal narrative, and how to capture your audience's attention in today’s crowded content landscape. Chris and Finn also unpack practical tips on harnessing storytelling to build authentic brand value and explore the importance of understanding consumer beliefs to drive marketing success.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Intro and background
(02:00) - From design to business
(05:30) - Defining product design
(10:05) - Marketing as applied psychology
(15:30) - Consumer beliefs and branding
(20:40) - The Febreze Sport case study
(30:15) - Navigating free information overload
(35:25) - The value of credibility
(40:40) - Building a personal brand narrative
(45:30) - Key storytelling tips for creators
Check out today's guest, Finn McKenty:
Finn's Website: https://www.finnmckenty.com/
Finn's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FinnMckentyPRMBA
Finn's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finnmckenty/
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
In this episode, Chris Do joins Sean Cannell from Think Media for a deep dive into AI, personal branding, and what it takes to stand out in today’s creator economy. Sean, a successful entrepreneur and content strategist, shares insights on AI’s disruptive potential, how to use it as a productivity tool, and the evolving landscape of content creation.
Chris and Sean break down the importance of authenticity, goal setting, and work-life balance while discussing the role of personal websites in a social-first world. They explore how creators can position themselves for long-term success by leveraging their unique voice, refining their brand, and staying ahead of industry trends. Throughout the conversation, they provide actionable steps for creators looking to elevate their content and future-proof their careers.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction
(00:28) - Meet Chris Do
(01:08) - AI’s disruptive future
(02:20) - Using AI in content
(05:00) - Productivity vs. team size
(07:46) - AI and creative ethics
(10:00) - Essential skills for future jobs
(14:00) - Elon Musk & brand loyalty
(16:32) - Staying grounded with fame
(19:00) - Foundations of personal branding
(25:00) - Brand authenticity challenges
(32:13) - Design improvements for creators
(41:30) - Chris on copying and learning
(49:00) - Value of mentorship and coaching
(54:00) - Finding your niche and ikigai
(57:23) - Content strategy & future goals
Check out today's guest, Sean Cannell:
Sean's Website: https://www.seancannell.com/
Sean's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWWFavn3ym0w3myTD5OX59g
Sean's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seancannell/
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
In this episode, Chris Do brings back Daniel Priestley for an insightful discussion on attracting high-end clients and the mindset shifts needed to position yourself as a key player in your industry. Daniel, a successful entrepreneur and author, shares practical tactics and strategies on moving from being perceived as a "worker bee" to a "key person of influence." They dive into the importance of showcasing past successes, building a list of potential clients, and leveraging exclusivity to create demand. Along the way, Chris and Daniel provide actionable steps for building credibility, boosting your business reputation, and rethinking client relationships for long-term success.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Intro and welcome
(01:18) - Defining high-end clients
(03:23) - Myths about high-end clients
(05:08) - Value of high-paying clients
(10:00) - Showcasing past projects
(15:04) - Importance of storytelling
(20:00) - Pitching yourself as influential
(24:26) - Creating your niche and identity
(28:50) - Leveraging a waitlist for exclusivity
(35:30) - Strategies for setting appointments
Check out today's guest, Daniel Priestley:
Daniel's Website: https://danielpriestley.com/
Daniel's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielpriestley/?hl=en
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
In this episode, I’m back with my friend, entrepreneur, author, and powerlifter Jodie Cook, for another incredible conversation about discovering your personal success system. Jodie’s got an inspiring journey — from building and selling a 20-person social media agency to launching CoachBox AI and becoming a Forbes contributor. In this episode, we explore what it means to have a success system, why simplifying your communication matters, and how persistence and visualization play a huge role in achieving your goals. We also get deep into personal reflections — like the lessons we learn from childhood and the hidden power of discomfort as a sign of growth. If you’ve ever wondered what your unique formula for success might be, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction
(02:00) - Jodie’s journey and recent achievements
(06:15) - The power of children’s books in storytelling
(10:30) - Personal success systems explained
(13:45) - Success stories: Taylor Swift, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk
(17:00) - Visualization and goal setting
(21:45) - Communication and cultural understanding
(25:00) - Using personal strengths for success
(29:00) - Powerlifting and competitive mindset
(32:00) - Visualization as a success tool
(37:30) - Cosmic perspective and clarity
(43:00) - My personal success system exploration
(55:00) - The importance of persistence and adaptability
(01:02:00) - Creativity, patterns, and personal growth
Check out today's guest, Jodie Cook:
Jodie's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Jodie_Cook/
Jodie's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodie-cook
Jodie's Website: https://www.jodiecook.com/
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
In this quick yet impactful solo episode, Chris Do outlines the five biggest mistakes creatives make that risk losing their clients. From the pitfalls of poor responsiveness and inflexibility to the dangers of unclear processes and taking client relationships for granted, Chris offers practical advice on how to safeguard and nurture these valuable connections. He emphasizes the importance of keeping clients informed, creating inclusive communication, and consistently engaging in dialogue to ensure alignment and trust. This episode provides essential insights for creatives aiming to build lasting client relationships and avoid common missteps.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction to solo episode
(00:38) Importance of client retention
(01:00) Mistake 1: Lack of responsiveness
(01:51) Mistake 2: Inflexibility and resistance to input
(03:00) Mistake 3: Unclear process or next steps
(04:13) Mistake 4: Expecting clients to speak “creative language”
(05:39) Mistake 5: Taking relationships for granted
Check out The Futur:
➤ Website | Courses | LinkedIn | Podcasts
➤ Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok | YouTube
Check out Chris Do:
➤ Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
➤ TikTok | Threads | Zaap | Clubhouse | Behance
In this episode, host Chris Do sits down with Entrepreneur Noah Kagan, the founder and CEO of AppSumo, as he shares valuable advice on cultivating the entrepreneurial mindset, recognizing business opportunities and persisting through challenges. Drawing from his personal and professional experiences, he delves into the significance of perseverance, problem-solving skills, asking the right question, and continual improvement in business. Noah Kagan emphasizes the importance of not just generating ideas but also their successful execution and the value they add. He talks about setting transformative financial goals, the power of validating business ideas, leveraging personal networks, focusing on one platform for growth, and the role of email lists. He also gives a peek into his upcoming book, 'Million Dollar Weekend'.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Noah Kagan on starting a business
(01:00) Importance of experimentation and failure
(04:00) Finding opportunities through frustration
(07:00) Leadership and delegation strategies
(10:00) The power of slow, steady growth
(14:00) Insights on hiring and retaining talent
(18:00) Building a million-dollar business
(22:00) Business lessons from rejection and persistence
(28:00) Monetizing creativity and solving problems
Check out today's guest, Noah Kagan:
Noah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noahkagan/?hl=en
Noah's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahkagan
Noah's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@noahkagan
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this heartfelt solo episode, Chris Do reflects on a transformative fishing trip with 19 creatives in the Canadian wilderness. Drawing on the classic Hero’s Journey story structure, Chris shares how stepping outside comfort zones leads to personal growth and connection. From humorous mishaps like a lost phone to lessons about being present and embracing challenges, this trip was full of memorable moments. Chris emphasizes the power of shared experiences, true connection, and the importance of answering a call to adventure. Whether you’re a seasoned explorer or hesitant to try something new, this episode will inspire you to embrace the unknown and create deeper bonds with others.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction to solo episode
(00:54) The Hero’s Journey and the call to adventure
(02:10) 19 strangers embark on a fishing trip
(03:23) Lessons from frustrations and challenges
(04:36) A story of loss and transformation
(06:11) A surprise victory and a jackpot
(07:24) Creating connections through shared experiences
(09:00) Stepping out of your comfort zone
(10:00) An invitation to future adventures
Check out The Futur:
➤ Website | Courses | LinkedIn | Podcasts
➤ Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok | YouTube
Check out Chris Do:
➤ Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
➤ TikTok | Threads | Zaap | Clubhouse | Behance
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode, I welcome back LinkedIn expert Jasmin Alic following our previous viral conversation that became LinkedIn's #1 video of the year. Jasmin brings 15 years of writing experience and insights from his thriving coaching practice to share what's really working on LinkedIn in 2024. We dive deep into the psychology of content creation, exploring everything from crafting the perfect first three lines to building genuine community engagement through strategic commenting. I'm particularly excited about our discussion of Jasmin's innovative "signposting" technique and his fresh perspective on how LinkedIn's evolution toward video content is changing the game. We also tackle controversial topics like AI-generated comments and the truth about reach metrics, while Jasmin opens up about how he maintains authentic connections while running a booked-out coaching business. Whether you're just starting out or looking to level up your LinkedIn strategy, this conversation offers practical techniques you can implement right away.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Welcome and Previous Success
(03:27) - LinkedIn's Video Evolution
(06:00) - Content Creation Fundamentals
(31:33) - Post Psychology Deep Dive
(41:15) - Signposting Technique Explained
(57:54) - Case Study Strategy
(01:04) - Understanding Reach Metrics
(01:11) - AI Comments Discussion
(01:14) - Work-Life Integration
(01:20) - Episode Wrap-Up
Link to our first episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5RYWMtGeKvbNPYpMecgbJT?si=UXgHyC5QQVKt39sU2wSyqA
Check out today's guest, Jasmin Alic:
Website: https://www.hey-jay.com/
Jasmin Alic LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicjasmin/
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode, I explore the crucial role storytelling plays in marketing and brand strategy. I explain how strong emotions and memorable stories are essential for effective branding, emphasizing that storytelling is an innate part of human memory. I dive into the importance of creating relatable narratives, using examples like the Hero's Journey and traditional fables such as Aesop's. I highlight how brand equity and storytelling can transform products from mere commodities into recognizable brands by focusing on character, want, and obstacle. I also share strategic insights through a sample brand strategy tailored for different client demographics. Tune in to discover how storytelling can elevate your branding efforts and engage audiences in a meaningful way.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction to solo format
(00:39) Storytelling's role in memory
(02:10) Why facts alone don’t engage
(03:40) Fables and lasting stories
(05:10) George Lucas and the Hero’s Journey
(06:20) Simplifying story elements
(09:00) Branding through storytelling
(10:30) Ideal client profiling
(13:00) Reaching high-value clients uniquely
(15:00) Innovative marketing ideas
Check out The Futur:
➤ Website | Courses | LinkedIn | Podcasts
➤ Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok | YouTube
Check out Chris Do:
➤ Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
➤ TikTok | Threads | Zaap | Clubhouse | Behance
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode, I connect with serial entrepreneur and AI visionary Austin Armstrong for a thought-provoking exploration of how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the content creation landscape. Drawing from his extensive experience at the intersection of technology and creativity, Austin breaks down complex AI concepts into actionable insights for creators and business owners alike. We dive deep into the practical applications of AI tools in content production, while honestly addressing the ethical considerations and potential pitfalls that creators need to navigate. The conversation takes an especially compelling turn as Austin shares his firsthand experiences of building and scaling AI-driven businesses, offering rare insights into what works—and what doesn't—in this rapidly evolving space. You'll discover his strategic framework for integrating AI tools without sacrificing authenticity, including practical tips for maintaining a human touch in an increasingly automated world. Whether you're a content creator looking to leverage AI effectively or an entrepreneur seeking to understand the future of digital content, Austin's blend of technical expertise and business acumen provides a valuable roadmap for staying ahead of the curve. Don't miss his fascinating predictions about where AI is heading and how creators can position themselves for success in this transformative era.
Timestamps:
(01:03) - Meet Austin Armstrong
(04:00) - Faceless Content Creation Explained
(06:57) - The Future of AI in Content Creation
(10:00) - Ethical and Practical Concerns
(12:50) - AI's Impact on Various Industries
(14:17) - The Role of AI in Personal and Professional Growth
(15:24) - Balancing Automation and Authenticity
(18:47) - The Dead Internet Theory
(19:43) - The Human Element in Content Creation
(27:57) - Automating Content Distribution
(29:08) - AI Tools in Content Creation
(30:26) - The Case for Embracing AI
(31:52) - Handling Trolls and Negative Feedback
(38:48) - Social Media Strategies and TikTok Challenges
(44:15) - Success Stories with Syllabi
(49:54) - Public Speaking and Marketing Insights
Check out today's guest, Austin Armstrong:
Syllaby Website:https://syllaby.io/
Enter the code Challenge and get 25% off
Syllaby LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/trysyllaby/
Austin’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austinarmstrong90/
Austin’s Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SocialtyPro/videos
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode, I sit down with the multifaceted Bea Chu for an illuminating conversation about navigating the international content creation landscape. As a respected voice in cinematography, audio, and tech, Bea offers unique insights from her journey across two distinctly different creator markets. We dive deep into the fascinating contrasts between content creation in the Philippines and the United States, exploring how cultural nuances shape audience engagement and creative strategy. Bea shares candid reflections on adapting her content style while maintaining her distinctive voice, and reveals the behind-the-scenes realities of building a cross-cultural audience. The conversation takes an especially valuable turn as we explore her sophisticated approach to brand partnerships, where she breaks down how creators can maintain authenticity while building profitable relationships with sponsors. Whether you're an international creator looking to expand your reach or a brand seeking to understand creator partnerships better, Bea's practical wisdom and cultural insights offer a fresh perspective on succeeding in today's global content landscape. You'll walk away with actionable strategies for crafting content that resonates across borders while staying true to your creative vision.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Meet Bea Chu
(00:48) - Diverse Career Background
(01:59) - Challenges of Being a Creator in the Philippines
(02:55) - Brand Sponsorships and Integrity
(04:58) - Comparing Creator Markets: Philippines vs. US
(09:03) - Mindset Shifts for Creators
(11:37) - Navigating Brand Interactions
(12:43) - The Vicious and Virtuous Cycles
(13:47) - Empowering Creators to Value Their Work
(16:34) - Concluding thoughts on integrity in content creation and Bea’s upcoming engagements
Check out today's guest, Bea Chu:
Website: https://www.beachu.tv/
Twitter: https://x.com/beachu_tv
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beachutv
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beachutv/?hl=en
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beachutv
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/beachutv
Email: WorkwithChu@gmail.com
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, has been around a long time, but is surprisingly under diagnosed in the many that struggle with its symptoms. It can cause a variety of issues with concentration, finishing work, and following instructions (per the CDC). Those symptoms can then result in a variety of reactions, with one of the most common one’s being low self esteem. Our guest for this episode, Abi Lemon, believes that with self awareness and discipline, people with ADHD can manage the day to day symptoms that can otherwise cause them to burn out. As a coach for ADHD creatives, she helps individuals discover their strengths, and focuses on how to use those as tools to harness their best selves. In this episode, Abi will talk about living with ADHD, from childhood to present, some of the exercises she does to help her get through the things she needs to do with ADHD, and what people with ADHD can do to keep their brain regulated so they can take advantage of who they are. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In everyone’s career there is a moment where you need to make the leap from good to great if you want to keep growing. There’s always a point where everyone wants to level up their brand so they can work on bigger projects, and boost revenue and profit. Working with clients is a skill, just like your art, and in order to make the leap from good to great, you need to have the skills to get from where you are to where you want to go. Some people make that leap quickly, and others struggle with it. If you’re thinking about leveling up, or it’s taking you longer than you’d like, this episode is for you! Mo Ismail, owner of Mocs Media and long time Futur Pro Group member, returns to have a conversation with Chris about the three skills a designer, or really anyone who is dealing with clients, needs to make that leap from good to great. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Have you ever considered creating a workshop to teach others? Not just a single lecture that you’re going to give once, but a workshop you can teach in different situations, over and over again? Buckle up, because Rob Fitzpatrick, co-author of The Workshop Survival Guide, is here to talk to Chris about the in’s and out’s of designing a great workshop, and why it’s so important to treat it as your product. Rob shares some of the things he did wrong in his early workshop attempts, the iterations that led to his success, and what keeps an audience activated and engaged. This is a meaty, super sized conversation, because Rob has so many pearls of wisdom to share. A smooth running, educational, and engaging workshop is an art form, and this conversation will give you direct and actionable advice to make it look like you’ve been doing this for years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Michael Margolis believes that narrative storytelling is the #1 superpower of humanity, and that the three most important, fundamental skills for the future all come from the exercise of storytelling. As the CEO of Storied, a strategic messaging and leadership firm, Michael and his team help leaders and teams stand out through story. But why is story so important? and what makes a great story when it comes to a product or a business? In this episode, Chris and Michael are going to talk about the difference between story and narrative, why disruption should be backed up with data, and why character beats out credentials every time. Beyond just their regular conversation, though, Michael will take Chris through a mock workshop, using Storied’s three step narrative framework. Chris will talk about the Futur’s new project, Brand Lab, and Michael will challenge him to explore different aspects of Brand Lab’s story, so that they can work to find and improve its story. This is a dense and informative conversation, and should give you some things to think about when it comes to developing and refining your own story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
LinkedIn. The very name conjures a variety of feelings amongst people. Hard to believe, but the social media juggernaut has been around for over two decades, and has over 930 MILLION users worldwide. Needless to say, whether you appreciate it or not, it is a force in the business world, whether you’re looking for a new job, or you’re an HR manager looking for potential recruits, or you’re a CEO looking to connect with people in similar positions, there’s a LOT that can be done on this site. Because it’s not a stereotypical social media site, however, you can’t treat it like any other social site. So, that begs the question - Are you utilizing LinkedIn in a way that is actually beneficial to you? That helps you build your business, or find a better job? Nicole Osborne is a Marketing Coach, mainly working with digital agency owners, who thinks that, more often than not, people aren't fully using LinkedIn for the incredible resource it is. It’s not just a networking site in the vein of Facebook, it is a way for potential clients to find you, get to know you (”date you”, as Nicole puts it), and potentially engage you for work. Chris and Nicole talk about the things that creatives don’t do enough of on the site, what you should try to achieve with your activity on LinkedIn, and why sharing your process is the one thing that can consistently help you connect with people. Nicole shared this quote by George Lucas, creator of Star Wars and Indiana Jones, and it may just be the key to this entire conversation - “When people get to know the people behind your product, and how it’s made, they talk about you more”. Is your LinkedIn profile, or your companies profile, getting people talking? Do they want to know more? If LinkedIn feels like a mystery or a hassle to you, check out this conversation, and let Nicole demystify some of it for you. Have someone you think would be great for the podcast? You can send us a message at podcast@thefutur.com. Emails to any other Futur addresses will be ignored and deleted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A website is an amazing sales tool. It can tell people who you are, what you do, and act as a sort of virtual handshake to begin a relationship between you and a potential customer. Often times, a website might be someone’s first point of contact with you or your business. So how do you optimize it to boost its ability to convert potential clients? There’s a lot of data that you can pull from a website, but are you using it effectively? Amanda Webb is a Digital Marketing and ROI consultant and trainer, who has mastered the ins and outs of analytics and data, and now uses her knowledge and resources to help others better understand and better utilize the information their site gives them. In this episode, she’ll be talking to Chris about data and how it can be used to improve your business, what kind of steps you can take to improve your website conversion rates, and why a well executed “About” page is so important. You don’t want to just grow your email list, you want to get the right people on it, and Amanda will discuss why analytics tools can provide invaluable insights into the potential of your digital marketing endeavors. So tune in, and let Amanda explain why, in her own words - “Once you start measuring something, you can become obsessed by it”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
AI has become such a buzz term lately. It was the mainstay of sci fi books and movies, for the longest time, and was something everybody thought of as being far in the future. And then Midjourney happened, and Stable Diffusion and ChatGPT. AI is definitely here, right now, and is growing almost exponentially, every single day. Through all of this, we’ve seen people create magical, non existent worlds, wild characters, and some very… weird stuff with AI like Midjourney. People have used ChatGPT to help them develop, research and write all kinds of projects. But what is the next step? This week’s guest thinks the next step is creating the AI of you. Sho Rust was a former student of Chris at Art Center. Growing up in Japan, he was coding from a young age, so technology was second nature to him. This eventually led him to creating Sho.ai, which creates (in their words) an “AI platform that continuously evolves with your brand, automates tedious tasks, seamlessly allowing experts to scale their story”. Sounds pretty cool, right? And when they had perfected the system, Sho knew exactly who he should try it out on - His old instructor, Chris Do. Thus was born the Do Bot. In this weeks conversation, Chris will talk to Sho about how he got to Sho.ai, how they created the Do Bot, and what both of them have learned in this process. It’s a fascinating conversation that feels like a glimpse into the future. Want to test out the Do Bot? It will be coming soon in The Futur Pro Group. For more info, check out: https://thefutur.com/pro-group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It’s common sense to think “I have a business. I should sell as much of my product to as many people as I can”. So why do companies, like Rolex or Ferrari, make so much money by limiting the amount of product that they sell? Why would anyone throw up road blocks in front of their own potential customers? And why is creating tension in the supply and demand equation a way to get people to want to buy from you? Daniel Priestley returns to talk with Chris about his concept of being “Oversubscribed”. Daniel asserts that many marketers have forgotten the number one rule of marketing - An imbalance in supply and demand sets both the price and the profit of a product. An “oversubscribed” business, then, is simply one that has limited or constrained supply, and there are more people that want that supply than is available. Daniel argues that you can create this tension between supply and demand by creating an official capacity, make sure people know what it is, and understand that it’s in hot demand. But that’s just simple supply and demand, right? Well, yes, but Daniel is going to take you through some of his methods for artificially creating the tension between supply and demand, so that you can get your business to the point of being oversubscribed. He’ll discuss the three ingredients you need to get people to buy, why “signal collecting” is so important, and the five phases of a bullet proof campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Orly Israel is a communicator who wanted to improve his conversational skills, and realized the best way to do that was to learn how to listen. His concept to achieve his goal, The Listening Table, is just that - A table that he has set up in various cities across the country, where he sits and listens to anyone who wants to talk. His goal is to create a space where the other person can share whatever they need to, in a zone that is free of advice and free of judgement. Those two things are in plentiful supply in almost any conversation people have today, but Orly found out, very quickly, that those two things aren’t what people need. In fact, advice and judgement must be put aside to be a good listener. So what else makes a good listener? And what has setting up and inviting people to this table, over and over again, taught Orly? In this conversation, Chris and Orly will talk about the life changing power of these conversations, not just for the person speaking, but for the listener, as well. Orly will share the lessons he’s learned after having dozens of conversations, sometimes with friendly people, and sometimes not so friendly people. It’s an adventure that he has embarked on to understand his fellow humans more, and one he thinks all of us could benefit from. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chris Voss is a former FBI negotiator who is using his decades of knowledge to teach others how to negotiate in both life and business. His book Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It is a Wall Street Journal Best Seller, and Chris is teaching negotiation in classrooms, workshops, and through a popular series on the MasterClass website. In this episode, the two Chris’s (Do and Voss) talk about how negotiation works, whether it’s on a personal level or in sales. Chris Voss discusses the importance of being a straight shooter, why emotional intelligence is such an important part of being able to talk to someone, and the most important question to keep in mind in negotiating with family - Are you negotiating WITH someone, or AGAINST them? They also discuss the power of the “What” question, The Oprah rule, and the power of different tones of voice in negotiation. There’s SO MUCH to understanding negotiation, and while they couldn’t touch on it all, this episode is a fantastic primer led by a master in the subject. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In our final discussion on the 5 Core Business Principles, Mo Ismail returns to talk to Chris about Attraction Marketing. In todays world, few people are looking at your social profiles by random chance. They’re looking to see who you are, and what you’ve done. One of the strongest way you can attract potential clients is to use those profiles to demonstrate your skills and knowledge in your area of expertise. That way you’re not just building an audience, you’re building trust. In this episode, Mo and Chris talk about a couple of different approaches to creating content and building value to attract the perfect person into your ecosystem. While you may start your career working in a more transactional way, using your time to create trust and expertise through content creation will help establish your personal brand and create an environment where, as Seth Godin say’s, you can “turn strangers into friends, and friends into customers”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In the second part of Chris’s discussion with Mo Ismail on the 5 Core Business Principles, he’ll be talking about The Irresistible Offer, and how to create it. It’s natural to feel like “the work should sell itself”, but competition has risen to a level where you have to start creating a product, or service, that is SO attractive to a potential customer or client, that they want to buy from YOU. So how do you do create The Irresistible Offer? Two ways - Either lower the price, or create more value. Since we all know that none of us wants to lower our price, and doing so comes with its own perils, Chris and Mo are going to spend their time talking about how to raise the value of what you do, so the client will utter those magic words - “Take my money!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
For much of human history, mankind didn’t have very much in the way of resources. If there was food to eat, we ate it, and we would eat as much as we could, because we didn’t know when our next meal was going to come. Fast forward to the 21st century, and we have an abundance of food and mass produced goods which gives us choice. With this multitude of options, we start to ask ourselves “Why do we choose one over the other?”. Why do people buy? What are the core, psychological elements that get people to choose one brand over the other? In the first episode of a multi part series, Chris is joined by Mo Ismail for a masterclass in the 5 Core Essentials of Business. They’re going to talk about what it means to “decrease the pain, and increase the gain” for a client, so you, as a seller, can provide them a bridge from their current reality to their desired reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Whether you’re just starting out in a creative business, or pivoting to a new specialty, finding those first clients is one of the biggest hills you have to climb. So how do you build up your skills and get yourself seen by potential clients? If you’re adding a skill or a specialty, how do you get potential clients to see you as someone who can do more than just what you have already done for them? Mo Ismail returns to talk to Chris about how he went from being a student to landing clients as a freelancer, and how Chris found his first clients while he was still in school, and later found clients when pivoting from Motion Design to Branding. In this conversation, Chris lays out a step by step method to help you build your skills, expand your portfolio, and connect with potential clients, which Mo will summarize as the “5 C’s”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What is the difference between self-esteem and self-confidence? And how do they affect who we are and what we believe we are capable of? In this candid conversation, Chris Do answers question from members of The Futur Pro Group. They tackle topics like supply and demand in the service industry, intrinsic beliefs versus extrinsic beliefs, and how to manage your self-talk. If you struggle with confidence or constantly chase external validation, then give this chat a list.
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In this special episode, Chris Do fields business questions and offers answers live and in real-time. Questions like: how do I raise my rates without losing clients, how do you measure creative impact, and what is the best way to price your service work? Chris is joined by several Futur Pro Group members including Drigo Tasca, Nidhi Tewari, and Anneli Hansson who also weigh in. If you run a creative service business then this episode will resonate with you. Get practical tips and valuable insights from Chris Do’s years of business experience.
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Adapt or die is the classic business mantra. To survive and thrive you must remain nimble and ready to pivot. To jump the curve, so to speak. If you could start your business all over again, what would you do differently? In this episode, The Futur CEO Chris Do and brand strategist Anneli Hansson discuss what the future holds for creative service businesses. How will technology like Ai and blockchain change how we run our businesses? What new opportunities will they provide? And how can you leverage these tools for your business? Sponsored by First Republic Bank - https://firstrepublic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sarabeth Berk is a TEDx speaker and professional identity researcher. She is reshaping how we think about the workforce by shifting and expanding our definition of professional identity. What does that mean exactly? It means that you should not be limited to either/or titles (e.g. specialists vs. generalist). And that there is a third option: hybrid. But does that help or hurt your marketing efforts? Will potential clients and employers be intrigued or confused? In this episode, Sarabeth and Chris Do define and debate the merits of hybrid professional identities. Spoiler alert: Chris is not immediately sold on the idea. Sarabeth argues that what we do professionally is difficult to categorize into simply one box. Many of us find fulfillment and excel at the intersection of several disciplines. Just as our names are unique to us, our titles and what we do follow suit. However, the trick is knowing how to communicate that intersection clearly. If you struggle with the decision of specializing versus generalizing or find yourself living somewhere in the middle then you will enjoy this conversation.
This episode is sponsored by by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/futur and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Do you have to suffer to build character? We get philosophical in part two of our conversation with Baronfig founder and author Joey Cofone. He and Chris continue their discussion about The Laws of Creativity and delve into the role failure—and sometimes delusion—plays in the story of success. We like how Joey explains the concept of creativity: like a musical instrument, creativity is a practical trade that you can learn, develop, and improve over time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Joey Cofone is the Founder and CEO of Baronfig, an award-winning designer and entrepreneur, and the newly minted author of The Laws of Creativity. If you have listened to our podcast long enough then you may have heard Joey’s voice before. Way back in episode 57. We are pleased to welcome him back to the show to share what he’s been working on for a long time: defining the laws of creativity. In part one of this conversation, Joey and Chris share some of their most poignant memories of creativity. They discuss the importance of remaining curious, following your instinct, and why what makes you weird also makes you wonderful.
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Criticism is easily given, but rarely appreciated. At some point we have all had to critique someone else’s work or be critiqued by a client, manager, or teacher. The experience can be emotionally rattling. In part four of our design thinking talk, Eric Moore and Chris Do discuss ways to improve how you give and receive critique. A key component of constructive criticism is having a shared criteria to review the work. During their conversation, Chris and Eric share memorable stories of critique from their experience as students, teachers, and professionals. Pro tip: grab a pen and paper before you listen to this one. You will want to take notes.
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Creative ideas are tough to sell. They start vague and, until fully realized, are malleable concepts prone to change. So how do you prove the value of an idea before it is created? With design thinking, of course. In part three of our design thinking conversation, Eric Moore joins Chris Do to discuss what is at the heart of this beloved concept: knowing your audience. You may hear design thinking referred to as human-centered design. That idea of designing with people in mind is what makes design thinking both a mindset and a framework. And the main ingredient is empathy. In this chat, Eric shares stories from his experience using design thinking at scale and working with enterprise-level SaaS companies. He also offers a free (no strings attached) gift that you can download from thedesignthinker.org.
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Now that we understand what design thinking is, it is time we learn how to use it. In part two of our design thinking discussion, app designer Deanna joins Eric and Chris to walk us through her practical application of the framework. We start by explaining the four phases of the design thinking process and follow Deanna’s story and design process for context. We also discuss how making empathy maps (and what they are), Eric’s cleverly named rose-thorn-bud concept, and where data analysis and confirmation bias come into play.
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Eric Moore is a communication strategist and champion of design thinking. In this episode, he and Chris debate an eyebrow-raising talk from Natasha Jen called Design Thinking Is Bullsh*t. For context, Natasha Jen is an acclaimed designer and partner at the renowned design studio, Pentagram. In her talk, Natasha criticizes the concept of design thinking, ultimately calling it B.S. But is that true? Is design thinking just a sticky note ladened buzzword, or is it woefully misunderstood? If you are unsure what design thinking is (and whether it is a tool worth learning), this episode is for you.
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The word authentic gets thrown around a lot, especially when describing brands. But what is an “authentic” brand? And why do some brands garner loyal customers while others do not? In this episode, Anneli and Chris discuss the traits of what they refer to as magnetic brands. That is, brands that customers prefer over others and that have true fans. If you are interested in branding, brand strategy, or trying to figure out how to bolster your brand, then give this conversation a listen.
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In part two of our discussion about detachment, Chris and Anneli dive deeper—and more personally—into how practicing detachment benefits your life. It's easy to attach your value and identity to your work. But that attachment then often becomes the root of your unhappiness. If your work is undervalued or criticized, then you feel personally undervalued or criticized. In this conversation, Chris shares his steps to practice meaningful detachment and explains key concepts that he follows. If you struggle with criticism, perfectionism, or taking ownership of your response in a situation, this episode might help. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If you’ve listened to the podcast long enough (or watched enough videos), you will have heard the joke about Chris being a robot. That is to say; he always keeps his cool. But how does he do it? How does Chris regulate his emotions so well? Especially in the face of aggressive internet criticism. In part one of this two-part episode, Chris and Anneli discuss the art of detachment. By definition, detachment means being free from bias or prejudice. And that is key to Chris’s ability to remain objective.
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Sean Cannell is a YouTuber, international speaker, and the founder of ThinkMedia. His mission: help entrepreneurs build their influence and go full-time doing what they love through the power of online video. In 2022, Sean took a huge risk by throwing a live personal branding event in Las Vegas, NV. He booked guest speakers like Gary Vaynerchuk, Alex Hormozi, and Vanessa Lau, which put tremendous pressure on his team. Pressure to make this event memorable for guests and profitable for his business. Fortunately, it worked out for the best, but not without making a few mistakes. In this unique conversation, Sean shares why he hosted an event of this magnitude and what he learned from the experience. He and Chris talk about event marketing strategy, booking high-profile guests, and the value of putting yourself in a challenging situation.
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Kate Pincott is a product designer, design coach, and CEO/founder of Remote Design Coaching. Her mission: reconnect designers to their intuition and creativity. At the peak of her tech-design career, Kate burned out. She had been running at full speed in shoes that did not fit. But instead of taking a sabbatical or falling into distraction, she made an interesting choice. Kate took what worked (and what she had become quite good at) in product design and applied it to her life. She started prototyping herself. Think of it as taking incremental steps toward improving your life. For Kate, step one was simply working outdoors in nature. In this candid chat, Kate shares her process for prototyping herself and offers guidance about how you can reconnect with your body, mind, and intuition. It is a fascinating framework. Kate even coaches Chris during their conversation, so you can see how her coaching process works in real-time.
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Joana Galvao is the founder of award-winning branding and web design agency GiF Design Studios. She is also on a personal mission to help fellow creative service providers stay booked solid. In this special episode, Joana takes us through her entire marketing funnel. You will hear how it developed and how she automates nearly everything to maximize efficiency. Joana’s marketing process worked so well that she took four months of maternity leave and did not check her email once. If that doesn’t impress you, we don’t know what will. Better yet, Joana was kind enough to share this process as a free download to The Futur Podcast listeners. Download the document and follow along as you listen (or save it for later).
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Brendan Kane is a bestselling author and influential marketing advisor to celebrities, pro athletes, and major brands. He’s helped clients like Taylor Swift, Paramount Studios, Vice, and IKEA make content that consistently goes viral. Despite how it may feel, the algorithms are not working against you. They are one of the keys to making viral content. In this episode, Brendan walks us through his process for creating quality content that appeals to a broad audience and makes our algorithmic adversaries happy. Want to know the secret to social media success? Effective storytelling. The best content comes from stories that resonate with people on many levels. According to Brendan, there are six different ways people perceive content. We can use that information to tell better stories with context that matters to our prospective audience. Brendan also dispels myths and outdated advice for how to “beat” the algorithm. For instance, unleashing a consistent torrent of content will not yield better engagement results because crappy content is still crappy. If you want to improve your content, be more strategic with social media, and connect with a wide range of people, listen closely to this episode.
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Neil Hoyne is an author, researcher, and marketing executive working at Google as Chief Measurement Strategist. He is also a senior fellow at The Wharton School and an advisor for Capital G. Neil specializes in building strong customer relationships by analyzing data like customer lifetime value (CLV) and consumer psychology. In this informative conversation, Neil and Chris discuss the power and pitfalls of relying on data to make business decisions. They start by defining what “data-driven” means and how awkward current marketing tactics are when you think about it. It’s easy to get caught up in data analytics, which is why we like Neil’s advice: you don’t have to be the best; you simply need to be better than the alternatives. If you are confused by your customer data, this episode will help dispel some of that analytical haze.
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Ryan Blair is an entrepreneur, author, philanthropist, and most importantly, a dad. He is the founder and CEO of Alter Call, a multi-faith spiritual community that helps people accelerate personal transformation. Alter Call members value living a life of service and measurable impact. But before the philanthropy and fatherhood, Ryan had a very different life. After surviving an abusive childhood living in poverty, Ryan’s ability to adapt led him to join a gang. Though he thrived as an illegal entrepreneur, the lifestyle was taxing and dangerous. Miraculously, Ryan was able to leave that life and transition into legitimate entrepreneurship. And through hard work, sacrifice, and perseverance, he built a successful life for himself as a CEO several times over. Ryan lived that luxurious life, pleasurable vices and all until he couldn’t any longer. In this special episode, Ryan shares his incredible story and offers guidance for finding your way out of the wilderness and into a better life.
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Susana Chen is the founder of the Asian Creative Foundation (ACF). ACF is a community organization that helps entry-level creatives find opportunities, navigate their career paths, and help make the creative industry a more inclusive place. Roles get flipped in this episode. In this conversation, Susana interviews Chris for an ACF-hosted virtual event called Asian Creative Festival. And they cover a lot of ground. Like what inspired The Futur’s mission to teach 1 billion people, how Chris manages stress and the story of how Chris first learned about graphic design. The two also discuss an important and divisive topic: design school. If you’re new to the creative industry (or considering joining it), then you’ll enjoy this conversation. And if you’re not so new to it all, don’t fret. Chris offers advice for you too.
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Daniel Priestley is an entrepreneur (several times over), but you may know him best from his book Key Person of Influence. Over the last decade, Daniel noticed a trend in successful businesses: visible (and often outspoken) leadership. Steve Jobs. Richard Branson. Elon Musk. These CEOs leveraged technology to wield influence and change how we think about the world and their products. In short, we buy into the people behind the business before we buy from the business. You may not aspire to be the next Elon Musk, but you can apply the same approach and hasten the growth of your own small business. In this episode, Daniel and Chris discuss the benefits of being a person of influence and study the five common things you need to do to become one. But before you start that process, ask yourself this: what kind of dent do you want to make in the universe?
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In the final episode of our series on self-sabotage, we pick up where the conversation between Nidhi and Chris left off. If you missed the first two episodes, we suggest you go back and listen to those first. At this point in the story, Chris is betting his future (and the future of his staff) on pivoting into a new teaching venture then called The Skool. But to do that, he must abandon his design agency. Everywhere Chris looks, he sees doubt. Doubt from internal management, creative teams, and even his business coach. At the time, that doubt seemed reasonable. Why leave a business earning $4 million annually in favor of something that generated a mere $10K the previous year? What everyone didn’t know was that Chris had a plan. And a quantifiable vision of what success looked like for The Futur.
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In part two of our three-part series on self-sabotage, Nidhi speaks with Chris about his decision to abandon Blind and start The Futur. Blind was Chris’s branding and design agency. He started it in 1995 primarily as a motion design studio. The company focused on creating design-focused video work like commercials and branded content. But after two decades of growth, Chris noticed a decline in work. He saw the inevitable writing on the wall and had to make a decision: stay the course or pivot. In this episode, Chris talks about how he made this life-changing decision. What he was thinking, feeling, and the uphill battle he fought to create what we know today as The Futur.
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Have you ever worked so hard on something only to find yourself stuck and caught in what feels like a complete slog? At that moment, you may think: This isn’t working. It’s time to pivot. But what if, on the other side of that discomfort, awaits everything you want? More importantly: how do you know if it’s time to pivot or push through the discomfort? Welcome to part one of our three-part series tackling the concept of self-sabotage. Why we do it, how we do it, and finding the right balance between hard work and self-care. In this episode, mental health therapist Nidhi Tewari joins Chris to discuss the differences between an unhealthy grind and determined grit. While the two hold different perspectives on the path to proverbial success, they agree that many of us quit working before it gets good. If you’re at a crossroads and deciding whether to press on or pivot, this conversation is for you.
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Neville Medhora is best known as a copywriter. But that doesn’t mean he just writes copy. According to Neville, effective copywriting means communicating a message from your brain to millions of other brains using the best technology available. Hundreds of years ago, a carrier pigeon was the best option. Today, it’s probably a brief email that includes curated animated GIFs. In this episode, we talk with the author and copywriter about why he dropped out of college, his direct approach to helping clients, and why he actively keeps up with marketing trends. One universal tip Neville shared that might help you (and your business) is that familiarity ruins your ability to critique something. You can’t relive a first impression, so try introducing fresh eyes to your problem. It will almost always lead to better insights. If you’re interested in learning how to improve your copywriting, you might like Neville’s copywriting course.
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Kyle T Webster is an award-winning international illustrator. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, TIME, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Nike, IDEO, and several other distinguished clients. Acclaimed industry publications like the Society of Illustrators, Communications Arts, and American Illustration have recognized his illustration work. Kyle also teaches at UNC School of the Arts and works for Adobe, hosting workshops and helping to make digital products like Adobe Fresco. But you may better know him by his best-selling Photoshop brushes.
The Origin of KyleBrush As an illustrator, having a distinct visual style is a point of pride. But that's not something Kyle was interested in. He wanted to offer clients a range of illustrative styles. And to do that, he needed a range of flexible tools. As a result, KyleBrush was born. KyleBrush is a collection of thousands of high-quality digital brushes originally created for Adobe Photoshop. What started as a practical necessity transformed into a full-time business. Kyle's products became an industry staple. You could find his digital brushes everywhere, from Pixar to boutique animation studios. In 2017, Adobe acquired KyleBrush making all of his digital brushes available to anyone subscribed to Creative Cloud. They also hired Kyle to help their product team develop new digital drawing tools.
In this episode We talk with Kyle about navigating the creative industry, price negotiation, overcoming anxiety, and the calculated career risks he took along the way. Beyond that, Kyle also offers a variety of practical tips that you can apply to your professional life right now. In particular, a clever way to connect with seemingly unreachable people.
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In 2017 Natasha Takahashi completed her first semester at the prestigious (and quite expensive) college, University of Southern California. She'd spent many nights writing essays and working tirelessly to attain any scholarship she could find to pay her tuition. But Natasha had a scary epiphany halfway into her second semester: This is not for me. Frustrated and unhappy with her USC experience, she decided to drop out. She even wrote a letter to her parents expressing her gratitude and reasoning. Five years later, Natasha sounds more than happy with her decision. She's started two businesses and is well on her way to achieving the goals outlined in the letter to her parents. In this episode, we discuss Natasha's business focus: messenger automation. Whether you were aware of it, you've probably encountered (and talked with) a chatbot. But have you ever thought about how messaging automation might help you and your business? If you get overwhelmed with DMs or want to learn more about how chatbots work and the benefits that come with them, then give this episode a listen.
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Just when you thought you had the internet figured out, new waves of technology approach. With them come a torrent of unfamiliar terms: non-fungible tokens, web3, DAOs, the Metaverse. Are they real, hype, or are they keys to solving the world's biggest problems? In this episode, we host investor and futurist Lisa Andrews. She's fascinated by this new technology and sees an opportunity in it to create a positive impact on humanity. As Lisa puts it, we are living in the phigital world. That is to say, a hybrid of the physical and digital world. Think about the life you lead online and the one you lead offline. They're not the same but are closely related. The Metaverse is where those two worlds start to converge. And therein lies a new opportunity for innovation, creativity, and of course, business. If you think you've missed this new wave of technology, think again. There is plenty more to learn and discover. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chris Franklin is a filmmaker, photographer, and budding YouTuber helping clients, and fellow creatives meet their goals. He's also a Futur Pro Group member, which is where he met and connected with Chris Do. In this friendly conversation, Chris shares his career path and how he went from studying pre-med biology to now running a thriving video production business. Spoiler alert: it wasn't a straight line from point A to point B. It took Chris time and inward reflection to understand who he is and what drives his motivations. And that kind of introspection is never easy. If you're interested in video production or are unsure about your path forward, this conversation might help you.
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Kindra Hall is a storyteller, acclaimed keynote speaker, and bestselling author of Stories that Stick: How Storytelling Can Captivate Customers, Influence Audiences, and Transform Your Business. She's here to remind you how important storytelling is, especially for your business. We all recognize the need for connection, now more than ever. And telling stories is an excellent way to connect with people, but being a great storyteller is not easy. Like most important things, great storytelling requires strategy and effort. It's more than simply reporting information. You've got to feel it. By feel, we mean you have to care and communicate emotion in your story. That doesn't mean sharing your deepest, darkest, most private pieces of yourself. It could be fundamental, like feeling frustrated, nervous, or curious. In this episode, Kindra offers tips on what makes for good storytelling and how you can practice telling them. According to her, there are four critical components to storytelling, and you can start using them right now. Whether you give weekly presentations or are working on your very first, Kindra's advice for telling better stories can only help.
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Storytelling is one of the fundamental ways humans connect. It’s how we learn, exchange ideas, and entertain ourselves. At its core, storytelling is communication. This episode comes from a live Twitter Space talk Chris Do, and Anneli Hansson hosted. The topic: how to tell your own story. The conversation opens with how powerful good storytelling is. A well-crafted story is relatable and will draw you in, making the storyteller themselves inherently more interesting. Storytelling plays a crucial role in the world of branding and marketing. How you present yourself, your business, and your work tell a story. Often, that story looks and sounds like many other people’s stories, which makes it challenging for you to stand out in a crowded market space. The good news is that everyone has a unique story to tell. And by sharing it, you create a unique space for yourself. The challenge is learning how to be your true self and not the idealized version of you. To quote Emma Coates’ 22 Story Rules, “You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.” If you struggle with standing out or think that your story isn’t interesting, this episode is for you. Chris shares several valuable tips and methods for finding and telling your own stories.
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Mika Saulitis is the Director of Creative Strategy at branding and design studio, Trollbäck+Company. But what does a Director of Brand Strategy do exactly? As Mika puts it, there are two core components: strategy and creativity. Strategy involves strategic thinking, writing positioning statements, and determining the brand’s voice—the invisible traits of a brand. Creativity arrives in more tangible forms, like campaigns, videos, concepts, and copywriting. In this episode, Mika shares how he navigated the design industry and transitioned from fetching lunch orders to facilitating high-profile strategy sessions. Mika and Chris delve into how brand strategy works. The process, the pitfalls, and why the last thing a client wants is a “yes” person. If you work in or are curious about brand strategy, what it is, or how it works, then give this episode a listen. Mika is generous with what he’s learned and how he learned it. Maybe his story can help you.
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Graham Cochrane is an entrepreneur, YouTuber, and business coach whose mission is to help other people start their own businesses. You might be thinking, “Great. Another online business guru telling me to sign up for their seminar while they pose in front of a rented Lamborghini.” But you would be wrong. In 2009, right after the financial collapse, Graham was laid off. He and his wife had recently purchased a house and just had their first baby. Not a great place to be. After struggling to find work and being unable to make enough through freelance work, Graham saw an opportunity, and a side project was born. Graham had unintentionally founded The Recording Revolution, the world’s largest online audio recording and music production resource. Years later, that little side project evolved into a seven-figure business with over twenty-thousand customers.
The magic formula? Serve others. In this episode, Graham shares how spending his time and effort serving others has served him well. He and Chris talk about non-traditional ways to earn a living being creative, how to build a community, and why you don’t need to be an expert to teach. Graham was also generous enough to share the nuts and bolts of his business model and its financials. His first year in business, he earned $5,000, but by the end of his second, he was at $65,000, all from selling courses based on his experience.
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Jason Fried is the founder and CEO of Basecamp. Once a web design firm (and operating under the name 37Signals), Basecamp unintentionally pivoted into building software with their namesake product. They also created the email app HEY, a fresh take on an old idea. As you can imagine, Jason is no stranger to change. In this episode, he shares how Basecamp accidentally came to be and the struggles they’ve encountered along the way. Like working remotely, building new products, and taking calculated risks that from the outside might look crazy. Change is inevitable, but it’s rarely easy, especially for a company where people are the driving force. Shifts in direction profoundly affect company culture, and how you manage that change can make or break your business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ron Baker is a writer, speaker, educator, and recovering CPA. He is the author of seven best-selling books, most of which cover economic topics—specifically, value and pricing. Throughout history, value has always tied itself to labor. These many work hours cost this many dollars, also known as billable hours. The counter to this method is value-based pricing. This thing costs this many dollars because it is valuable to you. So, which is correct? Which is fair? In this episode, Ron and Chris dive deep into value, pricing, and the relationship between the two. Ron shares some great stories that clearly illustrate why value is determined by the utility it provides the consumer. They also discuss the concept of subscription-based pricing and why that model may find its way into everything from cars to creative services.
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Wes Kao is co-founder of Maven, a platform that helps creators build cohort-based courses. Before that, she co-founded the altMBA with acclaimed author and marketer Seth Godin. If you’re not yet familiar with them, cohort-based courses (CBCs) are a not-so-new way of learning with a group of other people. They take the best parts of traditional classroom education and blend them with online classes to create a rich learning experience. In this episode, Wes shares why CBCs are the best way to learn and why it’s crucial you always test (and validate) your course idea. Having a substantial social following doesn’t guarantee a courses’ success. If you have an idea for a course, give this episode a listen before moving forward. And be sure to check out Wes’s free course accelerator.
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Daniel Savage is a lot of things. A director, graphic designer, illustrator, animator, musician, and artist. He’s spent the last fifteen years trying lots of creative things for both enjoyment and to pay the bills. Nowadays, he does a little bit of everything and makes sure he’s having fun while doing it. We talk with Daniel about connecting the dots in his career path and how he went from studying avant-garde percussion to designing animated patterns for Volvo. One through line in Daniel’s body of work is how he brings graphic design and hand drawn forms together. It’s a unique trademark that’s found a place in his latest experiment: Infinite Grid. A limited edition series of generative NFT animations that blend his sense of design, illustration, and rhythm together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jake Fellman is a self-taught 3D artist who spends his time making original, animated content for YouTube and TikTok. As of this episode, Jake has 10.9M YouTube subscribers and 11.7M TikTok followers—so whatever he’s making people enjoy watching. The videos Jake creates are anywhere from ten to thirty seconds long and often reference pop-culture and video games, like Among Us and Poppy Playtime. These animated shorts walk the line between comedy and horror and typically involve a surreal twist. In this episode, Jake tells us about how he got started making these animations, the meteoric rise in their popularity, and what his plans are for the future. If you are interested in making your own content for YouTube or TikTok, then don’t miss this one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nicoline Douwes is a Dutch dream expert and sleep activist. Her mission? Show everyone how to wake up with new ideas and fresh insights. While our bodies sleep, our minds continue to work. Processing what we’ve experienced and what’s troubling us—all while making new, uninhibited connections between thoughts. In this fascinating Clubhouse conversation, Nicoline and Chris dive into what happens in our brains while we sleep. They get into a bit of science, explain why dreams get so weird, and share useful tips about how to process your own dreams.
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In final episode of our three-part passion versus profit series, Chris and Rodrigo agree to never have this conversation again. In exchange, Rodrigo makes a public commitment to remain focused on his business and sets a clear financial goal. But it doesn’t end there. Chris helps Rodrigo plot the course to achieve that goal and offers a useful equation that anyone can use to do the same. To wrap up this conversational trilogy, Chris reminds us that life is about making hard decisions. When things don’t work out, don’t change your goal. Change the plan.
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In part two of our three-part passion versus profit conversation, Chris, Rodrigo, Mo and Niddy pick up where they left off: to succeed you need a clear goal and to remain focused on it. The benefits of living this way are clear. It’s how Chris built his design agency and ultimately The Futur. But at what cost? To quote Chris, “I worked like an animal.” That lifestyle isn’t for everyone, but to Chris’s point, you have the freedom to design your own life. Whether you achieve that goal depends on how committed you are to it. It’s tough to stay the course and resist new and shiny distraction, but it pays to play the long game.
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How do you make decisions about your life? Do you follow what brings you happiness and makes you feel good? Or do you remove emotion from the process and remain focused and objective? Most of us land somewhere in the middle on that spectrum. Juggling the pursuit of our ever-changing interests while working a job that pays the bills. But what happens when your time is equally split between the two and you’re unhappy with that juggling act? In this special three-part episode, Chris helps Rodrigo work through a dilemma. One that places him at an important fork in the road: keep working on the business he’s tirelessly built or give it all up and pursue his dream to become a YouTuber. Part one focuses on what the two options look like for Rodrigo. Which brings more joy, which brings more revenue, and ultimately which he should focus on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Rich Cardona is a retired Marine, podcaster, and NFT enthusiast. In fact, his podcast NFTs for Newbies, is one of the most popular shows on the subject. In this fun and informative conversation Rich takes us into the budding world of NFTs. He explains what an NFT is, how they work, and helps make sense of the jargon associated with them—gas fees and all. It is a fascinating new world, filled with both potential and problems. Rich shares his experience with both sides of that coin. On the one hand, this powerful technology is relatively new and ripe with opportunity, beyond solely financial benefit. On the other, there is a massive energy cost that may have a size-able ecological impact. According to Rich, it’s too early to tell if the hype is real or a fleeting trend that will devastate our planet. One thing he’s certain of though: NFTs aren’t going away. Whatever your opinion on NFTs, give this conversation a listen and let Chris know (via Twitter) what you think of his idea. We won’t spoil it for you. You’ll just have to listen to the end of the episode.
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Have you ever tried improv? Neither had Chris, until he met Erin Diehl. Erin is a former experential marketer and veteran improviser that conducts workshops leveraging improv techniques to improve employees’ skills in corporate settings. That’s right. She brings improv to the corporate world. One of her many mottos: Inspire, don’t perspire. In this episode, Erin shares her story of starting out sweaty and terrified of trying improv, to then wielding it as a powerful communication and teamworking tool. It makes sense. Improv is about staying in the moment, listening, and—more than anything—making other people look good. Improv teaches you how to postpone judgement, think on your feet, and trust your gut. Not unlike some of the advice you may hear from Chris. If you’re shy or introverted, then give this episode a good listen. And in those moments of panic or distress, Erin suggests surrendering to that feeling so you can then move through it. Sponsored by Jenni Kayne - Visit jennikayne.com and use promo code FUTUR to save 15% Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aaron Duffy is the Executive Creative Director and co-founder of boutique creative agency, Special Guest. He also works as a director with acclaimed production company, 1st Avenue Machine. In this inspirational chat, Aaron shares the story of how a project he wasn’t excited about (and nearly turned down) propelled his career forward and landed him a coveted Super Bowl ad.
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Nick Harauz is a content creator, video editing expert, and student of the creative process. He's also a certified Adobe, Apple, and Avid trainer and founder of Creative 111; a company that specializes in video and motion graphics training. You might recognize him from instructional videos all over adobe.com. In this episode, Nick and Chris talk about the challenges of teaching (and learning) online, how they each prepare for presentations, and why starting is the hardest part of the creative process. Nick also shares an incredible (and kind of funny) story about how his camera was stolen during a shoot! Further proof that there is always someone watching.
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Carlos Segura is the founder of award-winning design firm, Segura Inc. He also founded digital type foundry T26, whose fonts you can find everywhere. Over the last 30 plus years, Carlos has built (and lived) an extraordinary life and career. And he’s done it on his own terms, whether you like it or not. In this candid conversation, Carlos shares what he’s learned along the way. From surviving the violence he faced growing up in Miami, to stumbling into what would change his life forever (spoiler alert: graphic design). Beyond his origin story, Chris and Carlos also discuss his business’ ethos and its unique creative contracts. Contracts that have stirred up controversy with some calling them arrogant, pompous, and even combative. But those words don’t matter to Carlos. Because if he’s not for you, that’s okay. At least he owns who he is. Sponsored by Nearside - https://nearside.com/thefutur Sponsored by BetterHelp - https://betterhelp.com/futur Sponsored by Jenni Kayne - https://jennikayne.com (use code FUTUR) Sponsored by Springobard - https://springboard.com (use code NYTHEFUTURE1250) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tuna Bora is an acclaimed Turkish visual artist whose clients include Google, Nike, Netflix, and Coca Cola. She’s won awards for her unique design work on several VR and AR projects and continue to explore new creative spaces. In this conversation, Tuna shares her story of immigrating to the United States alone in hopes of pursuing a career working in feature film animation. But after graduating in 2008—right at the start of the financial collapse—was met with very few opportunities. She talks about unintentionally starting a daily drawing Instagram account (thats been going strong for seven plus years), directing projects with DreamWorks, and why she’s stoked about working in new, unexplored creative spaces like VR and gaming Tuna also shares her experience with the unhealthy downsides of working with extreme focus and why just because you put more hours in does not mean the work is better. Sponsored by Nearside - https://nearside.com/thefutur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
You might better know Jen and Amy Hood by their clever business name: Hoodzpah. The California-born, Kentucky-raised twin sisters co-founded their brand identity and type design studio because they had to. And before they were ready to. In this episode, Jen and Amy talk shop with us about how Hoodzpah came to be, the source of their entrepreneurial spirit, taking joy in doing the work, and how they’ve landed coveted clients like Disney, Target, and Nike. The conversation gets even more interesting when Chris asks, “How much do you charge for a logo?” A question that ultimately leads to a spirited debate on pricing and relative value. If you’re a designer, or considering starting your own design business, then give this one a listen and learn from two helpful and acclaimed design pros.
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Rochelle Moulton is a brand strategist and business coach that helps people (and their businesses) build authority. In this episode Rochelle shares how she prepares for important presentations, her experience self-publishing a book, the parallels of building a brand and building authority, and why having a vision for your business is imperative to its success. She also walks Chris through a niche-finding exercise that might help all your designers out there. Sponsored by Charles Schwab - schwab.com/plan Sponsored by Nearside - https://nearside.com/thefutur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A great presentation will inspire you. It will leave you feeling excited, energized and most importantly: wanting more. But a bad presentation will put you to sleep. Ashley Smithers specializes in presentation design. She's helped people prepare for TED talks, design important fundraising decks, and even worked with former vice presidents on their presentations. In this clubhouse discussion, Ashley offers five tips to help you step up your pitch game. And Chris matches her. Between the two of them you'll get over ten pro tips and techniques for giving dynamite presentations. From how to structure your deck, to telling a great story, and even what to do with your hands. After listening to this conversation, you'll be equipped to give an engaging and compelling presentation of your own.
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We last we spoke with Anthony way back in 2018, in episode 148 to be exact. At the time, he felt stagnant at his current job. Though his needs were met, there wasn’t much opportunity for growth. Cut to three years later: the world is a different place and Anthony is now right where he wants to be. But where is that? Did he remove those golden handcuffs in pursuit of something more? Did he ride out the slow boat to nowhere? Or did he do something else entirely? In this episode we find out what path Anthony chose and ultimately what led him there. If you missed part one of this conversation, do yourself a favor and go listen to it. Then come back and hear the rest of the story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to our second installment of 5 rounds. In this episode, we welcome creative sales coach (and Futur Pro Group member) Ivy Malik to the show. Her mission: grill Chris Do with a series of five tough questions. And she does not disappoint. Ivy tasks Chris with questions about how to be your true self in both public and private, why he dislikes the current state of educational sales, the role emotion plays in his decision making, and the biggest one of all: is The Futur a cult?
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If you were to order an expensive meal at a nice restaurant, but then asked if they could knock 50% off of the price, how would your waiter respond? Probably not well. Of all the possible replies, the most likely one would be, “I’m sorry, we can’t do that.” Which is not surprising. So then why do people in the creative business bend to such requests from clients? In this fun Clubhouse talk, Chris helps people with their pricing and negotiation troubles by roleplaying scenarios with them. When do you push? When do you pull? And what do you listen for? Following a pre-written sales script is easy, but when conversational curveballs are thrown at you, they fall apart. Hear how Chris approaches these delicate discussions and learn why being in the moment and listening is all you need. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Have you ever read a lengthy paragraph from a book and then sort of woken up and asked yourself, “Wait. What did I just read?” You and us both. Reading is a fantastic way to learn, but if you don’t retain that precious information then what is the point? In this Clubhouse discussion Chris shares his approach to reading books. How he reads, his note taking method, and why he suggests you read a book three times. And he is joined by The Futur Pro Group members, Stephanie Owens and Rahul Bhogal. Whether you are a bookworm or not, you will pick up a few practical tips to get more out of what you read. So join us while we explore and discuss the powerful magic of language and written word. Sponsored by Skillshare - https://skillshare.com/futur Sponsored by BetterHelp - https://betterhelp.com/futur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the corporate world, climbing the proverbial ladder seems common. To get ahead (and make more money) you must climb through the ranks. But in the creative industry, it feels different. We pursue a career in the arts because we're passionate about things like design, photography, and animation. We enjoy making things ourselves. But is that enough to sustain a long career? Will we be aged-out of our jobs? Should we strive to be more than just the artisan? In this lively discussion, Chris is joined by Anneli Hansson, Rodrigo Tasca, and several more guests on Clubhouse to discuss these questions. They talk about what it means to be a designer versus a strategist and how the two relate. We also hear from a variety of guests that share their opinion and experience on the matter. Design is a multifaceted industry. There are many paths you can take. We hope this conversation helps you find yours. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The concept of branding has been around since the dawn of human existence. It is hard-wired into us. Or as Patrick Hanlon refers to it: it’s our primal code. Patrick Hanlon is what many in the creative advertising world call the OG of branding. He is the founder and CEO of primalbranding.co, an acclaimed branding group with an impressive roster of Fortune 100 companies. Patrick also authored a book of the same name (Primal Branding) that has become required reading for the marketing departments of hugely successful companies like Google. In this episode, Patrick and Chris discuss this fascinating perspective of branding as an innate, definitive, and predictive concept. One that connects directly to what it means to be human. If you are a student of branding, then study this conversation. Patrick shares his branding insights and provides excellent examples along the way. Sponsored by Skillshare - https://skillshare.com/futur Sponsored by BetterHelp - https://betterhelp.com/futur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Adam J. Kurtz (aka Adam JK) is a designer, artist, and speaker whose illustrative work is rooted in honesty, humor and a little darkness. In this episode, we welcome Adam back to the show to talk about what it’s like writing a book about optimism when it feels like you’re living in an end-of-the-world movie. Adam and Chris also discuss their experience with therapy (and the immense benefit it has on your mental health), how to write like you speak, and why perfection is overrated. Sponsored by Storyblocks - https://www.storyblocks.com/futur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode comes from a discussion held on Clubhouse. The topic: perfectionism. Where it comes from and why it hinders your growth. Better said (and by Winston Churchhill), “Perfection is the enemy of progress.” In this talk, Chris is joined by The Futur Pro Group members Martha Cristina Garza, Jule Kim, and Lola Bakare. Each of them share their experience with perfection getting the best of them. So, how do you fight that intrinsic need to make something perfect before you share it? According to Chris: stay away from the results and enjoy the process. Jim Rohn famously said that success leaves clues, but failure leaves better ones. If anything, it is a gift. Think about this way—everyone that you look up to was once where you are today. They took that first step. They started. And they probably failed at least once. FAIL. First attempt in learning.
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This episode comes from a livestream we hosted via YouTube in early 2020. In it, Chris fields questions from a group of design majors visiting from Loyola Marymount University. The Q&A covers topics like the difference between art and design, demonstrating your value to clients, what to charge for your work, and why there is truly nothing new under the sun. Sponsored by Storyblocks - https://www.storyblocks.com/futur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
David Schwarz is an award-winning creative leader and one of the founding partners of acclaimed experience design agency, Hush. He’s spent his career designing brand experiences that integrate content, interactivity, architecture and technology. But what is experience design? It depends on where you are and who you ask. From where David stands experience design is about creating an immersive, three-dimensional, sensory experience in the real world. And affecting how you and I feel as we move through it. In this episode, David shares how his agency approaches designing these unique experiences and the impending blur between the physical world and the digital world. Sponsored by BetterHelp - https://betterhelp.com/futur Sponsored by Skillshare - https://skillshare.com/futur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Once in a while we come across a story that we believe is worth sharing, even though it might not fit within the topics we generally talk about. Kyle Quilausing’s story is one of those. He’s gone from triumph, to tragedy, and back again. A sequence of events that touches on a recurring theme for our show: resilience. How we each find our way out of a dark place and the belief that it is never too late to become the person you are meant to be. Kyle’s message is simple: you are one decision away from living your dream or nightmare life. Either way, you get to decide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What does it take to run your own YouTube channel? According to Charli Marie, putting in the work is a good place to start. We know that’s not the advice you wanted to hear. But that’s the practical truth. You have to do the hard work. By day, Charli is Creative Director at ConvertKit. A creative marketing platform made for creators. And also by day, she is a YouTuber on a mission to help designers improve their worth as professionals. It almost sounds too good to be true, but Charli has built herself what some may call a dream job. On her personal channel, she shares what she’s working on at her day job. The good, the bad, and even the financial aspects of it. Which makes her content so fascinating. These are real projects with real stakes attached to them. In this episode, Charli and Chris discuss how she balances these two roles, that can be at odds from time to time, and her strategy for doing so. But most of the conversation centers around what it’s like running your own YouTube channel. The benefits, the frustrations, and the awkwardness of recording yourself. If you aspire to start your own YouTube channel then give this episode a listen. It’s a long game, but you can learn from those that have played it. This episode is sponsored by Storyblocks - https://www.storyblocks.com/futur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the final round, Mo and Chris discuss what success means and how you can reverse engineer someone else’s. If you’re thinking, “but how do I effectively do that?” then you are asking the wrong question. There are no shortcuts. The path is tough and you will struggle. There is no way around it. But the reward you get, is efficiency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In round 4, Mo and Chris discuss goals and expectations. When it comes to setting goals, you should be uncompromising in them, but flexible in how you achieve them. If the plan is not working, change the plan, not the goal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Round 3 is all about balance. Mo asks something personal of Chris: how do you balance this uncompromising purpose and your responsibility as a husband and father? It’s a fantastic question and something that many people struggle with. Especially when it comes to making big, scary decisions. As the expression goes, if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In round 2, Chris and Mo tackle the concept of ikigai. That is, how to live your life to it’s fullest potential. Theoretically, it makes good sense, but when it comes to taking action so few of us have the courage to do so. We are creatures of habit and comfort. The hard work and failure that leads to fulfillment is not an easy sell. But why is that? And how can you persevere in spite of that discomfort? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
To celebrate our 150th episode of The Futur podcast we are releasing a new episode every day this week for a total of 5 episodes. We call them 5 Rounds with Mo. In each episode The Futur Pro Group member and friend of the show, Mo Ismail, will ask Chris a tough question and he won’t let him off the hook until he’s happy with the answer. In round one, Mo asks Chris about how he’s able to break big, complex problems down into something that anyone can understand. And how he does it without letting his emotions interfere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Henry Kaminski Jr. is a self-taught graphic designer and brand consultant. Over the past decade he’s built a multi-million dollar design business. But the road there was filled with rusty nails. Some of which were ready to force him off the road and into a ditch. In this episode, Henry shares his origin story. From surviving his tumultuous youth to earning his first million. Since he and Chris are close, it feels like you’re listening to old friends having a sincere—and at times difficult—candid conversation. Chris and Henry talk about the dynamics of business, family and how when the two overlap it can lead to a lifetime of trouble and heartache. Think of this conversation as part business story, part therapy. It’s rare that we’re able to be this vulnerable on our show and a kind reminder that we can learn a lot when we do allow ourselves to be. Sponsored by Storyblocks - storyblocks.com/futur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Are you familiar with the term “golden handcuffs”? It’s a phrase that refers to financial incentives given to employees to make them stick around. Because when you have everything you need, why would you ever want to leave? In this episode, we talk with illustrator, graphic designer, and Futur Pro Group member, Anthony Banks who—at the time this was recorded in 2018—was considering a big career move. But he is conflicted. His job is stable. It pays well. All of which is good for his family. For all intents and purposes, Anthony is doing just fine. But is fine enough? Or, without any room to grow in his current position, is he riding a slow boat to nowhere? The conversation you’re about to hear is from 2018. The world feels like a different place now, but our the dilemma remains the same: are golden handcuffs worth it? We do the math and find out.
Sponsors Skillshare - https://skillshare.com/futur BetterHelp - https://betterhelp.com/futur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to another special episode format we call Hey Chris. We take listener submitted questions and make Chris answer them on the spot. No reading them ahead of time. No preparation. No time to think. Just a candid conversation between Chris Do and Greg Gunn. In this episode we answer four unique questions about topics like how to apply value based pricing (and when not to), positioning your business, whether to spend your time learning or doing, and and how to find your purpose. Have a question for Chris? Visit thefutur.com/heychris and ask away. This episode is sponsored by Storyblocks - https://www.storyblocks.com/futur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When he would get sent to detention, he’d spend his time there drawing for hours. And despite growing up in a super small town in South Carolina, he had access to an amazing art program. With the help of a nurturing mother, and a lot of talent and hustle, Douglas worked his way into a design career but always wanted more. He had spent a lot of his life creating, but came to a point where he wanted to explore the business side as well, and moved into strategy. In this week's conversation, Chris talks to Douglas about growing up and going to school with very few resources, moving into the world of strategy and the value it has provided both for Douglas's clients and himself, and Douglas's hustle as a teacher, bringing up a new generation. Douglas shares his unique perspective on life itself and how important it is to do what you love. “Life is long,” Douglas says. “Do you want to spend your life going to a job you hate?” After completing an arts program from Hampton University, Douglas took his resume and experience and applied to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. He studied communication design and discovered the problem-solving capabilities of graphic design. During his time at Pratt, Douglas was inspired to teach and work in the industry he had grown to love so much. When he was just 22 years old, Douglas was found and hired at Juno Online Services, but lost the job a year later when a recession hit. Then, when he was kicked out of his apartment at 25 years old, he became an adjunct professor. With so many forces going against him, Douglas persevered through curveball after curveball. He learned to hustle and keep going despite the scarcity of opportunities. Douglas’s story is nothing short of inspiring. We highly encourage you to listen and hear how he turned from designer to strategist, to now teach other creatives the business of design. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The internet can make people look very one dimensional. When in reality, they are far from. Ognjen Topic is a great example of that. He is a graphic designer and also a three time world champion in the competitive martial art, Muy Thai. You’ll hear about Ognjen’s tumultuous life journey as a Serbian born in Bosnia. Civil war forced his family to flee the country and ultimately immigrate to the United States where he fell in love with graphic design and developed a secret fighting career. You might think that fighting and design don’t have much in common, and you’re probably right. But one important concept they do share is mindset. So how do you prepare when your life (or serious injury) is on the line? What kind of training do you need? And how can you develop the mental fortitude it takes to survive? Not to overdramatize creative work, but putting yourself out there and taking on jobs can be scary. Maybe not get punched in the liver scary, but emotionally just as frightening. In this episode, our Ognjen shares his mindset for how to use your fear as a tool to help guide you through a scary situation. - Sponsored by Storyblocks https://www.storyblocks.com/futur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode comes from a Clubhouse Q&A hosted by Billy and Glenn Lundy of Breakfast with Champions. During this candid chat, they ask Chris a series of questions about mindset and marketing. Things like how and why you should be specific with your goals, what creativity really means (hint: it’s not just for artists and designers), and why our future is in the hands of creative thinkers. Also, there is a great listener Q&A where people put Chris on the spot and he offers real time, personalized guidance. If you have any interest in changing your mindset—especially about marketing—then you will love this one. Thank you to Skillshare for sponsoring this episode: https://www.skillshare.com/futur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We talk a lot about branding. What it is, what it means, and how it works. But Kirsty Minns lives it. And excels in it at the highest creative level. Kirsty is the executive creative director at Mother Design in London. Mother is a world famous agency and you’ve probably come in contact with one of their incredible campaigns at some point. In this episode, we follow Kirsty through her entire career and hear about the personal and professional choices she made that ultimately lead her to where she is today. You’ll hear about what drives Kirsty’s endless curiosity, how she specializes in not specializing, and why playing the comparison game will only lead you to unhappiness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If punk rock were a genre of design agency, then SNASK would be the Sex Pistols. As they state on their website, SNASK is a “creative agency of misfit geniuses conquering the world through fine lookin’ design and real emotions. To worry about what people think of us is a waste of time.” Freddie Ost is the founder of SNASK and we were fortunate enough to have him on the show and really get to know the person behind the eccentric agency. In the spirit of his business, the conversation oscillates between emotional vulnerability and playfulness. So if all goes well, you will laugh, cry, and be inspired in no particular order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Copywriting is hard. Which is why we always appreciate great copy when we see it. It’s usually simple, clear, and tickles your brain if written well. Cole Schafer is a creative writer. By day he runs a small advertising business called Honey Copy. By night, he writes and publishes poetry under the alias, January Black. He’s got a lot to say and he does it without mincing words. But in a way that will make you smirk. In this episode, Cole and Chris talk about the nuance and challenges of language and how to wield it with grace. We’ll hear about how he found writing, why he left a well-paying agency job for manual labor, and how to name a $15 cookie so that people will happily buy it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Humans are inherent copy machines. Emulation is how we learn to walk, talk and navigate the world. But when it comes to ideas—especially ones we deem “original”—things are different. We become hyper critical of imitation and resent anything close to a copy of our own. Obsessing over ideological ownership. But what we don’t do, is turn that critical lens on ourself. Copy, transform, and combine. According to Kirby Ferguson, this is the recipe for creativity. Kirby is a filmmaker, speaker, and writer. You probably know him best from his acclaimed documentary, Everything is a Remix. You can watch it for free on YouTube and we promise that it will change that way you think about originality And maybe help you let go of that inner critic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Picture yourself at the airport. You’ve just returned from a long, arduous flight and you are exhausted. The last thing you want is to get in your car and make the lengthy drive home. So you open a ride sharing app, hail a car, and moments later you are on your way home. And the car is driving itself while you nap in the back seat. Strangely enough, if you live in the metro-Phoenix area, you can do that. All with the help of autonomous ride service, Waymo. Lauren Schwendimann is the interaction design lead for Waymo. Her and her team are responsible for designing all consumer touch points for the company. Both the app and the rider experience. If you thought designing a website was tough, imagine designing a driverless car experience. How do you quell that innate fear and skepticism of a robot driving you around? In this episode, we talk about human-centered design, the inherent challenges of new technology, and what skills you need to be a great UX designer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When you think of a design agency you might imagine a large, bustling office, with an open floor plan, teaming with creative people. And most of the time, reality would meet your expectations. But not all of the time. Because that's not what Philadelphia based agency, Superfriendly, is. It’s not even close. Superfriendly is a distributed design collaborative. Which means their team members reside all over the world. Like specialized creative agents, they are tapped to collaborate on projects that maximize both their skill and their personal experience. Our guest in this episode—Dan Mall—is the founder and sole employee of Superfriendly. Dan shares how and why he structured his agency the way he did and why having the right people in the room is how you win. You will also hear how Dan reverse engineered his entire career. From entry level designer to agency strategist and the double-edged sword of youthful arrogance. But the most compelling part of this conversation is how Dan and Chris discuss pricing. You’re probably familiar with the various pricing models. Like hourly, value-based, cost plus, etc. But have you ever thought about the ethics involved in each? Some may think value-based pricing is unethical. Others might argue that charging hourly is. Who’s right? And what’s the most important part of the equation? We’ll let you decide, but we suggest you listen to this episode first. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What is a brand? What is branding supposed to do? And can you control your own brand? In this Clubhouse Q&A, Chris is joined by Dr. Christine Looser. You might remember her from episode 109. Dr. Looser teaches marketing and branding, and is the head of business, at startup school, The Minerva Project. If you have any kind of interest in branding, then save or bookmark this episode. Because you will want to re-listen to it. The conversation gets brainy and there are plenty of SAT words throughout it. But it is a deep and fascinating dive into the concept of branding. Christine puts Chris on the spot (which is always entertaining) and the two delve deep into the evolution of our brains and culture to try and make sense of the phenomena we call a “brand.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mr. Ben Burns is The Futur’s Chief Financial Officer. You might recognize him as the bearded fellow on our YouTube channel. Though officially our CFO, Ben dons several more hats day-to-day. Self-taught designer, web developer, general steward of our company, and father of two. In this episode, we get to know to the man behind the mouse. His origin story, how he met Chris (and got his attention in the first place), and why firing all of his clients was the best move for both his business and career. Ben also shares his experience in the military and police force and how it helped shape who he is and—ultimately—why he traded his gun and badge for a mouse and keyboard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This conversation comes from a live Clubhouse discussion. In the event you don’t know what Clubhouse is, it’s an invite-only social media app that fosters group discussion through live audio. In this episode, Chris joins photography rep, agent, and manager—Andrea Stern—in her photo business forum. The topic: what do you do when you’re stuck in your career? Andrea helps photographer get work and develop their careers. She’s done so for over two decades. But times change. And so does the professional landscape. What drove advertising and got you work twenty years ago, doesn’t work as well today. As a seasoned professional, how do you compete with young up-and-comers? Especially when they have tens of thousands of followers, and you don’t. And that actually matters to clients. In this live Q&A, Andrea and Chris field questions from people that are bored, stuck, or uninspired in their careers. And although they don’t always agree, Andrea and Chris both offer beacons of hope for an unknown future. Being a creative professional is not easy. How do you balance honing your craft, running a business, and marketing yourself? And how do you keep up and age into your career? We’ll let Andrea and Chris answer those big questions for you. But we will say this: if you don’t adapt the times, the times will leave you behind. All the more reason to listen to this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This is part 2 of our conversation with struggling artist turned dice-making millionaire, Karen Wang. If you missed part 1, go back an episode and listen to that first. In part 2, Karen shares her experience launching her first Kickstarter—which ultimately lead to $2 million in sales. You’ll hear about how she got into dice-making, what she learned, and all the interesting mistakes along the way. You might think raking in millions of dollars in sales is great. But what happens when you have to then follow through? How do you deal with such massive demand? And what other pitfalls do you have to look forward to? Instant success comes with a responsibility. And Karen is no stranger to that fact. Listen to how she’s navigated the world of manufacturing and all the big challenges that come with it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When you hear that someone is an “overnight success”, rarely did it happen overnight. But our guest in this episode is kind of the exception. Kind of. Karen Wang is the founder of Dispel Dice. A luxury dice-making business that was Kickstarted into existence. Over the course of her 30 day campaign, she raised over $2 million. All for her stunning, beautiful, and bespoke dice. And that first $1 million, happened on day one. If your jaw isn’t on the floor, then please re-read that last paragraph. Because that kind of support for a debut Kickstarter campaign is unheard of. But the path leading up to that fateful launch was no walk in the park. The same morning Karen pulled in her first million from Kickstarter, was the same morning her bank called to say that she had overdrawn her account. In this two part episode Karen walks us through the windy, bump-ridden road she took to build the incredible business she runs today. In part 1, we get to know the person behind the dice. How she went from feeling unfulfilled, unhappy, and dropping out of art school to finding her calling through a friendly game of Dungeons & Dragons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
To say that the advertising world is competitive, would be like saying that water is wet. People fight tooth and nail to land big clients. For every account that is won, another is lost. And missing the mark on a pitch you’ve poured your soul into can be heartbreaking. But advertising is also thrilling. You're given a unique problem and it's up to you and your teammates to solve it. Like group of creative detectives. In this episode we were given the rare opportunity to speak with someone operating at the highest level of advertising. Tim Maleeny is the President and Chief Strategy Officer for global agency, Havas. He also writes mystery novels. Tim explains how advertising, strategy, and just being a human all work together. In his twenty plus years working in the industry, he's learned what matters to clients and how to win people over. As an expert brand strategist he also knows when to sell, when to engage, and when to simply celebrate. If you work for an agency, run your own, or are just curious about how brand strategy in advertising works, then you will enjoy this chat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth.” We love that quote from Mike Tyson. It encapsulates life so well. You can do everything right—even go above and beyond—and still be a fantastic failure. But as they like to say: failure is inevitable. It’s how you deal with it that matters. Pat Flynn is an acclaimed podcaster, author, entrepreneur, and Pokémon card collector. Yes, you just read “Pokémon.” Growing up, he did everything right. Earned perfect grades. Landed the perfect, dream job. And then, was laid off. But that crushing defeat was the catalyst to his success to come. You might say that getting laid off was the best thing that ever happened to him. In this episode, Pat and Chris discuss failure’s role in success, the benefits of mastermind groups, and how helping others can truly change your life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why do you believe what you believe? How much of it was hardwired and how much of it did you inherit from other people? Like, for instance, your parents. This episode comes from a unique event that we like to call After Hours. It’s a raw, revealing, and open-ended discussion with Chris Do and some our friends from The Futur Pro Group. In this After Hours chat, we delve into how to reframe the way you think about goals. What they are, their meaning to you, and why looking to the past won’t help you today. And things get deep in this vulnerable pep talk. Albeit sage wisdom, you will hear tough love doled out from Chris. So buckle up, settle in, and please enjoy this deep chat, after hours at The Futur. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When it comes to talking about money, a lot of creative folk tend to get uncomfortable. Many of us believe that the work should speak for itself. And that the cost of something correlates with how long it takes to produce. But that’s not always true. There are plenty of ways to bill for your work. Hourly, daily, fixed price, value-based, and retainer. There’s even the good old barter system. Which way is the best? And is it fair and ethical to not bill for the time you spend on something? If these are questions you struggle with answering, then you are in the right place. Our guest, Tom Hirst, is a freelance web developer, author, and mentor. Beyond building custom websites, his specialty is pricing. How to think about it and how to talk about it with your clients. As much as we all want it to, talent alone will not magically get you work. No matter what business you’re in. You need to market, need to sell, and you certainly can’t shy away from talking about money. Do yourself—and your business—a favor and listen up. Because we’re going to change the way you think about pricing forever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If you could go back in time and learn something new, what would it be? What thing would you study to better equip you for the world and you live in today? In the business world, designers now have a seat at table. They do more than just make things pretty. Their decisions and actions have a direct impact on the bottom line. Which means they have a responsibility to the business. Something that isn’t taught in art school. Our guest in this episode, Abby Guido, is an assistant professor of graphic and interactive design at Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University. She’s got an MBA, her own design practice, and one piece of advice for her students: focus. Abby and Chris discuss teaching philosophies, the role teachers play in the creative process, and try to answer the question: what should we teach people? The two don’t agree on every little thing, but they do agree on this portfolio advice: if they can’t figure out who you are and what you do in less than 60 seconds, they’re moving on to someone else. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What do you think it means to be a creative director? It’s not a trick question. Take a moment to think about it. What does a creative director do exactly? What skills do they need to do it? You might think that being a great creative director is all about honing your craft and having a creative vision for your work. In other words, it’s all about you and your creative decisions. But is that true? This episode comes from a livestream we held in early 2019. It’s all about answering the question: how do you become a creative director? And it comes from good authority. Our guest, Adam Morgan, is an Executive Creative Director at Adobe. Adam outlines nine steps to take on the path to becoming a creative director. And guess what? Eight of them have little to do with the quality of your work. We won’t spoil anything for you, but we agree with Adam. What makes you a great creative, won’t necessarily make you a great creative director. So instead of asking, “How do I become a creative director?” The more important question might be, “Is this the right path for me?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When you hear the term “side hustle”, how does it make you feel? Maybe you get excited and think of that one thing you’re passionate about. Or maybe it sends a cringe-filled chill down your spine. We ask because this episode’s guest, Herbert Lui, really hates that phrase. And he’s not alone. You may recall our conversation with Austin Kleon where he shared his own contempt for that same term. When it comes to words and language, nuance is everything. Two people can say the exact same thing, yet each mean something quite different. That important nuance is often amplified in writing. One person’s hustle, is another person’s cringe. Herbert Lui is a writer and the editorial director at WonderShuttle. If you’re an avid reader—and a Kanye West fan—then you may have already read some of his work. He is the author of the unique ebook, The World According to Kanye. It’s really interesting and also free to read, so check it out when you get a chance. What we enjoyed most about the conversation you’re going to hear is how much it challenged the way we think about creativity. And how important it is to make room for (and be receptive to) other perspectives. That’s what creativity is, right? Finding unexpected and alternative ways to see things. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Do you know the difference between a freelancer and a small business owner? We won’t spoil it for you, but there is an important mindset distinction. And it can change everything about the way you do business. In tis deep dive episode, we talk with former software developer and author, Jonathan Stark. If you’re a long time follower of The Futur, then you’ll recognize that name. Jonathan’s mission is to rid the world of hourly billing. And in this Q&A session, he explains how you can do that. Transcend the hired gun, competing on price, and become someone who’s paid for the quality of their ideas. Jonathan also fields other questions about how to find new leads, figuring out who you should market to, and the pros and cons of specializing. If you’re raking it in and loving life, then give this a casual listen. But the rest of us should listen more carefully and use these free nuggets of knowledge to help our creative business pursuits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear — not absence of fear.” This poignant quote from Mark Twain taps into the theme of this episode: grit. As in fortitude, guts, backbone Think about the most accomplished people that you admire. What drives them? What is that endless source of fuel that keeps their fire burning? Especially through the darkest and coldest of nights. Our guest today, Mario Quezada, is a brand strategist and owner of a small design and branding agency in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is also an alumni of Art Center College of Art and Design. The same prestigious design school that Chris Do attended. In this episode, Mario and Chris talk about their experience growing up, feeling lost, and dealing with the ugly racism that the world showed them. They also swap stories about their unique experience at Art Center. The culture, the smell of the building, and the teachers that challenged their thinking and opened their mind to the possibilities of graphic design. Like Mr. Twain said: courage is resistance to fear. It builds character. And in this candid conversation, you’ll get to hear how two people navigate that fear. And how showing courage through it all got them to where they are today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This deep dive episode comes from a livestream we held way back in 2019 on The Futur’s YouTube channel. Our guest, Michael Janda, is the author of the best-selling book Burn Your Portfolio. He’s also a seasoned ad agency executive who helps creative entrepreneurs make more money with less stress. In this episode, we aim our focus on pricing creative work. A topic that every creative professional has struggles with. Michael walks you through a step by step process on how to price your work and how to parse all the variables that come with it. Things like production cost, market value, and client budget, to name a few. If you ever find yourself lost in the bidding process or pulling numbers out of thin air, then get ready to get schooled. Because you’re about to get a crash course in pricing creative work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Have you ever heard someone say that an idea “has legs”? What they mean is that the idea can endure and stay relevant over time. Because that’s what good ideas do—they stick around. Jason Harris is the CEO and co-founder of acclaimed ad agency, Mekanism. They do fantastic and progressive work for some of the best clients around. Brands like Peleton, Jose Cuervo, and Ben & Jerry’s. As a seasoned ad man, Jason knows a good idea when he sees it. And he knows how to present that idea to a client while be a true collaborator in the process. In this episode, Jason shares what he’s learned from running an agency for over 15 years. He talks about the power of branding, building community, and why great storytelling is at the heart of his agency’s success. It’s not often we get to speak with people in Jason’s shoes. If you work at agency—or aspire to start your own some day—then pay attention to this one. Because to survive and thrive, it takes more than just putting out great work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If you’ve followed us for a while, then you’ve probably heard the name Blair Enns a few times. Blair is a business consultant, speaker and author of the acclaimed book, The Win Without Pitching Manifesto. And if you were to ask Chris Do what one book you should read is, it would be that one. We’ve had Blair on the show before, but we wanted to share this deep dive livestream with you because it’s filled with invaluable information. The insights that Blair shares and the perspective he offers is unmatched. You can actually hear Chris’s giddiness during their conversation. They cover a lot of ground in this talk. Discussing things like specializing vs generalizing, how to measure the value you bring to the table, pricing the client not the job and, of course, value based pricing. But the best part is that these are universal business concepts. You’ll find them everywhere outside of the creative industry, but Blair does a fantastic job of contextualizing them for people like us—the creative professional. We suggest listening to the episode once, all the way through. Then on another day, listen to it again. But this time, take notes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When you hear the term “high performance” you might think about professional athletes. People who go through intense physical and mental training to prepare their mind and body for the game. Not to sound like a meme, but what if we told you that you could borrow similar training techniques to improve your creative performance? Well, according to Erik Korem, there are plenty of parallels between creatives and athletes. High stress, long hours, and intense mental focus. And although he comes from a sports science background, having coached professional NFL players and olympic athletes, the concepts translate. Eat well, rest well and take care of yourself. In this episode, Erik offers tips for how you can become more adaptable, why rest is critical to your success and how your brain and body play an important role in creativity. High performance creative. It’s got a nice ring to it. Thank you to Gusto for sponsoring this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dustin Lee is the founder of RetroSupply Co, a marketplace for retro brushes, textures, fonts, and more. Over the years, he’s carved out a unique position in the creative tool market. When you search for retro or vintage brushes for Illustrator, Photoshop, and Procreate you’re going to bump into his website. It's a great example of finding your niche. Dustin’s conversation with Chris centers around how creatives can start to think about passive income. But unlike a lot of other talks you have heard or read on the subject, Dustin gets into tactics. Like how to choose the right product, building something that stands out, and overcoming the aversion to marketing. If you're interested in using your creative skills to generate passive income, then this episode will make you happy. Grab your notebook (or laptop) and get ready to take notes. Thank you to Gusto for sponsoring this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2020 normalized the concept of remote work. Many people were forced to take their office home and find new ways to do business and stay connected. Whether they liked it or not. But before the pandemic, remote work wasn’t all that common. Which makes our guest, Cameron Pierron, quite the anomaly. Cameron worked remotely before it was cool. Like, in 2001. And he worked with big names, like Kyle Cooper and Danny Yount. Titans of the motion design industry. All from his home in the mid-West. In Kansas City. This conversation is from 2018, which feels like it was 10 years ago, but we’re willing to bet that people still believe you need to live on the coast, in a major city to work with big companies on high profile projects. Spoiler alert: not true. In fact, it’s far easier to to land those jobs now more than ever. And Cameron is a testament to that statement. He still lives in the mid-West, is self-taught, and continues to work with some of largest companies in the world. In this episode, Cameron walks us through his journey from remote freelancer, to studio owner, to now teaching motion design and creating educational products. He covers the steps and decisions he made to get where he is and even shares the financial milestones that came with it. From his early freelancing day rate to his current business’s revenue goals. If you feel landlocked and like there’s no way you’ll make it to the big leagues, then give this chat a listen. Maybe it will change your mind. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This is part two of a two part series where we reverse the roles and have our beloved founder and The Futur CEO, Chris Do, answer the questions. If you haven’t listened to part one, stop what you’re doing and go listen to that episode first. In part two, we pick up where we left off. With Chris’ vision of what The Futur, both the company and the concept, looks like. He and Anneli discuss the power of company culture, engaging with internet trolls and why mission over money is the best path forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If you’re a regular listener of the show, then you know our format: Chris Do talks with an interesting guest while carefully poking and prodding them with questions. All in hopes of learning as much about their experience as humanly possible. But today, we’re flipping everything on it’s head. In this two part series, the roles are reversed. Our guest, and Futur Pro Group member Anneli Hannson, will interview Chris. Think of it like a deep dive into the mind of Mr. Do. The person, the businessman, and the educator. In part one, we get to hear Chris’ origin story. About how an introverted refugee became the confident teacher and YouTuber you admire today. It’s easy to make assumptions about people, especially when you haven’t walked in their shoes. And this is probably the closest you can get to wearing Chris’ sneakers. He shares personal stories about his family fleeing Saigon, living life as a cultural outsider, and why it’s so important to have—and to follow—your own internal compass. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Have you ever heard of The Game of Life? It’s a multiplayer board game that was invented by Milton Bradley in the 19th century. The idea was to simulate a person going through all of their life experiences. School, marriage, jobs, and so on. And you, the player, get to decide what they do. Eric Siu lives his life as if it were a game. It’s no surprise that he is a big gamer, but he’s also an incredibly successful marketer and businessman. Eric runs a marketing agency, a software company, and is the host of two successful podcasts. And the secret to his success? Gamification. Applying the concepts of leveling up to yourself and your business. Everyone starts as a Level 1, but how far you go is up to you. In this episode, Eric and Chris go deep into marketing tactics. From targeted ad buys to good old SEO and everything in between. But most importantly, they talk about what you can do with your creativity and how to apply it to marketing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When you hear the term sound design, you might think of fight sequences from action films. Like a fist landing on someone’s face, the cocking of a shotgun or even a building exploding into a giant ball of fire. But you probably don’t think about the subtle atmospheric sound design that permeates your screen. The icy wind underscoring an arctic journey. The ambient noise of a crowded outdoor market unique to Bangkok. Great sound design often goes unnoticed. It takes you out of your seat and submerges you into the story. Adding a new invisible ingredient to the experience. Our guest in this episode is Dallas Taylor. You may know him as the host and creator of Twenty Thousand Hertz, a lovingly crafted podcast revealing the stories behind the world’s most recognizable and interesting sounds. He’s also the Creative Director of Defacto Sound, where he has led thousands of high-profile projects ranging from blockbuster trailers and advertising campaigns to Sundance award-winning films and major television series. In this unique episode, Dallas talks about why sound is just as important as your other senses. Because if you care about the taste of your food or the smell of a room, then you should care about sound just as much. He and Chris also discuss the business side of working in sound and what it takes to make a living doing so. The storytelling, sonic branding and how to get clients excited to work with you on the first call. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Streaming great music is easy to come by these days. You can search for almost any artist you want on Spotify or Apple Music and listen to them in a few seconds. The Beatles, Metallica and even Tool all have their discography up in the proverbial cloud. But there’s one place online that’s home to a unique genre of music. Music that’s streaming all day, every day. Whether you're listening or not. Chillhop Music is a music label based out of Rotterdam. They work with artists who primarily make relaxing beats and music to help you, well, chill. They stream this wonderful and mellow music 24/7 on YouTube. And over the years, have amassed over three million subs. In today's episode, we talk with the man behind the music label: Bas van Leeuwen. Bas majored in international business, but is slowly and deliberately finding his way back to creativity. He and Chris talk about where Chillhop came from, how they work with artists and, of course, the business behind it all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This is part two of our fascinating talk with illustrator, children’s book author and creative entrepreneur, Arree Chung. If you haven’t listened to part one yet, go do that first. In this second episode, Arree talks us through his business plan and the unique opportunity he had to teach kids (and their parents) how to be creative. And how doing that earned him over $400K in 36 hours. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Arree Chung is an illustrator, children's book author and creative entrepreneur. He’s also a member of The Futur Pro Group. But more importantly, he’s a shining example of how to find the silver lining in a bad situation. Like say, a pandemic. It’s no mystery why businesses across the planet have been decimated. And our guest is no exception. But what he does excel at, especially during these miserable times, is pivoting his way out of it. Arree’s remarkable story comes with many twists, turns and tough life lessons. Like leaving a salary of $120K a year to pursue happiness that only pays $30K. All while shouldering hundreds of thousand of dollars in tuition debt. But like we said, there is a silver lining. Which is why he now happily pays $8K/month in Zoom bills. And he does it debt free. Is that enough mystery for you? We think so. You’ll have to listen to this two part episode to really appreciate it what that means. Thank you to Gusto for sponsoring this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Koen Bok is the CEO and founder of the free web-based prototyping tool, Framer. Their mission is to bridge the imagination gap, so that you, your team and even your client are all speaking the same language. In this episode, Koen shares what life was like as a young kid, growing up in the Netherlands who is fascinated by computers. A fascination that developed into a legitimate business that was ultimately acquired by Facebook. Thanks to Gusto for sponsoring this episode - gusto.com/futur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Lauren Hom is an accomplished hand lettering artist, designer and founder of Detroit-based studio, Hom Sweet Hom. She initially started in her career in advertising, working at one of largest agencies on the planet. But what started as a dream job, quickly became less and less dreamy over time. And exciting new opportunities were ripe for the taking. Thanks to Gusto for sponsoring this episode - gusto.com/futur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This is a companion episode to our previous chat with The Minerva Project managing director, Ayo Seligman. We had a great follow up conversation with professor Christine Looser, but it felt too long and too complex for a regular episode. So we’re releasing it as a bonus. If you haven’t listened to Ayo's episode, then go listen to that one first. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ayo Seligman is the managing director of brand and creative at Minerva Project. If you’re not already familiar with it, Minvera Project is an educational innovator that is redesigning the way people learn. Ayo tells Chris about graduating from UCLA’s design program and how starting a zine on the internet landed him a job at one of the most prestigious design firms in the world. Thanks to Gusto for sponsoring this episode. gusto.com/futur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hayley Akins runs an online education company called Motion Hatch. They help motion designers with their businesses and creative careers. Hayley and Chris discuss her journey from studying film production, working for Google and the transition from full time to freelance to ultimately, starting her own community focused business. Thanks to Gusto for sponsoring this episode - gusto.com/futur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jeff Lerner is the founder and CEO of Entre Institute, a platform that teaches people how to build business’ and make a living in non-traditional ways. Which makes sense, because when he was a kid he dropped out of high school and taught himself jazz piano to pay the bills. Eventually, he traded the piano keys for a keyboard, started his own affiliate marketing business and dug himself out of insurmountable debt—about $400K to be exact. Thanks to Gusto for sponsoring this episode. gusto.com/futur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Black Friday is right around the corner. To kick things off we will be dropping time limited deals all month on our products and courses.
We will also be hosting a series of Winter workshops covering a variety of topics like Brand Strategy, Instagram, Video Storytelling, Print Production, and Illustration.
Visit thefutur.com/blackfriday to stay in the know. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Timothy Goodman is a traditionally trained graphic designer turned artist. At least, that’s what his grandmother calls him. But you might recognize his work from murals, graffiti, The Patriot Act show on Netflix, or even his collaboration with international clothing brand, Uniqlo. As designers, we’re taught not to insert our opinions into our work, but our guest does the exact opposite. Beyond the wild strokes in his artwork, there is one theme that resonates through it all: he takes a stand on issue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jeff Lotman is the founder and CEO of brand licensing agency, Global Icons. You may be asking yourself: what exactly is that? Rest assured, you are not alone. As he puts it, they “operate in an incredibly misunderstood field that no one knows about.” In this episode, Jeff and Chris talk about the world of invisible marketing. Pairing brands with products that you wouldn’t think necessarily go together. Thanks to Gusto for sponsoring this episode - gusto.com/futur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tarzan Kay is an expert in email marketing. In fact, it’s her superpower. And one that she's built a successful business with. In this episode, Tarzan and Chris talk about her journey from jazz pianist, to lawyer, to copywriter and ultimately course creator. She talks about how her sheltered upbringing paved the way for a rebellious spirit and doesn’t shy away from talking about money. You’ll get to hear the what, the how and the why of her business and all of it’s revenue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Matthew Helderman is the founder and CEO of Buffalo 8, a film and television production company in Santa Monica, CA. He also co-founded the media financing firm, BondIt Media Capital, which is now one of the leading film financing firms around. Thanks to Framer for sponsoring this episode - framer.com/thefutur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jone Korpi is an entrepreneur, brand strategist and salesperson who helps creatives get more clients. He’s also 19 years old. Jone walks Chris through his thinking and sales tactics for identifying and contacting prospective clients on LinkedIn. And he does it step by step. You could literally write it down and try it out yourself. But talking the talk and walking the walk are two different things. Thanks to Framer for sponsoring this episode - framer.com/thefutur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We did it! 100 episodes of The Futur Podcast. To celebrate this milestone we invited members from our community to join us on Zoom for a live Q&A with Chris Do and Greg Gunn. Big thanks to everyone that joined in the festivities and asked questions along the way. And thank you for your support and for allowing us into your ears for this long. Here’s to 100 more! Thanks to Framer for sponsoring this episode - framer.com/thefutur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Benjamin Shapiro is a brand development and marketing strategy consultant turned podcaster. He runs the MarTech Podcast, which is short for marketing technology. He initially started the podcast as a side project, to help onboard new clients. But it has since blossomed into a bonafide business leading him to start his own podcasting network. This episode is sponsored by Framer - framer.com/thefutur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dean Graziosi is a New York Times best-selling author, real estate investor, and successful entrepreneur. But it didn't come easy. He learned how to transform a tumultuous childhood into fuel for personal growth and business development. Thanks to Framer and Hover for sponsoring this episode. framer.com/thefutur.com hover.com/thefutur.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Andy J. Pizza is a podcaster, public speaker and illustrator best known for his optimistic and energetic show, Creative Pep Talk. Andy describes himself as a personal growth junkie, but we think his real secret weapon is knowing the value of creativity and understanding how to use it in the world of business. Thank you to our sponsors for this episode, Framer and Hover. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This Deep Dive episode comes from a 2018 livestream we hosted with marketing legend, Seth Godin. In this value packed conversation, Seth talks about how writer’s block is a myth, what it takes to be a professional, and why the world needs more artists who love what they do, despite the uncertain outcomes. This episode is sponsored by Framer. framer.com/thefutur.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to a special, new episode format that we call “Hey Chris.“ It’s a candid and casual conversation where Chris answers your most most burning questions. And Greg gets to spring them on him. Have a question for Chris? Visit thefutur.com/heychris and ask away. This episode is sponsored by Framer. framer.com/thefutur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What do you need to know to start and run a design business? We dug deep into the podcast archive to find and share this episode. Even though this conversation is almost four years old, the concepts Chris shares in it are timeless. If you’re thinking about starting up your own creative business, or rethinking the one you have, then don’t sleep on this one. This episode is sponsored by Framer - framer.com/thefutur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode of Deep Dive, Chris talks with content creator Unmesh Dinda, but you might know him better by his YouTube moniker, PiXimperfect. He teaches people everything there is to know about Adobe Photoshop and with over 2 million subscribers, he seems to be doing something right. This episode is sponsored by Framer - framer.com/thefutur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode of Deep Dive, Chris talks with mindfulness instructor, Cynthia Kane, about how to process your feelings and find the right language to clearly express them. Easer said than done of course, but the stories and techniques Cynthia shares will help. If you’re in your head too much and struggle with how to make sense of your thoughts and feelings, this discussion might help. This episode is sponsored by Framer - framer.com/thefutur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Have a question that you want Chris to answer? Ask away. - Chris talks with the people’s champion, Aaron Draplin, about having a following among your peers, honoring your parents, and managing success. Aaron Draplin is one of the most well-known and recognizable graphic designers to date. He’s known for his logo designs, popular design course on Skillshare, and his loud personality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Want to help support The Futur Podcast? Fill out this super short survey: https://bit.ly/futur-survey Jordan Harbinger is the host of his own podcast, The Jordan Harbinger show. He’s talked with incredible people like Kobe Bryant, Mark Cuban, Malcom Gladwell and Frank Abignail. He and Chris talk about the seedy world of contrepreneurs, the business of podcasting and why the best thing you can do for your brand is to uphold your duty to your audience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Want to help support The Futur? Fill out this super short survey: https://bit.ly/futur-survey Matt Essam is a creative business coach. Think of him like the British version of Chris Do. In this episode, he and Chris talk about finding their sense of purpose in life, and how everyone’s story has inherent value—even if you don’t see it just yet. They discuss strategies about how to become a better listener and why doing so is critical to the success of your business and client relationships. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We have a special clip from another podcast to share with you today. It’s called Finding Founders and it’s all about highlighting the entrepreneurial spirits here in Los Angeles.
This clip is from The Futur’s own Chris Do. He shares his origin story and path from refugee to business owner. We think you’ll like it a lot.
You can listen to the rest of the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you listen to your podcasts. Just search for Finding Founders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Want to help support The Futur? Fill out this super short survey: https://bit.ly/futur-survey Amy Balliett is the founder of Killer Visual Strategies. They’re a design studio in Seattle, Washington helping clients efficiently and effectively create meaning through design. Amy got a head start with entrepreneurship by owning her own ice cream parlor at age 17. Since then, she’s gone on to work as a video editor, film trailer marketer and—after several pivots later—founder, author and public spe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Want to help support The Futur? Fill out this super short survey: https://bit.ly/futur-survey Jose Gomez is the Executive Creative Director of Dallas based design agency, ATK PLN. He’s won an Emmy, built a skateboard brand as a teenager and continues to push the envelope in the worlds of motion design and live action. This episode is full of great stories about the triumphs and tribulations of running a creative business in the advertising world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Want to help support The Futur? Fill out this super short survey: https://bit.ly/futur-survey Reena Merchant is a UX Manager at Google and one of the few people we know that holds an MBA in Design Strategy. In this episode, Reena and Chris discuss her journey from shy kid to tech executive, the weight of family expectations and why believing in yourself is the best cure for self-doubt. And rest assured, Reena will lay out what exactly UX is and how you can go about learning it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Want to help support The Futur? Fill out this super short survey: https://bit.ly/futur-survey Hannah Corlett is the founder of architectural and urban design firm, HNNA. The projects she works on today, you may get to see 10 years from now, which means she spends a lot of time thinking about the future and how to design for it. In this episode, Hannah and Chris discuss what that future might look like for everyone and how urban designers and educators play in an integral role in shaping it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Randy Hereman has lived many professional lives. He started as a web-designer, then a professional kite-surfer, then a high rolling poker player and is now an execution coach, on a mission to help people become who they need to be to attain their goals. He also happens to be a member of The Futur Pro Group. If you don’t know what that is, visit the thefutur.com/pro to find out. It just might be where your people are. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Alex Zaccaria is the founder and CEO of Linktree. You might recognize that name from the millions of Instagram profiles that use their product. If you don’t know what Linktree is, go look it up. It is quite the handy social media tool. In this episode, Alex and Chris talk about Linktree’s remarkable growth and how they gain around 20,000 new sign ups every day, without spending much on customer acquisition. Sounds crazy right? Not if you build a great solution to a common problem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What do you think about when you hear the term, “virtual reality”? It's been part of the pop-culture and entertainment news cycle for a while, but still feels out of reach. There are cumbersome headsets you need to wear, low fidelity images and poorly designed experiences. Like or not, VR is on the cusp of changing our lives forever, which is why we were thrilled to have HP’s Global Lead of VR for Location Based Entertainment on the show, Joanna Popper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Adrien Behn is a seasoned world traveler, writer and comedic performer. This self-proclaimed “Jill of all trades“ ventures into new countries to seek out total strangers and listen to their stories. She then reports back about the most daring and interesting ones via her own podcast, Strangers Abroad. In this episode, Adrien and Chris discuss what makes great storytelling, the power of vulnerability and they allude to an unforgettable travel story that led to an audience member fainting mid-show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Michael Bungay Stanier is an Oxford graduate and author of the wildly popular book, The Coaching Habit. He is a champion of curiosity that believes the advice we so eagerly give is not nearly as good as we think it is. Michael founded Box of Crayons, a company that helps organizations transform from advice-driven to curiosity-led. His missions is to help shape how organizations around the world make being coach-like an essential leadership behavior. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sophia Ahamed is a designer and founder of design agency Monograph & Co. She and Chris go deep into the role that empathy plays in creative business. Spoiler alert: it's an important one. They talk about how losing someone can trigger a perspective shift and, subsequently, how you can use your own life experiences to build greater empathy with your clients. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Meg Lewis is a designer, comedian, performance artist, entrepreneur, meditation podcaster and a whole lot more. You might recognize her style, her voice and definitely her glasses, but after listening to this episode you will understand the power of her personal branding. Meg and Chris discuss how to take what's weird about yourself and turn it into a unique career advantage. After all, that's what creativity is: combining unrelated things to make something new. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode is fiery right from the start. Chris talks with brand strategist, Stef Hamerlinck, about the nuance of branding and why it matters. Though, the two don’t necessarily agree about any of it. If you are interested in branding, strategy and enjoy a healthy debate then you will love this episode. Chris and Stef get deep into the weeds of brand purpose, brand differentiation and why it's important for a brand to be just as good as it is unique. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode Chris talks with creative team, Beth Stafford and Jeremy Slagle. Together, they've written, illustrated and published two successful children's books that shine a light on the importance of teaching empathy to both parents and their kids. These two solopreneurs share how their collaborative spirit works, the perks and perils of social media and the unintended benefits of pursuing that side project you can't stop thinking about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Christine Outram is the CEO of Everydae—an education company aiming to provide affordable, fun and personalized learning. As a former architect, MIT graduate and self-proclaimed "systems thinker," she and her team are leading the race to create the world's smartest digital tutor and to bring families all over the world, the custom-tailored education they're looking for. If you're a fan of what we do here at The Futur, and our mission to change education, then you do not want to miss this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode of Deep Dive, The Futur’s Chief Content Officer, Matthew Encina, and Futur Video Content Producer, Mark Contreras, talk with executive coach, Marie Elena Rigo. They discuss their struggles with communication, leadership and the invisible pressure of working here at The Futur. Get a peek into the minds of our management team in this candid conversation about what life is like under our roof—warts and all. This episode is a long a one, but well worth the listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this powerful episode of our Deep Dive series, Chris talks with guest Kathryn Dyer about the power and importance of real, human connection. Kathryn shares the story of her fight for a cancer diagnosis and how that experience redefined her purpose in life. The two open up and go deep into one of the most genuine and vulnerable conversations The Futur has ever shared. https://www.instagram.com/kathryn_dyer/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Are you unknowingly addicted to stress? Do you have anxiety about work deadlines or keeping up with the hustle culture lifestyle? In this episode, Chris talks with multidisciplinary designer, Taylor Cashdan, about what too much stress can do to your body. Spoiler alert: Nothing good. Taylor shares his frightening (and enlightening) story about a trip to the hospital at the young age of 24. And about how important rest, recovery and reflection really is to your personal and creative success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode of Deep Dive, Chris talks with branding and marketing legend, Marty Neumeier. They discuss Marty’s journey from Art Center College of Design all the way through to his experience working in Silicon Valley. The two enter a deep conversation about connecting creativity to business, how to do better by doing less and answer the question: What is branding? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to a new series on The Futur podcast called Deep Dive. In this first episode, Chris talks with several members of The Futur Pro Group about their troubles communicating with clients. The conversation winds in and out of advice for learning how to speak clearly, stories from the community and candid role play between Chris and “the client.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ever wondered what it’s like to design for David and Victoria Beckham? And how do you go about designing a private jet or personal yacht? Well, todays guest has done all those things and then some. In this episode, Chris talks with acclaimed interior designer, Kelly Hoppen. Kelly is a world-renowned designer and prolific author of nine design books. She and Chris discuss her creative path, the blessing of growing up without the internet, and what it takes to be a true entrepreneur. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
You’ve probably seen one of his handwritten Instagram posts at some point, and that’s because Brooklyn based artist, Adam J. Kurtz (aka adamjk), has a lot to say. In this week’s episode, Chris talks with Adam about why he calls himself an artist and how channeling emotion into both his illustrative work and captivating lectures will leave you smiling and feeling empowered. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, Chris talks with entrepreneur and educator, Daniel Scott, about why teaching not only brings him joy, but how lucrative it can be for anyone willing to put in the work. They get deep into the inner workings of Daniel’s online teaching business, how he got started and even how much revenue he earns from it all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is there a tried and true path to creative success? Some say follow your passion, but that’s not what worked for this week’s guest. In this episode, Chris talks with YouTube design trend forecaster, Philip Van Dusen, about how following his curiosity led him to where to he needed to be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Can there be a balance between your work, your family and your life? If you work in the creative industry and struggle with work/life balance you are not alone. Motion design veteran, Robert Hranitzky, talks with Chris about the perks and perils of striking a balance between your love of work and your love for life and family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In episode 66, Chris Do talks with art director, illustrator and public speaker, Hank Washington. They talk about their experience and feelings about public speaking, finding your voice when giving talks, and how to feel at home in the design world as a person of color. Hank Washington - https://www.hankdesigns.com/ Creative South - https://www.creativesouth.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This is part two of our conversation with acclaimed author, Austin Kleon. If you missed part one, go give that a listen first. You can find it at - https://thefutur.com/podcast/dont-call-it-a-side-hustle-austin-kleon. In this episode, Chris and Austin discuss cultivating passions, why Austin considers himself a multi-hyphenate (not a polymath), and the most common misconceptions about his renowned book, Steal Like An Artist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, Chris Do talks with acclaimed author, Austin Kleon. They discuss two of his most interesting and popular books—Steal Like An Artist and Show Your Work. This conversation is so jam packed with stories and opinions on what it means to be creative that we broke it up into two parts. In part one, Austin and Chris discuss his background, what changed the game for him, and why he hates the term “side hustle.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What motivates someone to start a design conference? Why give your free time away to help facilitate the development of others? With little to no financial reward, why do this? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Higher earning. Lambda is designed for student success. They don't get paid until you do, so they’re in this together, from your first day of classes to your first day on the job — and beyond. At first it sounded crazy—a school without tuition. But when you dig deeper into how Austen Allred structures the Lambda School, you start wonder why all schools aren't structured this way. Shouldn't schools make an investment in students? Well, that's the premise. If Lambda guesses incorrectly, they lose their investment in their students. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What is marketing? What is branding? Is one more important than the other? What's the difference and where are the overlaps? This conversation with sparked by a controversial post by Story Brand author, Donald Miller, who states that branding isn't necessary unless you are doing more than $50m in revenue. Melinda Livsey and Fabian Geyrhalter join the podcast to share their thoughts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Entrepreneurial Spirit and How To Stand Out w/ ArtCenter legend Errol Gerson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Co-Founder of AJ&Smart, a Digital Product Design agency and self described nerdy-looking Irish guy has a remarkable story to share about nearly calling it quits to finding his focus. How did he do it? How did he become synonymous with "Design Sprints" and wind up co-creating a course with one of his mentors? Jonathan's energy, enthusiasm and transparency is truly inspiring. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Vice President of Adobe Design, Jamie Myrold has led large-scale design efforts at Adobe for more than ten years, leading the company’s development of the next generation of design tools. Her experience goes beyond restructuring and redesigning applications, but to redefining Adobe’s design business as well. In her role, Jamie aims to inspire the next wave of design leaders, encouraging her teams to push boundaries and develop leadership skills to define guidelines that help with all aspects of business strategy and product creation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode of The Futur was sponsored by the all-new Chase Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card. Joey Cofone is the CEO and Co-Founder of Baron Fig, a company that has succeeded by perfecting a simple tool crucial to the creative entrepreneur: the notebook. Launched in 2013 with a massively successful Kickstarter campaign, Baron Fig has gone on to expand its offerings and its business, but simplicity remains a common theme in both Joey’s business and his life. Joey spoke with Chris from his home in New York to let us in on what keeps him going. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode of The Futur was sponsored by the all-new Chase Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card. When Elay Cohen moved to Silicon Valley from his hometown of Toronto, he had dreams of starting his own successful company. It would be fifteen years until that dream came true, but it’s safe to say that it was worth the wait. SalesHood is changing the face of sales culture. During those first fifteen years, Elay became an expert in his field and became known in the tech world as one of the main players who helped grow Salesforce into the multi-billion-dollar enterprise it is today. Chris got a chance to sit down and chat with his client and friend to find out how Elay stays productive while he’s busy running a fast-growing company and writing his second book. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Originally planned to be a chemical engineer until I was hit by the double-punch combo of Jurassic Park and Toy Story - and then it was animation from there on. I've worked as an character animator on children's videos, created the visuals for industry-leading slot machines, and designed the opening titles for some of the highest rated shows on TV. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Lilian Darmono is a Creative and Art Director specialising in character-driven animated and illustrative pieces. Her expertise is helping clients communicate their brand message, through a diverse range of aesthetic and medium. Her spare time is dedicated to helping the creative community flourish through journalism, mentorship and public speaking engagements. This has included being a speaker at Faux Images Berlin, a guest lecturer at Maryland Institute College of Art, and many more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Lilian Darmono is a Creative and Art Director specialising in character-driven animated and illustrative pieces. Her expertise is helping clients communicate their brand message, through a diverse range of aesthetic and medium. Her spare time is dedicated to helping the creative community flourish through journalism, mentorship and public speaking engagements. This has included being a speaker at Faux Images Berlin, a guest lecturer at Maryland Institute College of Art, and many more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Recently, Chris went looking for some answers regarding gender inequality issues in design and opened himself up to the internet community. Needless to say, it went about as well as can be expected on the internet, BUT, through that experience, he did meet someone who was interested in helping him to find answers. Diane Gibbs, a designer and podcaster from Alabama reached out with an open heart and mind, and now she's on the podcast to talk about these issues. This is the second half of this series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Recently, Chris went looking for some answers regarding gender inequality issues in design and opened himself up to the internet community. Needless to say, it went about as well as can be expected on the internet, BUT, through that experience, he did meet someone who was interested in helping him to find answers. Diane Gibbs, a designer and podcaster from Alabama reached out with an open heart and mind, and now she's on the podcast to talk about these issues. This is part 1 of a 2 part series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Being the child of an immigrant makes the creative path a difficult one. A lot of sacrifices have been made, and, often times, families don't want to accept any career path outside of the Doctor/Lawyer safe zone. Chris has walked this path himself, so that gave him an instant connection with his guest, Handel Eugene, the son of Haitian immigrants. Handel has proven his talent to his parents, though, by creating a successful career for himself, most recently working on films like Spider-Man: Homecoming and Black Panther. Chris and Eugene discuss the path from being a dreamer to being a successful artist, to becoming a teacher, and how that has positively effected his own work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Douglas Davis was the kid who was drawing when the teacher was lecturing, creating when others were just coasting. With the help of a nurturing mother, and a lot of talent and hustle, Douglas worked his way into a design career, but always wanted more. He had spent a lot of his life creating, but came to a point where he wanted to explore the business side, as well, and moved into strategy. In this week's conversation, Chris talks to Douglas about growing up and going to school with very few resources, moving into the world of strategy and the value it has provided both for Douglas's clients and himself, and Douglas's hustle as a teacher, bringing up a new generation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How do more people find you? How do you get more clients? They make business possible, so we all want more of them, right? But clients tend to go with who they know. So, how do you get clients to know and trust you? Chris talks to Ryan Robinson, a Content Marketing Consultant, whose job is to help you gain that trust and those customers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The first time you meet someone, there are several things you judge them on. When you come into contact with a company or a product, though, their name is, almost universally, the first thing you judge them on, so a name is no small thing. In this episode, Chris talks with Eli Altman, who runs A Hundred Monkeys, the naming company started by his dad. Their mission is to jump through all of the hoops for a company to get them just the right name for their service or product. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jonathan Rudolph had been working as a graphic design for years, in different countries, when he decided to use his Instagram account as a public database for some of the work that inspired him the most. The account, Logo Inspirations, has grown to half a million followers, and Jonathan is now responsible for a community of design lovers. In this episode, we're going to talk about his journey, what it's like to run a popular Instagram account, day to day, and how he navigates the online business world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As a creative entrepreneur, you may find yourself at a crossroads. It may be a small one, or it may be a big one. One of the most valuable tools to have in your kit, in this situation, is the Knowledgeable Outsider - a person, or team of people, that have lived the same situations you're going through, and want to see you succeed. In this weeks conversation, Chris talks to Tim Thompson and Joel Pilger of RevThink, a consulting agency that specializes in being that Knowledgeable Outsider for the creative entrepreneur. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Matthew Workman might be best known for his popular YouTube channel Cinematography Database, which he started building after years in the industry shooting music videos, films, and commercials. He's been working on a Cinema4D plug in called Cine Designer for a while now, and, in this episode, Chris talks to Matthew about YouTube, using his channel as a jumping off point for business, and trying to balance multiple projects with the demands of every day life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ian Paget admits to not being very motivated as a kid, but when he became enthralled with design, as a teenager, nothing could stop him. In this episode, Chris talks to Ian about growing up without support for his dreams, how he uses his fears to motivate him to do better, and mastering the technology around him to bring in more clients. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is it true you can actually get work using Behance? How are people using Behance to get work? Do portfolio sites like Behance work? Is Behance better than Dribble for getting work? What do you need to do? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How to talk to a potential client during the first sales call or new business inquiry. How can you improve your client on-boarding process? What do you do when a client calls and asks "How Much?". How should you respond to new business inquiries? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Many people feel overwhelmed with consuming content and don't know what to do with it. How do you prioritize what to read, what to save for later, and what to do right now? Design therapy with Chris Do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What steps do you need to take to achieve your business goals? How do you grow your creative business? Melinda Livsey is back for another deep dive into breaking down her goals as a creative entrepreneur. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is it possible to charge more for a logo? How is it possible that some designers can charge tens of thousands of dollars more for essentially the same work? Chris and Melinda talk about the details of the logo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chris and Melinda discuss social media. Should you use personal or business accounts when posting on social media? Keep it separate? What should you post? How can I not let negative feedback affect me? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chris discusses whether you're able to charge to diagnose problems with co-host Melinda Livsey. Where to begin? Try mapping out something in your life where a professional has charged you to diagnose a problem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Join Chris, and co-host Melinda Livsey, as he coaches her on how to run her creative business to achieve focus, raise her rates and delegate work to others. This is an in-depth breakdown especially for freelancers who want to start their own business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ash Thorp has built his career in design and film from the ground up, succeeding while surrounded by a family of talented artists that were not able to reach the level that he has. In this episode Chris talks to Ash about the sacrifices he had to make to get where he is, including a year of work that would give him his biggest break while, simultaneously, being one of his biggest challenges, the online education company, Learn Squared, that he helped found, and the inner workings that have led him to success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chris talks with the people's champion, Aaron Draplin, about having a following among your peers, honoring your parents, and managing success. Aaron talks about his philosophy of working small, and the joy he is able to pull out of the world he has created around himself. http://draplin.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What does it mean to be a "King Maker"? With great power comes great responsibility. Chris talks to Justin Cone about how industry favorite website, Motionographer.com, came together, the ripple effect of being on their "Cream Of The Crop" list, and the landscape of revenue creation and usefulness for sites like his have changed over the last decade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chris sits down with Joey Korenman to talk about his journey from designer to educator, and opening the online education platform School Of Motion. They also discuss what it means to know what you're worth, and the fine art of discovering what a client needs, versus what they want. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, Chris and Nick chat about the differences between a fully scalable product oriented model (Greyscalegorilla) vs. mentorship approach (MoGraph Mentor) and everything in between. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the follow up to our first episode with Greyscalegorilla founder Nick Campbell, Chris and Stewart discuss mindset and working with clients. When is the right time to ask questions? What kind of questions should you ask? What is the right approach when trying to develop a concept with your client? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The way we learn is changing, and Nick Campbell is one of the trail blazers. His website, Greyscalegorilla, not only sells suites to help you make better work, it also provides invaluable educational content. After meeting at NAB this year, Chris had to sit down with Nick and talk more about his history, how Grey Scale Gorilla came to be, and what the future of online education might look like. This is part one of a two part series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
99 No's, 1 Yes. Persistence was something that was brought up in the last episode, and Chris and Stewart take the conversation farther. What does it mean to keep going? Should you? How can you turn defeat and failure into a learning moment? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In October 2004, Chris Edwards spearheaded the founding of THE THIRD FLOOR, Inc. in Los Angeles. Since then, the company has become the most prolific previs studio in the world, contributing to Hollywood projects from Avatar to Gravity with credits on wide-ranging film and television projects such as Game of Thrones, The Martian, Mad Max: Fury Road, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation and Marvel’s Iron Man, Captain America,Thor and Avengers franchises. In this episode, the two Chris's meet and discuss the long road from being a dreamer to being a creator. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chris and Stewart follow up the last episode with a discussion about Mentors - What it means to have one, what it means to be one, and how to get one. Being a mentor can actually be more beneficial than finding one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chris talks with the creator of Mograph Mentor, Michael Jones, about building the online education platform, the future of education, and what it means to have people who believe in you and your goals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chris and Stewart follow up last week's conversation with Blair Enn's, with a discussion about one of the rules of "Blair-topia" - Say What You Mean. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Blair Enns is the author of game changing book Win Without Pitching. He has survived the ups and downs of the business side of creativity for long enough to achieve guru status. On this show, Blair talks about the philosophy that informed his book, and, ultimately, lead to the Win Without Pitching program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Stewart Schuster and Chris continue the conversation around if not allowing to be creative is an exclusively Asian American experience. Is The Immigrant Mentality Towards the Arts a broader issue? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jennet Liaw is more than just a designer. She's a role model to many especially Asian American women who dream of following their dreams versus doing the responsible thing. On this show, she shares feelings about going against the grain and finding success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Not being afraid to do what you love. Vietnamese American Trung Bao talks about how he learned to just go for it and where it led him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Waking up everyday knowing you will die— This is how Alex Preston gained the courage to create his highly successful video game - Hyper Light Drifter. The Secret to living true to your self is knowing You Will Die. Make the Most of It. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Are people born confident or is it a skill you can develop? Find something that you are really good at and use that as your anchor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Pros and cons of being a freelancer vs having a staff position. Blind Creative Director Mathew Encina shares his experience in the field. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode of the Futur, Chris shares a technique about how to talk about anything, being transparent, and taking the friction out of difficult topics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chris and his former business coach Keir discuss the keys to cultivating a creative culture at work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Using the subconscious mind to create concepts and solve creative problems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sales, lead generation, closing, confidence, trust. Chris and Jose talk about closing deals in the Creative Business World. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chris Do sits downs with Founder and Creative Director, Yo Santosa for her perspective on building brands with personality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Young Designer Noha tells her story and Chris gives her tips for making it in L.A. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This is The Futur podcast. We talk about the business of design. You can find more info here: www.thisisthefutur.com. Also, check out our channel on YouTube: www.youtube.com/theskoolrocks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Cheryl, John and Aaron join Chris Do and discuss why some people feel compelled to talk more than they need to. This episode continues our discussion about going past the sale. Be comfortable in the dead space. Learn to listen and be present. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When you hear “yes”, shut up. When you’re in a sales conversation, or a business transaction with somebody, there’s usually something you want. You’re trying to work towards that one thing you want. You use persuasive language and eventually, hear the word, “yes.” Once you get what you’re looking for, though, you should stop talking. If you continue to sell, you will jeopardize the sale. Eventually, you might actually talk yourself out of the sale. And that’s definitely not what you were aiming for when you entered the conversation. Here’s an example from Chris: when him and the team at Blind had the chance to work with the band, Coldplay, on an interactive music video, the sale was almost lost. Why? What happened? The band had signed off on the concept, seen the design frames, and just watched a first glimpse of the music video. While waiting for frontman Chris Martin to approve it, the design team waited patiently. Three or four clips into it, Chris Martin says, “that’s enough. I love it.” But the producer in the room then asked, “don’t you want to see the other clips?” The takeaway here is that the band was more than happy with what they saw, and felt like they didn’t need to see any more. They were sold on the idea, on the product, and they verbally signed off on it. They gave a firm “yes.” If a similar scenario happens to you, just stop talking. Don’t try to show them one more idea. Don’t move into the next phase of your presentation. Accept the approval, and move forward from there. Overselling can hinder future sales opportunities, and impact your business. Clients don’t like to feel sold to, so when they give you the green light, you have everything you need to proceed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How I Became a Millionaire. Should I drop out of college to pursue my career? What does it take to run a startup. How do you become a millionaire with no college degree launching a tech startup? CEO and founder of HireWire, Chau Nguyen sits down with Chris Do for this insight conversation about risk/reward, grit and betting it all. Chau talks candidly about big pivotal decisions, no regrets and the challenges and sacrifices that are needed to become a successful entrepreneur. This self made thirty year old became a millionaire and exited his first company Campus Special for 20 million dollars at the age of 33. How was he able to do it? HireWire Twitter: @ChauDucks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A conversation about giving and receiving advice. Tips on how to give advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Where do you fit in the post production food chain? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What do you need to know to start and run a design business? Successful Business Man & Designer Chris Do imparts experience wisdom and knowledge on the most important issues entrepreneurs face when starting and running a business. Frank Shi, a smart, young entrepreneur on the verge of starting a motion graphics business, asks Chris Do the following questions: What are some common business mistakes entrepreneurs make in the creative business field? How do you effectively communicate with business partners. How do you negotiate fair terms? How do you sell your company/service w/o much experience to show? How do you write a mission statement: How do you communicate who you are and what you do in a sentence? How do you budget for unexpected things that go wrong in a project: How do you put together a bid? How to prevent your business from crashing & burning in the first year? Getting of the Runway. Pros and Cons of running a brick and mortar operation vs. running a fluid, mostly remote team? Team Building. How to do Management. How to create Company Culture, How to inspire the team? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What is The Futur of The Motion Graphics Industry and what can you, as a creative, do to adapt? Get inside the world of Motion Graphics with Chris & Greg, 2 industry veterans, as they reflect on their experiences as both attendees and speakers at Motion 2016 - the Motion Graphics Conference in Santa Fe, NM. Chris and Greg reflect on insightful conversations about the Motion Graphics Industry and the direction in which it's headed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices