The Futur with Chris Do

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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices