The Futur with Chris Do

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.

Thanks to Gusto for sponsoring this episode.

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.

If you're into development, programming and navigating the tech industry, then give this one a listen. You might learn something.

Thanks to Gusto for sponsoring this episode.

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.

In this episode, Lauren and Chris talk about her journey from the ad world into the world of running your own business. And how to fight the instinct of doing it all on your own.

If you are an aspiring hand letter or just curious about how the relationship between artists and agents work, then you will especially enjoy this episode.

Thanks to Gusto for sponsoring this episode.

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.

But if you’re interested pedagogy, or cognitive neuroscience then strap in. Christine goes deep into Minerva's frameworks for education and the intellectual jungle gym she’s built for her students.

Ayo Seligman is the managing director of brand and creative at The Minerva Project. If you’re not already familiar with it, The Minvera Project is a new university program designed to reinvent higher education. So if you’re interested in teaching or education, you do not want miss this one.

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.

Beyond the proverbial origin story, Ayo and Chris talk in depth about the problems with America’s education system and the why, what and how this radical new school—through its unconventional methods is going head to head with ivy leagues.

Thanks to Gusto for sponsoring this episode. gusto.com/futur

Hayley Akins runs an online education company called Motion Hatch. They help motion designers with their businesses and creative careers.

If that name sounds familiar, you might recognize it from her podcast, that goes by the same name. It’s great, so check it out if you’re looking for something new.

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 business. But what’s really cool is that she’s created this unique community to help her fellow creatives and provide a support group of their peers.

There is a lot of overlap with what Hayley does and what we do. So if you’re a fan, then you will enjoy this one. Her and Chris even do a little mentorship role play which is always fun to witness.

Thanks to Gusto for sponsoring this episode.

gusto.com/futur

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.

Jeff and Chris talk about the concept of digital real estate and the long game behind creating wealth from an online business. They also get pretty raw about the experiences that fuel our guest's death defying drive to be good at things.

Thanks to Gusto for sponsoring this episode. gusto.com/futur

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.

If you’ve had your eye on something, now is the time get it and save a few bucks while you can. It’s one of the few times we discount our stuff.

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.

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. He's done a lot—he even worked at Apple for a year.

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 issues. Call it politics, opinions or just speaking from the heart, whatever you name it, it's personal and Timothy puts it all out there for the world to see.

In this episode, he and Chris talk about what it means to live that public life. And all the beautiful and ugly things that come along with it.

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.”

Except, we see it every day. Remember Flintstones vitamins? You don’t think Hanna Barbera actually created those, do you?

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.

BMW strollers, Porsche sunglasses, Forever 21 and the US Postal Service.

An interesting field that most of us don’t know exists, but after hearing about, seems so obvious.

Thanks to Gusto for sponsoring this episode - gusto.com/futur

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.

What we love most about this conversation is that Tarzan is so transparent and generous. 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.

If you’re interested in copywriting or email marketing, then you’ll love this episode. And if you’re not, that’s okay too. The stories and lessons shared here can apply to any marketing tactic.

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.

He and Chris discuss both the business and creative sides of entertainment, and give you a peek into the world of filmmaking and production. And when we say peek, we mean a nuts and bolts explanation of what it takes to produce a film.

The two talk about how Netflix deals work (e.g. Tiger King), the value of never-ending curiosity and why you should learn how to the play the orchestra, and not just the instrument.

Thanks to Framer for sponsoring this episode.

Jone Korpi is an entrepreneur, brand strategist and salesperson who helps creatives get more clients. He’s also 19 years old.

Before you ask yourself, “What does a 19 year old know about business or sales?” We’d like to ask you to save your judgement until after you listen to the episode.

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.

All we can say is that you will certainly learn something new. And that it might be from a 19 year old.

Thanks to Framer for sponsoring this episode.

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.

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.

Benjamin and Chris discuss the inner workings of podcasting, how to make sense of marketing analytics and how to build meaningful sponsored content that aligns with your brand.

This episode is sponsored by Framer - framer.com/thefutur

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.

In this episode, he and Chris talk about how each of our unique experiences shape who we become and why it's important to identify, question and even change the beliefs we hold.

His path was windy, riddled with self-doubt and included plenty of mistakes along the way. But you don't become business partners with Tony Robbins by giving up.

Thanks to Framer and Hover for sponsoring this episode.

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.

In this episode, Andy and Chris talk about how he built this remarkable career, balancing everything that he is passionate about: communicating ideas, helping creatives find their way and doing it all on his terms.

But life isn’t always cheese and pepperoni. Especially when you have ADHD and you’d rather go to jail than do your taxes.

We won't spoil any stories, but we will say that you will love listening to this episode. And hopefully, you’ll learn something from it too.

Thank you to our sponsors for this episode, Framer and Hover.

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.

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.

This isn’t just for the creative community, the ideas and mindset these two kindred spirits share are applicable to everyone.

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 speaker.

She and Chris discuss how to know when it’s time for you to make that big pivot with your business and the risk of not doing anything. They also get into the impact of COVID-19 on the creative service industry and what they are both doing to prepare for the future.

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. He and Chris swap stories about pitching ideas, working with nightmare clients and discuss how to take a loss and learn from it—even when it costs you $45K.

But it's not all war stories. Listen hard enough and you might pick up a few new tools to use in your own creative business.

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.

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.

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 http://thefutur.com/pro to find out. It just might be where your people are.

In this episode, Randy and Chris talk through the mindset it takes to have an idea and then see it through to fruition, which is a problem a lot of us struggle with. Consuming the content is easy, but taking action from it, not so much.

Get out of your head and into the mind of an action-taker.

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.

It’s not often we get to talk shop with the founder of a tech company. Alex and his team have built something undeniably unique. Even the Royal Family uses it.

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.

While we shelter-in-place we can't help but think: how might VR change day-to-day life during something like this. Will it connect people and offer experiences that they could otherwise not enjoy, or will VR live up to the dystopian future we often see portrayed in films?

Either way, it's here to stay.

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. If you enjoy a good story or want to be a better storyteller, then you better not miss this one.

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.

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.

A lot of us get caught up thinking about ourselves and that makes it difficult to look at the world through another person’s lens. In strange times like these, we could all use a bit more empathy.

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.

If you're interested in finding your own personal brand or style, then you will enjoy this very fun conversation with the one and only, Meg Lewis.

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. It's a talk about Coke versus Pepsi and McDonald's versus In 'n Out. Which is better? Only you can decide.

Please enjoy our branding conversation with Stef Hamerlinck.

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.

If you're a parent, teacher or curious about publishing then you are in for a wonderful treat. Even if you're none of those things, give this one a listen, because there's always something to learn.

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.

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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.

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/

Are you unknowingly addicted to stress? Do you have anxiety about work deadlines or keeping up with the hustle culture lifestyle? You may want to take a moment and then listen to what today’s guest has to say.

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.

https://taylorcashdan.com/

https://www.creativesouth.com/

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?

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.”

Join The Futur Pro Group and get weekly face time with The Futur and access to an exclusive community of creative entrepreneurs.

Learn more at https://academy.thefutur.com/p/futur-pro-group

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.

kellyhoppen.com

kellyhoppeninteriors.com

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.

Show Notes

adamjkurtz.com

AdamJK’s Shop

Follow Adam on Instagram

Graphika Manila

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.

Show Notes

Top 5 Adobe Illustrator Tools You Should Know - Design Tutorial

bringyourownlaptop.com

instructorhq.com

instructorhq.com/bishop

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.

Show Notes

Verhaal Brand Design

Philip Van Dusen on YouTube

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.

Show Notes

hranitzky.com

Grow Your Audience on Social Media (Strategies & Tools)

How to Create a Passive Income Business Through Knowledge Products

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/

For more content about design and creative business, check out https://thefutur.com/. You’ll find hundreds of videos and articles all about helping you grow as both a creative and a business.

Want to learn something new? Check out our courses → https://thefutur.com/courses.

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.

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.”

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?

A year ago, I had the opportunity to speak at the Bend Design Conference—a tight knit community of creatives, in "Upper Left, USA". I got to participate and see some of the behind the scenes operations of this wonderful organization. I'm thrilled to have Vice-Chair Martha Murray and the amazing Heather Crank to shed some light on how they curate speakers and what they get from working tirelessly on producing this annual conference. 

Bend Design’s intimate, welcoming atmosphere enables the leaders of tomorrow to engage with the exceptional, experienced creatives of today. Our participants make new connections, collaborate on new projects, and learn new skills. Together we explore how creative thinking and practices can lift up our lives, our communities, and the wider world.

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. 

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.

Have a question that you want Chris to answer? Ask away.

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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.

Errol Gerson is the longest running instructor at ArtCenter and for good reason. He's been sharing his knowledge, passion, wit and philosophy on sales, business and management to over 3000 students over the course of over four decades. He's getting up there in age, but hasn't slowed down one bit. This is a treat to be able to sit at the feet of master.

Gerson received a BS in Accounting from USC in 1970, and after receiving his MBA from USC in 1971, he spent eight years at a Big 8 public accounting firm.

In 1979 he co-founded a CPA Business Management firm with three other USC grads, then sold it in 1992. Gerson co-founded Cow Interactive with four Art Center grads. In 1999 he joined CAA Agency as the Director of New Media. In 2004 he left CAA and became the Principal at the Gerson Group, a Strategic Management Consulting company, where he is in practice today. Errol is a Senior Adviser to the A.I.G.A. and does Entrepreneurship and Marketing workshops and seminars across the country.

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. 

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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. 

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.

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.

This Deep Dive episode comes from a 2018 livestream we hosted with marketing legend, Seth Godin. As the author of eighteen best selling books and the founder of the acclaimed online workshop altMBA, we’re pretty sure you will love this episode.

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

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.

In this episode, we answer five unique questions. They cover topics like selling your boss, how to get hired during a pandemic, and why Instagram could be the most powerful teaching tool in the world. Have a question for Chris? Visit thefutur.com/heychris and ask away.

This episode is sponsored by Framer. framer.com/thefutur

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.

But as you will soon hear, Unmesh does not consider himself a YouTuber. He is a teacher, first and foremost. Through this fun and transparent conversation he will explain why helping people will get you everything that you want in life.

This episode is sponsored by Framer - framer.com/thefutur

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

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, path from refugee to business owner and all the cultural barriers he battled along the way. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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?

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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?

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.

Cover Photo

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.

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.

Pros and cons of being a freelancer vs having a staff position. Blind Creative Director Mathew Encina shares his experience in the field.

Chris and his former business coach Keir discuss the keys to cultivating a creative culture at work.

Using the subconscious mind to create concepts and solve creative problems.

Sales, lead generation, closing, confidence, trust. Chris and Jose talk about closing deals in the Creative Business World.

Chris Do sits downs with Founder and Creative Director, Yo Santosa for her perspective on building brands with personality.

Young Designer Noha tells her story and Chris gives her tips for making it in L.A.

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

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.

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
http://hirewire.com

Twitter:
@ChauDucks
#HireWire

When you hear YES, shut up.

A conversation about giving and receiving advice. Tips on how to give advice.

Where do you fit in the post production food chain?

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?

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.