The CMD-Z Show

The CMD-Z Show

Ever wish life had an undo button? The CMD-Z Show, hosted by Matt Vojacek and Shelby Hagerdon, seeks to provide answers to the big questions that hound creative minds at night. With a new guest each week, hear unique perspectives from creatives on running a business, maintaining your mental health, finding your voice, and more. Presented by Made By Things — this is the CMD-Z Show. Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us a message at question@cmdz.show Learn more about Matt and Shelby at madebythings.com

Episodes

May 28, 2024 67 mins

Matt and Shelby sat down with EJ Hassenfratz wo chat about the future of the motion design industry and the impact of AI. The guests discuss the potential of AI in motion design, the ethical implications, and the importance of maintaining artistic authenticity. They also touch on the role of clients and the need for artists to find personal outlets for creativity. The future of the industry is seen as more interactive and ...

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Matt and Shelby had Austin Saylor on the show to discuss how he was able to make $200k in a year as a freelancer. What were his steps and what made him successful? How can other freelancers find this kind of success as well? Hear all about it on this episode of The CMD-Z Show!

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In this episode, Matt and Shelby discuss the challenges that small studios face in reaching their full potential and are joined by Joel Pilger, a creative consultant. The main themes that emerge from the conversation are the importance of taking risks and going all-in, the need for studios to differentiate themselves and find their unique value proposition, and the power of personal connections and networking. 

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In this episode, Matt and Shelby discuss the challenges of staying focused as a creative and knowing what ideas to pursue. They explore the concept of being easily distracted and the importance of harnessing distractions in a productive way. They also discuss the need to commit to projects for a significant amount of time and the struggle of letting go of ideas that aren't working.

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In this conversation, Matt and Shelby discuss what to do when feeling creatively stagnant. They explore the importance of taking breaks, both relaxing and adventurous, to recharge and spark new ideas. They emphasize the need to get away from the usual way of thinking and consuming new experiences. They also discuss the balance between consuming and creating, and how external factors can impact creativity. 

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In this conversation, Matt and Shelby discuss the concept of seizing opportunities and taking risks. They reflect on their own experiences and how they have created opportunities for themselves. They emphasize the importance of being flexible, not being afraid to try new things, and learning from each experience. They also discuss the idea that opportunities are not limited to just one big moment, but rather a series of sm...

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The main theme of the conversation is the challenges affecting studios, particularly in relation to AI and the economy. Amanda highlights the lack of control over budgets and timelines, the uncertainty caused by AI, and the fear of job loss. Matt emphasizes the importance of building a strong creative community and adapting to change. They also discuss the role of ego and the need to embrace learning and growth.

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In this episode, Matt, Shelby, and guest Shawna Poliziani discuss the importance of finding your niche audience and positioning your brand. They explore the role of emotion in the creative process and the value of human touch in art and design. They also touch on the limitations of AI in creating meaningful and emotionally evocative work. The conversation highlights the importance of collaboration, trust in one's own taste...

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In this episode, Matt and Shelby discuss the best business model for creatives. They explore different models such as standard employment, freelance, and the agency model. They also dive into the details of running an agency, using a retainer model, implementing a subscription model, and exploring e-commerce. They highlight the pros and cons of each model and emphasize the importance of building relationships with clients ...

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In this episode, the Matt and Shelby discuss building a successful marketing strategy and the importance of storytelling and empathy with their guest, Jess Fogal. Jess is the head of marketing and culture at Provide. They also explore the collaboration between marketing and sales teams and the significance of creating a supportive team environment. The conversation highlights the value of empowering team members and foster...

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"What do producers even do?" Well, in addition to having Shelby (co-host and producer) on the show, we also brought on Kate Weger, our other producer at Made By Things, to chat about their roles as producers. From a producer's importance and organization within a project to their role as a fellow creative, we chat through everything that makes a producer great.

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"You ever just feel lost?" That was the how a question from one of our listeners started. And with a question so big and so relatable to so many creatives, you know we had to talk about it. This week on The CMD-Z Show, we discuss how we handle feeling lost and how we can still stay sane and happy doing what we love. From financial security to mental health, we cover everything in this episode. 

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"You should be grateful that you get to do what you love everyday." "It's not about the money." Sure, as creatives, we are grateful and we probably didn't get into this field for the money... But does that make it okay to exploit our time and talents? We discuss this and how we can change it on this week's episode of The CMD-Z Show with Kevin Rapp, the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Ultra Friends. Kevin is also s...

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By this point, I'm sure we've all seen the latest updates to AI and the realistic video it can produce. So what does that mean for the creative industry? What will it look like 5-10 years from now? We sat down with Mack Garrison of Dash Studios to talk about it on this week's episode of The CMD-Z Show. This is a passionate episode with passionate creatives. Don't miss it!

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Why is running a creative business to damn hard? The creative industry is constantly evolving and it can be challenging to know when your business should evolve with it... Or to predict where the evolution is going to occur. Will it be within the market? With tech advances? Or maybe the services you offer? In this episode of The CMD-Z Show, we outline how we handle these changes and our process of knowing when it's time to...

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How do you know when it's time to switch things up in a creative business? The industry is ever-changing and we are all currently in a period of transition. So what does that look like for your business? How do you know when to evolve? How can you overcome the fear of trying something new? And how do you choose to face it all?These are all big questions and probably too big for one podcast episode, but we tried to answer t...

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February 5, 2024 55 mins

How do you create a stand out portfolio? Is there one trick that will make you rise above the other applicants? How do you make sure you're the one called back for an interview? And how do you get the job? We chat about all of this and more on the latest episode of The CMD-Z Show. And if you have a portfolio you think could use some help, visit makecreateacademy.com where you can ask industry professionals to review and pr...

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When it comes to working with freelancers, it can be tough to clearly define how quickly they should respond and how often they should send updates. Is an appropriate response time 10 minutes? An hour? A day? What are the expectations? And how does that impact your relationship with them? We discuss this with Jeremy Thibodeau, creative producer at Rubicon Story, in the latest episode of The CMD-Z Show.

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January 22, 2024 37 mins

How do you tell a client that they're wrong? No one ever wants to, but the sign of a healthy client relationship is being able to talk through any issues that might arise... Like whether something should be blue or red. But if you approach it right and collaborate, maybe you can come up with a solution that's purple.

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