The Futur with Chris Do
The Futur podcast is a show that explores the interesting overlap between design, marketing, and business.Our host (and CEO of The Futur), Chris Do, holds candid conversations with inspirational people from the worlds of design, technology, marketing, business, philosophy and personal development.These conversations go deep. With the aim of understanding who these incredible people are, what drives them to do what they do, and what can we—the listener—learn from it all.Visit thefutur.com/podcast for show notes and additional information from each episode.
Episodes
July 21, 2021 • 64 min
If punk rock were a genre of design agency, then SNASK would be the Sex Pistols. As they state on their website, SNASK is a “creative agency of misfit geniuses conquering the world through fine lookin’ design and real emotions. To worry about what people think of us is a waste of time.”
Freddie Ost is the founder of SNASK and we were fortunate enough to have him on the show and really get to know the person behind the eccentric age...
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July 14, 2021 • 66 min
Copywriting is hard. Which is why we always appreciate great copy when we see it. It’s usually simple, clear, and tickles your brain if written well.
Cole Schafer is a creative writer. By day he runs a small advertising business called Honey Copy. By night, he writes and publishes poetry under the alias, January Black.
He’s got a lot to say and he does it without mincing words. But in a way that will make you smirk.
In this episode...
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July 7, 2021 • 83 min
Humans are inherent copy machines. Emulation is how we learn to walk, talk and navigate the world. But when it comes to ideas—especially ones we deem “original”—things are different.
We become hyper critical of imitation and resent anything close to a copy of our own. Obsessing over ideological ownership. But what we don’t do, is turn that critical lens on ourself.
Copy, transform, and combine. According to Kirby Ferguson, this is ...
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June 30, 2021 • 57 min
Picture yourself at the airport. You’ve just returned from a long, arduous flight and you are exhausted. The last thing you want is to get in your car and make the lengthy drive home.
So you open a ride sharing app, hail a car, and moments later you are on your way home. And the car is driving itself while you nap in the back seat.
Strangely enough, if you live in the metro-Phoenix area, you can do that. All with the help of autono...
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June 23, 2021 • 70 min
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 specia...
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June 16, 2021 • 87 min
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 ...
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June 9, 2021 • 78 min
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 al...
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June 2, 2021 • 104 min
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 ...
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May 26, 2021 • 59 min
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 ...
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May 19, 2021 • 55 min
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 ...
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May 12, 2021 • 86 min
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 thi...
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May 5, 2021 • 60 min
“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...
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April 28, 2021 • 99 min
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 ar...
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April 21, 2021 • 57 min
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 an...
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April 14, 2021 • 72 min
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...
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April 7, 2021 • 67 min
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 livestre...
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March 31, 2021 • 65 min
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, nu...
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March 24, 2021 • 77 min
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 billi...
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March 17, 2021 • 112 min
“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 a...
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March 10, 2021 • 93 min
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 yo...
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