The Final Episode - What Do You Wish You Could Do All Day?

Episode 100. On the final episode of The CMD-Z Show, Matt and Shelby explore the very first question ever asked on the show over two years ago. "What...

Content Alchemy - Our New Show!

Every era comes to an end, and we are nearing the final episode of The CMD-Z Show. But we're not going anywhere. We're just moving to a new show! Welc...

Can The Motion Industry Go Back to the Glory Days of 2021 - 2022? (w/ Hayley Akins)

In this conversation, Matt Vojacek and Shelby Hagerdon discuss the current state of the motion design industry with guest Hayley Akins from Motion Hat...

How Has Your Third Year of Freelancing Been? (w/ Audrey Havey)

Matt and Shelby are joined by Audrey Havey to discuss the journey of freelancing and her experiences and insights gained during her first three years....

When Will the Drought End for the Creative Industry? (w/ Kevin Rapp)

Matt and Shelby have Kevin Rapp back on the show to explore the current state of the creative industry and the challenges it faces. The main themes in...

Rapid Fire Questions!

This episode covers various topics related to the creative industry, including landing dream projects, growing client relationships, discovering creat...

Rapid Fire Questions! (w/ Saulo Nate)

Matt, Shelby, and Saulo Nate discuss various topics related to starting and growing a creative business. They touch on the importance of authenticity,...

How Do You Start When You're Not Good Enough? (w/ Jesse Gentry)

Matt and Shelby invited Jesse Gentry to the show to explore the theme of starting something new when you feel like you're not good enough. It touches...

What Does the Current State of the Creative Industry Look Like for Recent Graduates? (w/ Gail Albright)

In this episode, Matt and Shelby discuss their experiences after school and the challenges they faced in finding jobs in their respective fields. They...

What are the Most Important Things You've Learned on Your Journey? (w/ Christopher Adornato)

In this episode, Matt and Shelby interview Christopher Adornato, one of the owners of Solari Creative. Chris shares his journey of starting as a 3D ar...

How Do You Fall Back in Love with Your Portfolio?

In this conversation, Matt and Shelby discuss the topic of falling back in love with your portfolio. They share their personal experiences and insight...

How Do You Build a Content Plan? (w/ Drysen Carsten)

In this conversation, Matt, Shelby, and Drysen Carsten discuss the importance of building a content plan that aligns with a brand's goals and target a...

How Do You Build a Creative Environment People Actually Want to Work In?

In this conversation, Matt and Shelby discuss how to build a creative environment that people actually want to work in. They touch on topics such as e...

What is the Future of the Motion Design Industry? (w/ EJ Hassenfratz)

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 poten...

Can You Make $200k a Year as a Freelancer? (w/ Austin Saylor)

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 hi...

What Holds Small Studios Back From Reaching Their Full Potential? (w/ Joel Pilger)

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 crea...

What Should You Be Focusing On In Your Creative Career?

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...

What Should You Do When You're Feeling Creatively Stagnant?

In this conversation, Matt and Shelby discuss what to do when feeling creatively stagnant. They explore the importance of taking breaks, both relaxing...

If You Had One Shot... Would You Capture It or Just Let It Slip?

In this conversation, Matt and Shelby discuss the concept of seizing opportunities and taking risks. They reflect on their own experiences and how the...

What Are the Big Challenges Affecting Studios Right Now? (w/ Amanda Russell)

The main theme of the conversation is the challenges affecting studios, particularly in relation to AI and the economy. Amanda highlights the lack of...

How Do You Position Your Brand to Find Your Niche Audience? (w/ Shawna Poliziani)

In this episode, Matt, Shelby, and guest Shawna Poliziani discuss the importance of finding your niche audience and positioning your brand. They explo...

What is the Best Business Model for Creatives?

In this episode, Matt and Shelby discuss the best business model for creatives. They explore different models such as standard employment, freelance,...

How Do You Build a Successful Marketing Strategy for Brands? (w/ Jess Fogal)

In this episode, the Matt and Shelby discuss building a successful marketing strategy and the importance of storytelling and empathy with their guest,...

What Should be the Roles and Tasks of a Creative Producer? (w/ Katie Weger)

"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...

How Do You Run a Profitable Creative Business and Still Have Fun?

"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 creat...

How Can Artists Avoid Being Exploited? (w/ Kevin Rapp)

"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 di...

Where Do You See The Creative Industry in 5-10 Years? (w/ Mack Garrison)

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 indust...

Why is Running a Creative Business So Damn Hard?

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 sho...

How Do You Know When It's Time to Innovate Within Your Creative Business?

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 trans...

How Do You Create a Stand-Out Portfolio?

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 ca...

What Level of Communication Should You Expect from Freelancers? (w/ Jeremy Thibodeau)

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. I...

How Do You Tell a Client They're Wrong?

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 iss...

What Are Some Things You DIDN'T Learn in Art School? (w/ Melissa Lee Johnson)

How Do You Get Back to Work After the Holidays?

What Were Your 2023 Goals and What's Coming in 2024?

It's that time of year where we reflect on the past 12 months, the goals we made in January, how we did on those goals, and what the next year will lo...

How Do You Start a Personal Project?

How do you make time for personal creative projects and how do you decide which one to pursue? On this week's episode of The CMD-Z Show, we discuss ou...

How Do You Have a Creative Career with a Disability? (w/ Jeffery Lawson)

We have a very special episode of The CMD-Z Show this week with a topic that doesn't recieve enough discussion. We sat down to chat with Jeffery Lawso...

How Do You Negotiate Pricing?

A subject no one likes to bring up to their clients... pricing and budgets. How do you start the conversation and how do you negotiate once it's been...

Do Studio Owners Work on Creative Projects?

This week we're answering what has been our most-asked question as of late... Do studio owners ever work on creative projects? From time management to...

Why is it So Hard to Find a Job in the Creative Industry Right Now?

On this week's episode of The CMD-Z Show, we are going back to our roots and answering the question, "Why is it so difficult to find jobs in the creat...