Monday Meeting

In this open discussion episode, the Monday Meeting team discuss pricing negotiations, client communication, testimonials, and building a focused freelance business.
This episode covers:
Pricing confidence and boundaries: Never undercut yourself—costs you money to take less money, with emphasis on qualifying leads upfront and establishing clear rate anchors that filter inappropriate clients
Discovery call essentials: Always discuss budget during the first call to avoid sticker shock, using casual approaches like "let's talk about the budget” while building relationship rapport
Contract protection strategies: Beyond legal documents, relationships matter most—implement 50-25-25 payment structures, rush fees, scope change fees, and revision limits to protect your business
Testimonial best practices: Write testimonials for clients first to activate reciprocity bias, request specific feedback areas (technical skills, communication, project management) rather than generic praise, and follow up within days of project completion
Focus over breadth: Select maximum three specialized pillars (like character design, 2D animation, game development) rather than marketing yourself as a generalist—word of mouth within focused sectors compounds faster
Portfolio clarity: Avoid creative industry jargon like "keyframe ninja" or "rockstar"—clients need concrete understanding of what you deliver and how it solves their business problems

Upcoming Events:
Game Night scheduled for March 4th at 6PM Pacific
Next week's episode will feature a themed discussion (theme TBD)
Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!

SHOW NOTES:
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Open Pixel Studios Price Calculator
Get Wright On It Price Guide
Tiny Testimonials
Jen’s Testimonial Page
Alignable

In this week's episode, host Jen Van Horn speaks with Will Colón and Kathryn Taccone of Open Pixel Studios about navigating the current industry landscape, content strategy for 2026, and staying grounded as creative business owners.
This episode covers:
Two years of nomadic living: Will and Kathryn spent two years traveling the U.S. after their lease ended, bookending the journey between two Camp MoGraph events, and using the remote nature of their work to make it possible.
Economic uncertainty and the pivot to climate work: The slow market of the past couple years prompted Open Pixel Studios to launch Evident Narrative Lab (ENL), a climate-focused branch of their company — but the loss of EPA funding forced a sharp pivot back to their core work. ENL continues to look internationally for opportunities, including an upcoming speaking engagement at the Okinawa Institute of Technology.
Cautious optimism for 2026: Kathryn noted that while there's no "new normal," client activity is picking up and she's excited about evolving into more of a strategy consulting role rather than purely execution-based work.
Managing the news cycle: Will and community members discussed the importance of intentionally limiting news consumption — not to disengage entirely, but to protect creative energy and focus efforts where they can actually make an impact.
Short-form vs. long-form content strategy: Open Pixel Studios shifted from a traditional podcast to short, standalone video answers optimized for social platforms, using Adobe Express to schedule and batch posts. The approach has strengthened their voice, re-engaged past clients, and reduced the friction of getting to a discovery call.
Tiered pricing and stylistic constraints on the website: Will shared how publishing a visual pricing page organized into 3 categories and 9 tiers has shifted early client conversations from "how do I do X?" to "I want to do X" — creating a better starting point for negotiation and reducing the sales lift.
AI as a liability without proper guidance: Community members shared real-world examples of AI-generated work creating costly production problems — from packaging that couldn't be manufactured as designed, to AI video shots requiring extensive VFX fixes. The consensus: studios that educate clients on where AI helps vs. hurts position themselves as strategic partners, not just vendors.
Finding community as a survival strategy: Kathryn emphasized the importance of building multiple community networks — professional, advocacy-based, and personal — as a way to stay grounded and resilient heading into an uncertain year.
Upcoming Events/Schedule:
Next week: Open discussion or themed discussion — details TBD
Game night date TBD — Gartic Phone session being planned once scheduling aligns
Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!
SHOW NOTES:
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Open Pixel Studios
Evident Narrative Lab
Camp Mograph
Super Bowl Ads
Stand Lee Documentary: Excelsior! The Life and Legacy of Stan Lee

In this season 11 premiere episode, host Jen Van Horn speaks with Executive Coach Dave O'Connor about navigating uncertainty, overcoming creative blocks, and strategic business development for freelancers and motion designers.
This episode covers:
Post-2025 industry check-in: Community members share experiences ranging from career pivots and AI anxieties to steady growth, revealing widespread uncertainty about industry direction and personal positioning
The power of "just try it": Breaking through decision paralysis by committing to small, low-stakes experiments rather than seeking perfect clarity before taking action
Strategic tolerance assessment: Examining what you're willing to accept in your business—from client relationships to workload—as a framework for identifying necessary changes
Reframing failure as experimentation: Shifting from fear-based decision-making to viewing unsuccessful attempts as valuable data collection rather than personal shortcomings
Managing the freelance mental load: Practical strategies for studio owners and freelancers dealing with constant inbound demands, including dedicated planning time and intentional week design
Building agency through constraints: Using limited resources or time as creative advantages rather than obstacles, and making deliberate choices within those limitations
Key Reflection Prompt: "With respect to your business development, what are you willing to tolerate?"
Upcoming Schedule:
Next week: Will and Catherine from Open Pixel Studios discussing their 2025 cross-country journey and 2026 plans
Game night coming later in February
Resources from Coach Dave:
5-Minute Future Worksheet (quick visioning exercise)
Design Your Next Move (single commitment planning tool)
Get Your Shit Together (25-35 minute weekly planning process)
Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!

SHOW NOTES:
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Dave's LinkedIn
Hey Coach Dave
Messy Genius
Anonymous Suggestion Box

In this open discussion episode, host Sam J leads conversations about developing creative side projects, scaling passion projects into sustainable income streams, and navigating the challenges of marketing creative work. 
This episode covers:
    •    Authenticity over perfection: Why unpolished, spontaneous content often performs better than highly-produced work—raw material feels more accessible and relatable to audiences
    •    Marketing as the real challenge: Success depends less on quality and more on how many people see your work and understand its value through consistent visibility
    •    Interactive audience engagement: Creating opportunities for audiences to participate in the creative process builds investment and community (like livestreaming with chat-controlled elements)
    •    Strategic scaling decisions: Planning ahead for what happens if a side hustle becomes too successful, including when to delegate, hire help, or sell to focus on creative work rather than logistics
    •    Platform strategy considerations: Understanding niche-focused social platforms and how different content types perform across Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, and emerging platforms
    •    Licensing and copyright protection: Navigating intellectual property concerns in an AI-saturated landscape, including basic protections like timestamped documentation and understanding what can’t be copyrighted
Upcoming Schedule:
    •    No meetings for the rest of December and throughout January 2026—Monday Meeting returns in February
    •    Discord remains open for community connection during the break
    •    Seeking volunteers for hosting, video editing, social media, and content planning roles

Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!

SHOW NOTES:
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Bye Frisbie
Creative Dice
Food Dice
Music by Blanks
Specific example of Music By Blanks followers making a song

In this open discussion episode, host Sam J leads conversations about AI's role in creative work, NFT technology's potential future, content creation strategies, and live streaming.
This episode covers:
AI as a tool, not replacement: Understanding that AI should augment creative work rather than replace human artists, with the real issue being employers who prioritize cost-cutting over collaboration and quality.
NFT technology's untapped potential: How blockchain and NFTs could return ownership rights to creators across industries like music, research, and visual arts, moving beyond the hype cycle to practical utility applications.
Livestreaming as portfolio building: Sam shares his first livestreaming experience showing creative processes in real-time, demonstrating how creators can build trust and attract clients by revealing their work methods and problem-solving approaches.
Content creation strategy: Converting long-form livestreams into multiple short-form pieces provides sustainable content pipelines without constant production pressure, using tools like Stream Elements for multi-platform broadcasting.
Creative side hustles framework: Approaching side projects from genuine gift-making and passion rather than viral content goals, building sustainable income streams by demonstrating unique skills and connecting with audiences authentically.
Community engagement value: How showing authentic creative processes—even imperfect work—encourages others to share and builds supportive networks that sustain careers beyond formal education or traditional employment.
Upcoming Events:
Next week's episode: Scaling Creative Side Hustles - discussing how to grow creative projects that support your career and give creativity back to yourself
Monday Meeting is taking January off to plan 2026 content
Monday Meeting is still seeking volunteers for hosting, editing, and social media roles
Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!
SHOW NOTES:
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Sergio Cilli’s “Will AI Actors Replace Us?”
Behance Livestreaming/Adobe LIVE