Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Will Gibbons, a product visualization specialist based in Orange, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I'm a product designer turned product visualization specialist. As a visualization specialist, I turn digital 3D models into photo-realistic animations and images. This imagery is often used in advertising, packaging, launch campaigns, e-commerce stores, and more. In 2020, I shifted my focus to creating online courses and educational content. Now, my energy goes into helping others excel in product visualization. I do this through a library of free tutorials on YouTube, my website, my weekly newsletter, and paid courses. My customers include product designers and engineers from many of the world's most respected brands.
Tell us about yourself
I studied industrial design at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. Industrial designers try to make physical products more joyful to use, easier and more comfortable to interact with, and more beautiful while working with design constraints laid out by engineers. 3D rendering software is used to have an idea of what a product will look like far before prototypes are made. I fell in love with the creative process of 3D rendering and have spent the past decade or so studying and practicing rendering.
I love the creative and technical aspects of using software to produce CGI. I know plenty of others do as well, but with limited time and resources, not everyone has the luxury of dedicating their career to learning these tools. I make it fun and easy to learn rendering. The passionate community of designers who consume my content and give me feedback every day is highly motivating. The most rewarding part of what I do is hearing success stories from those who learn with me.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Providing quality training at an obtainable price. Not everyone can pay to study at a private art school like I did, but that should not prevent them from pursuing a passion. I am most proud of helping open doors for others. When skills improve, students of mine see a higher chance of job promotion, job offers, interview offers, or even being able to support themselves as freelancers.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
As a business owner, the thing I find the most challenging is not having enough hours in the day. My ambitions almost always exceed my time constraints.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Don't start a business you wouldn't be happy running for 5-10 years. Test for product-market fit by understanding your core customer's true desires and needs. Don't see failure as a roadblock. It's just data. With more data, you can make better decisions.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.willgibbons.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willgibbonsdesign/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willgibbons/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/willgibbons
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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