Running a standout studio isn’t about selling hours—it’s about protecting the craft, picking the right clients, and staying scrappy (in smarter ways). Joel sits down with Barton Damer, founder/founding artist of Already Been Chewed (ABC), the Texas-based studio channeling skate culture into high-end 3D, VFX, and product campaigns for world-class brands. They get real about evolving from freelancer to leader, building a brand-direct engine, setting non-negotiables with clients, pricing expertise (not days), and why AI is making the best human work more valuable than ever.You’ll learn<ul><li>How “scrappiness” evolves from guessing emails to building brand-direct pipelines</li><li>The mindset shift from on the box to on the business—and when to make it</li><li>Why selling expertise beats selling time (and how to defend flat-fee pricing)</li><li>Scripts and stances for protecting process (and your weekends)</li><li>Why being willing to walk away wins negotiations—and attracts better clients</li><li>An owner’s take on AI: client fatigue, what’s commoditized, and where premium work grows</li></ul>Timestamps<ul><li>00:00 Intro — The bigger needs are getting bigger</li><li>01:00 Barton’s origin story & ABC’s focus on photoreal, story, and craft</li><li>04:00 Scrappy beginnings → modern hustle (and why it still matters)</li><li>09:00 Firing yourself from the box: role shifts as the team scales</li><li>16:30 Keeping the bar high without “saving” projects</li><li>17:30 Process > panic: the pool-construction analogy clients never forget</li><li>22:00 Why ABC built brand-direct from day one (and agency pitfalls)</li><li>27:00 Stop selling time: pricing for outcomes, not day rates</li><li>33:00 Risk, transparency, and the real reason studios charge more</li><li>35:00 “We pick clients too”: reframing awards, pitches, and selection</li><li>41:00 AI fatigue is real: what clients want now vs. what’s replaceable</li><li>47:00 iPhone vs. Alexa: a clear framework for AI and premium craft</li><li>50:00 Closing & takeaways</li></ul>Key quotes<ul><li>“The person who wins the negotiation is the one willing to walk away.”</li><li>“If my slowest, least-experienced artist bills the most, your model’s upside down.”</li><li>“Our business only works if we enjoy it.”</li><li>“AI will eat the quick, crappy content. The best human work only gets more valuable.”</li></ul>About Barton Barton Damer is the founder and founding artist of Already Been Chewed, a Wylie/Dallas studio known for skate-culture roots, photoreal craft, and brand-direct campaigns in 3D, VFX, and product visualization. Over 15+ years, ABC has partnered with top global brands while staying lean, family-friendly, and obsessively focused on story and execution.Mentions Nike, Vans, New Balance, Lucasfilm, Disney, Tiffany, Google, Street League, Camp Mograph, FORUM & Fuse dinners.Links & Next Steps<ul><li>Explore more episodes and push your creative business forward: <a href="https://www.joelpilger.com/">joelpilger.com</a></li><li>If you’re serious about running a resilient studio that ships great work, <a href="https://score.joelpilger.com/forum-app">apply to join FORUM</a> at joelpilger.com.</li></ul>

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