Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rick Ochoa. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Rick, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?
In the industry that we are involved in, post-production, that typically requires so much time/hours for a completed project, may not be profitable on various occasions. Consumers don’t always want to pay the value of what these projects are truly worth, because they don’t always understand how much time is put into them. The level of knowledge we artists have invested to learn these various softwares can be way under valued too.
As a business owner now, I have learned that at times you have to put those factors aside for the sake of the company. I have to weigh the pros and cons based on each project and sometimes it just comes down to the (ROI) return of investment. I have learned that sometimes you just have to prove your worth once and then you can negotiate to what you want if they return.
An example I have is an animation commercial we did for a client, that was way under budget. The value of the project was worth at least three times the negotiated price, but we took on the project anyways in hopes of working more in the future with them. Fortunately, the consumer was so pleased with the final product, that they have continued to comeback multiple times.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
As the owner of Maze Road, Rick Ochoa, I grew up in the entertainment business, and also achieved an animation degree. It has been a journey juggling multiple careers, but Maze Road has become a bridge in linking all these industries together. We are able to work with actors, musicians, social media influencers, small businesses, big businesses, because everyone needs visual content for marketing.
We provide all post-production, animation, video editing, and design here. We are here to make your vision come alive and make things that you may believe impossible, possible.
Starting a company in something I am passionate about and having people really believe in it, is definitely a top tier proud accomplishment.
Have you ever had to pivot?
The competition in the workforce is hard, especially when you’re a fresh student right out of college with no true professional experience. I definitely struggled trying to get jobs and interviews for the big companies, and it became discouraging when I knew I had the talent to be very successful in this industry.
One of the moments that proved my work had true value but gave me clarity that I needed to make a change, was when I did an animation skit for a major company that I wanted to work for. I will not disclose the company, but I posted the animation on a platform and someone caught wind of it and shared it throughout the company. It went viral and everyone from different departments of the company were leaving generous comments and appreciative of the content. It reached all the way up to the VP of the company who basically gave me a link to apply for a position, but no actual interview came of it. That left me mind boggled and I knew I didn’t want to invest my time and effort into any other companies but myself.
Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?
Believe it or not, the company was started on a whole “grassroots” approach, which was very difficult! Luckily, with the previous connections, and relationships formed over the years, including celebrities, the company was able to gain some immediate traction.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mazeroad.com
- Instagram: @mazeroadcreative
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mazeroadcreative
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/maze-road/
- Twitter: MazeRoadOFFIC
- Youtube: @mazeroad
