We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Todd West a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Todd thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later

I wish I could of started this business sooner. I had always been an entrepreneur and desired to have my own business. I had a young family to provide for, so my dreams were set aside for a while. When the internet boom happened in the late 90’s early 2000’s, I decided to switch gears and work for various internet and technology providers in a management capacity because of the bright and profitable future it provided. After management stints with companies and the overall decline in the industry, my entrepreneur bug came knocking at the door again. In the summer of 2012, a former Disney colleague stated “Wouldn’t it be great to open an Academy for students who can learn Animation? ” To my knowledge this was something only instructed at the college level, but not at middle to high school levels. It was a no brainer! My reply. “Why wouldn’t children want to learn from real live Disney Animators who worked on some of the greatest Disney hand drawn films of all time, like The Lion King, Pocahontas, Lilo & Stitch to name a few?” So, in August of 2012 Elite Animation Academy was born. My only regret was we should have started sooner, given that many successful students go on to the Art Institution of their dreams because of the learning opportunity we provide at Elite Animation Academy.

Todd, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am originally from Los Angeles. I worked for Disney right out of college in the Consumer Products Division, in software development and licensing sales. It brought me joy knowing we are putting out a product that children around the world love. The licensing side of the business was remarkably interesting as Disney has a lot of intellectual properties, my job was to target the demographics we were trying to reach, which helped me early on to hone my skills and realize opportunities. Elite Animation Academy’s product is an investment in your child’s future. At its core, in this competitive world, you need to stand out to reach your goals. Those who enroll in Elite Animation Academy see almost immediate improvement in their Art Skill and techniques. In a little more than a decade, Elite Animation Academy has grown to include an expansive lineup of summer camps, in-studio courses, and virtual course opportunities where students can acquire vital design skills while developing top-notch portfolios to support future college or university enrollment in the arts, and/or career enhancement credentials as artists. My skill as an effective speaker has always assisted me through my journey. The key is to listen and hear what your clients want, they will tell you, that is why I had an extraordinarily successful sales career before, I did not tell the customer just what they wanted to hear, I used a consultative sales approach, works every time! When I started Elite Animation Academy what I am most proud of was my ability to use my existing skill set to build a brand from scratch and grow it into what it is today. I developed the website, customer database, and created the marketing efforts etc.…you can say you wear a lot of hats when you are running a business!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

We leveraged connections within the Feature Animation Department at Disney to recruit and hire the best. When Disney hires Animation professionals they look for incredibly talented individuals and rare. Since there are a number of great College Level Art Schools we hire from a multitude of instructors with different background and subject expertise, but all have the same goal to develop your student. I believe consumers having this knowledge know that the student is learning from the best and our reputation is solid. That is why we are “Developing Young Minds through the Art of Animation”.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

My best source comes from a parent who has seen their child’s growth right in front of them. They refer other parents.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.eliteanimationacademy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eliteanimation/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eliteanimationacademy/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-west-6aa8594/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB3LGbl1cipRMGzPVrWgEhQ
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/elite-animation-academy-orlando