Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Will English. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Will, thanks for joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I’ve had the experience of working a regular job and owning my own business. While the routine and security of a regular job have their appeal, I vastly prefer working for myself. While it is true that being independent is much more work, I find the sense of ownership and accomplishment more than make up for it. Plus I enjoy the challenge of thinking for myself and making my own decisions.

Will, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Realistic Picture Group is a 3D visualization and simulation design provider.

I personally have 10+ years in the creative 3D design field and a deep background in video game design. I draw upon this experience to create best in class visualizations for my customers.

Our capabilities range from “traditional” pre-rendered 3D animation to fully featured interactive simulations for Virtual Reality applications.

The key differentiator that sets us apart is attention to detail and agility. We are capable of creating content of exceptionally high quality over very rapid timeframes.

Any advice for managing a team?

Probably the most important thing when managing a team is to keep them insulated from the client.

In such a creative and technical field as mine my team members don’t need the added stress of dealing with client expectations. They should be free to focus on fulfilling them.

As a manager it is my responsibility to communicate with the customer and fully understand the project requirements. Additionally I need to understand if the proposed ideas are realistic to achieve over the available time frame. In order to do this I must personally have an understanding of the technical and creative process involved. If the customer is asking for the impossible, I have to stop them right there and re-frame the expectations. There is nothing worse a leader can do than sign up his team for an impossible or an unclear task.

Therefore it is important to have all details clear before committing the team to the project.

Once committed, I think there is one more very important thing to remember: as the leader you share the wins with the team but you personally take responsibility for the failures. The team must feel free to do their work without fear of being blamed or “thrown under the bus”. This is the best way to keep everyone performing their best and in good spirits.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I am a big fan of the book “Deep Work” by Cal Newport. I was introduced to the book through a 3D modeling DVD by Vitaly Bulgarov, one of if not the best 3D designers around. Vitaly uses the concepts set forth in “Deep Work” in the context of 3D design: for example focusing on the most important things first, maintaining focus and managing complexity.

However the book is applicable to any field and is truly life changing. The key takeaway for me is Cal’s insistence that you schedule every hour of your day in advance.

You’re probably not sold on the idea of such radical personal organization. I’m sure you are thinking “but what about leaving room for spontaneity?”

To which the book answers: “Do you really believe your goals can be accomplished spontaneously?”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.realisticpicturegroup.com/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/wenglish3d

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Realistic Picture Group Nautilus Ocean Exploration Trust Capgemini Engineering Bonnet Springs Park The Apiary Counter Culture Lakeland Manifold Analytics