Episode 151: It's All About the Ride | Joel Antymniuk, MOTIF

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Don't just sling products. That is definitely the end result, is going to be a tangible product, but focus on providing more than just a finished product in the client's hands. Focus on the whole experience from when initial contact is made to completed orders.

Joel Antimuke is the owner of Motif Marketing located in Saskatoon, the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Saskatoon is one of Canada's fastest growing cities. Joel was born and raised on the Canadian prairies. Growing up, he always possessed an entrepreneurial spirit. Before taking the leap to start Motif in 2016, Joel worked in the industry for 6 years. This experience gave him the vision for what a company could be. His passion for creativity is reflected in the relationships and branding that he and his team have developed over the 4 years since Motif was born. Motif focuses on end-to-end customer experience and uses creativity, design, and a support-local business model to elevate themselves and their clients. When Joel is not working, he's spending time with his wife and two young kids. But when that little bit of free time presents itself, you can find him zenned out on his skateboard. In fact, we talk about this today, the connection between skateboarding, the skateboarding culture, and the branded merch business, and a lot more. I'm Bobby LeHew, the Chief Content Officer at Commscue, and this episode is brought to you by Commscue. The work-from-anywhere platform that powers your connected workflow, enabling you to process more orders and dramatically grow your sales. To learn more or to begin your free trial now, visit commonscue.com. Now here's my conversation with Joel where we kick off our chat talking about a design-focused business.

I wanted to start straight away by talking with you about design because that's a passion of yours. You love the business as an art form around a tactile experience. It's part of the core of your DNA as a business. You employ full-time designers. How important is design to you, and what have you learned through the process of making that a differentiator in your business?

We've definitely put a lot of effort and focus into making sure it was our main differentiator. It's just our approach to this industry. I'm lucky to have been a part of this industry for about 10 years now, and I saw it as an opportunity to kind of separate ourselves apart from the rest. And personally, I'm always looking for creative outlets. And I mean, if I can, if I can turn that into a job, a business and an income, then I mean, that's awesome. As, as the main differentiator, it really allows us to kind of build trust with clients with design. Obviously, we offer our design services to our clients, but it allows us to kind of work on our own brand, take care of our own branding, create our own designs, websites, social media content. And we've just found that it really helps build trust with clients, whether they use us to actually create designs for their companies. They're able to just see it, believe it, and, you know, trust us.

What have you learned about this experience of making design the forefront of your business? In other words, there are a lot of folks who do this, and sometimes, you know, the overhead burden can be tough, but it's worth it for those who are sort of agency-minded or even those that aren't. What have you learned? Like, what have been some of the biggest lessons learned through the design experience?

Through the design experience, lots of lessons learned, and we continue to learn a lot. I think it's important just to remember that, you know, we will never think that we have it completely figured out at all. Yeah, but it is a challenge. It's, it's a challenge to have that extra overhead of, of, you know, having full-time designers on staff and keeping them stimulated. I mean, The creative personalities, they're, they're an exciting personality, right? But they're, they're an interesting personality. It makes my job fun. I— it's thoroughly rewarding. It works. So, I mean, what we're doing, we're really learning that it's working and we got to keep focusing on the design aspect of our business. Yeah, but it's also not for everybody. So we've learned that, I mean, we do what we can to kind of deliver our message to new potential clients. And the process of onboarding is a lot longer than, say, if we didn't offer design, because you kind of got to, you kind of got to run them through one for them to really see the effects, right? Like, you don't really know the value until you see the return on it. So yeah, it's a challenge, but it, it really helps build relationships and build loyalty. And yeah, the outcome is really cool.

What advice would you have for those who are making design a primary part of their value?

It's not as easy as, as just contracting out designers, you know, online. It kind of has to be ingrained in the whole culture of your business. And so I was a believer from the beginning that part of that culture is going to have to involve a brick-and-mortar storefront location. In our part of the world, in Saskatchewan, Canada, we're, we're huge supporters of local business. At least we try to. And part of that is creating a space for people to come. And that's not just clients, but for our employer, our employees. Yeah. Our designers to come to a cool space, hang out, collaborate. It's one thing that's really hard is obviously like, you know, you got to focus on your bread and butter. You got to focus on making money and pumping out orders. That's all good. But it's hard to always try and remember to, you know, any downtime or create allotted time for your designers to find some creative outlets. So work on our branding, right? We really, we really like creating our own custom stickers and handing out sticker packs as box candy and completed orders. And so they get to whip up some really funny, random, doesn't apply to our business at all types of designs. And yeah, it just makes it fun.

You're in Canada. And how is business this year? I know that's a very big question, but how are you doing?

It's, it's been good. It got really scary there for a bit. I don't think I was ever worried about losing the company. We've had such a strong year up until it hit. Yeah, it was just making sure we, we navigated it, you know, to the best of our ability and make sure everybody had their job. And we, we really focused on instead of, I don't know, pivoting and stressing over like, what new products, what new niches do we have to fill? Do we have to recreate ourselves? We, we just kind of stayed confident, patient, and we just, we reached out to our loyal clients and just made sure they were okay, assured them we were okay, and we kind of offered complimentary design services and, you know, anything we could do to help them through it. Yeah. And just, yeah, kind of stick together.

Was that a warm reception from customers? Did you have good feedback from that?

Yeah, yeah, we had a— we had great feedback.

Good.

Even when you just follow up on a project or an order, I really find I'm always still amazed. They're just like, hey, like, we haven't, you know, no progress has been made on this, but thank you so much for following up. We really appreciate it.

It's like, yeah, yeah, absolutely. I think it's interesting that you decided not to jump into the— sounds like you decided not to jump into the PPE game like everyone else and just decide to stick to your core, stick to your values, stick to what it is that your customers love about you, and just double down on that.

Yeah, for sure. It was, it was, I definitely was conflicted. I wasn't too sure for a little bit there, but once I realized it, and I mean, it was really just sticking to our, to our core values. Like, we're not really based on being super salesy. Um, yeah, we don't do any cold calling. We're not really aggressive. And I think, I don't know, maybe that's a fault. I don't, I'm not sure yet, but, um, We, you know, we, we focus on ourselves. We, we try and make ourselves as attractive as possible to people.

Yeah. And so, yeah, you've been at this 10 years. What has been— what have been one or two of the biggest lessons in your career so far?

I would say one for sure is you're not, you're not meant to work with everybody. It's, it's okay to not, you know, get every order lock down every client. And I— that's really, really hard to learn at the beginning when like every dollar counts, like, right, right, every penny. It's, it's like, hey, do you do this? It's like, in the background, no, we don't, but I'm gonna say we do and get it done and try and create some revenue. But, you know, once you build up confidence, though, you really realize it's like, no, you can't, you can't bog the system down with with stuff that doesn't fit your business model. So it's okay to not work with everybody.

Yeah, it's more enjoyable too. You probably found more joy in the journey.

It is. It is. And I mean, again, don't get nervous when any downtime comes. Try and embrace it. Allows you to reflect and, and look at things and see if anything needs to change. I'd say the second lesson is just continue to get reminded about this is be true to yourself. And I don't want to sound super lame by saying that, but just like follow your gut instinct, you know, do what you think is right, even if it means losing a couple dollars here or there, or maybe pissing somebody off that doesn't agree with you. But stay true to yourself, and I don't know, there's a good chance it'll work out.

So, Joe, you and your team are back in the office now. Were you at home before?

We are all back at the office except for my, my lovely wife, who's still at home with our two boys because daycare isn't back yet. So she'll be— she'll be coming back early August. But yeah, the rest of us are here. As soon as, as soon as COVID hit, Doug, our one designer, and Nathan, our sales and creative guy, they both, they both started working from home. Both, both of them, their wives were going to be delivering babies in the middle of COVID Wow.

Oh, wow.

So it's been a wild ride for sure. Yeah. But so they worked from home and then me and Kalina, our production manager, we were, we were kind of forced to, you know, lock the doors, kind of shut down the storefront, but, but operate, you know, on site with the doors closed to the public just to keep things going.

Yeah.

Which, yeah, we were, we were lucky to do, right? We weren't forced to shut down. So I'm quite grateful for that.

Yeah, very. Yeah, that's very fortunate. You're in the process of onboarding with Commskew. What led you to take that step?

I ended up finding Commskew just through some Google searches, honestly, like probably even a couple of years ago. I like to think that our systems are always running as efficiently as they can because it's definitely a focus of mine to be doing everything we are doing, you know, as well as we could and as efficiently as we can be. And so I'm just, I'm constantly just always trying to find new ways of doing things.

It sounds like you've always tried to have best-in-class systems. Was there a challenge that you were trying to overcome at the time, or you just knew you needed to improve some things?

Yeah, we just, I just want to always be evolving, staying on our toes. I really don't ever want to just become complacent and get too comfortable. I think that's when things go wrong. I knew I wanted to continue to develop, obviously conducting as much business online with whatever digital format was out there. And we were growing our business with our local brick-and-mortar location, which has been great for us. But, you know, again, we have to stay on top of the online game. But I was struggling internally because I didn't really want to, like, I guess, sell out as just like another online company. So as I learned about the community aspect of Commonsku and just how much more there is to offer than just like an online ordering system and all that, I think, I think that's what really became attractive for me.

10 years in, you've gone just through this major challenge. What advice would you give to a 10-year-younger you or a new entrepreneur getting into this business?

I would just advise focus, focus on experience. I really learned that, that everybody can kind of source the same products. Everything's just so connected and globalized with, right, with the internet and suppliers all kind of consolidating. It's, it's no longer that impressive, you know, to be like, hey, look at this product I found you. It is, I don't mean to insult anybody.

No, you're right. Keep going.

Focus. Yeah, focus on experience. And especially with like, what do you mean by screen time? So don't just sling products. That is definitely, you know, the end result is going to be a tangible product, but focus on providing more than just a finished product in the client's hands. Focus on, on the whole experience from when initial contact is made. To completed orders.

That's actually great advice. Um, we recently started a series on the future customer, and one of the demands that they have is this end-to-end care and this end-to-end attention. And I love that you have that kind of focus on your customers from the very first touchpoint all the way through to the end. That's a great point. So client experience is everything. Um, I didn't even ask you, what do you enjoy doing during your downtime?

Well, I have a young family. I got two wonderful boys and an amazing wife, so definitely any free time is spent with them because it's great. Yeah. But when Joel as an individual gets free time, I, I love to go skateboarding. Skateboarding would be kind of my, my hobby, passion. Yeah. Yeah. Love it. Makes me feel great.

That's cool. I love that you enjoy that.

Let me ask you a really weird question.

Okay.

Do you find any connection between your passion of skateboarding and the business?

Yeah, absolutely. That's a really good question, by the way. I would say so. I think, like, to expand on my passion for skateboarding, I mean, there's physical, obviously the physical aspect of it, doing it. It's dangerous. It gives you a rush. It's, to me, the coolest looking thing aesthetically that the human could do. But it comes with a culture. It's not just the act of pushing down the street on a skateboard. It's the culture that comes with it. It's the music. It's the art, the influence on fashion and style. It's individual. It's creative, right? So again, I just try and apply those same cultural offerings to a business. I think everybody wants a little bit of those experiences and Maybe sometimes people have a hard time finding them or experiencing them.

Yeah.

So yeah, absolutely.

That's a fantastic reflection on the connection between the two, the energy, the rush, the aesthetics, the beauty of it, the symmetry of it, and really the pace. We know this business can be very, very fast-paced. So that's really cool. What is it you enjoy now about the work compared to maybe 10 years ago?

I really enjoy managing and watching over everything. I mean, I don't mean that as in like, hey, I'm the boss, right? I'm in charge, right? I'm definitely very involved still in sales. Me and Nathan are bringing in all the sales still for the company, but I love the science and the art behind making it all work. Yeah, cohesively. So taking all these different positions, all the different systems, all the different moving parts, and, and having it work kind of in unison, it's, it's awesome. I love it. It's really cool.

You know, this goes back to your skateboarding thing. It's like the symmetry of all of that happening. There's so much going on, tons of physics in skateboarding. There's so much going on in physics that's happening there. And there's a beautiful symmetry that comes together. And it sounds to me like you love that aspect about the business too. Lots of moving parts, lots of pieces. And it's just a fast-moving ride that once it's done well and it is a beautiful experience.

It is. Yeah. And I also think like it should look good, which is kind of part of our creative offering. Like, yeah, you're going to do something, try and try and make it look good too.

Yeah, I dig that. Speaking of what's your favorite skateboarding brand?

Oh, favorite skateboarding brand. That's a loaded question, but I'd have to say either Antihero or Crooked. And it just, it just has to do with like the skaters on their team, their art, their branding, the owners. Yeah. Crooked, Crooked and Antihero.

I'll bet that influence from the skateboarding culture and branding really affects your brand and who you are today.

Yeah, absolutely. It's, it's been kind of a battle of like trying to find the balance between trying to be, you know, professional and kind of corporate. Yeah. To, to appeal to, you know, as many professionals as we can, but also doing it our way, you know, and like with our style. Um, yeah, and I guess honestly we're lucky with timing because it's, it's easier than ever to, to kind of mix and match those two.

Yeah.

Um, it's like the same thing as like, oh, you can totally wear just like a basic black t-shirt with a pair of jeans now to work and it's totally okay.

How do you feel about the future of the business as a whole?

You excited about the future?

Yeah, I am good. Um, I am excited about it. I'm definitely excited to continue to be a part of it and grow with it and see what happens. Yeah, I think, I think you're silly not to just always be a little bit paranoid that things could change for the worst. And that's just, that's not, you know, directed just at our industry. I think a good entrepreneur should just always kind of be on their toes and kind of second-guessing themselves just to make sure they don't, you know, get too comfortable. But I absolutely love how the space and the connection between retail trends and fashion and product offerings is completely seamless with our industry now. So it just, it makes it easier and it makes it a lot more enjoyable.

Joel, it's been fun having you on. I love learning about the skateboarding and the connection between that and the business. I think there's a lot of beautiful analogies there. And thanks for taking the time to visit with us today, man.

Yeah, thanks so much for reaching out and making this happen. Yeah, it's been great.

Best to you and your family and your team. Thanks for joining the CommsCue family and welcome. I'll talk to you soon.

Thanks so much. Take care, Bobby.

Thanks so much for tuning in to this episode of SkuCast. Be sure to keep up with our latest content by subscribing to SkuCast on iTunes or to our blog at community.comonscue.com. Until next time, friends, thanks so much for listening.