Hidden Gems: Meet Brent Hansen of The Motion Shop

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brent Hansen.

Hi Brent, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started my career as an architect. During the recession in 2009, I was laid off, which turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me. I transitioned my career into motion graphics and spent the next nine years working in advertising agencies and in-house corporate marking departments. I was also doing freelance work on the side and in 2018 made the move to start my own business, The Motion Shop.

I quickly learned what I loved most about running my own business was meeting new people and hearing their incredible stories. I heard so many amazing stories about people’s lives and their small businesses and knew more people needed to learn about the great things happening in their own communities. I started to offer services to help small businesses clarify their message and share it with their communities. Almost every small business I work with tells me their story isn’t unique or impactful. My favorite part about my job is when they get to see themselves from my perspective and how it changes the way they see themselves and their mission within their business.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. I think every small business owner will tell you it is a challenging path. It is also just as rewarding in the end. Every day brings new challenges as you try to grow the business. The things that seemed challenging three months ago seem easy now, but each day welcomes a new set of things to learn.

At least once a week, I question if the direction I am headed is right or is it time to pivot. In the end, we all have to have faith in our decisions and keep pressing forward. If you aren’t feeling uncomfortable at times, you probably aren’t pushing hard enough or thinking big enough.

Especially in creative fields, I think everyone suffers with imposter syndrome. I have definitely compared myself to others and wanted to quit multiple times. Ultimately, I think you need to decide what is the right direction for you and remember why you started in the first place. Comparing yourself to others will get you nowhere as their journey is 100% different than your own.

I also had a huge fear about sales when starting out. Over the years, I have found it is my favorite part of the business. It is my opportunity to get to know someone and really understand what they are trying to accomplish. At that point, it isn’t about being a pushy salesman. It is more about helping them achieve their goals.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Every small business has a unique story, but we believe the most important thing is how you tell that story. What makes us unique is we craft a unique strategy for each business we work with. We don’t offer pre-set packages or try to sell something that won’t help the business we are working with. We use a combination of live action video, animation and motion graphics to craft a one of a kind video strategy.

We are extremely thankful to each and every person that trusts us to help them tell their story.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I think if you are not willing to take some risk, you won’t be in business very long. Lack of taking action or overanalyzing every decision will just slow you down.

When making big decisions about the business, I usually ask myself what is the worst possible result. Usually, it isn’t really all that bad. Every failure or misstep is a learning opportunity. You will learn and grow much more quickly the more decisions you make. I’ve found usually, the reward is much greater than the risk.

I’ve also learned that more often than not people aren’t willing to take the risk because they are worried about what others will think of them if they fail. I’ve definitely had those thoughts as well. In the long run, you have to do what is right for yourself. My guess would be if you actually knew how much time people spent thinking about your wins and losses, it wouldn’t be very exciting. Usually, they are busy thinking about themselves and wondering what other people are thinking about them.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://themotionshop.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.motion.shop/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/the.motion.shop.kc