Today we’d like to introduce you to Ronny Young.
Hi Ronny, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I consider myself an artist, the kid who was always drawing Spiderman. I started by sitting in front of Saturday morning cartoons, drawing my heart out… and now I find myself producing content for global industry-leading brands. Art has always had an important role in my life. I’m the type of personality that always wants to push further, trying to learn new things or level up certain skills with each project.
I love all things 3D. The more realistic the better. After receiving a BFA in Graphic Design from Northern Kentucky University in 2009, I set out to learn all about 3D, animation, and motion. After years of working for other agencies, I finally went freelance. After 2 very successful years freelancing, I decided to start my own company. Polymath was Founded in August of 2017. Polymath is a motion design studio that launches new products for the advertising & entertainment industries. We will have been in business 5 years this August, so close! Our client list includes Old Spice, Gillette, John Frieda, Biore, Mentos, and more.
From our pitch deck to new clients… “Hi there! We are Polymath. Our name is an extension of our philosophy—we wear many hats in order to find the best solution for our partners. We’re a blend of technicians and artists. Harmony of the left brain + right brain. When nerd meets designer. We are polymath.”
Beyond Polymath, I strive to be a leader in the local Cincinnati community. I started a local community Slack channel that allows people to ask questions, network, and find work. Local businesses use it as a tool to find the right partners for their projects. Having worked for many of the large local design firms, I know the right people in town. My network is key to Polymath’s success. I’m fortunate to be invited to speak at Universities and High Schools to talk to kids about 3D and Animation, detailing what it’s like and what opportunities await them. They learn about new paths, and what specific careers are out there. Freelance, full-time, remote work, we talk about it all. This allows me to become a semi-mentor to a few. I can tap into my network and connect these students to the right people, so they can help get them hired.
What the future holds? My hope is to grow Polymath to a multi-million-dollar studio, working directly with the likes of Nike, Marvel & Apple. We’re making serious headway, and I think it’s only a matter of time thankfully. The crew we’ve put together are all rockstars in their own right. We want to help put Cincinnati on the map as a serious contender for global top talent in the animation and video industry.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There are always struggles for sure. Those are what actually end up pushing me to make a change.
Geography is a major struggle for us. Most clients want LA or New York-based talent; it’s hard to overcome the stigma of the MidWest. Luckily a stellar portfolio can, and will, overcome this.
Going from freelance to becoming a company was very difficult. People don’t take you seriously at first, and they especially don’t want to pay “studio” rates. Even “friends” would give you hell or belittle your efforts. Anyone interested in starting a company, I would tell them to shut the nay-sayers out. Go for it! You’ll never regret it.
Getting people to trust in the vision can be tough at first, but then the dominos seem to fall into place. I added my 1st partner in 2020, right smack in the middle of Covid. Once they joined the company, we had 3 months of NO WORK. An entire quarter of the year, nothing, nada, zilch. We were selling every day; it was very frightening. Now, having survived Covid, we’re thriving. We’re busier than ever, and we’ve added 2 more partners and 1 new employee. My role as an animator has taken a backseat, I’m now becoming the business strategy/sales guy. The other polymathers are insanely good at their jobs; our clients are in great hands. I cannot wait to add more people and see where the next 5 years take us.
Selling and Lead Gen are our top struggles now. I’m attending a Business Bootcamp with Chris Do, and it’s been enlightening. Really excited to level up my Sales skills to help grow the company. We’re getting clarity and who we are, and how to find the right clients.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Polymath?
Polymath is a motion design studio that launches new products for the brands in the advertising and entertainment industries. We specialize in 3D animation and video production. When a brand needs to drum up excitement, usually around a new product or service launch, we create high-end animations and videos for marketing.
We’re an animation heavy studio, best known for our 3D animation work. We’re a high-end shop, implementing workflows and techniques from Hollywood and the other big boy studios.
I’m most proud of our portfolio, even though we’re not able to show all of our work off. Confidentiality prevents us from sharing all our work, and sometimes it’s the really cool stuff. But still, our portfolio is pretty stellar. And we’re just getting warmed up!
I always want people to equate Polymath with a Premium vibe. We want to create the coolest-looking stuff, things you’d find on TV and in the movies. When brands trust us enough, we can influence the look, tone, and feel of a product launch. Polymath is top-notch.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
If anyone else is considering freelance or starting their own business, do it! If you have questions, let’s chat. I like helping others and sharing any of my experience that might apply to their struggle. I like to think that I’m a good blend of artist and entrepreneur.
I can see a future where I’m more of a mentor or business coach. But for now, I’m still growing and learning 🙂
Pricing:
- Minimum Level of Engagement: $30K
Contact Info:
- Website: https://polymath.tv/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/polymathvisuals/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PolymathVisuals
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/PolymathVisuals
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZqYbHW9B4e0wi3RNJo6LVA
