Photos by Amy Gee
Meet Caitlin Rogers—one of the driving forces behind Next Day Animations. They’re one of the 18 values-driven businesses that have come together in support of Pollen’s mission to invest in human connection. Together, they challenge Pollenites to raise $20,000 by Give to the Max Day on November 15, which they will match dollar for dollar.
Match the Hive and donate today.
All About Next Day Animations
Next Day Animations helps organizations share complex (and sometimes hazardously boring!) information in meaningful ways, through creating custom animations that inspire new behaviors and emphasize why the audience should care. “We make the process of going from an idea to finished video seamless,” says co-owner and productions director Caitlin Rogers. “We love making complex subjects and information more accessible, and we believe that this process should be fun—for our clients, our team and audiences.” “There are a lot of animation teams out there—but none could be more pleasant to work with than our crew.”
Let’s hear from Caitlin
Pollen: What are some of the greatest risks you’ve taken as a small business?
Caitlin: While growing, we’ve also tried to keep our values at the front and center of what we’re doing. Sometimes these ideals put us at odds with common wisdom on operating or growing a business. But in doing so, we’ve created a really unique culture and impact-focused business. We’re in the midst of becoming a certified B Corp.
Many of the changes we’ve made to how we run haven’t been easy or inexpensive, but it’s helping us live our values through how we operate.
Pollen: What’s the culture of your team and how did it develop? How do you support one another?
Caitlin: Most of us are veterans of nonprofits, summer camps, or arts-based organizations – and I think a lot from those cultures comes with us into our work. We build a lot of reflection into our regular schedule, to help us capture and apply wisdom learned.
Each morning, our Minneapolis team has a daily huddle where we can give recognition to teammates for exhibiting our values in action. And we also order pizzas when we exceed our goals for video completion. It’s the little things.
We wholeheartedly embrace the concept of collaborative autonomy- we’re working independently (and often remotely), but always able to connect with colleagues for support and problem-solving.
Pollen: What’s next? For you, for your work, and for how your work intersects with the community?
Caitlin: We’re committed to bringing a racial equity lens to our work. There are so many ways where that plays out, including the work we create, the relationships we build, our business practices, and our scholarships and nonprofit grants.
Pollen: What does creative tension look like for you in running your business?
Caitlin: There’s an ongoing tension between sticking to what works versus experimentation. It’s a bit of “good is the enemy of great” versus “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
With inventiveness as a core value, we try to embrace ongoing experimentation and questioning.
Pollen: Why do you value being part of the Pollen community?
Caitlin: From connecting with new employees through Pollen’s job board to attending events like the Confronting White Supremacy in the Workplace, Pollen has helped us learn and grow.
Join Caitlin: DONATE TO MATCH THE HIVE TODAY
Find Next Day Animations and give them an online hug for supporting Pollen.
Twitter: @speedyanimation
Instagram: @nextdayanimations
Facebook: @nextdayanimations