''Figure it out, or you will get fired."

''Figure it out, or you will get fired."

That's the answer I received from my producer when I asked to be trained and mentored around scheduling and project planning on my first CG job.

I had never used Shotgrid.

I was new to the CG workflow.

I had never heard the words ''scope of work''.

I was working on THE biggest show on TV at the time.

It would have been hugely beneficial for my producer to invest a few hours in training me. Or match me up with someone who could.

But the truth is that they were under immense pressure, working overtime every day, managing demanding clients, harsh upper management, and never-ending ''emergencies''.

They had never been trained in scheduling, either. They did their best but delegated this task like a hot potato, as it was not empowering to them.

There was no time, no mental space, and no strategy for training.

The need was huge, but the resources and inspiration just weren't there.

I'm resourceful and hella ambitious, so in the end, I did figure it out. First, I taught myself the management software at night. Then, I decided to make the scope of work my BFF and developed a milestone strategy that enabled my team to track progress and overdeliver on our promises while maintaining the agility the creative process required. I went from hating the project schedule because it was so stress-inductive and unforgiving to making it my strongest ally, a tool for better work-life balance and profitability.

But I figured it out at another studio, where I wasn't threatened with being fired when I asked for support. A studio where training was seen as a valuable investment and where our growth and well-being were considered priceless assets.

With the mindset, process, and strategies I had ''figured out,'' I got to work with some of the biggest clients in the world and elevated my scheduling by implementing some of their best tips and tricks. 

And once my skills had been tested on over 25 000 animated shots, I made a promise to my crew to create a training to share my years of knowledge with them so that they could quantum lead their learning, get the position they dreamed of, and feel accomplished at work avoiding some of the mistakes I made along the way. I promised them I would give them the support I had so desperately needed when I first started in the industry.

That promise is why I co-founded The Happy Producers.

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