We ask some of our most distinguished clients to share their latest success story.

Interview by Lisa Maurer, Siegel & Stockman V.P

This month, we asked Victor Lewis (Founder of Muse On Demand) to comment on the importance of freelancers to the visual community.

Q. " Victor, with your strong retail back ground, can you tell me especially this time of year how important the freelance Visual field is to major retailers?  "
 

A. Retailers are cutting full-time visual staff and aggressively looking for fresh and innovative visual approaches to draw customers to their brick and mortar locations.  Freelancers are commonly known for being more creative since they have the freedom to push boundaries, and often come at a high price tag too.  That’s good for the freelancer!  And it’s a win for retailers too.  It's predicted that by 2020 approximately 50% of creative jobs will come from the freelance market. It is very important!

Q.  " Our field used to be word of mouth, you are working on a platform to expose a new generation to retailers looking to hire, can you explain your site?  “

A. Muse On Demand (MOD) is an online portfolio and networking platform that connects businesses with creatives simply and directly.  Most creative industries are chasing innovation but overlook so many talented people because they are conditioned to only look in a few directions. We are challenging this construct to give everyone more opportunities to be seen, heard, and innovate. Why should industry-changing talent get overlooked because they don't know the right people, have the fancy resume, or are not in the right place at the right time? We lived this for decades and saw how stale and unfair our industries had become. By defying norms, MOD’s unique idea of a name optional portfolio focused on showcasing work first is meant to minimize unfair assumptions and bias. We are building an empowering community of creatives who want to achieve a meaningful career while also impacting their futures with positivity and purpose.

MOD will always be your right place at the right time. 

Q. " What are the old school VM skills that you would like to see maintained as we get more into tech? "

The ability to return to a "bottom up" approach where store design and execution comes directly from store-level visual talent in each unique market.  How each store relates to the local consumer is critical for public interest, excitement, and survival.  Some NYC stores that are doing this quite well are STORY in Chelsea, PHLUID in NoHo, and various pop-up shops.  All push boundaries, and illustrate how vision, design and execution can shine when done locally, not by the corporate machine.  The consumer ultimately wants a fun and intimate connection to a unique shopping experience.  This is what we enjoy and want to explore. 

Q. “ What is the top three tips you have for modernizing your portfolios look? “

A.

1. Take risks, be bold and fearless — holding back will just give the industry same same.  

2. Be authentic — you have no idea how your unique voice can move mountains and it’s VERY attractive to industry professionals

3. And of course, join MOD (Muse On Demand) to be a part of a disruptive community that is the future of how Creatives connect and be found.  You’ll be glad you did.