166. Why 99% of Creatives Will Be Replaced by AI (and How to Survive) ft. Matthew Encina

The 10 Minute Personal Brand Kickstart (FREE): https://the505podcast.courses/personalbrandkickstart What’s up, Rock Nation! Today we’re joined by Matthew Encinas - Creative director, educator, and the creative force behind content that actually drives connection (not just clicks). In this episode, Matthew breaks down why most creatives are about to get replaced by AI - and what you can actually do to stay ahead. We dive into how to build a personal brand that can’t be automated, the storytelling tactics that cut through the noise, and the underrated power of creative substance in a world obsessed with speed. He also shares why he left The Futur to launch his own studio, the mindset shift that helped him evolve past burnout, and the real reason most creators are stuck spinning their wheels. If you’re ready to evolve as a creator, build a brand with purpose, and stay relevant in the AI era, this episode is for you. Check out Matthew here: https://www.instagram.com/matthewencina/ https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@MatthewEncina⁩  SUSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER: https://the505podcast.ac-page.com/rock-report The Creator Pricing Guide - The No BS Guide to Pricing Your Creative Services Coupon Code: ROCKNATION10 gets you $10 off at checkout for the boulders https://courses.the505podcast.com/pricing-guide Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/xgEAzkqAvs More Free Products: Our 5 Positioning Tips to Land Bigger Clients (FREE): https://the505podcast.courses/5positioningtips 6 Questions to ask on Every Sales Call (FREE): https://the505podcast.courses/6questionsfordiscoverycall COP THE BFIGGY "ESSENTIALS" SFX PACK HERE: https://courses.the505podcast.com/BFIGGYSFXPACK KG Presets Vol. 1 https://www.kostasgarcia.com/store-1/p/kglightroompresets Kostas’ Amazon Storefront: https://amzn.to/3GhId25 15% OFF Prism Lens FX with code: KOSTAS15 https://bit.ly/42sNdej Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 1:12 - Matthew’s take on A.I. content 3:11 - Having a bias against A.I. 4:37 - You can’t automate substance 7:10 - What the next 6-12 months look like 9:00 - Consuming vs. Creating 10:37 - Seeking out Inspo 12:25 - The two tiers of inspo 13:58 - Where substance comes from 16:42 - What A.I. can never replace 17:42 - The importance of doing hard things 19:36 - How to stand out on social media 20:47 - How to train your brain to do hard things 22:54 - Matthew loves to break dance 25:28 - Taking inspiration from break dancing into design 26:50 - The importance of experiencing real life 28:43 - Design vs. Video process 31:16 - Woodworking 35:03 - The art of being curious 36:36 - How to build confidence as a creative 41:50 - When opportunities stop presenting themselves 45:15 - The process of getting better 47:17 - Ending his first creative business 55:09 - Matthew’s entire creative process 1:01:38 - Biggest takeaways from Chris Do 1:04:22 - The beauty of teaching creativity 1:06:11 - A masterclass in design 1:08:58 - Become a great leader 1:11:58 - What goes into making a keyboard 1:16:34 - Partnering with Grovemade 1:17:42 - How to find the whitespace as a brand 1:22:47 - Why risk a rebrand? 1:25:18 - The Double Diamond Framework 1:28:20 - Developing thick skin as a designer 1:32:15 - Constructive Criticism 1:35:35 - Most people are kind 1:36:39 - Step ya bread up 1:38:48 - The business behind physical products 1:40:13 - Testing prototypes 1:42:37 - How to reverse engineer your ideal customer 1:45:00 - Creating for yourself 1:50:11 - Matthew’s favorite physical products to create 1:59:10 - A job you don’t have to retire from 2:00:47 - Advice to your 18 year old self If you liked this episode please send it to a friend and take a screenshot for your story! And as always, we'd love to hear from you guys on what you'd like to hear us talk about or potential guests we should have on. DM US ON IG: (Our DM's are always open!) Bfiggy: https://www.instagram.com/bfiggy/ Kostas: https://www.instagram.com/kostasg95/ TikTok: Bfiggy: https://www.tiktok.com/bfiggy/ Kostas: https://www.tiktok.com/kostasgarcia/