We’re excited to share with you a little Q&A with an awesome Melbourne creative – Shu Shu Zheng. Shu Shu works at Pozible in the world of crowdfunding but she’s also a talented peep working at creating a dessert cookbook with watercolour images! Colour Box Studio met Shu Shu when we did our Pozible project last year and it’s about time we introduced you – she’s got great stuff to share!
Can you please provide a brief overview of what you’re doing now for work and what your role entails?
I’m the project advisor at Pozible, a global crowdfunding platform based in Australia. What I do is I work with new project creators to make sure they are as prepared as possible before they launch their crowdfunding campaigns. I advise them on their project descriptions, rewards and promotional strategies and provide support as they’re running their campaigns.
I’ve worked at Pozible for about 3 years. I started off as an intern, then was employed doing customer support then moved to operations management before becoming a project advisor.
What has been your career pathway leading to this job?
Pozible is actually my first “real” job out of uni. I studied Media and Communications at RMIT, and freelanced as an film editor and data wrangler for a bit. I also worked in retail for money and did several internships at various production companies before landing an internship and job at Pozible.
Have you done volunteering, internships or work experience?
My internships have all been really amazing. The hours can be tough and they’re mostly unpaid, but you do learn lots about an industry or company, even if it is as simple as knowing you don’t want to work in this industry any more.
For me, aside from gaining a better understanding of film making, I learned a lot about how important workflow and process is when you are working with a big team, especially in a large post production company. It’s really fast-paced so If the workflow doesn’t work, then things won’t get done well or efficiently.
Tell us about the crowdfunding industry, what’s it like?
Where do I begin? It’s definitely growing very fast and people are seeing it as a way to not only get funding, but interact with their community. It’s pretty exciting!
What do you love/ find rewarding about your current work? Is there a particular job/ project that you’ve enjoyed?
I love working with the different creatives and being able to help their projects come to life. This year, we’ve done a few crowdfunding residencies (you can check out their projects here: http://www.pozible.com/
What Pozible projects have you personally been excited to see and support?
So many! I’ve actually had to put a ban on myself from supporting projects on Pozible because it’s eating away my funds, although I break this ban a lot. I recently supported the Georgia Fields’ project to make her new album. I’m a big fan of her music so to be able to not only help her make her album but score a ukulele lesson with her is bloody exciting.
In general, I love seeing the projects I’ve worked with just smash their crowdfunding campaigns. It’s good to see all the hard work has paid off.
What do you see as the biggest mistake people make with their crowdfunding campaigns?
Definitely not preparing enough before they launch their campaign. It’s so important to know how the process works, research other projects and build a community/audience around what you do or your product.
What tips can you provide for those wanting to start their own crowdfunding campaign?
Check out some of the projects already on our website so you know what works and what doesn’t. Start building and engaging with your community if you haven’t been doing so before you launch your campaign. Make sure you know how the platform works and feel free to get in touch with me or someone who has run a campaign if you have any questions.
Do you have your own idea for a crowdfunding campaign?
I do, actually. I’ve got an idea for a short film I’d like to crowdfund some of the production costs. I also want to create a dessert cookbook (I love baking) filled with watercolour paintings, so I’d definitely like to crowdfund the cost of printing.
What do you do for creative release?
Aside from reading and watching films, I like to write, draw and sing.
I’ve got a blog (http://chouxie.wordpress.com) but I’ve been feeling a bit under confident about my writing so I’ve been journalling more just to find my “voice” again. I hope to blog more regularly. On the weekends I try to fit in some painting or drawing. Sometimes I feel great about it because I’ve produced something good. Other times (and actually, it’s most of the time), I don’t produce anything remarkable which really frustrates me. I think it’s because I’m forcing myself to come up with something or I get too fixated with making my drawings and paintings look “real”. A friend said to me on twitter that creating any art is better than creating no art, which has really resonated with me, so I try to remind myself of that whenever I get frustrated with not producing great stuff. I’ve also recently joined a band so every week I get to do some singing, which is awesome fun.
How do peeps find out more about Pozible and are there any workshops coming up?
We have a crowdfunding workshop every month at our office in Collingwood. The next one is on August 11, and you can RSVP here: http://bit.ly/TUcbiH. You can also live stream it online here: http://ustre.am/1c1TJ
What are your thoughts about Colour Box Studio?
I love Colour Box Studio! Everything about it is wonderful and nurturing. I love that the team really cares about its members and community, and are constantly putting on great events to showcase their works as well as provide useful skills. It’s one of the most unique, supportive and fun communities in Melbourne.
Thanks Shu Shu for sharing your thoughts and experience with us! If you’re running a Pozible campaign now or in the future, check out Colour Box Studio’s Pozible Collection and apply to be added – we’d love to hear from you. Details here: http://www.pozible.com/collection/detail/63