Meet Cameron Walker | Boss Lady & Animator @ Hey-Yo Studio

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cameron Walker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cameron, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
It was 100% a lifestyle decision. I wanted total control of my day-to-day schedule, vacation time and salary. I wanted to be my own boss.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

In 2004, I started off my design career as an in-house graphic/web designer. After a few years though, I wanted to try freelancing, but I was too scared to make the leap. So as a first step, I transitioned to 4-days a week in-house and 1 day freelancing. Within 6 months, I realized that I was making as much income freelancing as I was at my day-job. Maybe it was naive optimism, but I knew with 100% certainty that if I put all of my energy and focus into running my freelance business, I’d be able to at least match my current salary, if not exceed it. So in 2011 I went full-time freelance as a web designer and within a year had doubled my salary from my in-house job.

In 2013 a freelance website job lead to an opportunity to partner with a former co-worker to start a design and video production company called Studio Hippo. Almost by accident, we stumbled onto the world of animation and motion graphics, and I knew immediately that I’d found my passion.

There is an incredible, soul-filling joy that comes from being able to breath life into a still drawing, and I feel so fortunate that I get to wake up every day and do something I love.

In 2019, after 6 incredible life-changing years, we dissolved Studio Hippo, and I rebranded as Hey-Yo Studio. It was hard to say goodbye to Hippo, but it was time to evolve and move on. Now, at Hey-Yo, a one-woman design and animation shop, I handle most projects on my own, tackling every phase of the project from concept to design to animation. But for larger projects or faster timelines, we have the ability to scale up as needed. I really enjoy the flexibility of one day managing and directing a team, and the next day freelancing as an art director for an agency. Every day is a crazy fun adventure. Plus, there’s no stress of managing employees or having to pay salaries. Last year, I took 2 months off to travel and work on passion projects and it was glorious!

Looking back at my design career, I never would have imagined I’d be running an animation studio in 2022. I’ve taken an unconventional path to get here, but I’m thankful for all of the twists and turns. I know that my graphic design and web background have only made me a better animator. And running a small studio has only made me a better business owner. I can’t wait to see what’s next!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If you have a friend visiting town, what are some spots you could take them?

Yay! I love when friends visit! Here are all of the activities I’d suggest:

My wife and I are all about the outdoor summer and fall adventures. So we’d pack in as many of these activities as possible.
– Hiking or mountain biking at Staunton Ranch
– Hike at Ruby Gulch in Empire
– Paddle boarding in Evergreen
– Ropes course at Treehouse Adventure Park in Bailey
– Yoga on the Rocks @ Red Rocks
– Rollerblading at Wash Park

We love all of our Denver sports teams, so we’d try to catch a game too. An afternoon Rapids or Rockies games are our favorites.

We definitely gotta see some art so at trip to Meow Wolf is a must. We also enjoy going to the Denver Art Museum and the Museum of Nature and Science. And maybe we could catch a show at the DCPA or go to a Mixed Taste talk. An evening art stroll around RiNo would also be excellent. And then we could pop into Super Mega Bien for a tasty dinner and drinks. Yum!

We also like to get crafty, so we could take a glass blowing class at Flux Studio in North Denver. We made our own drinking glasses there a few years ago, and it was such a cool experience. Then our guests can leave with a one-of-a-kind handmade souvenir.

And really, the main goal of every day would be to eat all the tasty food:
In our Virginia Village neighborhood, we especially love Detour Bakery. Chocolate croissants and fresh baked baguettes? Yes please.

We also love our neighborhood OG Esters for pizza and beer. We could pick up a couple of pies and have a nice picnic at Wash Park.

Denver’s got an amazing selection of delicious restaurants too, so visiting at least of few of these places would need to happen: Sushi Den, Tavernetta, Chook, Blanco, Safta, Park Burger, Mercantile, Work and Class, Lucina, …the list goes on and on…. Oh, and if there’s a Drag Brunch happening at Sunday Vinyl, we are so there!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

My family definitely deserves a huge shoutout here. My parents, Ann and Bill, and my sister, Carolyn, were some of my first clients, and they’ve always been my biggest cheerleaders. They showed me that if you treat people with respect and kindness, work smart, and follow your passions, you will find success. I’ll always be grateful and humbled by their unconditional love and support.

I also owe so much of my success to my wife, Rachel. She encouraged me to go freelance and gave me confidence to take the leap. She listens when I need to vent and is my sounding block for handling difficult or delicate situations. Rachel is also an incredibly talented copywriter in her own right, and she’s my secret weapon for tightening up scripts and adding copy to my website. I love you, Rachel.

And finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank the Denver motion design community as well. Talk about a collaborative, loving and supportive group of humans. Everyone is so quick to offer help and guidance. I learned how to animate and run a business because of their profound generosity. I feel so fortunate to call many of them my friends, and I’ll forever be grateful for their support!

Website: https://heyyostudio.com/

Instagram: @heyyostudio

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-walker-a498997

Youtube: https://vimeo.com/heyyostudio