We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cara Lackey a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Cara, so great to have you sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our readers and so let’s jump right into one of our favorite topics – empathy. We think a lack of empathy is at the heart of so many issues the world is struggling with and so our hope is to contribute to an environment that fosters the development of empathy. Along those lines, we’d love to hear your thoughts around where your empathy comes from?
Much of my empathy comes from personal experiences, many of which were tough. As an immigrant, I had to adjust to a whole new culture. Working in a male-dominated industry where I am often the youngest person in the room has made me feel like an underdog at times. I’ve done everything from manual labor farm work to corporate jobs, and I’ve sat on both sides of the hiring table. I know what it feels like to be judged and underestimated, and those experiences have shaped me.
Because of that, I try to give people the benefit of the doubt—the kind of empathy I didn’t always get. I want to be the leader and teammate I wish I’d had, and I aim to treat people the way I wanted to be treated, especially when I was starting out. I remind myself that “everyone is the hero of their own story” and “whatever I think they’re thinking, it’s probably not that.” These mantras help me stay grounded and approach both my team and clients with more understanding.
And honestly, my job itself has been a big teacher in empathy. As a storyteller, I’m not just thinking about what my client wants, but what their client, and sometimes their client’s client, needs to hear. Asking ‘who’ and ‘why’ enough times has helped me connect with the end user, and that’s what makes our work really click. It’s all about being the solution to someone’s problem, and you can’t do that without understanding them first.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m a mom, wife, Canadian, motion designer, home renovation enthusiast, and a proud business owner. I’m in my baseball mom era, and I absolutely love spending time with my family. I’m also a notorious people-pleaser, and I’ve always got my next big idea on my desk. Personally, I see myself as a work in progress, always growing, learning, and building.
Professionally, Motion Giraffx is about to turn 10 years old! I can hardly believe it’s been almost a decade of storytelling, and in that time, we’ve found our sweet spot: explaining complex, technical, or industrial products in a way that’s creative, engaging, and easy to understand. Our specialty is getting people excited about topics that might seem dry or complicated at first. We actively seek out the big stories that others might shy away from, and we aim to make the complex simple and the boring exciting.
What’s new for us? We just launched our brand-new website, which we’re really proud of. It’s a fresh way to showcase the incredible work we’ve done over the years and where we’re heading. And while I don’t want to give too much away, I’m also working on a project to help aspiring animators navigate the professional world—something I wish I had when I was starting out.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
For me, the three most impactful qualities have been grit, integrity, and critical thinking.
Grit is about sticking with something until it’s done, no matter what. Whether it’s learning a new skill, finishing a project, or hitting a goal, grit has been key for me. There have been plenty of times I’ve had to push through exhaustion or frustration—whether I didn’t like the project, the teacher, the client, or even myself that day! But in the end, I always hold myself accountable. It’s my job to do what I say I’m going to do, and I’ve always had that “hell or high water” mentality. It got me into trouble at a couple of my corporate jobs, but it’s been essential to getting us where we are today!
Integrity is another big one. For me, it means doing what you say you’re going to do, even when no one’s watching. I’m the same person in an empty room as I am in a crowded one. Building trust with your peers, employees, and clients is so important. And the quickest way to lose that trust is by not having integrity. So, my advice is to always choose the right thing to do even if it’s the hard thing to do —100% of the time. Success tends to follow when you’re someone people can count on.
Lastly, critical thinking is often overlooked, but it’s huge—especially in creative fields. It’s not just about being a skilled artist; it’s about seeing the bigger picture and making decisions based on that. Having a good artistic eye is important, but being able to step back and ask “why” we’re making certain creative choices will really elevate your career. I’ve seen plenty of talented artists who get stuck in production roles because they don’t practice critical thinking. Learn to listen more than you speak, and figure out how to tell stories that matter, not just press buttons.
How would you describe your ideal client?
We’ve worked with everyone—from one-person startups to multi=trillion-dollar companies—and what we’ve found is that the best clients are the ones who truly see the value in what we do. Whether we’re explaining a tool with engineers, interviewing doctors who help fertility patients, or telling stories in the renewable energy space, we love working with people who trust us with their story. It’s a huge responsibility, and we take it seriously.
Our ideal clients are those who come to us with challenging stories and are excited to collaborate. They believe in the power of video and know we will make it right, but they’re also engaged and invested in the project’s success. We do our best work when there’s a lot at stake—when the pressure is on, but the client is engaged, respectful, and focused on the mutual success of the video. At the end of the day, I built this company to be the place I always wanted to work, and finding clients who make the process both challenging and fun is our holy grail.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.motiongiraffx.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motiongiraffx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/motiongiraffx/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/motion-giraffx/
Image Credits
Courtney Jones
Brad Lackey
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
