From Freelancers to Business Owners: How One Animation Team Found Their Focus

Nick Rieth and his business partners had a problem that plagues many creative professionals: they were excellent at their craft but floundering as business owners. Their Indianapolis-based animation company, Devon House Creative, existed somewhere between a freelance collective and a real enterprise — and the ambiguity was threatening to tear everything apart.

"There were periods where it was unlikely that we were going to continue in business together," Nick recalls. "Either the business wasn't going to succeed, it wasn't earning enough revenue, or some of those conflicts that happened interpersonally were not tenable."

Devon House Creative produces 2D animated motion graphics — not Pixar-style animation, but educational and explainer videos for clients in education, SaaS, healthcare, and technology. The work itself was compelling: one recent project featured five historical figures explaining civic principles to students. Another helped a university demonstrate new services. The challenge wasn't the quality of their output. It was everything else.

When Creativity Isn't Enough

Like many creative ventures, Devon House started from passion. Nick and his two partners — all freelancers originally — formed the company in 2017 as an umbrella for collaboration. But by 2023, they were stuck. Some wanted to pursue YouTube content creation. Others pushed toward traditional client work. Nobody was thinking about actual business fundamentals.

"We had kind of gotten stuck in that artistic side of things," Nick admits. "We often get into it because you have a passion for what you do, which is great. But we had no idea how to actually run a business."

The team was looking backward at what had already happened rather than forward at what they could control. They had no forecasting, no leading indicators, no framework for making decisions. When YouTube's algorithm shifted with the introduction of Shorts, even established creators they'd worked with struggled to adapt. Nick and his partners realized their side venture was draining energy from the business that could actually sustain them.

That's when Ray Hilbert entered the picture.

The Decision to Get Help

Nick's father connected the team with Ray in early 2023. "We really felt that we could trust him, that he was going to be a really good source of input," Nick remembers. At that first meeting, Ray listened to their story — the conflicts, the split focus, the lack of business structure — and offered something the team desperately needed: a path forward.

Through Kingdom Factor's peer advisory groups, Ray introduced frameworks not just for running a business, but for resolving the interpersonal tensions that had been holding them back. Nick was initially uncertain about the time commitment — a half-day each month is significant when you're building a young company. And he wondered if he'd belong in a group where he'd be one of the youngest members.

"We weren't sure if we were going to feel out of place, if we wouldn't have a lot to contribute," he says. "I've never felt that. I've always felt listened to and respected."

Three Years of Transformation

The change didn't happen overnight, but it was unmistakable. The group gave Devon House concrete tools for hiring their first employee, measuring performance, and forecasting revenue. More importantly, it gave them a language for talking about their business as a business, not just a creative outlet.

Before Kingdom Factor, all of us who owned our business felt like creatives who were running a business on the side. Now I would say we all feel like business owners who are in a creative field.

For Nick personally, the impact ran deeper. He'd been disengaged from the company, stepping back from conflicts that didn't directly involve him — but stepping back so far that he'd become mentally absent. Through the peer advisory process, he found his way back in.

"Being able to re-engage with the company, be excited about who we are, about our goals — that's been something that's been great personally, but also good vocationally and even spiritually," he reflects. "Just being able to actually engage in something in a way that's honoring to God."

The group meetings themselves became a rhythm Nick looked forward to. The larger gatherings offered a chance to learn from other members' crucial conversations and challenges. The smaller sessions allowed for deeper dives into specific issues — sometimes business-related, sometimes personal. With a young daughter at home and another child on the way, Nick has wrestled with questions about time management, priorities, and balancing the demands of a growing business with a growing family.

"There's always been great advice," he says, "even if it's hard to put into practice."

Why He Keeps Showing Up

Three things keep Nick coming back month after month. First, the exponential learning curve from those early days has leveled off, but he's still gaining insights every meeting. Second, the relationships matter. Hearing how God is moving in other members' lives — especially during difficult seasons — has strengthened his own faith. Third, there's always something on the horizon worth engaging with, whether it's a new conversation about AI or a timeless principle about structuring contracts in ways that honor God.

The financial and time investment? "When you look at the overall trajectory of everything, it has certainly exceeded it," Nick says without hesitation.

Has the value been measurable? Absolutely. "It's easily measurable in our business," he notes. Devon House Creative now operates with the structure and intentionality of a real enterprise. The team has clarity about their direction, their market, and their identity.

Advice for the Hesitant

For Christian business leaders wondering if peer advisory is right for them, Nick offers two points of encouragement. First: "I've never had a bad experience. There have always been things I've been able to take away." Whether you're there for your business, your career, or your spiritual walk, there's value in every gathering.

Second: "If you feel like demographically you don't belong for some reason, I've never felt that way. I've felt humbled in a good way — everyone's been so receptive, willing to listen, and willing to share their own experiences."

His one caveat? You have to be willing to actually commit. "If you are willing to try out and honor your commitment, then it's totally worth it."

Today, Devon House Creative serves clients across the country — the nature of animation means geography doesn't limit them. They've moved from surviving to thriving, from reactive to proactive, from creatives with a business problem to business owners in a creative field.

And Nick? He's proud of how far they've come. "We're very proud of that," he says, and you can hear the difference in his voice — the confidence of someone who's found his footing, not just in business, but in purpose.