A Day In the Life – Meet Mike Boyce of Animal Artistry

Animal Artistry has a wonderful back story – the midlife crisis, the closed-to-condemned building, the concept of animals in motion and the incredible response. And thirty years later, the business has earned its spot as a true American success story. It’s the kind of story people like hearing, which is why today, we’re sharing a day in the life of Mike Boyce, owner and founder of Animal Artistry.

Up and At ’Em

Mike’s days begin early. He’s up between 3:30 and 4 am, which gives him time to paint or sculpt in his home studio for a few hours before taking his two Labs on a trail run. He heads in to the shop between 8:30 and 9 am every weekday.

On Mondays, department heads meet for a production meeting. It’s a time to go over all of the mounts being scheduled for work in the coming week to ensure everyone has the right information. If there are any questions, the team can contact the client. Work tickets are also reviewed to ensure the team has the proper measurements and correct poses before the week begins.

After the Monday meetings, Mike catches up on emails and phone calls before spending the rest of his day in the shop. He walks through each department, stopping at every employee’s work station to offer supervision or direction. Mike is incredibly proud of the artisans here at Animal Artistry, but it’s a simple truth that fresh, objective eyes on a project are essential. There is a wonderful African proverb that says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” At Animal Artistry, we believe in going together and going far, and Mike has the distinct joy of directing all of our projects throughout the day.

Mike also makes time during the day for busy work – spending time in his office dealing with finances, marketing, and other business functions. But his real joy and enthusiasm is being on the floor with his people.

Any Plans for Retirement?

It’s a reasonable question – how long can someone keep this up, after all? But Mike shows no signs of slowing down. He recently invested several million dollars into the property for expansion and has a great vision for the next ten years or more. Meanwhile, he has trained and developed a core group of managers who can carry the reputation and vision of Animal Artistry into the future. As an aside – Mike’s father is 98 and still an active artist. He comes from good genes!