OM DENNE EPISODE
After more than two decades in motion design and advertising, Pal Moore began asking a difficult question: Why keep trying to return to an industry that never made room for all of who he was?
In this episode, Pal joins Jess to talk about the challenges of being a multidisciplinary creative in a workplace that rewards narrow specialization, the ageism he encountered after being laid off, and the grief of letting go of a professional identity. They also explore AI’s impact on creative work, what younger generations lose when experienced practitioners disappear, and why knowing a human being is behind a piece of art still matters.
Now pursuing addiction counseling, Pal’s creative exit is not an abandonment of his past—it is a move toward work that feels more human, useful, and meaningful.
Podcast Guest: Pal Moore
Pal Moore is a recovering ad man, lifelong musician, and multidisciplinary creative originally from Jackson, Mississippi, now living in Austin. Over more than two decades in design and advertising, he built a career spanning motion graphics, animation, art direction, and education—creating work for brands including YETI, Whataburger, Brooks, and Costa, while also teaching the next generation of motion designers at Austin Community College. Music remains his greatest creative passion, whether he is writing songs, performing, collecting records, or disappearing into some new corner of musical history. In 2026, Pal began a new chapter, leaving the advertising world to pursue a career in addiction counseling—and rethinking what it means to build a life around work that feels genuinely meaningful.
Connect with Pal: Pal Moore LinkedIn
Podcast Host: Jess Lowry
Jessica Lowry is the Founder and Principal Human Systems Designer at ENID Studio, a consultancy that helps organizations redesign work, services, and governance for an AI-enabled future through participatory design and socio-technical systems thinking.
She is also a member of Effective Immediately, a community for people leaving, or thinking about leaving, corporate life to build something of their own. Members get honest feedback, business fundamentals, and access to people a few steps ahead while they validate their idea, land first customers, and build the foundation.
Connect with Jess: Jess Lowry LinkedIn
Join Jess at Effective Immediately
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