20 years freelancing as Ben The Illustrator

20 years freelancing as Ben The Illustrator

Author: Steve Folland June 9, 2025 Duration: 40:14
PODCAST SPONSORED BY RIVERSIDE: High quality audio/video recorded online www.beingfreelance.com/riverside It’s free to get started - use code BEINGFREELANCE to save 15% on a paid plan ABOUT THIS EPISODE Ben O’Brien, known to many as Ben The Illustrator, returns to share how his freelance journey has evolved since his first Being Freelance appearance back in 2018. From losing all his travel industry clients overnight in 2020, to discovering new income streams through lockdown list...

Stepping away from the traditional career path to work for yourself is a journey filled with unique highs and lows. Being Freelance, hosted by Steve Folland, delves into that reality through candid conversations with those who are living it. Each episode is built around a freelancer's personal story, moving from their first tentative steps to the ongoing challenges and triumphs of running a solo business. You'll hear authentic discussions about finding clients, setting boundaries, managing finances, and coping with the isolation that can sometimes accompany the freedom. This isn't about theoretical business models; it's the practical, often messy, human experience of building a livelihood from your own skills. Steve guides these conversations with empathy, drawing out insights that are both reassuring and actionable. The podcast serves as a regular reminder that the questions and doubts you face are shared by others navigating the same waters. Tuning in provides a sense of connection and a wealth of hard-earned wisdom, whether you're just considering the leap or are a seasoned veteran looking to refine your craft. It’s a resource that acknowledges the tough days while celebrating the incredible rewards of designing your own working life.
Author: Language: en-gb Episodes: 100

Being Freelance
Podcast Episodes
Copywriter Franky Shanahan - Revisited [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:59
8 years after Franky first appeared on the podcast, it’s time to catch up. Still a freelance copywriter. Still in Bristol. But so much has changed. Not just her kids getting taller. In this episode, Franky shares how she…
BONUS - LIVE Q&As with Prerna Malik, Beth Gladstone and Tom Garfield [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:31
In this special bonus episode of the Being Freelance podcast we take a selection of the regular Live Q&As that we host in the Being Freelance Community and let you soak up the wisdom once more. You can catch full video r…
Graphic Designer Liz Mosley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:05
When Liz left uni, she was adamant she didn’t want to be a freelancer. And yet here we are, via starting a stationery business and a family. A 9 year gradual process which has resulted in her switching from treating her…
Lettering Artist Jackson Alves [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:15
This is actually the fourth time Jackson’s been freelance. He’s not just quit jobs, he even once quit his own company. But whereas the other times he was a ‘regular’ graphic designer, this time he’s spent a decade as a s…
Copywriter Anna Rogan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:07
Anna had built a career across corporate and government comms in Melbourne. But if she wanted to move her family out of the city and that meant first meant transforming the way she worked. Anna set out to prove she could…
Motion Designer Alex Liou [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:17
Alex trained as a musician. He followed a drumming dream to Nashville along with an internship at a 'mom & pop' business. There, they had him creating graphics and videos - those two things came together when Alex discov…
Marketing Consultant Ayo Abbas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:37
Spring 2020. A pandemic lockdown. Doesn’t sound like the ideal time to build a business, but Ayo had 20 years of marketing experience as her foundations. And a love of marketing that she’d put to good use on herself. Spe…
Graphic Designer Victoria O'May [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:36
Brazilian creative Victoria was working in advertising in London when in 2013 she fancied a change. A change of pace, country and language, and to help her do that she figured she’d go freelance in Spain. After 3 years s…
Fashion Photographer Marcelle Adrianna [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:19
It’s quite a winding route that’s taken Marcelle to be known as a fashion photographer. But from working in shops on London’s Oxford Street as a teenager, now her photos can be seen in those windows instead. Marcelle did…
Motion Designer Kyle Hamrick [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:15
Kyle left agency life and started his self-employed journey working with friends as a collective. 8 years on though, he’d built his own name through hosting meet-ups and speaking at events to the point where it made sens…