THE FREELANCER PODCAST

As Ben marks 20 years as ‘Ben The Illustrator’, it’s time for a catch up.

Since he was first on the podcast in 2018 a lot has happened for his freelancer business. Covid took away all his work overnight but he pivoted, diversified and sounds stronger than ever.

New Zealand-based freelancer Hollie Arnett shares how she built two creative businesses, found her freelancing niche (then pivoted, multiple times), and kept showing up even through setbacks.

Hollie's success as a freelancer owes a lot to resilience, growing & helping her network, and following what she enjoys.

Jerel, a freelance creative director from Trinidad and Tobago, shares how he turned his passion for design into Sola, a purpose-driven agency he runs with his wife. In a saturated market, they've built a business rooted in collaboration with other freelancers, not competition - and doing good for the world with purpose driven projects.

Freelance communications specialist Dee Primett shares how she went from writing blog posts around her kids to running a thriving healthcare and tech content business.

After a breast cancer diagnosis in 2022, Dee reshaped her lifestyle and work, becoming an outspoken advocate for health awareness and better freelance boundaries, bringing fresh perspective to both her life and her clients' content.

Icelandic artist Stefán Yngvi Pétursson, AKA Styngvi, shares his journey from working in an ad agency to becoming a freelance conservation illustrator.

Inspired by shocking pollution during a trip to Indonesia, Stefán decided to use his creative skills for environmental activism, or 'artivism'. It's working out well for his business and the planet.

Freelancing is often quite a journey, even more so when you’re travelling the world whilst building a business.

It's not just her locations Rebecca's got mapped out. She’s strategic about her freelancing with quarterly 'CEO retreats' that put clients on hold whilst she works on her business. These days she's settling down for longer but as a freelancer she's still going places.

What if you could steer your career in any direction?
From being location independent, working from London, Lima and Barcelona.

Animating and illustrating for some of the world’s biggest media outlets and leading podcasts and having fun whilst doing it? Dave’s doing just that. Come along for the ride.

A near-death experience made Yolanda realise filling in KPI reports for her boss wasn't the life she wanted. Enter the world of freelancing.

Now she's her own boss; a purpose driven social media marketer. Building her connections, putting up boundaries and embracing other antsocial socialites.

Helen may have studied fashion illustration. But the idea of a career freelancing in it never occurred to her. So she waved goodbye to creativity and went to work for a decade in retail. It was the 2020 lockdown period that redrew her plans.

Now Helen's a successful live illustrator with brand collaborations, weddings, pet portraits, workshops and a retreat. Having fun being creative and sociable, whilst getting serious about her marketing and what's profitable.

Meet Xavier Buendia and his journey from Mexico to England, and more importantly from the world of hospitality as a sommelier to a career as a successful freelance photographer.

10 years of freelancing. A lot has changed. From building a business via Twitter to COVID & Brexit decimating the restaurant industry he’s was shooting for. A lot of food for thought.