Maker Division

Ben Burns & Stephanie Owens
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Design

Maker Division is a podcast for designers, illustrators, photographers, filmmakers, and makers building businesses they love — without burning out, selling out, or pretending we have it figured out. Hosted by Ben Burns and Stephanie Owens, two creatives who've spent the last decade-plus in the trenches: freelancing for scraps, growing studios from zero, leading creative teams, and learning the hard lessons that nobody talks about at design conferences. Each episode brings honest conversations about pricing, positioning, portfolios, lead generation, client work, hiring, and the messy middle of running a creative business. Sometimes we go deep on tactics. Sometimes we get into mindset. Always, we keep it real. No hype. No gurus. No "take massive action today." Just real frameworks, hard-earned lessons, and straight talk from people who've actually built the kind of businesses you're trying to build. New episodes weekly. Welcome to the Division.

  1. 4d ago

    Lead Generation for Creatives: What Actually Works? (Part 2) | Ep 13

    Which lead-generation strategies actually help creatives find clients—and which ones waste time, money, or energy? In Part 2 of their lead-generation ranking, Steph and Ben blindly score another round of strategies from one to five. This time, they tackle cold email outreach, public speaking, physical mailers, YouTube, Instagram, online communities, RFPs, paid advertising, and more. They also reveal the only strategy they both ranked a five: the Power 150, Steph’s system for developing and nurturing a value network. Because finding clients isn’t only about meeting more people—it’s about staying meaningfully connected to the people you already know. Along the way, Steph and Ben share real examples of creatives landing five-figure retainers, publishing deals, branding projects, and other opportunities. They also explain why the effectiveness of any strategy depends on your craft, personality, strengths, budget, and the clients you want to reach. In this episode: • How physical mail can help your work stand out • Why public speaking creates a captive audience • How to make a cold email feel warm • Which creative services are best suited to cold outreach • Why cold emailing is difficult for brand designers • The Power 150 and the value of staying top of mind • How your existing relationships can create new opportunities • The benefits—and risks—of inviting local prospects to lunch • Why YouTube requires more than a talking-head video • When responding to RFPs may be worthwhile • Using online groups to generate leads without pitching • Instagram versus YouTube for building relationships • Why Steph and Ben strongly discourage paid ads for most creative service providers • Which strategies they plan to use for their own new studio There is no single perfect lead-generation strategy for every creative. The goal is to understand which methods fit your work, identify your natural advantages, and consistently take action instead of waiting for clients to appear. Explore Maker Division and learn how to build a lead-generation system for your creative business: https://www.makerdivision.com/ CHAPTERS 00:00 Ranking more ways to generate leads 01:49 Snail-mail outreach 12:43 Public speaking 20:42 Cold email outreach 25:11 Which creative services benefit from cold email? 28:54 Why cold outreach is difficult for branding 31:49 The Power 150 35:53 Start with the people who already know you 40:01 Inviting local prospects to lunch 47:32 YouTube 56:03 RFPs and requests for proposals 1:02:43 Press and podcast appearances 1:04:30 Online groups and communities 1:06:40 Instagram 1:09:22 Paid advertising 1:11:55 Which strategies will Steph and Ben actually use? Which lead-generation strategies have worked for you—and which one will you try next? Let us know in the comments. #LeadGeneration #CreativeBusiness #FindClients

  2. Oct 2

    Lead Generation for Creatives: What Actually Works? (Part 1) | Ep 12

    Business has slowed down—but how are you marketing your creative business? If the answer is “I’m not,” that may be the problem. For this episode, Steph secretly filled a cocktail shaker with 15 ways to generate leads. Ben sees each method for the first time on camera, and they rate it from one to five based only on what has worked for them or people they know personally. In part one, they tackle LinkedIn, local meetups, walk-ins, online marketplaces, conferences, and referrals. Some methods earn nearly identical scores. Others place Steph and Ben about as far apart as possible. They discuss why generic thought leadership rarely attracts clients, how a $16 cake became a five-figure project, why trade conferences may be more valuable than creative conferences, and whether referrals should count as lead generation at all. In this episode: • Why creative businesses slow down when marketing stops • How to use LinkedIn without joining the designer dog pile • Why showing your work needs a clear point of view • Networking events versus participating in a real community • How interests outside work can generate unexpected opportunities • The advantages and limitations of walking into local businesses • How one creative turned a $16 cake into a five-figure project • Why Upwork, Fiverr, and similar marketplaces are a race to the bottom • When online marketplaces can still help pay the bills • Creative conferences versus client-industry trade conferences • How to choose events filled with buyers instead of competitors • Why Steph doesn’t consider passive referrals lead generation • How to intentionally engineer referrals from former clients • Why difficult clients often refer more difficult clients • Which methods Steph and Ben plan to use for their own studio There is no single best way to find clients. The right method depends on your work, your market, your personality, and whether you need immediate revenue or relationships that develop over time. The important thing is to stop waiting for clients to appear and begin building a lead-generation practice you can sustain. Get more lead-generation guidance in The Dispatch: https://www.makerdivision.com/the-dispatch Explore Maker Division: https://www.makerdivision.com/ Which lead-generation method has brought you the best clients—and which one would you never try again? Tell us in the comments. #LeadGeneration #CreativeBusiness #FreelanceDesigner

  3. Sep 25

    Is Your Branding Process Doing Too Much? | Ep 11

    What turns a logo project into a professional branding process—and when does that process become too much? In this episode, Steph and Ben trace the different paths shaping how they approach branding today. Ben’s first branding project involved endless logo options—and by the time he reached something close, the team had disbanded. Steph entered branding with contracts, client systems, discovery experience, and a one-logo solution that some clients still use today. From $50 logos and four-hour discovery calls to mood boards, strategy, revision boundaries, and presentations, they unpack the lessons that transformed their work. The central takeaway? A branding process should never be one-size-fits-all. Discovery needs to match the client, project, and budget. Strategy should support the creative execution. And presenting your work is often just as important as designing it. They also explore what AI could change about branding—from research and production to entry-level design opportunities—and why human taste, perspective, and point of view may become more valuable than ever. If this episode has you rethinking how you run branding projects, Project Branding was built for you. It’s our workshop on building, presenting, and selling brand identity projects—from discovery through the final presentation. Join The Dispatch for the upcoming Project Branding announcement: https://www.makerdivision.com/the-dispatch CHAPTERS 00:00 Going deep into the branding process 01:49 Ben’s first branding project was a disaster 03:03 How Steph entered branding with systems in place 05:43 The one-logo solution 10:02 Learning to work directly with clients 13:49 The $50 logo years 19:58 Discovering proposals and a better sales process 21:06 The creative brief that changed Ben’s work 26:39 Learning from other designers’ processes 27:12 Build a process that fits your studio 29:03 Discovering strategic facilitation 32:34 When discovery becomes overkill 34:22 Scale discovery to the client and budget 37:01 Your clients aren’t obsessed with your process 39:23 Treat discovery like a toolbox 41:29 Can a client questionnaire actually work? 43:53 Matching the experience to the price 49:59 How long should a branding project take? 55:12 The free strategy session that went nowhere 56:27 Why strategy alone isn’t enough 58:36 Discovery should serve the creative execution 1:02:05 The most impactful process improvements 1:03:37 Translate your client’s words into visuals 1:05:37 Mood boards, concept suites, and brand worlds 1:07:37 Finding the insight nobody else noticed 1:10:23 Can you skip the mood board? 1:13:53 Contracts and revision boundaries 1:14:26 Why you need to present the work 1:18:20 AI and the future of branding 1:19:50 Where AI can improve the process 1:21:59 Why AI still has terrible taste 1:24:39 Let AI handle the work you hate 1:26:00 Using AI as a brainstorming partner 1:28:07 What happens to entry-level design work? 1:29:59 Taste may be your greatest advantage Ready to dial in your branding process? Check out Project Branding - Maker Division’s workshop for building, presenting, and selling brand identity projects with a repeatable process from discovery through the final presentation: https://www.makerdivision.com/birthday #BrandingProcess #BrandIdentity #CreativeBusiness

  4. Sep 18

    From Client Work to Multiple Income Streams | Ep 10

    A $50 logo. A $300 interior-design project. Two rough beginnings—and the lessons that shaped how Steph and Ben built their creative businesses. 🎸 ROCK YOUR INCOME STREAMS The first Maker Division Birthday Bash drop is available for a limited time: https://www.makerdivision.com/birthday In this episode, Steph and Ben share the stories behind their first paying clients—from competing for underpaid interior-design projects to creating an endless logo for an ultimate Frisbee team that disbanded before the project was finished. Those early experiences lead to a larger conversation about creative marketplaces, pricing, profitability, AI, and earning beyond traditional client work. Steph explains how her career expanded from teaching and interior design into branding, consulting, courses, memberships, licensing, sponsorships, and education. Ben traces how one disastrous first project created his obsession with process, efficiency, and profitable creative work. They also explain why multiple income streams don’t mean starting everything at once. A stable primary income can give you room to experiment, but creating a meaningful new stream still requires focus. IN THIS EPISODE: • What Steph and Ben earned from their first clients • The problems with creative marketplaces and speculative work • What AI is—and isn’t—taking from creatives • Why revenue doesn’t determine whether a business is successful • When a $500 project can beat a $50,000 project • How smaller income streams can save the month • Why dabbling prevents new income streams from succeeding • Choosing an income stream that fits your skills, identity, and life The goal isn’t to build every income stream the internet recommends. It’s to understand your strengths, interests, experience, and capacity—then focus on the opportunity that makes sense for you now. Client work may be where your studio begins. What else could it become? CHAPTERS 00:00 A $50 logo and a $300 room 01:24 Steph’s first creative work 03:53 Competing for interior-design clients 06:30 Designing an entire room for $300 09:43 Building a business through creative platforms 13:21 When a marketplace serves creatives 18:14 Could AI bring speculative pitching back? 19:05 What AI is taking from creatives 22:35 Revenue versus profitability 25:45 A $20,000 project—or a $500 project? 27:29 When smaller income streams save the month 28:39 Steph’s income-stream journey 35:52 Ben’s infamous $50 logo 41:44 Should clients arrive with ideas? 46:53 How failure created Ben’s obsession with process 50:10 Why stable income creates room to experiment 51:52 The danger of dabbling in everything 55:35 Process, profitability, and creative identity 1:00:45 Choosing your next income stream 1:02:19 What makes you lean in? 1:03:29 Final lessons and the Birthday Bash What did your first client pay you—and what did the experience teach you? Share the good, the bad, or the completely unpaid in the comments. #CreativeBusiness #IncomeStreams #MakerDivision September is Maker Division’s Birthday Bash month, which means our best offers of the year on new workshops, the Division membership, and more. Join the weekly newsletter to get the details: https://www.makerdivision.com/the-dispatch

  5. Sep 4

    Creative Coaching | Ep 09

    The thing holding your creative business back may not be the problem you think it is. In this episode, Steph and Ben pull back the curtain on the work at the heart of Maker Division: coaching creative business owners through the obstacles they can’t always see for themselves. Sometimes the stated problem is a website, an LLC, lead generation, pricing, confidence, or an unclear direction. But beneath it may be a limiting belief, a “noble obstacle,” an old experience, or fear of something that hasn’t even happened yet. Steph and Ben discuss how they uncover the real problem, why coaching is often more about asking questions than giving answers, and what separates coaching from mentorship, consulting, and therapy. They also explain why clarity rarely arrives before action—and why you may need to move forward while still feeling afraid, uncertain, or unprepared. In this episode: • Why the answer may already be right in front of you • Recognizing limiting beliefs and noble obstacles • Coaching versus mentorship and consulting • Where coaching ends and therapy begins • Why you don’t need a perfect step-by-step plan • Moving forward despite fear and imposter syndrome • Why your newest tactic may not be your best opportunity • The difference between needing clients and needing money • What makes someone genuinely coachable • Why seeking validation is not the same as seeking guidance • One-on-one coaching versus small-group support • How accountability and group momentum create follow-through • Making a decision, testing it, and allowing action to create clarity The internet makes successful creative businesses look effortless. They aren’t. You don’t need complete confidence or a guaranteed outcome—you need a direction, enough stable ground for the next step, and the willingness to learn from what happens. Sometimes the best way to figure out what you want is simply to move. September is Maker Division’s Birthday Bash month, which means our best offers of the year on new workshops, the Division membership, and more. Join the weekly newsletter to get the details: https://www.makerdivision.com/ What’s currently keeping you stuck: an actual obstacle, a limiting belief, or a plan that feels too important to question? Tell us in the comments. Interested in joining Maker Division’s next Las Vegas retreat? [https://www.makerdivision.com/m/maker-vegas]

  6. Aug 28

    Running a Creative Studio with Your Spouse | Ep 08

    Could you build a business with the person you share your life with—or would working together wreck the relationship? Steph and Ben have both started working full-time with their spouses, but under very different circumstances. Nathan joined Steph at Maker Division after more than a decade of creative collaboration, while Elise’s growing micro-bakery has changed how she and Ben divide their work, home, and family responsibilities. In this episode, they discuss the conversation couples need to have before mixing marriage and business: Will you both be creatives? Will one person lead the creative while the other manages the business? Whose work gets prioritized—and who handles everything else? They also get honest about creative equality, protecting your partner from toxic clients, knowing when to step in, sharing household responsibilities, handling perfectionism, and keeping two distinct creative voices alive within one studio. In this episode: • Why a solid relationship must come before the business • Choosing between equal creative roles and creative/business roles • Why at least one partner needs a business mindset • Avoiding the “supporting act” dynamic • Giving honest feedback without bringing ego into it • Deciding who leads each client project • Protecting your partner when clients cross the line • Dividing business, household, and family responsibilities • Managing two different creative identities under one studio • Knowing when your partner needs a push—or permission to stop • How the person closest to you can see what you cannot Working with your spouse will not solve problems already present in the relationship. But with trust, communication, clear roles, and an equal playing field, your partner may become the best business partner you could have. Learn more about Maker Division: https://www.makerdivision.com/ CHAPTERS 00:00 “I could never work with my spouse” 01:54 Steph and Nathan’s creative partnership 04:45 Ben and Elise’s unexpected business shift 07:42 When business and life become inseparable 08:00 Ben and Steph are not married 09:25 The relationship must come first 10:51 Supporting each other’s opportunities 13:18 Who is the creative—and who runs the business? 16:40 When Steph was told Nathan’s work mattered more 19:00 Why someone needs a business mindset 21:35 Honest feedback and losing the ego 24:21 Who takes care of the house? 28:06 Protecting each other from burnout 30:03 Is refusing to work together a relationship red flag? 31:13 How Steph and Nathan divide client projects 35:28 Gender, visibility, and creative recognition 39:52 Your partner matters more than the client 41:15 Knowing when to coach—and when to intervene 43:47 The infamous ten yellows 46:08 Two creatives making personal work 48:32 Separate accounts, shared studio 49:49 When audiences prefer one partner 52:20 Creative feedback from the person you trust most 53:38 The risk of two perfectionists 57:22 Your partner sees what you cannot 58:55 Final advice for working with your spouse 1:00:50 The essential recap Do you work with your spouse or partner? Tell us what has been rewarding, what has been difficult, and how it has changed your studio. Interested in joining Maker Division’s next Las Vegas retreat? [https://www.makerdivision.com/m/maker-vegas]

  7. Aug 21

    Which Kind of Studio Should You Build? | Ep 07

    Artist or problem-solver—which kind of creative studio should you build? Steph and Ben approach their Solo Studios from very different directions. Ben is drawn to business, systems, education, products, and creatively solving problems. Steph wants to make personal work that creates emotion, conversation, and human connection. In this candid episode, they challenge each other’s assumptions—and confront the temptation to believe that someone else’s studio is more legitimate, profitable, meaningful, or enjoyable than their own. They also explore the opportunities hiding inside personal work. What if the concept in your portfolio became a real product, event, or business? What if you stopped apologizing for making something “silly” and started asking what it could become? In this episode: • Artist-led versus problem-solving studios • Why creativity doesn’t always have to produce “art” • The insecurities that exist on both sides • Why teaching isn’t the only path to a Solo Studio • Identifying the advantages and superpowers you take for granted • Balancing creative expression with serious business decisions • Promoting personal work without making everything about yourself • Why copying another creator’s studio can lead you in the wrong direction • Turning portfolio concepts into real products and experiences • Building a studio around who you actually are The goal isn’t to decide which studio model wins. It’s to recognize your natural strengths, interests, experiences, and obsessions—and build from those instead of constantly looking at someone else’s paper. Explore Maker Division: https://www.makerdivision.com/ CHAPTERS 00:00 What should your Solo Studio look like? 01:49 Why some creatives don’t feel like artists 02:46 Does creativity have to mean art? 05:04 Artist or problem-solver? 07:46 Two very different studio models 09:02 How Ben built a problem-solving studio 14:11 Is “silly” work still valuable? 16:28 Teaching isn’t the only path 20:00 Why Ben wouldn’t recommend following his path 23:00 Experience, repetition, and hidden advantages 26:12 Take inventory of your superpowers 27:41 Stop comparing your studio to everyone else’s 30:08 Balancing creativity and business 32:46 Making room for play 34:51 How Steph’s studio evolved 43:01 The courage to make—and promote—personal work 48:04 Accepting a business-focused studio 49:40 Building differentiated income streams 52:29 Shape your studio around what makes you different 54:56 What if your personal work became real? 57:46 If you can’t stop thinking about it, do it What kind of studio are you building: artist, problem-solver, or something in between? Tell us in the comments. Interested in joining Maker Division’s next Las Vegas retreat? [https://www.makerdivision.com/m/maker-vegas] Learn more about the Solo Studio: [https://youtu.be/dZEd0l9zU8E?si=LlEJS3rsNgshPPc1]

  8. Aug 14

    You Don’t Need a Big Audience to Run a Retreat | Ep 06

    You don’t need a huge audience — or a famous name — to create an in-person experience people will value. In this episode, Steph and Ben pull back the curtain on planning profitable, small-group retreats and workshops for creatives. They share what they learned from Maker Division’s Las Vegas events, why intimate gatherings can be more transformative than large conferences, and how a retreat can become another income stream for your Solo Studio. They also get honest about the work involved: choosing the right location, setting attendance thresholds, vetting participants, designing an experience around what people actually need — and preparing for those last-minute food allergies. In this episode: • Why five to twenty attendees may be the ideal retreat size • How to validate an event with a small audience • Retreats versus conferences — and what each does best • How to make a small event financially viable • Why teaching should be 20% delivery and 80% support • How to lead a workshop without positioning yourself as a guru • Turning your existing creative skills into an in-person experience • Starting small, learning from the first event, and improving as you go If you’ve ever thought, “I’m not big enough to do this,” Steph and Ben want to challenge that. You don’t need to rent a hotel ballroom, hand out lanyards, or plan trust falls. Start with something useful, invite the right people, and see who shows up. Interested in joining Maker Division’s next Las Vegas retreat? [https://www.makerdivision.com/m/maker-vegas] Learn more about the Solo Studio: [https://youtu.be/dZEd0l9zU8E?si=LlEJS3rsNgshPPc1]

See All (13)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Maker Division is a podcast for designers, illustrators, photographers, filmmakers, and makers building businesses they love — without burning out, selling out, or pretending we have it figured out. Hosted by Ben Burns and Stephanie Owens, two creatives who've spent the last decade-plus in the trenches: freelancing for scraps, growing studios from zero, leading creative teams, and learning the hard lessons that nobody talks about at design conferences. Each episode brings honest conversations about pricing, positioning, portfolios, lead generation, client work, hiring, and the messy middle of running a creative business. Sometimes we go deep on tactics. Sometimes we get into mindset. Always, we keep it real. No hype. No gurus. No "take massive action today." Just real frameworks, hard-earned lessons, and straight talk from people who've actually built the kind of businesses you're trying to build. New episodes weekly. Welcome to the Division.

Information

  • Creator
    Ben Burns & Stephanie Owens
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Ben Burns & Stephanie Owens
  • Show Website
    Maker Division

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