Meet Ben

We were lucky to catch up with Ben recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ben, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

Being successful is not something you can achieve by waking up one morning and starting from the top; if you want to become successful, you have to work hard to get it. Disney artist Saul Blinkoff taught me how to be courageous in reaching out to other actors, sports players, and illustrators for collaborations or podcast interviews. It’s hit or miss, a yes or no answer.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I have always enjoyed movies and comic books of all types. When I was 6, I participated in a health department commercial that a Japanese company later bought. I also participated in the drama club during middle school and took Saturday morning art classes at Columbus College of Art and Design. CCAD is where I went to school and graduated, and then after graduating, I became a podcast host for Retro Podcast, and we are back for season 4 with our first celebrity guest, Patricia Velasquez. What we want to do with the podcast is bring a bigger audience and become more recognized, and we want to build clients we can work for and collaborate with.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Having the skill to reach out to celebrities especially celebrities like, Henry Winkler, Tom Cruise, and Wyatt Russell, those three guys I have reached out to their teams for interview request but all three men were not available and for folks who are not available for interviews we stay in touch with their teams until they become available down the road. My advice is when you reach out to artists, and even if they are unavailable, it’s best to stay in touch until they are free for an interview, and always ask what the best day and time is for them.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

The best thing my parents did for me was that we all worked together to get me into the Columbus College of Art and Design. Because it was a costly school, we all came together and worked as a team to get me through school.

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Ben Cena

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