This week on It’s Ben A Week, I’m kicking things off with a story that made me question everything: a friend ghosted me in the middle of planning an episode… after confirming, bullet pointing, and saying “love you.” I went full Nancy Drew, messaged her mom, and basically spiraled into a wellness check meltdown.
If you’ve ever been stood up, blocked, or left wondering “am I crazy or is this sociopathic?” — same.
But then — the episode redeems itself — because I’m joined by one of my all-time favorite humans and mentors: Stephanie Girard, LA’s number one headshot photographer (and my friend since 2014) and the woman behind all of It’s Ben A Week's iconic branding photos.
In this episode, we talk about:
- The emotional labor of being a headshot photographer
- Why photographers should be part therapist, hype person, and lighting wizard
- Her creative journey from NYC rooftop shoots to the top of the industry in LA
- How she became the best — with no marketing, just word of mouth and undeniable talent
- Her take on AI headshots and why photography is still deeply human
- Our shared obsession with chickens (including a chicken picnic table and coop fashion)
- Why mentorship matters, how she helped me start my own photography biz, and the impact of creative generosity
We also get into mentorship, creative growth, and why the best artists are the ones who give back.
Check out Stephanie’s work: https://www.stephgirardheadshots.com
Get Headshots training at: https://www.headshotxperience.com
🎧 Subscribe to It’s Ben a Week
New episodes every week filled with unfiltered stories, wild guests, and brutally honest laughs. Hosted by actor, photographer, and professional barrel racer Ben McDonnell.
📍 Listen & Subscribe:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon | Wherever you get your podcasts
🔗 Connect with Ben:
Instagram: @itsbenaweek
TikTok: @itsbenaweek
Website: itsbenaweek.com
💬 Want to be on the show?
Submit your story or pitch at itsbenaweek.com
Popular Podcasts
United States of Kennedy
United States of Kennedy is a podcast about our cultural fascination with the Kennedy dynasty. Every week, hosts Lyra Smith and George Civeris go into one aspect of the Kennedy story.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com