His family tells him to get a 'real' career with job security. But this business consultant/couch surfer says there is no such thing.

Who: Ori Bengal, Obscure Reality LLC

What: Bengal is a business consultant and graphics expert, but he says he has been called the most highly skilled hobo in history, since he does photography, videography, Web site design, marketing, programming, copywriting, search engine optimization, PR, business consulting, life coaching, and more. He is currently creating his own product – a training program on building Web sites for entrepreneurs.

Where: “They say that home is where the heart is,” Bengal says. “Well, for a digital nomad like me, home is where the laptop is.”

Bengal is a “couch surfer.” For five years he has been traveling completely based on “who's couch am I crashing on next?” Bengal recently spoke at the South by Southwest conference in Austin, TX, prior to that he was in Florida, and before that, Costa Rica for five weeks, where he was literally working in a tree house 90 feet above the ground. But he says more traditional work places like a coffee shop aren’t unheard of, either.

Although Bengal sometimes visit some clients, he mostly works with them through Skype, e-mail, and the phone, sometimes even in the car.

“It's amazing what you can do on the telephone,” he says.

When: Like many people who work from home, Bengal doesn’t have a “typical” work day; there are some days he doesn’t work at all. Then there are bursts of a few days to a few weeks where he does nothing but work.

“I like the challenge of creating something new, and having to figure out how to make it happen,” he says. “Part of couch surfing is that if the people I'm staying with have some cool plans, I get snapped ‘out of the zone’ and I get to go do stuff. I generally don't keep track of what day of the week it is, and my best work is definitely done at night ... less distractions.”

When did you start your company? Bengal’s official LLC was started in early 2011, but he’s been working for himself since 1997, with a hiatus in 2004 to late 2005, when he only did some work on the side.

How: Bengal says he started doing graphics in middle school when he bought some architectural design software that he used to print up the semester's worth of notes on a single page -- using graphics rather than text. He also built computers for people in high school. Bengal originally wanted to do 3D animation, so he studied that, which led to video editing, which led to motion graphics, then he ended up running a print shop, where he says he improved his design skills.

He studied web design so he could make a good site for himself, then he says he noticed many of his friends were having trouble with their designers. So he came to the rescue, and soon realized he was always working on other peoples' designs instead of his own. So, on Jan. 1, 2007, he says, “I took off on a journey, completely based on ‘who's couch am I crashing on next?’ I've not stopped yet, and my journey has introduced me to Internet marketing, which I became very passionate about.”

Bengal has stayed with people such as Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh, New York Times best-selling author Keith Ferrazzi, and many others from whom he says he learned various tools of trades. On his travels he listens to audio books to keep up to speed on other topics related to his work.

“Now I can consult on any topic, and all my old skills come in really useful,” Bengal says. 

“Freedom and lifestyle have always been important to me, even before I realized that that's what I was ‘fighting for.'"

Why: Bengal’s dad has always been an entrepreneur. When his family arrived in the United States from Israel in late 1985, their visas also stipulated that they couldn't be employed, but they could run their own business. This work situation allowed Bengal’s parents to often have Sundays off, or the occasional entire weekend, and to go to the beach, or Orlando, FL.

Bengal has worked in some capacity since high school; sometimes holding multiple jobs. Instead of holding down one job, he moved from place to place and studied multiple subjects – whatever piqued his interest: 3D animation, graphic design, technology, hardware, etc… His last job as an employee was working at a computer parts store, yet he says he was dismayed at the quality of those parts when he was building his own, more powerful computers from scratch.

“I guess every job I had would serve a purpose, and would serve not just for money, but also towards a personal goal,” Bengal says. “It's always been about doing things I enjoy -. working with people I enjoy. Staying with opportunities that challenged me and required me to learn and improve new skills.”

Day in the Life: As previously noted, Bengal doesn’t have a typical day, and he says that’s how he likes it.

“Change keeps things exciting,” he says. But every day he spends time on social media, blogging, and talking to his fan-turned-manager through Skype.

“While it may look like I'm just a goofball on social media, being connected, and engaging with so many people also keeps me up to date on the latest technologies and methodologies,” Bengal adds.

Pros and Cons: He says the best thing about working for himself in a number of different areas is that he can get back into work he misses just by, for example, posting that he’s looking for a design project. If he doesn’t want to focus on design that day, he turns down any design projects.
“I do what makes me happy. I do it from wherever I want. I have the life of my dreams,” Bengal says.

And what’s the negative?

“The worst thing is that I can't point fingers. I am responsible for everything, so if I delegate something out, or a computer breaks, I have to come up with the solutions, and make sure that everything comes out all right and on time,” he says. “Some projects are intense, and then I wish I could just ‘clock out’ - but the pros far outweigh the cons!”

Bengal says people – his family, especially – often try to tell him he should get a “real” job with benefits and job security. But these days, he points out, “everyone knows there’s no such thing as job security.

“I’d rather be in charge of my own job security by doing the best work that I can do, and by offering massive value to my clients and the people I interact with.”

FOXBusiness.com regularly features profiles of people doing business from home, and making it work.

Who: Kelly Hogan, independent sales director at Mary Kay Cosmetics, leads a pink Cadillac unit; the pink Cadillac is the most well-known symbol of a Mary Kay independent sales force member’s success. She has been a director with the company for eight years.

What: Hogan’s primary position is to teach women anti-aging skin care and color application techniques. She also mentors women on how to succeed in their own businesses at their own pace. Hogan says of the range of expertise of all the beauty consultants she works with: “We become like a family. I love to see how they spur each other on to success. This opportunity is so much fun for me.”

Where: Hogan’s home office is the large “bonus” room in her home in Raleigh, N.C. She says it’s close enough to hear what’s going on in the house, but far enough away to provide a boundary so she can also “turn it off” when she chooses to be off work. She says it’s also helps muffle the noise her four children may be making in the rest of the house when she’s on work calls. From her home office, Hogan can hold meetings and appointments, but she also offers the option to visit clients in their homes.

“Whatever they are most comfortable with makes me happy too,” Hogan says.

When: As for what a typical workday is like for Hogan, she says there’s no such thing in her line of work.

“There’s nothing ‘typical’ about it when each person gets to design their own life. That’s the beauty of this business,” she said. “However, because I do get to design my life, I choose to schedule my business around my life instead of the other way around.”

Hogan says that being a mother of four (ages 10 and under) made her realize that her business changes as her schedule demands do. There have been times she worked two to three nights a week, and others where she only works Saturdays, or one night and three part-time days.

“I have always been able to take time off to maintain a healthy balance that reflects my beliefs,” she said.

How: Hogan said she “never in a million years” dreamed she would become an independent sales director driving a pink Cadillac. She was in the revenue management, corporate training and communications fields prior to starting with Mary Kay. She says it was a high-powered career with lots of potential, and she thought she was on the fast track to the top.

“I felt sorry for ‘those Mary Kay ladies’ because I did not fully understand the business and thought it was all about lipstick - you know, the ‘surface stuff,’” she said. “Plus, while I didn’t dislike makeup, I didn’t wear much at all so I just didn’t think it was for me.”

Hogan was first introduced to Mary Kay Cosmetics by a temp worker in the Raleigh, N.C., office of the rental car industry company she worked for at the time. The temp had some lipsticks on her desk and Hogan inquired about them, thinking they were cute writing pens. She says she was drawn to the temp because her personality was far from the “sales-type” she had imagined all direct sales representatives must have. As it turned out, this meeting would change Hogan’s career – and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

“At the time, I was [so] extremely busy with traveling and other job responsibilities that it became a stressful job that consumed my life,” Hogan said. “I couldn’t stand the jockeying for positions and the office politics. My co-workers weren’t positive and in fact, they drained me of all my energy. I had no balance … I felt trapped, as I needed the income to pay my bills.”

So, she asked the temp for a Mary Kay brochure on the products, some other company literature and a video. Hogan says she immediately knew this was her new career, and figured she had nothing to lose. Her initial Mary Kay consultant startup kit cost $100. From there, she slowly began to gain clients by introducing the products to people she knew and came in contact with. Once they became clients, they referred her to more of their friends, and so on.

“Because the product is consumable, I have been able to build what I like to call customers for life,” Hogan said. “From there, my enthusiasm for the company and the product became contagious and that’s when my team started to grow.”

Why: Hogan says she initially started out as a part-time beauty consultant so she could earn extra spending money and build up her savings – and eventually leave her stressful corporate job. But when she realized the potential of this new opportunity, she says she worked at it more consistently, treating it like the business it is and since then, she has found it offers so much more than just a paycheck.

Day in the Life: As a mom of four kids under the age of 10 running her own business, there is no regular “day in the life” of Kelly Hogan. Between her “incredibly supportive husband and his work schedule, her work schedule, and their childrens’ activities, she said, “when you have six schedules to mesh together along with managing a household and also volunteering within our church and other organizations, it can get quite hectic to say the least!”

Hogan has learned to adapt her work schedule to her life as it changes. But she says the best part is her “life” comes first.

“I still get to go on dates with my husband, spend one-on-one time with the children, and take the children to basketball practice or tennis lessons or anywhere else in-between,” she said. She even fits time in for the not-so-glamorous jobs like running errands, planning meals, going to the grocery store, etc ... as well as the more fun activities like “Fun Family Fridays.”

As for how she balances everything, Hogan says she has mastered the “art of delegation,” and credits the fact that her Mary Kay career has allowed her to pay for help with household chores, with the children – even office help. Despite the downtrodden economy, Hogan says she is having one of her best sales years out of her 12 years in the business.

Pros and Cons: Hogan says these are one and the same when it comes to being your own boss.
“Being your own boss is fabulous, but if you aren’t disciplined nothing happens,” she says.
Like some people who venture out on their own, Hogan says she had second thoughts about leaving what seemed like a “safe and secure corporate job.

“I was also extremely worried about what my friends and colleagues would think about my new endeavor,” Hogan says, adding that she had no idea how her new job would fit into her already demanding schedule.

“I think it is very normal to have second thoughts and a little fear of the unknown, but then again, taking a risk on yourself is par for the course when it comes to changing the course of your life the way I chose to,” she says.

FOXBusiness.com regularly features profiles of people doing business from home, and making it work.

Who: Mario Sarafraz, executive vice president of global operations & managing partner of The Luxury Group, which provides fine luxury hotel and spa accommodations.

What: In charge of acquisitions of new clients, managing the marketing staff. Job involves traveling to hotels around the world and visiting the properties and meeting with the management of hotels, as well. Current clients include the Hotel Ritz in Paris, France and the Mark Hopkins hotel in San Francisco.

Where: Sarafraz’s home office is San Rafael, CA, and Cannes, France. He works in an extra living room which has been converted to an office. His office work is all conducted from home, while he attends meetings and hotel trade shows worldwide. Sarafraz is currently traveling through central Europe, visiting hotels in Prague, Amsterdam, Salzburg, Geneva and Florence.

When: Since Sarafraz is in the international luxury hotel business, he tends to work odd hours at times, but generally works from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., then takes a three- to four-hour break for lunch, then relaxes before working for a couple more hours at night, if needed. He said there are times when just as he’s about to turn off the lights, a hotel in Bhutan needs a contract, so he extends his hours, since he doesn’t like to keep buying clients waiting.

How: After working in the American corporate world for more than 12 years, Sarafraz always knew that he wanted to be his own boss and that he didn’t want to spend life 9-to-5 in a cubicle with two weeks off per year. Sarafraz worked in various sales jobs, but when he got hired by a Swiss company marketing their hotel guide to the American and Canadian market, he says, “I knew I had found the industry I love.”

“So I set out to start a business operating in the industry that I loved and knew about as a result of my extensive world travels.” That was the hospitality business. Sarafraz focused on the luxury end since “that is most fun.”

Why: Sarafraz said he was frustrated by the “incompetence” and other failures he saw as part of the problem of he corporate world.

“When you see foolish decisions made by often incompetent managers over which you have no control, then that is enough to get you motivated,” he said. But Sarafraz said the turning point for him was when he was working for a company where the president of which placed his brother-in-law in a managerial position “which he clearly knew nothing about and was grossly ill-fitted for.” The company soon went under and Sarafraz says he was let go for being vocal about his opinions, “a trait of mine my co-workers always admired -- but not my superiors.”

Day in the Life: Sarafraz is usually up around 7 a.m., and works until 8, then he eats breakfast and works until 2:30. He said he breaks for lunch and exercise and other non-work related activities, then works for a few more hours in the evening. He travels internationally about six to eight times per year for business and pleasure, or a combination of both - visiting hotels, staying at them and actually meeting the people that he has exchanged e-mails with. Having an iPhone with WiFi capability is “a necessity and has been a life saver as it allows me to connect with clients and co-workers worldwide even while in a safari camp lodge in Botswana, a cafe in Prague or on the beach in the South of France,“ Sarafraz said.

Pros and Cons: Sarafraz said there’s not much he misses about working a “regular” corporate job.

“The only thing missing is the fun you have with your co-workers in the office,” he said. Office parties are replaced with hotel dinners and trade show parties worldwide. He said he is invited to some kind of party or restaurant opening at a hotel nearly every week, but getting to all of them when they are located around the globe is tough. Though Sarafraz said he always tries to show up and promote his business. “It’s hard to attend a dinner and cocktail bash at a hotel in Dar es Salam, Tanzania, when you are in San Francisco, but when I am around I do attend,” he said in an e-mail. “I am writing this to you now from Prague, Czech Republic and I am attending a hotel party in Salzburg, Austria tomorrow evening.”

“I have closed deals on cell phone sitting on the beach in Cannes, France, and I have woken up at 4 a.m. to send a contract to New Delhi, India,” Sarafraz added. “I wouldn’t change it for the world. This is where I belong.”

FOXBusiness.com regularly features profiles of people doing business from home, and making it work.

FOXBusiness.com regularly features profiles of people doing business from home, and making it work.

Who: Kate Buck, CEO of KBJOnline.com

What: Buck is a social media manager. That means she manages social media profiles (on sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn) and blogs on behalf of small business owners, startups and brands. On a daily basis, her company posts status updates, shares content and tracks mentions for clients on their behalf. She also consults and trains businesses on how to effectively market their products and services using social media and offers products aimed to help others start their own online businesses in social media.

Where: Buck works mostly out of her home office in a spare bedroom upstairs. She occasionally meets with team members or clients out of the office, but she prefers to host meetings using a Web conferencing software for non-local clients. She also said she works out of airports, hotels and conference centers when on the road.

When: Buck starts working between 8 and 9 a.m. and stops around 6 or 7 p.m. She said she often works late in the evenings and on Saturday mornings because it’s quieter and she can get more done.

When did you start your company? January 2009

How: Before Buck started her business, she worked virtually for a large corporation for three years as a community manager. When she was laid off in 2008, she was looking for another corporate job, but agreed to take on part-time freelance work from home in the interim Eventually, Buck said she had enough work that she didn’t need to keep looking for a "real job." She incorporated KBJOnline and has been working for herself ever since.

One of the first "real jobs" Buck applied for didn't hire her, but referred her to her first client. Later, that company came back and offered her the original job she had applied for, but she was successful enough on her own that she turned them down.

Why: Simply put: Buck loves what she does. She gets to "play around" on Twitter and Facebook everyday.

“This is such a fun and exciting industry - new and growing, changing daily,” Buck said. “I work for myself because it's the most rewarding way to work. I want the hours I spend working to be an investment in my future - not someone else's.”

Day in the Life: Buck usually goes straight into her home office first thing in the morning.

“My coffee maker is in there, so I brew a cup first!” she said. She checks Twitter, Facebook and e-mail, answering anything addressed to her. Then she often has calls with clients, team members, her coach or potential clients. She then takes a break and "gets ready" for the day. A couple of days a week, Buck’s assistant (who doubles as her sister in real life) comes over to work, too.

If she’s not on back-to-back calls all day, she said she is working on different projects, catching up on Twitter (“I've got an entire 28" monitor dedicated just to Twitter!”), answering questions for her social media manager students on Facebook and helping her @Pinqued business partner to plan the ever-popular TechKaraoke parties.

In the afternoon, she walks her dogs (you can meet @frankie_dogg and @koda_dogg on Twitter).

Dinner time is spent with her husband or out with friends, then it’s a few more hours of work before bed.

“One of my favorite things to do on Saturday mornings is to read articles and blogs I've discovered throughout the week - and tidy up loose ends from the week,” she said.

Pros and Cons: “You hear the pros from working from home all the time - I get to make my own schedule, I get to ‘play’ all day online - but still make a real difference for my clients,” Buck said. “It's fun. I can work from anywhere - and even more so that I can work from my iPhone. The possibilities are limitless.”

Social Media is a hot topic for business owners right now, so Buck said it's not difficult to find clients. She loves traveling and speaking at conferences, so that aspect of the job is a big plus.

“I love what I do, and I love that I can help other people be more successful online,” she said.

As for the cons, during big promotions for clients, Buck often works long hours, managing ads and contests in real-time on the Web. And since she also enjoys social media on a personal level, “the line between work and personal time is very thin - if existent at all,” Buck added. “The good news is, what I do usually doesn't feel like work.”

FOXBusiness.com regularly features profiles of people doing business from home, and making it work.

Who: John Eshleman, founder of Trademark Lumber Co. and operator of Amity Self Storage Amity, OR.

What: Sells lumber wholesale up and down the West Coast. Eshleman has employees that help with the books and logistics, but he is the main sales force. His company did $9 million in sales last year.

Where: He works from home in Amity – mainly in the kitchen - but does have an office in the mini-storage company that he sometimes works out of. Work may also be done on the road when he travels. Eshleman sometimes has custom work done to the lumber, about 40 miles from home. He travels whenever necessary, since he says “there is no substitute for face-to-face meetings. It is the best thing you can do to build trust.”

When: A typical work day runs from 7 a.m. to anywhere from 3 to 5 p.m. Eshleman tries to arrange any appointments, golf, or other activities later in the afternoon, when the day starts to wind down.

When did you start your company? 2007

How: Eshleman got into the wholesale lumber business after being a bartender at a holiday party for a sawmill owner. Eshleman says he hit it off with the owner, so he asked for help getting his foot in the door at a wholesale lumber house. Eshleman says he ended up getting a job in the business because of that chance encounter. After that, he worked at four houses over 20-plus years.

“Working with other [lumber] traders is a big ego show ... it is a very competitive, cutthroat environment. Not entirely unlike the movie ‘Boiler Room,’” Eshleman said. So, he started working Fridays from home for his last employer, which he says made it easier for him to realize that making the transition to being a home-based, self-employed boss in this business wouldn’t be that hard. But what also helped him go out on his own, he says, was the support he received from others in his field.

“I also underestimated the support that was given to me by my best vendors and suppliers. They really went to bat for me, they wanted me to succeed … I want to say 'thank you' to all of them,’” Eshleman said.

Why: Eshleman got into the lumber business by accident via his bartending experience after graduating from college with a degree in economics.

“I do remember being a kid and thinking that I wanted to be a stock broker. Funny how life serves up what you truly think you deserve,” Eshleman said.

He says he became his own boss because he thought he could take the business global, that he could sell wood from anyplace in the world [Fiji is the furthest to which he has sold]. When working for someone else, Eshleman’s boss disagreed on the mobility aspects of the business, telling him he needed his employee’s creativity in the office. Eshleman had other ideas he says he knew would tie up cash but make more money in the long run; now, he doesn’t have to ask anybody’s permission to make such decisions.

Day in the Life: Eshleman wakes up at 6:30 or 7 a.m., takes the dogs out, makes coffee, eats, checks e-mails, voicemail, and lumber futures. When his daughters, now 18 and 20, were home, they were off to school by the time he started working. If need be, he makes calls from home. Then he takes a 10-minute drive to the office. He goes back home around lunchtime to work, work out or do other tasks like follow-up on appointments, or go grocery shopping; his says his hours are always changing. When he’s out, he forwards work calls to his cell phone so he can always be reached.

“My business is streaky,” Eshleman said. “A lot of what I do is just thinking, creating solutions for my customers that increase their profitability. Putting my customer's profitability first is what sets me apart from my competitors. I truly want them to succeed ... even if I am only a small part of what they do. To me, the highest compliment that a customer can pay me is to know that they trust me, they know that I will do what is right for them first.”

Pros and Cons: As with many other self-employed home workers, Eshleman lists being your own boss, and creating a company that really is your “baby” – that you can nurture and watch grow – as among the top perks. As for the cons, Eshleman counts having to do everything from business banking, to collections, to taxes, etc… on one’s own. He says it’s also sometimes a detriment to be isolated, in more ways than one.

“The downside to not having folks around you is you have to create your own information, there is no one to bounce ideas off in the office,” he said. “This is what scared me the most - being alone.”

But being on his own, he says, is paying off, not just monetarily but personally, as well. He and his wife just returned from a month-long vacation in San Pedro, Belize; the accommodations at which were chosen based mostly for the availability of cell-phone and Internet service so Eshleman could keep connected to work.

“Although this will not be my best sales month, [also due to the market being slow due to the weather], I … generated some sales while [in Belize], and was prepared for that eventuality,” Eshleman said. “Some people tell me that since I am not completely disconnected from my work that is it not really a vacation. I tell them that it is for me. I like it this way. Knowing that things are OK back home helps me relax.”