We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful G. Brian Benson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with G. Brian below.
G. Brian , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
Fifteen years ago, I was running my family business. I had been running this business, which was a successful golf center, for 11 years. We had a driving range, a 9-hole golf course and a retail golf store in Salem, Oregon called Cottonwood Lakes. But I was unhappy. I know a lot of people would give their “left arm” to have that job, but I didn’t feel like I was being my true authentic self and that bothered me. Up to that point in my life I had accomplished some really nice things. I rode my bicycle across the United States, finished over 50 triathlons (including 4 Ironman races), had a wonderful son and was running a profitable business; so, a part of me felt like I had a good understanding of personal success and what that meant and felt like. But I wasn’t feeling that way at my job or in my life anymore. I felt like I had this giant gift inside of me that wanted to come out, but I didn’t know what it was; I just knew that it needed to be released. So, I left the business. I had no idea what I was going to do with my life after leaving the golf center, but I trusted my decision. Now, getting to the place of leaving the business was much harder than I just made it out to be. This was a job that had permeated through my being ever since I was a 7th grader driving a little tractor with a makeshift wire cage on it to pick up the golf balls. I would effortlessly drive around lost in thought on warm summer evenings smelling fresh cut grass listening to the “thwack” of club hitting ball, compulsively picking up every single one of them come the end of the night so the customers could do it all over again the next day. I had grown up with that job, it taught me responsibility and gave me purpose. It provided me a consistent workplace throughout high school and during college while home on summer break. It also made me “cool” and gave me instant credibility amongst my peers, not to mention a handy place to take a date. But most importantly I had grown up playing golf, it was a sport that provided many happy memories for me as a child and a vital tool that helped my father and I bond; and that made it one of the reasons why it was hard for me to tell him I didn’t want to do it anymore as an adult.
Luckily my father was understanding with my plans of leaving but also decided to sell it because of them, which kept me around until we could find a buyer which took a year. This was tough for me, I desperately wanted to begin the rest of my life. But staying that final year turned out to be a blessing in disguise. As that last year dragged on, I began to fall out of life balance. I really let my unhappiness get to me, until it finally reached a point where I basically just forced myself to sit down and write out a handful of things that I knew would help keep me balanced and centered to get through this difficult time.
By following this list, I found that it really helped me. So much so that I truly felt like I should expand the list and write a book to help others find life balance also. Now I had never written a book before…or really anything for that matter. But just felt like I was supposed to do it. So, I did. After self-publishing it, it even ended up winning a couple of book awards which shocked me, but more importantly it gave me a direction to head toward after leaving the business.
After writing that first book which was called “Brian’s List – 26 ½ Easy to Use Ideas on How to Live a Fun, Balanced, Healthy Life!”, my intuition was telling me that I would need to learn how to be more comfortable in front of people, but the proposition of giving a speech or talking in front of others terrified me because I was an introvert by nature and the last thing I wanted to do was give a speech or a talk in front of a group of people. Just like I had honored my intuitive nudge to leave the family business, I honored this nudge to begin the process of learning how to speak and be more comfortable in front of others. I took a couple of community college speech classes, I joined Toastmasters for a while, I hired someone to co-host an internet radio show and I also create an “interactive workshop” that I could offer people that I tied it in with my book. I even took an acting class. I just kept following my intuition and letting it guide me forward into the unknown. It was an incredibly exciting time.
I feel like I am living my authentic life now. Taking the risk of leaving what was secure and comfortable to step outside of my comfort zone into the unknown and into a completely different field is something I am very proud of. I have found happiness and fulfillment in writing, speaking, producing, and acting. I am accomplishing things that I never would have thought or dreamed possible. It wasn’t until I left my job that I really began to find and cultivate the gifts inside of me and see how alive I could feel, simply by being myself and following my heart.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I love to create positive, empowering content. It could be a book, TEDx presentation, podcast, course/program, spoken word video, short film, blog, collaboration with another like-minded creative, or even my brand new production company Reawaken Media. Ultimately, anything that inspires, entertains, and helps others become a better version of themselves. I have found most of my work, has originated from my own life journey. I have been through many different situations, adventures, successes, and hardships, all the while trying to hold a 10,000 ft. view above it all observing my own life experiences so that I can grow, learn and be the best version of myself. This has become the foundation of what I create.
It all happened quite unexpectedly and by accident. In 2008, I followed an intuitive hunch and told my father that I wanted to leave our family business because I didn’t feel like I was growing anymore and because I felt like I had a gift inside of me that needed to come out. It ended up taking a year for me to leave because we decided to sell and while that last year was tough, it ended up being a blessing in disguise because as I was working on myself, I accidentally wrote my first book. This was just the direction that I needed, and I went full steam ahead overcoming my fear of speaking through community college speech courses, Toastmasters and more. I began to find and become aware of hidden gifts that I wanted to explore and as I kept following my intuitive hunches, one thing led to another and I wrote more books, moved to LA to pursue acting and began to make this my life’s work. It was a very exciting ride for sure. Each of these passions made me feel alive and I began to realize that what I was doing was also helping others. On top of all that, I became a certified coach and have continued to work with people to help them step out of their own comfort zones and provide them with more clarity and direction in their lives. I also enjoy helping creatives move their own projects forward. It’s brought me much fulfillment.
I was asked one time, what sets me apart from others. After thinking about it for a moment, I answered, “It’s four things. First, that I have already done a lot of growth work personally. Books, courses, hard-knocks, and much personal observation. I dedicated my life to becoming the best version of myself many, many years ago and have consciously paid attention through it all, which has helped me become very self-aware and help me help others.
Secondly, my intuitive nature. Having developed it solidly for myself through self-awareness, life-balance, healthy-living and staying grounded. I can utilize my intuition when guiding others and help them map a plan to move forward with confidence and success.
Thirdly, my empathetic nature. I know what it feels like to be stuck and not know what my next step is going to be. I am a very good listener, understand what my clients are feeling and am very attuned with helping them move forward. I also know what it feels like to step out of one’s comfort zone and how powerful it can be to gain confidence, move forward, and attain a goal or dream.
Finally, I am curious. My curious nature has been my compass and led me to all kinds of gifts and experiences, I never dreamt of having. I use my curiosity to learn about my clients and help guide them to be the best version of themselves. It is incredibly rewarding.
I am most proud of continually stepping out of my comfort zone and following my intuitive and curious nature. Venturing into triathlons at a young age and finishing 4 Ironman races, riding my bicycle across the United States, leaving my family business into the unknown, having the courage to write and self-publish multiple books, bravely overcome my fear of speaking, moving to LA as a green actor and diving in headfirst and finding success, staying strong and overcoming a bout of prostate cancer and navigating a healing 6 month journey across America in an RV. I am grateful for all those experiences, even the tough ones. They are often crucial re-directs that help point us on the right track as well as key players in holding gratitude for what we do have.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
There are two parts to this answer for me. First, is the connection I feel while creating. It doesn’t matter if I am writing, making a video, or putting a project together. It is always an exciting feeling of being tapped in and almost being a conduit for what is coming through me. It makes me feel alive. The second most rewarding aspect is getting to share it and seeing how it affects people. It’s a great feeling when I get positive feedback and folks let me know how it made them feel or helped them.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I think it has just been my consistency, reliability, creativity, and most importantly my authenticity. Those characteristics are very important to me and I know that when I seek out others to collaborate with, they all need to be present. 
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gbrianbenson.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gbrianbenson/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gbrianbensonmedia
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbrianbenson
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GBrianBenson
- Other: Bio: G. Brian Benson is an award-winning and #1 best-selling self-improvement and children’s book author, actor, filmmaker, project coach, podcast host and TEDx speaker. As a 4x Ironman triathlete and cross-country bicyclist, Brian knows the value of hard work and never giving up on his dreams, a message he shares with audiences through each of his creative expressions. Brian’s latest book “Habits for Success – Inspired Ideas to Help You Soar” was an Amazon #1 Best-Seller and was selected as a 2019 Book Excellence Award Winner in the Motivational book category. Media Kit – https://www.gbrianbenson.com/media-kit/
Image Credits
Jennifer Felimi Photography