We recently connected with Rylie Behr and have shared our conversation below.
Rylie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
Behr Benefits is an industry leader in the fundraising, event, and entertainment industry. We strive to give our clients the best and most elevated experience in their philanthropic endeavors. We specialize in the live auction method of marketing and strategize on how to enhance revenue for your nonprofit, school, or charity. It is our mission to bring PASSION WITH A PURPOSE.
Rylie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
-As a child, I was involved in theater and film. It was a huge passion of mine and gave me memories that I will cherish for the rest of this lifetime. I decided to leave the industry and focus on finishing school. After high school, I felt lost no longer being an actress and felt a strong need to find a career where I could use my skillset to help others. But what did that mean? What did that look like? I started my degree in nursing in the fall of 2018. The summer of 2019, I attended auction school per the request of my grandpa. My eldest sister attended in 2010 at just 15 years old and competed in her first competition at 17 where she took home the title of International Junior Auctioneer Champion. I was so proud of her, but never had thought that this was the line of work I would want to be in. I had never been to an auction in the entirety of my life, so I didn’t quite know what this entailed. The day came where I was headed off to attend WorldWide College of Auctioneering in Clear Lake, Iowa. To be frank, I was dreading it and was flooded with nerves. I consider myself an outgoing person, but this was so far out of my comfort zone. By the end of auction school, I was a puddle of tears because I didn’t want it to end. I learned so much about the industry, met so many people who impacted my life tremendously, and left with a newfound passion. I realized I could utilize my experience in the film industry and strong desire to give back to those in need by becoming a fundraising auctioneer. When I left auction school, I was determined to find a mentor. I hit road block after road block due to the pandemic and felt a bit discouraged. I finally woke up and realized, my sister was the best person for the job. She had never mentored anyone before me, but it came so naturally to her. Aside from her passion and ability to teach others this craft, she was unbiasedly the best fundraising auctioneer I had ever seen. I was still living in Iowa watching all of her virtual events to soak in as much as I could. By 2021, I had conducted two virtual events and one live auction, but I knew I wasn’t going learn as much as I possibly could being 10 hours away from my mentor. So in April, I called my sister and told her I was moving to Colorado so we could really do this together as a team. Three weeks later, my car was packed up and I headed out west – I never looked back. It was the most difficult and best decision I have ever made. We launched Behr Benefits in October of 2021 and what a ride it has been! I now work as a ringman at two auto auctions a week, conduct fundraising events as an auctioneer, hold the title of 2023 Auction Team Champion, and the cherry on top of it all, I get to do it with my sister. This career has given me so much purpose and I owe it all to the girl who has always been in my corner, Halie Behr.
-I believe as a fundraising auctioneer, it is our job to ensure the success of our clients fundraising efforts. I have no desire to just show up and sell, I want to be apart of their organization. I always say, “if I’m not passionate about your cause, how can I stand on stage and ask your audience to be?” This means many consultation meetings, tours, and understanding their story and mission to the fullest. I enjoy knowing my clients both professionally and personally as they have made a significant impact on my life. In my heart, I feel that I work for some of the best people to grace this earth. I have had the privilege of gaining so much knowledge, power, and awareness on things I may have never had the opportunity to, had I not become a benefit auctioneer. I owe that to our clients, who support missions that make this world a better place.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
The ability to withstand or recover quickly from difficulties is something I’m very familiar with and it’s helped to build a grit that propels me forward. I was born the third sister in my family and that in and of itself is a challenge. Having two dynamos born first meant that I had to let my light shine bright to not get left behind. At the age of three, I was diagnosed with epilepsy. I spent a fair part of my youth trying to manage my epilepsy while balancing all the things my peers were doing. I found my brain in particular needed much more rest than many people around me, so I was the first one out at most of the sleepovers and naps were crucial. Finding the right medicine combo took years and basic things like swimming or driving were very scary until I was able to stabilize my condition. However, with adversity came a silver lining, when I became an ambassador representing the United States and Canada as the face of epilepsy. We raised awareness for the treatment of the very condition that brought me strife. My challenges eventually became both my motivator and my superpower. It allowed me to understand and empathize with others. I was able to hear so many other powerful stories that made me realize how fortunate I was to have all the blessing in my life. It allowed me to realize the only normal there is in the world is change. My adversity gave me the ability to connect with so many different types of people and organizations as I traveled in and out of hospitals for tests. Epilepsy has definitely shaped me into a person that understands we are so much more than what happens to us, especially when we take all of those experiences and make things happen through us. I don’t believe I’d be able to have the deep connections, the compassion for others, and the desire to make a big impact in the world if I hadn’t experienced some trials and tribulations myself. Life is just a beautiful series of hurdles that keep shaping and polishing us along the journey.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
I guess I am old school because I have found that the best source of new clients is through word of mouth, referrals, and human connection. At the conclusion of an auction, I thank my personal contacts who put the event on and make my rounds meeting the attendees because we definitely have one thing in common… heart for that organization. I am overjoyed when I can connect with people over a shared passion; that could be something as big as my faith or something as small as my favorite restaurants in the area. I always want to be completely and utterly myself and make people feel comfortable enough around me to showcase who they are and their interests. The human connection is so special and not lost on us yet.
Contact Info:
- Website: behrbenefits.com
- Instagram: behrbenefits
- Facebook: Behr Benefits
Image Credits
green shirt (5 Star Education Foundation Fundraising Event) blue shirt and khaki suit (Colorado Auctioneer Association)