Transcript: Thanks, Allan. This is David Brower with Your 20 Minute Podcast. Our special guest today from Los Angeles is G Brian Benson. And he is one accomplished dude, I’ll tell you. Ted X speaker, film maker, actor, former business owner, cross country bicyclist, finished 50 triathlons, including four Iron Mans. But what I like most, Brian, is that you try to live by example and you enjoy sharing your own growth process. Welcome to the show. I’m glad to have you here.
G Brian Benson: Thank you, David. It’s a pleasure.
David Brower: How did you get started in all this success? Where did all the epiphanies, if you will, come from? Because there’s a lot of success here in a short period of time.
G Brian Benson: Well, thank you. I guess it feels like I’ve lived many lifetimes. The triathlons were a different time in my life. They were over a course of 20 years, but I kind of started when I was in college, and so the last race was actually way back in 2006, although I still try to stay healthy. But the epiphanies just kind of came slowly but surely, if that makes sense.
David Brower: Sure.
G Brian Benson: And I think it all kind of probably started when I left my family’s business about 10 years ago. My intuition was nudging me out the door, saying that I’d grown enough there, and that I was supposed to do something else with my life, even though I really had no idea at that time what it was going to be. And so my father was accepting of the decision. That made it easier. I totally would have done it either way.
David Brower: Yeah. That’s a biggie.
G Brian Benson: Yeah. But I ended up having to stay an extra year though because we decided to sell it. And we went through the whole process of listing it, et cetera. And that year was kind of a blessing in disguise. While I was really just Jones-ing to hit the road and begin my life, I felt stuck there. One day I was just feeling quite out of balance. And I sat down and wrote down five things that I felt would be beneficial for me during this period. And they were, and my intuition started screaming, expand the list and write a book.
David Brower: Oh, wow.
G Brian Benson: I was not a writer, and hadn’t really ever. But I just kind of trusted that message. And I wrote this simple book on a whole bunch of different ways to stay in life balance. And it didn’t really sell a whole lot initially because I was probably too shy to market it, and I didn’t know how to market it. But it pointed me in this whole new direction, which, you know. And since then it’s just kind of been an interesting journey of synchronistic events and one thing leading to another to get me here today, where I’m at now.
David Brower: The first book, if I remember correctly in reading this, 26 and a Half Easy to Use Ideas on How to Live a Fun, Balanced, Healthy Life. Right?
G Brian Benson: Yes, sir.
David Brower: And Finding Your Voice. That had to be just like … I’m just thinking out loud here. But it sounds to me that was just a textbook to you operate from and get rolling on whatever was next.
G Brian Benson: You are absolutely correct. Looking back, it’s no accident I think, that my very first book was on balance because it really has been, just my foundation for success. You know what I mean? Learning how to stand up and kind of be hyper aware of that through this journey that I’ve been on, it really has helped me. And so yeah, I don’t think there really are any accidents. And it is kind of interesting looking back, seeing the natural progression of things. The next step for me, I was terrified to speak in front of people when the book came out. I just felt like if I’m wanting to share this, which I wanted to, I had to overcome that, and so I forced myself to do a whole bunch of different things. And it was not easy, and I did a lot of it with shaking knees. But I did Toastmasters for a year, and I did a couple community college speech classes.
David Brower: Nice.
G Brian Benson: I hired someone to be a cohost with me on an internet radio show and created an interactive workshop, et cetera, et cetera. And so as I’ve worked very hard.
David Brower: The thing I like about that is, first of all, I agree with you. There’s no such thing as a coincidence, period.
G Brian Benson: Yeah, right.
David Brower: Secondly, somehow, some way, you got into a place where you not only heard your intuition, but you trusted it. And you were willing to take a leap of faith on wherever it was leading you.
G Brian Benson: Exactly. Yeah. Because I really didn’t know how everything was going to look. I will say, when I was three I told my mom that I was put here to inspire people. And she reminded me about that not too long ago. And so it’s kind of interesting. Maybe I kind of almost had my life’s mission kind of laid out for me.
David Brower: Right.
G Brian Benson: And life happened, and it took a whole to kind of find that path.
David Brower: Yeah. I mean, this is a whole other conversation. But I’ve always been a firm believer that if you pay attention and can remember anything from your young youth, that’s probably the most honest you, you ever were. And if you can find that again, what a gift that is. You know?
G Brian Benson: Yes, absolutely. And somehow I’ve just tried to unwind all those incorrect stories that I’ve been telling myself through the years that hold me back and hold us all back, I suppose.
David Brower: How did you do that? Like I said, authenticity is obviously a huge deal to you and balance, obviously. How are you able to peel back the onion, for lack of a better term, and really find yourself?
G Brian Benson: Well, every step I took these last 10 years, I’ve just been kind of a step out of my comfort zone. And I think all the projects that I’ve done, whether they were books, or short films, or videos, presentations, you name it, they’ve all kind of been an extension of myself growth process. In essence, I’ve just been kind of journaling my own journey, my own hero’s journey, to use that term. And so I’ve just tried to just be. It’s all about really kind of self-awareness. And so, I’ve always, luckily, tried to be as self-aware as I can be, so I can be the best version of myself. Hence, trying to kind of share what I’ve learned because we’re all very similar. We all have a lot in common. We all want the same things, to love and be loved. And so I’m just trying to … I don’t tell anybody what to do. I just try to share what has worked for me and just to be an example for others because we all want to be the best version of ourselves at our core.
David Brower: Yeah. The thing that strikes me about that is there’s a lot of people, this may be an unfair statement, but I’ll say it anyway. There’s a lot of people out there that pitch this in an effort to make money and sell books and do seminars and blah, blah, blah. And you can see through that pretty well if you have any sense about who you are. Other people obviously just jump on that because it sounds like the silver bullet.
G Brian Benson: Right.
David Brower: Right? But what I like about your stuff is there’s a lot of that stuff, but you’re not out there pitching. You’re out there sharing. And I think people feel and sense and see that authenticity. And that’s what attracts them to you.
G Brian Benson: Thank you. That’s very kind of you to say. It is interesting because there is a part of me, I need to start learning how to monetize things. And that’s been a little bit of an issue for me because I do like to give. But yet, we all need money to survive. And the more that I’m able to generate or what have you, or keep in flow, I can do more stuff.
David Brower: Sure. Sure.
G Brian Benson: I think that’s a lesson for me. There’s a part of me that probably a little bit too humble and probably doesn’t … I don’t know. We’re all working on things. And I have a little bit of, just like anybody else, the whole probably self-acceptance and self-worthiness thing.
David Brower: Totally get that. I am your brother from another mother in that conversation. One of your quotes that I really like, and I’m going to have to paraphrase it because I don’t remember it exactly. But in order to receive, you have to give.
G Brian Benson: Yep.
David Brower: Is that close?
G Brian Benson: For me, it’s like the opposite. I’m needing to learn how to kind of receive.
David Brower: Yeah, exactly. Exactly.
G Brian Benson: Yes, yes. I’m highly aware of that, and I’m doing a much better job than I used to be. But it really keeps things flowing. You can go too far either way.
David Brower: Right, right.
G Brian Benson: And so just like everything else, it’s a balance and it’s a belief that we are worthy to receive too.
David Brower: Absolutely right. We’re going to talk about your latest book here in a minute. But you’ve also got two popular children’s books. You’ve got two award-winning short films that all seem to have a feeling of positive and poignant messages in the videos.
G Brian Benson: Thanks.
David Brower: I haven’t checked out the books yet. But in the videos, those seem very powerful to me.
G Brian Benson: Thank you. I appreciate that. Like I said a second ago, they’re just kind of extension of my own growth process. And I really had no plans on acting at all. I just was one of the things I did to try to be more comfortable in front of people. Seven, eight years ago, I took an acting class. When it was over, I just kind of thought, “Okay. All right. Great.” But then I had a dream a few weeks after that about this street guitarist. And so I woke up and I wrote it down.
David Brower: Nice.
G Brian Benson: I met a young film maker randomly. And I said, “Hey, I’ve got this idea for a short film. I’ve never acted before, nor do I know how to make a film. But would you like to do it?” And he said, “Sure.” And so we did it, and it was just an incredibly empowering experience for me. And it just opened the doors up to sharing positive messages in a whole different way.
David Brower: Yeah, absolutely. A whole different medium. And it’s, again, randomly is probably not appropriate, but that’s just me.
G Brian Benson: Yeah. Well, no. I mean, yes, it wasn’t random, but it was random.
David Brower: Exactly. Exactly right. Exactly right. All right. Well, let’s talk about your latest book. It’s Habits For Success, Inspired Ideas to Help You Soar, Create Your Foundation of Happiness, Balance, and Fulfillment. Again, balance, the big key word in everything that you do. Huh?
G Brian Benson: Yeah. It really is. I think the more that we can be aware of our own ability to stay in balance, I think it just makes everything easier, especially if you’re really wanting to hone and listen into your intuition. I think when we’re out of balance, it’s virtually impossible to do that.
David Brower: Yeah.
G Brian Benson: I’ve found that even looking back when I was doing triathlons and stuff, you know those long rides and long runs that I went on, those were kind of forms of meditation as well.
David Brower: Yeah, riding my Harley is, as well.
G Brian Benson: Yes, yes. Absolutely.
David Brower: Yeah, big time.
G Brian Benson: Yeah, for sure. For sure. I think balance is really, really important. I think it lays a foundation for everything else for us to be successful. You know?
David Brower: Yeah. Let me ask you. Somebody’s listening, and they’re going, “All right. I’ve heard balance 1000 different times in 1000 different ways.” How do you really define what balance means to the average Joe and Joanie Blow?
G Brian Benson: It’s an interesting thing because balance is a bit of a moving target. Every day, it’s a little different for us. I think if we can set up, I think it’s really important to have routines and certain habits that we’re able to maybe kind of institute into our lives, which then allows being in balance and the benefits of balance to come through, if that makes sense.
David Brower: It does. It does. And I think one of things I struggled with for a long time, and knock on wood, I think I’m doing a lot better, is finding … To me, balance, at least in my life on this particular week, balance is finding a way to enjoy my craft, enjoy my family, enjoy my faith, enjoy my friends, and find a way to come in and out of those things so I’m not short changing anything and not short changing myself either, if that makes sense.
G Brian Benson: I think that’s the perfect definition. Mind if I borrow that?
David Brower: Please do. Please do.
G Brian Benson: You could not have said that any better. You’re absolutely right.
David Brower: Cool.
G Brian Benson: For me this week, balance is I found that I kind of have gotten a little … Sometimes I have a tendency to overdo it and get a little out of whack because I can be a driven person. And so I’m really trying to give myself permission to relax the next couple weeks through the holidays and just realize that everything’s fine. Everything’s going to be okay. And sometimes when I get like this, I can’t be creative. It’s like the universe, God, whatever you want to call it, is forcing me to take a break. And so I’m just going to-
David Brower: That’s a hard one to listen to. Isn’t it?
G Brian Benson: Yeah, especially when your mind’s racing and you’ve got all these ideas and different things you could possibly do to market and it’s just like, oh boy.
David Brower: My biggest one is overthinking things.
G Brian Benson: Yeah.
David Brower: That’s my nemesis. And the other thing I hear fairly often, I’m a voice actor by nature, and so I’m doing some projects on a Christian series of education. And so my first audition to the guys that are doing this, he said, “Okay. Sounds really great. But can you not be quite so happy?” You know what I mean? And I hear that so much. And it’s just, Dude, it’s who I am. Come on. I mean, they’re right. It’s their project. It’s what they hear in their head. And it’s their words. But I enjoy what I’m doing, so to diffuse that happiness is a bit of a challenge for me.
G Brian Benson: Well, yeah. That’d be a tough one because most people are trying to find happiness and be happy.
David Brower: Right.
G Brian Benson: Chase it.
David Brower: That’s exactly right. Habits for Success, I’m reading a little bit on your stuff here, is written in layman’s terms, which I like, but with an incredible amount of depth, which allows the reader to reach new levels of understanding and growth. And isn’t that the journey? Isn’t that what we’re looking for?
G Brian Benson: Absolutely. And really, I’m really proud of how this book turned out. I think there’s 48 chapters, so there’s a whole bunch of different things to think about that some might be things that a person might be aware of, and some things might not be. But essentially, they’re all really positive, foundation building activities or ways of life that we can bring it into our lives. I just tried to do it in an entertaining and inspiring and thought provoking way. And I shared a lot of my own stories and a few others. Yeah. I’m really happy how it turned out.
David Brower: Good for you. Are you going to turn this into an audiobook?
G Brian Benson: It is an audiobook.
David Brower: Oh, good. Good.
G Brian Benson: Yeah. I was really blessed to … Most of the time, authors don’t get to do their own. But I was really blessed to be able to do it. And so it’s available on Audible.
David Brower: Oh, good. I’m going to download it. I was going to offer to produce it for you.
G Brian Benson: Oh, thank you. You have a great voice. You would’ve been, had it not been done already, yes, you would’ve been the man.
David Brower: I’m excited you did it because it’s your sense, your feeling, your emotion, your authenticity that comes out. Yeah. I’m going to download that. That’s awesome.
G Brian Benson: Thank you.
David Brower: That’s awesome. What’s going next other than trying to relax for two weeks over the holidays?
G Brian Benson: I think for me, I’m just dedicating … Usually, I’ve been doing so many different things. And a lot of times when something gets released or put out into the world, I jump to the next thing. I don’t know. I don’t maybe do as good a service as I could to maybe just see something through, if that makes sense. And so I’m really just dedicating next year just to kind of sharing this book and getting out there. I’m going to be doing some book talks, book signings.
David Brower: Perfect.
G Brian Benson: And I’m going to try to do a lot more speaking. I haven’t done a whole lot of that yet. I know that’s kind of my next … I need to step to that, step to that one.
David Brower: Good for you. Good for you.
G Brian Benson: Yeah, thank you.
David Brower: You’ve got a plan, I’m not going to call it a resolution because I hate those. But you’ve got a plan for 2019.
G Brian Benson: An intention, yes. I have an intention.
David Brower: There you go. There you go. I like it. I like it.
G Brian Benson: I have an intention.
David Brower: Well, we’re just about out of time. And I want to make sure everybody gets the opportunity to find you, all your work, all your books.
G Brian Benson: Thank you.
David Brower: It’s G Brian Benson. That’s Brian, B-R-I-A-N. Gbrianbenson.com. And there’s tons of stuff on there about his coaching, his speaking, podcasts, blog, videos, films, books, just oh my gosh. So much stuff. Your website’s really well done.
G Brian Benson: Thank you.
David Brower: Yeah. Really well done.
G Brian Benson: Yeah. I had an idea how I wanted it done. And I connected with these really amazing people at Alpha Peak in Northern California, and they’re awesome, and so yeah.
David Brower: Hang on just a second. I’m signing up for your newsletter. Hold on. There we go. Signed up for your newsletter, so I’m looking forward to that.
G Brian Benson: That means I need to put one out then. Thank you. Darn it, David.
David Brower: I’m glad I could help, man. I told you, it’s all about you. Hey, folks. Gbrianbenson.com, and he lives in North Hollywood, California. But check out the website. Gbrianbenson.com. And then reach out to him. Ask him some questions. Right?
G Brian Benson: Absolutely. I love that. Those make me happy.
David Brower: And he’s a social media guy, so he’s everywhere from LinkedIn, to Facebook, to Twitter, to Instagram. What is that other one? Tumblr? I can’t see. Yeah.
G Brian Benson: I don’t think I’m on Tumblr. But there’s too many as it is.
David Brower: I know. Right? Oh, that’s YouTube. Okay. Yeah, your YouTube stuff’s awesome. Hey, Brian, thank you so much. Really, really, truly enjoyed it. I wish you every success. And I know that you’re planning 2019 will be a fun ride for you.
G Brian Benson: Thank you, David. I really appreciate that. You’re a great guy.
Allan Blackwell: Listen to Your 20 Minute Podcast with David Brower on the go. Downloads are available on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, iTunes, I Heart Radio, Spotify, any podcast app, and on our website at davidbrowervo.com/your20minutepodcast. Until next time, thank you for listening.