July 14, 2025 • 19 mins
Caroline Biesalski introduces Greg Bennick, who shares his journey emphasizing the importance of feeling valued and being seen. Greg discusses overcoming fears of public speaking and the power of connecting through effective communication. The conversation explores the universality of motivation and desires across different cultures, highlighting storytelling as a crucial tool for leaders and teams. Greg reflects on the impact of influential mentors and his meaningful connections. He offers a glimpse into his future projects, leaving listeners with closing remarks that inspire them to consider the value of being seen and heard in both personal and professional contexts.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
We just don't.
(00:01):
And, sure, there's exceptions.
But, ultimately, people want to feel as thoughthey matter.
And when we help people feel as though theymatter, when we're present for them and
listening to them, it goes a long way.
I think the universal human condition, if thereis one, is that we want to feel as though we're
valuable contributors to something meaningful.
(00:21):
So that's true everywhere I go.
People want to feel as though they areimportant or that they matter or that their
significant lives mean something.
So I think that's a universal truth.
Welcome to Inspired Choice Today.
I'm your host, Caroline Biesalski, here tobring you authentic stories, surprising
lessons, and powerful takeaways to fuel yourjourney in business and life.
(00:46):
In each episode, I'll take you from oneinspiring guest to the next, blending their
experiences with my expertise to uncoverpractical strategies you can use right away.
Whether you're starting out or stepping up,stay tuned for insights and actionable tips
that make a difference.
And stick around until the end for a specialfreebie just for our listeners.
(01:13):
Hello, and welcome, inspired podcast community.
This is your new episode.
My name is Caroline, and my today's guest isGreg Bennick.
And I'm so happy that he said yes to ourinterview.
How are you doing today?
I'm doing wonderful, and I'm so happy to behere.
And I just love the idea of being on a podcastthat has the name inspired in it.
(01:34):
So this is gonna be great.
And you are very inspiring already, and I wouldlike to introduce you to the audience, of
course.
You are a bestselling author, keynote speaker,TEDx coach, humanitarian, and influencer
dedicated to inspiring personal and socialchange.
Over three decades of global travel, you havelearned that people seek to feel valued and
(01:59):
inspired, which you see as the key to fuelingmeaningful teamwork and transformation.
Welcome to the Inspired Choice Today podcast.
Where are you, Greg Bennick?
Thank you so much.
I appreciate it.
Yeah.
I really I'm so glad to be here.
And what you just read and talked about, it'sso important that people feel inspired and that
they're meaningful, that they feel as thoughthey're valued.
(02:22):
There.
Appreciate it.
Oh, thank you so much.
I always create special bios to introduce theguests, and that is so true.
I would add, to be seen as well.
Right?
Absolutely.
Something like that?
Okay.
My first question to you, what pivotal momentin your life inspired you to dedicate yourself
(02:46):
to creating personal and social change?
You know, it's interesting.
There wasn't necessarily a pivotal moment, butrather a series of moments where I realized
that I felt most valued when I was seen.
I felt most valued when I felt as though I wascontributing to something meaningful.
And when people felt as though I mattered, wow,okay.
(03:09):
I feel really good right now.
Why is that?
And I kept thinking about that.
And I thought if I can help do that for otherpeople and hear them, see them, participate in
what I have going on, have them feel meaningfulas well, then we're in great shape.
That's the world that I want to live in.
I want to live in a world where I feelmeaningful and that I matter.
I want to live in a world where other peoplefeel meaningful and that they matter as well.
(03:31):
So the pivotal moments came for me specificallytimes I was in front of audiences, whether I
was speaking or doing other things on stage.
You know, the moments where the audience wasreflecting back to me what I was trying to
communicate, we were really in the moment andreally connected.
Those were it.
You know, I felt seen.
I felt heard, and the audience did as well.
(03:52):
So I think it's really important to always havepeople feel seen and heard as much as possible.
Well, this is so true.
I feel seen now and what you said aboutconnecting to the audience.
No.
I never I think I never spoke on stage.
You are a TEDx coach.
Difficult to pronounce.
This is very interesting.
(04:14):
What's the difference between doing a podcastinterview like this and being on stage?
Well, I would say that an interview like thisis interesting because our listeners, the
people I'm speaking to right now, aren'tvisible.
They don't get a chance to applaud, clap, saythings directly back to me, and give me that
instant visceral feedback that I enjoy.
Being on stage is different.
(04:35):
Being on stage, you get the sense of the room,the sense of the audience, where they're at,
what they're feeling, what they're thinking,that sort of thing, how they're responding.
So the feedback is much more immediate.
And I think that being on a podcast, you're onestep removed from the audience in a way, and
it's important to always bridge that gap andalways be thinking about the audience and how
(04:55):
you can connect with them.
And that's true with any communication we have.
I think it's really important to connect withthe people we're speaking with rather than
being one step removed and one step away.
Yes.
What a great answer.
I had this feeling, you know, we call this, Ithink, in German, when I translate it, it's
implicit knowledge or so.
(05:16):
So you know it, but you cannot describe it withwords.
And I had because my next step is speaking onstage, of course.
And I thought, what is it?
What is my fear about?
And I know and now I know it's the reaction.
So when you have this immediate reaction, and Ithink I'm I yesterday, I was not ready for this
(05:38):
yet.
Okay.
Yeah.
We're often trained to think negatively.
Like, oh, this is going to go poorly.
Something might go wrong.
What if this fails?
And what if the audience doesn't like me?
What if they laugh at me?
What if they don't like my hair?
What if they don't like the fact I don't haveany hair?
What will they think of me?
And more often than not, in fact, most often,the audience isn't thinking that.
(06:00):
The audience isn't sitting there thinking, wehate you.
They're thinking, I look forward to hearingwhat you have to say.
And if we could remember that the audience ison our side and the audience wants us to
succeed, then we're in great shape.
The audience isn't sitting there saying, pleasewaste my time.
I can't wait for you to waste my time.
No.
They wouldn't be sitting there.
They're thinking, make my time fulfilling.
(06:22):
So if you just give generously from the stage,that's a great place to start.
Wow, what a great answer.
Thank you so much.
So that means everything depends upon theattitude towards yourself.
Attitudes towards the topic.
Even if you're gonna be on stage speaking aboutsomething that you're not really that connected
(06:44):
to, find something in it that's meaningful sothat the connection becomes real through the
words.
And the audience is gonna feel that passion andthat connection.
So even if you have to give a presentation atwork, find something about it that lets you
connect to it so that the audience is on boardtoo.
I think it's possible to always find something,and the audience is going to feel that and
(07:06):
appreciate it.
Wow.
I love it.
So find something.
There's always something.
I never thought of it that way.
Thank you so much for sharing.
I learned so much already, and I have anotherquestion, of course.
Okay.
You've spoken to people worldwide.
What common thread have you found in what trulymotivates and inspires them?
(07:28):
Yep.
People all over the world want the same things.
I've traveled across Russia speaking, Russiaand Ukraine, Africa, Mexico, Canada, United
States, and people want the same things.
We want our kids happy and healthy.
We want to be valued.
We wanna feel as though we matter and we'repart of something.
We want kindness.
No one wakes up in the morning and thinks, oh,I'm so glad I live in a culture that's so mean.
(07:52):
I can't wait to be mean to everybody today.
No one thinks that way.
We just don't.
And, sure, there are exceptions.
But, ultimately, people want to feel as thoughthey matter.
And when we help people feel as though theymatter, when we're present for them and
listening to them, it goes a long way.
I think the universal human condition, if thereis one, is that we wanna feel as though we're
(08:14):
valuable contributors to something meaningful.
So that's true everywhere I go.
People wanna feel as though they are importantor that they matter or that they're
significant, that their lives mean something.
So I think that's a universal truth.
Yes.
Boom.
That's the universal truth, and I'm inspirednow.
(08:35):
Of course, we don't have to invent the wheel.
You know, because I'm always thinking aboutwhat is it?
What is it?
What is it?
But it's so simple and therefore overlooked.
It's always the same.
Feeling valued and giving meaning.
I agree.
If your best friend came over tonight for sometea and your best friend was sitting there
(08:58):
telling you something that mattered to them,you'd listen.
You'd be present.
And then when you shared about this podcastepisode you did today, you'd hope that they
would listen and be present and find interest.
And in that moment, you'd have a little bit ofa connection, and it'd be really meaningful and
be really nice over a simple cup of tea.
I think that if we approach the audience thesame way and have meaningful connections, then
(09:20):
we're always gonna have good experiences onstage.
Even if something goes wrong, even if we loseour way, even if we stumble with our words, the
audience is still gonna be present with us ifwe're sincere and honest and real.
Okay.
It's all about connection and then listening.
Of course, you mentioned active listeningmaybe.
And I imagine now having a cup of tea with myfriend, and then I will share the link to this
(09:45):
episode, of course.
Because I want the
best for my friends in the audience.
So my next question to you is, how do you helpleaders and teams harness the desire to feel
valued into a force for collaboration andgrowth?
Well, I think the first thing is remindingpeople of why they're in the room.
So let's say I'm in front of an audience.
(10:07):
The first thing I like to do is specify what isit that this audience is about, what matters to
them, and what's meaningful for them.
Maybe it's the mission statement of what theydo for a living.
And then I draw together people with laughter,draw together people with commonality amongst
us all.
And once we all feel as though we're on thesame page, then I'm adding ideas about ways we
(10:31):
can focus into the future, what things we canfocus on to make the future better.
It all starts with a shared vision.
So I think that once we solidify a sharedvision, then we can move forward together.
And once we feel as though the people around usmatter, like we've been talking about, then we
can move forward as a team together.
So strengthening teams is all about having thatshared vision.
(10:52):
It's all about solidifying a shared vision, andit's all about enjoying each other as well.
Just like nobody wants to be mean, nobody wantsto not be part of a team.
We are social creatures.
We need each other.
And when you remind people of that and say,okay.
You need each other.
Let's work together.
And here's a shared vision that we've alldecided upon.
(11:13):
All of a sudden, people are like, okay.
I see where we're going, and these are thepeople I'm going there with.
And people get inspired that way, and teams getinspired and strengthened that way.
But it all starts with the shared vision andreally nailing down what that shared vision is
for each audience.
Not a blanket statement for every audience, buta shared vision for each audience.
(11:34):
Wow.
So I have two thoughts in mind.
First is sense of community.
You build the sense of community.
And the second thought is about when you havethis shared vision, is the vision in what you
are going to end your speech with?
Like, where are you going?
(11:54):
It's the end of your—what is the result?
That's a great question.
So what I try to do when I speak is I thinkabout what the main goal is.
Let's say I'm doing a speech on this pen andhow important it is.
I'm always gonna be aiming towards that withthe speech.
And then at the end of the speech, I wanna wrapit up by describing the importance of this pen.
Ultimately, I want them to remember even justthat one thing after they've forgotten
(12:18):
everything else I've said.
They're never gonna remember everything.
If you spoke for five minutes or five hours,they're never gonna remember everything.
They're gonna remember one thing, maybe two,maybe three things.
So making sure that the speech is drivingtowards an end is important.
And I think that the shared vision of theaudience depends on what the organization is to
(12:39):
whom I'm speaking.
I spoke to a group last night, and I made surethat I understood them going in, what they
valued, what they were interested in, and thenI made sure that the talk was relevant to them.
I think it's really important to tailor thewords that we use from the stage or even on a
podcast to make sure that they're tailoredtowards the listeners.
Hopefully, for example, these are ideas thatpeople can use to be inspired in their
(13:03):
communication too.
Yes.
I'm less fearful towards my first TEDx talk orgood.
Whatever it is.
I feel inspired now.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Of course, I have another question.
It is, what role does storytelling play infostering connection and driving meaningful
(13:24):
change in today's world?
Storytelling is immense.
Storytelling is how we connect.
It's how we relate to one another.
You know, if I told you I'm gonna talk about apen and I described that it was made out of
plastic, there's ink inside that's made ofdifferent chemicals, that would be fine if the
audience was engineers or physicists.
But for most people, they'd wanna know that Iuse this pen to write a note to my mom, and the
(13:48):
note to my mom told her how much she meant tome.
I mean, I'm making this up.
But do you see what I'm saying?
All of a sudden, the pen has more meaningbecause of the story.
We want our stories to be truthful, of course,and maybe I'll write a note to my mom with this
pen later today.
But the point is that story brings us together.
It draws us together with commonality.
Story is a way that we can connect emotionallyand intellectually to a topic and allow us to
(14:12):
understand and really feel that topic fully andconnect with the speaker as well.
When a speaker tells a story, we connect to theperson telling the story, and it lets us listen
better and understand that story and the ideabehind it even deeper.
So I think storytelling is essential.
It deepens our speeches, it deepens ourcommunication, and it deepens and strengthens
(14:34):
our relationships.
Wow.
What a great answer.
I feel inspired now to write a postcard or aletter, for example, and this ties to what you
said earlier with the shared vision as well.
So it inspires my imagination, and I see it.
I see myself writing.
I see you writing already with that pen justfrom one picture.
(14:58):
I'm glad.
So much for sharing how important storytellingis.
My next question is about let's talk about yourcoaches and mentors.
Do you have coaches for yourself?
And who was the best coach you ever had?
Oh my gosh.
Well, I mean, aside from my mom who's brilliantand amazing.
There's a guy named John Wilson.
John is a theater professional in Seattle, andhe was a professor of mine when I was in
(15:23):
college about theater.
And John taught me at length about therelationship of the theatrical experience to
the audience, and what that relationship meansand what it signifies.
And it meant that instead of just getting onstage and reciting lines and going through the
motions, that I understood that when I'm infront of an audience, that there is a
(15:45):
connection that's happening on many differentlevels.
John and I spoke at length over the years, andI'm actually seeing him on Sunday, this
weekend.
So I'll mention that I mentioned him in apodcast.
But John was brilliant.
He was an intellectual guide and, for lack of abetter word, a mentor and continues to be quite
brilliantly.
And then there's other folks in the industry.
(16:06):
I mean, in the speaking industry, there'speople who I think are quite excellent.
My friend David Avrin is an excellentprofessional and speaker and business mind.
He's quite good at what he does, and Iappreciate him greatly.
And there's others as well.
But, you know, each one from a different walkof life.
Meaning, David is a great mentor when it comesto thinking about business.
(16:29):
John is a great mentor when it comes tothinking about the theory and the ideas behind
performance.
And of course, my mom, she's cool.
She's always been a good mentor in terms ofcommunication as well and was a speaker for
quite a while herself.
So there's three.
She will receive a letter soon.
That's right.
Written with this pen.
So great.
Thank you so much.
(16:51):
My next question is let's talk about where wecan find you when people want to reach out to
you after listening to this episode.
Great.
Well, people can find me on my website,gregbennick.com, and they can click and find
out more about me as a keynote speaker or aboutsome of the other things I'm involved with.
But then also on LinkedIn, of course, GregBennick, my name, just linkedin.com/forward/, I
(17:13):
think it's in/gregbennick.
And then Instagram, Facebook, always just myname, Greg Bennick, g r e g b e n n i c k.
I love it.
You have at least one follower more.
This is me.
Thank you so much for our interview.
I have one last question.
Of course, it's about your goals.
You set goals or intentions, and what is one ofyour next projects?
(17:37):
That well, one of my next projects certainly istrying to get out in the world and speak more.
You know, I put out my book last year, "Reclaimthe Moment: 7 Strategies to Build a Better
Now." And it's got seven chapters, sevenstrategies in it about ways we can approach
connection and ways we can be more vital andalso reclaim our space and time from a world
(17:58):
which is often chaotic.
So I'm gonna be speaking more about the book,and I just want to share ideas from the book,
not just to share them, but because they'remeaningful.
You know, there's a chapter on creativity.
I'd love to be speaking more on that.
There's a chapter on kindness, a chapter onfocus, a chapter on thinking in revolutionary
ways.
You know, I think that these are importantideas, and I'm gonna be sharing them with other
(18:23):
types of audiences throughout the year.
And I just look forward to doing that verymuch.
Wow.
What a great project.
I look forward to it.
I follow you now everywhere.
Thank you so much for our interview, and nowit's time for your final thoughts to the
audience.
Well, my final thought is to be in touch,please.
I would love to hear from people anytime.
If you've listened to this, please be in touchanytime.
(18:45):
You can email me.
You can find me through my website.
I would love to hear how you are inspired.
You, the listener, how you're inspired.
Or if you've overcome a challenge withspeaking, a challenge with your creativity, a
challenge with your focus, I would love to hearabout it.
And if any of the ideas that I've shared havehelped, please let me know.
That would be wonderful.
I love to connect with people anytime.
(19:08):
Wow.
Thank you so much.
Please reach out to Greg.
He's amazing.
He collects stories.
Okay.
Not only of pen.
Yes.
Thank you so much, and I'll see you in the nextepisode.
Thank you for listening to Inspired ChoiceToday.
I'm thrilled to have you on this journey ofgrowth and transformation.
(19:30):
Don't forget to hit follow or subscribe to stayconnected and never miss an episode.
And here's something special.
Grab your free 20-minute breakthrough sessionwith me.
It's designed to help you kickstart or level upyour business.
Just check out the show notes for more.
Until next time, keep making those inspiredchoices.
(19:52):
See you in the next episode.
We just don't.
(00:01):
And, sure, there's exceptions.
But, ultimately, people want to feel as thoughthey matter.
And when we help people feel as though theymatter, when we're present for them and
listening to them, it goes a long way.
I think the universal human condition, if thereis one, is that we want to feel as though we're
valuable contributors to something meaningful.
(00:21):
So that's true everywhere I go.
People want to feel as though they areimportant or that they matter or that their
significant lives mean something.
So I think that's a universal truth.
Welcome to Inspired Choice Today.
I'm your host, Caroline Biesalski, here tobring you authentic stories, surprising
lessons, and powerful takeaways to fuel yourjourney in business and life.
(00:46):
In each episode, I'll take you from oneinspiring guest to the next, blending their
experiences with my expertise to uncoverpractical strategies you can use right away.
Whether you're starting out or stepping up,stay tuned for insights and actionable tips
that make a difference.
And stick around until the end for a specialfreebie just for our listeners.
(01:13):
Hello, and welcome, inspired podcast community.
This is your new episode.
My name is Caroline, and my today's guest isGreg Bennick.
And I'm so happy that he said yes to ourinterview.
How are you doing today?
I'm doing wonderful, and I'm so happy to behere.
And I just love the idea of being on a podcastthat has the name inspired in it.
(01:34):
So this is gonna be great.
And you are very inspiring already, and I wouldlike to introduce you to the audience, of
course.
You are a bestselling author, keynote speaker,TEDx coach, humanitarian, and influencer
dedicated to inspiring personal and socialchange.
Over three decades of global travel, you havelearned that people seek to feel valued and
(01:59):
inspired, which you see as the key to fuelingmeaningful teamwork and transformation.
Welcome to the Inspired Choice Today podcast.
Where are you, Greg Bennick?
Thank you so much.
I appreciate it.
Yeah.
I really I'm so glad to be here.
And what you just read and talked about, it'sso important that people feel inspired and that
they're meaningful, that they feel as thoughthey're valued.
(02:22):
There.
Appreciate it.
Oh, thank you so much.
I always create special bios to introduce theguests, and that is so true.
I would add, to be seen as well.
Right?
Absolutely.
Something like that?
Okay.
My first question to you, what pivotal momentin your life inspired you to dedicate yourself
(02:46):
to creating personal and social change?
You know, it's interesting.
There wasn't necessarily a pivotal moment, butrather a series of moments where I realized
that I felt most valued when I was seen.
I felt most valued when I felt as though I wascontributing to something meaningful.
And when people felt as though I mattered, wow,okay.
(03:09):
I feel really good right now.
Why is that?
And I kept thinking about that.
And I thought if I can help do that for otherpeople and hear them, see them, participate in
what I have going on, have them feel meaningfulas well, then we're in great shape.
That's the world that I want to live in.
I want to live in a world where I feelmeaningful and that I matter.
I want to live in a world where other peoplefeel meaningful and that they matter as well.
(03:31):
So the pivotal moments came for me specificallytimes I was in front of audiences, whether I
was speaking or doing other things on stage.
You know, the moments where the audience wasreflecting back to me what I was trying to
communicate, we were really in the moment andreally connected.
Those were it.
You know, I felt seen.
I felt heard, and the audience did as well.
(03:52):
So I think it's really important to always havepeople feel seen and heard as much as possible.
Well, this is so true.
I feel seen now and what you said aboutconnecting to the audience.
No.
I never I think I never spoke on stage.
You are a TEDx coach.
Difficult to pronounce.
This is very interesting.
(04:14):
What's the difference between doing a podcastinterview like this and being on stage?
Well, I would say that an interview like thisis interesting because our listeners, the
people I'm speaking to right now, aren'tvisible.
They don't get a chance to applaud, clap, saythings directly back to me, and give me that
instant visceral feedback that I enjoy.
Being on stage is different.
(04:35):
Being on stage, you get the sense of the room,the sense of the audience, where they're at,
what they're feeling, what they're thinking,that sort of thing, how they're responding.
So the feedback is much more immediate.
And I think that being on a podcast, you're onestep removed from the audience in a way, and
it's important to always bridge that gap andalways be thinking about the audience and how
(04:55):
you can connect with them.
And that's true with any communication we have.
I think it's really important to connect withthe people we're speaking with rather than
being one step removed and one step away.
Yes.
What a great answer.
I had this feeling, you know, we call this, Ithink, in German, when I translate it, it's
implicit knowledge or so.
(05:16):
So you know it, but you cannot describe it withwords.
And I had because my next step is speaking onstage, of course.
And I thought, what is it?
What is my fear about?
And I know and now I know it's the reaction.
So when you have this immediate reaction, and Ithink I'm I yesterday, I was not ready for this
(05:38):
yet.
Okay.
Yeah.
We're often trained to think negatively.
Like, oh, this is going to go poorly.
Something might go wrong.
What if this fails?
And what if the audience doesn't like me?
What if they laugh at me?
What if they don't like my hair?
What if they don't like the fact I don't haveany hair?
What will they think of me?
And more often than not, in fact, most often,the audience isn't thinking that.
(06:00):
The audience isn't sitting there thinking, wehate you.
They're thinking, I look forward to hearingwhat you have to say.
And if we could remember that the audience ison our side and the audience wants us to
succeed, then we're in great shape.
The audience isn't sitting there saying, pleasewaste my time.
I can't wait for you to waste my time.
No.
They wouldn't be sitting there.
They're thinking, make my time fulfilling.
(06:22):
So if you just give generously from the stage,that's a great place to start.
Wow, what a great answer.
Thank you so much.
So that means everything depends upon theattitude towards yourself.
Attitudes towards the topic.
Even if you're gonna be on stage speaking aboutsomething that you're not really that connected
(06:44):
to, find something in it that's meaningful sothat the connection becomes real through the
words.
And the audience is gonna feel that passion andthat connection.
So even if you have to give a presentation atwork, find something about it that lets you
connect to it so that the audience is on boardtoo.
I think it's possible to always find something,and the audience is going to feel that and
(07:06):
appreciate it.
Wow.
I love it.
So find something.
There's always something.
I never thought of it that way.
Thank you so much for sharing.
I learned so much already, and I have anotherquestion, of course.
Okay.
You've spoken to people worldwide.
What common thread have you found in what trulymotivates and inspires them?
(07:28):
Yep.
People all over the world want the same things.
I've traveled across Russia speaking, Russiaand Ukraine, Africa, Mexico, Canada, United
States, and people want the same things.
We want our kids happy and healthy.
We want to be valued.
We wanna feel as though we matter and we'repart of something.
We want kindness.
No one wakes up in the morning and thinks, oh,I'm so glad I live in a culture that's so mean.
(07:52):
I can't wait to be mean to everybody today.
No one thinks that way.
We just don't.
And, sure, there are exceptions.
But, ultimately, people want to feel as thoughthey matter.
And when we help people feel as though theymatter, when we're present for them and
listening to them, it goes a long way.
I think the universal human condition, if thereis one, is that we wanna feel as though we're
(08:14):
valuable contributors to something meaningful.
So that's true everywhere I go.
People wanna feel as though they are importantor that they matter or that they're
significant, that their lives mean something.
So I think that's a universal truth.
Yes.
Boom.
That's the universal truth, and I'm inspirednow.
(08:35):
Of course, we don't have to invent the wheel.
You know, because I'm always thinking aboutwhat is it?
What is it?
What is it?
But it's so simple and therefore overlooked.
It's always the same.
Feeling valued and giving meaning.
I agree.
If your best friend came over tonight for sometea and your best friend was sitting there
(08:58):
telling you something that mattered to them,you'd listen.
You'd be present.
And then when you shared about this podcastepisode you did today, you'd hope that they
would listen and be present and find interest.
And in that moment, you'd have a little bit ofa connection, and it'd be really meaningful and
be really nice over a simple cup of tea.
I think that if we approach the audience thesame way and have meaningful connections, then
(09:20):
we're always gonna have good experiences onstage.
Even if something goes wrong, even if we loseour way, even if we stumble with our words, the
audience is still gonna be present with us ifwe're sincere and honest and real.
Okay.
It's all about connection and then listening.
Of course, you mentioned active listeningmaybe.
And I imagine now having a cup of tea with myfriend, and then I will share the link to this
(09:45):
episode, of course.
Because I want the
best for my friends in the audience.
So my next question to you is, how do you helpleaders and teams harness the desire to feel
valued into a force for collaboration andgrowth?
Well, I think the first thing is remindingpeople of why they're in the room.
So let's say I'm in front of an audience.
(10:07):
The first thing I like to do is specify what isit that this audience is about, what matters to
them, and what's meaningful for them.
Maybe it's the mission statement of what theydo for a living.
And then I draw together people with laughter,draw together people with commonality amongst
us all.
And once we all feel as though we're on thesame page, then I'm adding ideas about ways we
(10:31):
can focus into the future, what things we canfocus on to make the future better.
It all starts with a shared vision.
So I think that once we solidify a sharedvision, then we can move forward together.
And once we feel as though the people around usmatter, like we've been talking about, then we
can move forward as a team together.
So strengthening teams is all about having thatshared vision.
(10:52):
It's all about solidifying a shared vision, andit's all about enjoying each other as well.
Just like nobody wants to be mean, nobody wantsto not be part of a team.
We are social creatures.
We need each other.
And when you remind people of that and say,okay.
You need each other.
Let's work together.
And here's a shared vision that we've alldecided upon.
(11:13):
All of a sudden, people are like, okay.
I see where we're going, and these are thepeople I'm going there with.
And people get inspired that way, and teams getinspired and strengthened that way.
But it all starts with the shared vision andreally nailing down what that shared vision is
for each audience.
Not a blanket statement for every audience, buta shared vision for each audience.
(11:34):
Wow.
So I have two thoughts in mind.
First is sense of community.
You build the sense of community.
And the second thought is about when you havethis shared vision, is the vision in what you
are going to end your speech with?
Like, where are you going?
(11:54):
It's the end of your—what is the result?
That's a great question.
So what I try to do when I speak is I thinkabout what the main goal is.
Let's say I'm doing a speech on this pen andhow important it is.
I'm always gonna be aiming towards that withthe speech.
And then at the end of the speech, I wanna wrapit up by describing the importance of this pen.
Ultimately, I want them to remember even justthat one thing after they've forgotten
(12:18):
everything else I've said.
They're never gonna remember everything.
If you spoke for five minutes or five hours,they're never gonna remember everything.
They're gonna remember one thing, maybe two,maybe three things.
So making sure that the speech is drivingtowards an end is important.
And I think that the shared vision of theaudience depends on what the organization is to
(12:39):
whom I'm speaking.
I spoke to a group last night, and I made surethat I understood them going in, what they
valued, what they were interested in, and thenI made sure that the talk was relevant to them.
I think it's really important to tailor thewords that we use from the stage or even on a
podcast to make sure that they're tailoredtowards the listeners.
Hopefully, for example, these are ideas thatpeople can use to be inspired in their
(13:03):
communication too.
Yes.
I'm less fearful towards my first TEDx talk orgood.
Whatever it is.
I feel inspired now.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Of course, I have another question.
It is, what role does storytelling play infostering connection and driving meaningful
(13:24):
change in today's world?
Storytelling is immense.
Storytelling is how we connect.
It's how we relate to one another.
You know, if I told you I'm gonna talk about apen and I described that it was made out of
plastic, there's ink inside that's made ofdifferent chemicals, that would be fine if the
audience was engineers or physicists.
But for most people, they'd wanna know that Iuse this pen to write a note to my mom, and the
(13:48):
note to my mom told her how much she meant tome.
I mean, I'm making this up.
But do you see what I'm saying?
All of a sudden, the pen has more meaningbecause of the story.
We want our stories to be truthful, of course,and maybe I'll write a note to my mom with this
pen later today.
But the point is that story brings us together.
It draws us together with commonality.
Story is a way that we can connect emotionallyand intellectually to a topic and allow us to
(14:12):
understand and really feel that topic fully andconnect with the speaker as well.
When a speaker tells a story, we connect to theperson telling the story, and it lets us listen
better and understand that story and the ideabehind it even deeper.
So I think storytelling is essential.
It deepens our speeches, it deepens ourcommunication, and it deepens and strengthens
(14:34):
our relationships.
Wow.
What a great answer.
I feel inspired now to write a postcard or aletter, for example, and this ties to what you
said earlier with the shared vision as well.
So it inspires my imagination, and I see it.
I see myself writing.
I see you writing already with that pen justfrom one picture.
(14:58):
I'm glad.
So much for sharing how important storytellingis.
My next question is about let's talk about yourcoaches and mentors.
Do you have coaches for yourself?
And who was the best coach you ever had?
Oh my gosh.
Well, I mean, aside from my mom who's brilliantand amazing.
There's a guy named John Wilson.
John is a theater professional in Seattle, andhe was a professor of mine when I was in
(15:23):
college about theater.
And John taught me at length about therelationship of the theatrical experience to
the audience, and what that relationship meansand what it signifies.
And it meant that instead of just getting onstage and reciting lines and going through the
motions, that I understood that when I'm infront of an audience, that there is a
(15:45):
connection that's happening on many differentlevels.
John and I spoke at length over the years, andI'm actually seeing him on Sunday, this
weekend.
So I'll mention that I mentioned him in apodcast.
But John was brilliant.
He was an intellectual guide and, for lack of abetter word, a mentor and continues to be quite
brilliantly.
And then there's other folks in the industry.
(16:06):
I mean, in the speaking industry, there'speople who I think are quite excellent.
My friend David Avrin is an excellentprofessional and speaker and business mind.
He's quite good at what he does, and Iappreciate him greatly.
And there's others as well.
But, you know, each one from a different walkof life.
Meaning, David is a great mentor when it comesto thinking about business.
(16:29):
John is a great mentor when it comes tothinking about the theory and the ideas behind
performance.
And of course, my mom, she's cool.
She's always been a good mentor in terms ofcommunication as well and was a speaker for
quite a while herself.
So there's three.
She will receive a letter soon.
That's right.
Written with this pen.
So great.
Thank you so much.
(16:51):
My next question is let's talk about where wecan find you when people want to reach out to
you after listening to this episode.
Great.
Well, people can find me on my website,gregbennick.com, and they can click and find
out more about me as a keynote speaker or aboutsome of the other things I'm involved with.
But then also on LinkedIn, of course, GregBennick, my name, just linkedin.com/forward/, I
(17:13):
think it's in/gregbennick.
And then Instagram, Facebook, always just myname, Greg Bennick, g r e g b e n n i c k.
I love it.
You have at least one follower more.
This is me.
Thank you so much for our interview.
I have one last question.
Of course, it's about your goals.
You set goals or intentions, and what is one ofyour next projects?
(17:37):
That well, one of my next projects certainly istrying to get out in the world and speak more.
You know, I put out my book last year, "Reclaimthe Moment: 7 Strategies to Build a Better
Now." And it's got seven chapters, sevenstrategies in it about ways we can approach
connection and ways we can be more vital andalso reclaim our space and time from a world
(17:58):
which is often chaotic.
So I'm gonna be speaking more about the book,and I just want to share ideas from the book,
not just to share them, but because they'remeaningful.
You know, there's a chapter on creativity.
I'd love to be speaking more on that.
There's a chapter on kindness, a chapter onfocus, a chapter on thinking in revolutionary
ways.
You know, I think that these are importantideas, and I'm gonna be sharing them with other
(18:23):
types of audiences throughout the year.
And I just look forward to doing that verymuch.
Wow.
What a great project.
I look forward to it.
I follow you now everywhere.
Thank you so much for our interview, and nowit's time for your final thoughts to the
audience.
Well, my final thought is to be in touch,please.
I would love to hear from people anytime.
If you've listened to this, please be in touchanytime.
(18:45):
You can email me.
You can find me through my website.
I would love to hear how you are inspired.
You, the listener, how you're inspired.
Or if you've overcome a challenge withspeaking, a challenge with your creativity, a
challenge with your focus, I would love to hearabout it.
And if any of the ideas that I've shared havehelped, please let me know.
That would be wonderful.
I love to connect with people anytime.
(19:08):
Wow.
Thank you so much.
Please reach out to Greg.
He's amazing.
He collects stories.
Okay.
Not only of pen.
Yes.
Thank you so much, and I'll see you in the nextepisode.
Thank you for listening to Inspired ChoiceToday.
I'm thrilled to have you on this journey ofgrowth and transformation.
(19:30):
Don't forget to hit follow or subscribe to stayconnected and never miss an episode.
And here's something special.
Grab your free 20-minute breakthrough sessionwith me.
It's designed to help you kickstart or level upyour business.
Just check out the show notes for more.
Until next time, keep making those inspiredchoices.
(19:52):
See you in the next episode.
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