I’m Ryan Benz.
Author. Speaker. Mentor. Dad.
For nearly a decade, I’ve been sharing one simple idea:
Hike Your Own Hike.
It began as a phrase I learned on the Appalachian Trail — a reminder that there is no single “right” way to make the journey. Every hiker walks a different pace, carries different gear, and has different reasons for being there.
Somewhere along the way, I realized it wasn’t just good trail advice. It was a philosophy for living.
I came to the trail because I needed a reset. From the outside, life looked successful. On the inside, I felt disconnected — like I was chasing a version of success that wasn’t really mine.
So I packed my life into a backpack and walked from Georgia to Maine.
I wrote a memoir about that experience, but the trail was never really the point. It simply gave me the space to rediscover what mattered and the courage to build a life around it.
These days, most of my life is beautifully ordinary. I’m a dad of three, and I keep my speaking and mentorship work intentionally selective because I’m trying to live the same philosophy I share with others.
When I do step into a room — a school, a conference, a team retreat, or a community gathering — my hope is always the same:
To help people slow down, reconnect with what matters, and find the courage to hike their own hike — in life, at work, and everywhere in between.
Ways I’m brought in
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Schools & Youth Programs
I share the trail story with students in a way that’s honest, reflective, and surprisingly engaging. Whether it’s an assembly, orientation talk, transition program, workshop, or senior send-off, the goal is the same: help young people slow down, reflect, and find the courage to hike their own hike.
Staff and parent sessions can also be added when schools want to extend the conversation beyond the student program.
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Talks, Keynotes & Conversations
Sometimes I’m invited to speak to teams, organizations, conferences, or communities about presence, resilience, storytelling, and what it means to live and lead in alignment with what matters.
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Mentorship
I work 1:1 with a small number of individuals who are trying to slow down, come back to themselves, and make choices that feel true — in other words, to hike their own hike in real life.
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Retreats & Experiences
I occasionally partner with organizations, retreat hosts, and venues to create mindfulness and nature-based experiences built around story, reflection, reconnection, and walking your own path.
My memoir, Wander, is the longer version of the story — the funny parts, the hard parts, the quiet parts, and the trail lessons that still guide my life today. The one that taught me how to hike my own hike — not just on the trail, but in life.
Bestselling & award-winning author • TEDx speaker • Trusted by Universities, Non-profits, Fortune 500 Companies • 50+ schools / 10,000+ students • Certified mindfulness + nature/forest therapy guide + yoga teacher
“Ryan does not speak at people. He connects with them. He’s one of those rare speakers who leaves a room more open-hearted than he found it.”
— David Kirkpatrick
Founder of Story Summit; Former President, Paramount Motion Picture Group; Former Production Chief, Walt Disney Studios
If something here feels like a fit, reach out.
Tell me what you’re planning, who it’s for, and what you hope people walk away with. If it feels aligned, we’ll talk through what makes sense.