I’m Ryan Benz.
A dad, author, speaker, and mentor based in New Jersey.
In a previous chapter of my life, I hit a reset. From the outside, things looked great. 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 hiked the entire Appalachian Trail. I wrote a memoir about it, and I still share the story because it was never really about the trail. It was about presence, resilience, and learning how to come back to yourself.
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 message I share: pay attention to what matters, walk your own path, and don’t confuse success with being constantly available.
When I do step into a room — a school, a conference, a team retreat, or a community gathering — I bring the same thing I try to practice in my own life: honesty, presence, and a reminder that we’re allowed to hike our own hike.
Ways I’m brought in
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School Assemblies
I share the trail story with students and staff in a way that’s honest, reflective, and surprisingly engaging. It’s not a pep rally. It’s a journey — and underneath it all is the kind of mindfulness students can actually use.
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Talks, Keynotes & Conversations
Sometimes I’m invited to speak to teams, organizations, conferences, and communities about presence, resilience, storytelling, and what it means to live in alignment with what matters.
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Mentorship
I work 1:1 with a small number of people who are trying to slow down, come back to themselves, and make choices that feel like their own.
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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, and reconnection.
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.
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
“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.