Media / Press
Everything a host, organizer, editor, or producer may need in one place.
For booking or media inquiries: hello@ryanbenz.com
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SHORT BIO
Ryan Benz is a New Jersey-based bestselling and award-winning author, speaker, and mentor who shares trail-tested lessons on presence, resilience, and being human. After hiking the entire Appalachian Trail and writing the memoir Wander, Ryan now brings his story to schools, organizations, and communities through talks, workshops, and mentorship.
LONG BIO
Ryan Benz is a New Jersey-based dad, bestselling and award-winning author, speaker, and mentor known for his honest, story-driven approach to presence, resilience, and authenticity.
After years of chasing a version of success that didn’t feel like his own, Ryan packed his life into a backpack and hiked the entire Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. That 2,000+ mile journey became the foundation for his bestselling and award-winning memoir, Wander, and continues to shape the work he shares today.
Ryan’s message is rooted in the idea that the trail was never really the point. It was the place where the story unfolded — a story about slowing down, paying attention, letting go, and learning how to come back to yourself.
Today, Ryan speaks to students, organizations, teams, retreats, and communities about presence, resilience, storytelling, and what it means to hike your own hike in everyday life. His style is grounded, reflective, and deeply human.
Most of Ryan’s life is beautifully ordinary. He is a dad of three and keeps his speaking and mentorship work intentionally selective, choosing opportunities that feel aligned with the message he shares: pay attention to what matters, walk your own path, and don’t confuse success with being constantly available.
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Today’s guest is Ryan Benz — a New Jersey-based author, speaker, and mentor. Ryan hiked the entire Appalachian Trail during a life reset and wrote the bestselling and award-winning memoir Wander. He continues to share what the trail taught him about presence, resilience, and being human — and why those lessons matter just as much in everyday life off the trail.
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Topics Ryan speaks on:
Hike Your Own Hike
Presence in real life
Resilience without the grind
Storytelling and personal growth
The strength in vulnerability
Redefining success
Nature, reflection, and reconnection
Ryan is also happy to explore conversations around fatherhood, men’s mental health, mindfulness, and being human in a distracted world.
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A few questions Ryan is often happy to explore:
What does “Hike Your Own Hike” mean off the trail?
What did the Appalachian Trail teach you about everyday life?
Why do you say the trail was never really the point?
Why do you describe presence as the foundation — not a personality trait?
What does presence look like in real life?
How do you teach mindfulness without making it feel overly complicated or inaccessible?
What’s the biggest misconception people have about resilience?
How has becoming a dad shaped the way you define success?
What do you hope people take away from Wander?
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Schools & Youth: Story-driven assemblies and workshops for students and staff navigating stress, comparison, and the pressure to fit in.
Organizations: Keynotes and workshops grounded in presence, clarity, decision-making, and healthier culture.
Mentorship: 1:1 support for people who want to slow down, come back to themselves, and make choices that feel true.
Retreats & Experiences: Mindfulness and nature-based experiences built around story, reflection, reconnection, and helping people slow down enough to remember what matters.
Book: Wander, Ryan’s bestselling and award-winning memoir.
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Website: ryanbenz.com
Book: Wander | Official Trailer
TEDx Talk: The Quiet Rebellion of Being Yourself
School Assembly: Demo Reel
Contact: hello@ryanbenz.com -
THE GREAT DETOUR PODCAST
Episode 1: Finding Authenticity and Purpose along the Appalachian Trail with Ryan Benz
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FAR OUT: ADVENTURES IN RETURNING HOME
Episode 67: Stepping sideways: a trail guide to finding your path with Ryan Benz
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CHASING CURIOSITY
Episode 72: Ryan Benz: Walking 2000 Miles On The Appalachian Trail & Finding Purpose
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THE MINDFIT METHOD
Episode 82: Permission to WANDER: 2000 Miles of Re-Discovery with Ryan Benz
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High-resolution headshots, book cover images, and other media assets are available upon request.
For assets or booking inquiries, email: hello@ryanbenz.com