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Ben Landers is a Husband, Dad, and Teacher. When he’s not teaching or creating resources online, he loves to get active through camping, hiking, kayaking, surfing, snowboarding, or any other outdoor pursuit that he can manage to squeeze in. He’s also pretty handy with a camera and loves making videos and documenting fun trips and daily life with his family.
Okay, so, who are you?
I’m a Hubs of 13 years and a Dad to 3 kiddos 6 and under. Our life is definitely a circus, but we usually salvage some beautiful moments in the chaos of it all. I’ve been teaching Physical Education to Elementary kids at River Springs Elementary going on 14 years. In 2014, I started a teacher resource website to help out PE teachers and create content and resources to push the profession forward.
Cool! We have a few questions…
What jobs did you have before you landed where you are today?
- First Job: Landscaping company doing yard work
- Worked 6 years for Mungo Homes installing Sprinkler systems in the Columbia heat
- Worked at a summer camp as the Tech Guru and Weekly Highlight Video Creator
- Started my own Photo and Video Business
- ( https://benlandersmedia.com/ )
- Currently taking a break from this to focus on other stuff
- Phys Ed Teacher 2007 – present
- Online Content Creator and Membership Site Founder for PE Teachers
What do you wish outsiders knew about your industry?
Honestly, I wish everyone realized how real the opportunity is to start a business creating content in almost any niche or area of interest that you are passionate about. I think lots of folks who are discontent with their work should start creating content about something they love and are passionate about and try to turn it into a business through creating resources or a membership. It’s definitely not easy work, but I would rather work 50 hours a week doing something I love than 30 hours a week doing something I hate.
What’s the #1 question clients or customers ask you?
They ask, “How do you find the time to do it all?” I usually answer with a few tips like focus on one thing, prioritize your tasks, and batch your time for different types of work. But in the end, everyone has the same amount of hours in each day—it’s just a question of finding a way to use them in the best way possible to achieve whatever you want to do with your life.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned the hard way?
It’s a marathon, not a sprint…Starting a business takes time to gain traction, and there are a lot of hard and long hours. In our microwave society, we want everything to be delivered in 2 days, but the truth is change is hard, and it takes time. Most people will give up on something before they’ve put in enough work to realize the outcome they were hoping to reach. I have to constantly remind myself of this when I get impatient with the way things are going or how long it’s taking to learn something new, develop a new resource or product, or push out a new initiative.
Another big perspective shift is learning to love the process, sometimes it’s the journey over the destination, and if you can enjoy the journey more than the destination—you’ve pretty much figured out the best life hack there is.
What’s one book, podcast, series, or movie you’d recommend…and why?
My favorite Podcast is The Tim Ferris Show. It’s incredible. The most recent interview with Hugh Jackman is a great one to catch if you haven’t heard it; there are so many takeaways and valuable insights that he shared.
What’s one way the SOCO community has shaped your life?
For the first few years, I built my online business in coffee shops and the public library. But when I found SOCO, I was pumped to be able to have a sanctuary to get more focused on work with fewer distractions…unlimited beer and coffee had a slight impact on my decision as well :-). I enjoy the feeling of working in a place where there are so many other people working towards their goals and building something valuable as well—the hustle is contagious.
What improvement do you hope to see in your own life in the next 12 months?
As a PE Teacher, health and activity has always been one of my top priorities, but the whole quarantine situation with 3 kids has pretty much wrecked both me and my wife’s exercise habits…and most of our healthy routines we had in place before COVID. I’m hoping to get some of those routines back and build in some regular exercise, personal development, and mental health-focused times into my life over the next year.