Mr. Benefiel’s professional career spans aerospace, team building, education delivery, event logistics, micro-lending for women and minority-owned businesses, theater management, radio and television production. Zen is a renaissance man with a new millennial mindset toward harmony in humanity.
Instead of retiring, he accepted the role of Executive Director for a global peace movement called Live and Let Live. It fits his life’s mission, revealed in ‘The Call’. His books on Amazon offer practical wisdom and interviews with Dr. Jeffrey Mishlove and a presentation (IANDS 2010) is an example of his thought leadership.
Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, orphaned at birth, he grew up in rural Indiana with the Benefiels. His father, a 32nd Degree Mason/Tool and Die Maker and mother, an English teacher, encouraged his academic and athletic development with core ethics, morals and values. Reconnecting with his birth mother at 61, he learned he’d met his father in Phoenix in 1989.
A stellar athlete and student, he served as Master Councilor for the local chapter of DeMolay. The International Order of DeMolay awarded Bruce the Representative DeMolay and Saving a Human Life Medal at the Indiana State Conclave at Ball State University, and took 3rd place in the diving competition.
Returning to Ball State a year later, in pre-med, he had a spiritual awakening on 11/11/1975. Trials and tribulations were noted by a ‘voice’ in the Near-Death Experience; a forewarning. Following the inner guidance provided, rebranding and recreating his personal and professional life would be the norm.
Dropping out of college a year later, marrying a year after that, he worked as a butcher, machinist apprentice and played drums for a Christian rock band. The auto industry crash prompted a move to Phoenix, Arizona. He entered the aerospace world as a machinist, Lieutenant of an Emergency Response Team, and advanced to a managing $7 million a month in shipments.
Time away from family proved too challenging for his wife and counseling sessions were bereft of results. She divorced and moved their four children back to Indiana. The divorce, separation from church and loss of job in the same number of months prompted exploring his inner connection. He co-organized A Metaphysical Coming Together conference at the Biltmore Resort.
He got an opportunity to host One World, producing 120+ shows, where ‘Zen’ happened, diving into the nature of what keeps us afraid, angry, ignorant and immobile. Zen’s Mystic Moment was revealing. He also worked with the Mill Avenue Merchants Association as logistics coordinator for the Tempe Arts Festivals and Tostito’s Fiesta Bowl New Year’s Eve Block Party, both with 250k+ patrons.
Attending University of Phoenix, he earned an MBA and Secondary Teaching certification, teaching high school for nearly a decade. Finishing his tenure and earning a Master of Art in Organizational Management, he crafted a school/village concept ahead of its time. 20 years later he presented it at a virtual festival for regenerative community building.
Zen facilitated over $200k in micro-loans for women and minority-owned businesses through teaching business plan writing classes and facilitating peer loan circles for Self-Employment Loan Fund. He trained as a life coach and construction partnering facilitation, which included the F-35 Operations and Maintenance Facility at Luke Air Force Base and later, the Centralized Processing Center in McAllen, Texas.
Zen played drums for Outcasts and Social Misfits for over a decade. He co-hosted 2 Small Biz Guys talk radio; garnering over 200,000 listens, exploring business and organizational development topics. He led LinkedIn workshops for Phoenix SCORE. He now hosts One World in a New World after a 30-year hiatus, which led to the Executive Director role for Live and Let Live Foundation.
Today, Zen’s businesses include Be The Dream LLC, Planck Social Media Agency LLC, Team Partnering LLC and United We Stand Productions LLC . His curiosity and passion for world servers and Ufology led to creation of Planetary Citizens and UfologyPress.
Zen resides in Arizona with his ‘twin flame,’ Luba, a Kundalini yoga teacher and conservatory-trained pianist originally from St. Petersburg, Russia. His trials and tribulations rewarded. They wed on the base of Bell Rock in Sedona, AZ on the Fall Equinox of 2017.
