Zen Benefiel – Engage a New Millennial Renaissance Man

Do the right thing. Reach for amazing. Seek first to understand. Act as one. Live life passionately. 

Educator, Facilitator, Life & Business Coach, Teacher, Marketer, Project Manager, Servant Leader, Speaker, Team Builder, Web Developer and Wordsmith/Writer et al…

Zen Benefiel here, though only via digital display, and glad you’ve arrived. I hope you’ll find the information helpful, though it is perhaps a different style of job search presentation. You might enjoy the piece of music I played on nearly two decades ago now. The controls are in the upper right just in case you do not. I’ve enjoyed playing drums and golf most of my life amidst a robust professional career in business and technology.

I look at the entire picture of a person when I’m sizing them up. The etymology of Benefiel, from Latin, means ‘good fidelity’ so the domain seemed fitting. Having meaning in life is important. I was given the surname when I was adopted at six weeks old. I was challenged by the awareness early and have gone far deeper in my quest for identity than anyone I know. The knowledge garnered developed into wisdom over time and a reputation of honesty and integrity.


zen benefielQuite serendipitously, the moniker of Zen came while hosting a television show in the early 90s, called One World. Who was I to argue with what seemed to be orchestrated beyond my control? Obviously the name constitutes a great challenge as well. My professional reputation is one of authenticity, honesty, integrity and performing beyond expectation.

Serendipity and synchronicities are a valuable part of life that often goes unnoticed, let alone incorporated. Both fit really well for my Transformational Life Coaching practice. I’m a quality not quantity kind of coach. Resonance reigns supreme. An intuitive capacity beyond the norm, I’m able to flush out details that make all the difference.

…has shown interpersonal skills that allow him to work effectively in potentially hostile situations with patience and poise …resourceful…good communicator and team player.” Martin Stone, Training and Development, JTPA, City of Phoenix


zen benefielFast forward to now and the digital world so full of possibility. Dudley Lynch, President of Brain Technologies, Inc., used the term ‘possibilities coagulator’ in his recommendation for me on LinkedIn. It seemed the perfect differentiater, using the ‘what does that mean?’ look for a faster than a speeding bullet elevator pitch, “I facilitate people, places and things to work together better.”

I apply that skill in very practical ways as a partnering facilitator, yet another tough market even with 1st page ranking in search engines. Construction projects include work for the DOD, Homeland Security, National Park Services and Federal Highway Administration. Three notable projects were the F-35 Operations and Maintenance Facility at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Arizona; Mather Point Renovation at the Grand Canyon, AZ; and, the Centralized Processing Facility at McAllen, TX.


zen benefielZen Benefiel learned how to build websites in 2000, first in Front Page, then Web Expression and on to WordPress in the late 2000s. After dozens of sites and near-constant learning, good SEO success and engaging a plethora of social platforms, I launched Planck Social Media Agency and get occasional work as a solopreneur.

I trust you’ll get the physics reference and its importance in offering spooky action at a distance. Technically challenged clients inspired instructional how-to pieces for basics, like how to create a blog post in WordPress, Company Pages and Social Sharing.

We’ve reached first page ranking for several keyword phrases for clients as well as top ranking in Google Local Business directories. Our work on 2 Small Biz Guys garnered over 200,000 listens through business groups on Facebook and LinkedIn. Our work with One World in a New World has garnered 13,000 subscribers in just over two years.

“Zen is a great wealth of knowledge in many areas of the business world. In the short amount of time that he gave me instruction, I learned many different facets of information and learned about ways to access resources that were unknown to me before. I attended one of Zen’s workshops on LinkedIn. He showed key statistics showing the value of LinkedIn and also how to navigate to the different features that most people are not aware of. It was very helpful.” Joe Delaney, Clinical Director at Fastest Labs


zen benefielMy adoptive mother encouraged and inspired my ability to speak and write. I have an insatiable curiosity toward how people, places and things happen. I developed and delivered a business plan writing course online and on ground, complete with step-by-step workbook and Excel financials workbook.

My works include a workbook on LinkedIn (and Greater Phoenix SCORE-sponsored workshops),  a pseudo-autobiography titled “Stubbing My T.O.E on Purpose – A Seminal View of Consciousness, Cosmology and the Congruence of Science and Spirituality” then “ZERO to ONE – Making Our Way Toward a Conscious Civilization” and most recently, “Navigating Holistic Growth: The Servant Leader’s Guide.”

An avid producer, perhaps even an 0ver-producer, I built and blog on 5  different websites and on various topics from life coaching to small business leadership to planetary world servers. Typing 120 wpm with rare mistakes certainly helps. I enjoy exploding topics, drilling down information funnels and explaining complex subjects for the layman.

On Stubbing My T.O.E. on Purpose: “Zen Benefiel, literally, takes us with him on his journey from drums to conundrums. His mind is facile as he weaves a narrative ranging from deep within the esoteric/ufology subculture to lessons of marriage, family, and business life. He draws upon archetypal psychology with a particular appreciation for the creative godhead archetype. If you read this book with an open heart, you may find yourself discovering new vistas of your own.” Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD, Host, New Thinking Allowed YouTube channel


zen benefielMy expertise garnered an invitation to become the webmaster and join the Board of Directors for the Arizona Chapter of the Association for Talent Development (ATD), then the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) in 2008.

As president-elect in 2010, the duty of chairing the annual conference allowed me to organize a stellar event titled The Shift: Challenge to Change, Removing Liabilities, Limitations and Excuses in the Workplace. The event received accolades from many participants as the best in over a decade.

“I was fortunate to work with Zen Benefiel on the committee that planned and produced the ASTD Valley of the Sun 2010 Conference. Zen was enthusiastic about the conference – his commitment to creating content that would transform people was apparent from day 1. He had a vision, and shared it with the committee members to create excitement and forge a cohesive team. He worked hard to make the event better than in years past, and was tireless in his effort to find exceptional speakers, vendors, and content. He was passionate about providing the attendees (our members) with valuable information that would change them, and make them better employees, better managers, and better people. Working with and for Zen was an exceptional experience, as he proved to be an inspiring leader.” Brian Holmsten, Sr. Consultant, Web-Based Training at CVS Health

Another keynote accomplishment was handling all the logistics and event management duties for The Prophets Conference, a 30-speaker and 120 vendor outdoor event which drew over 5,000 patrons. Tempe Arts Festival and Tostito’s New Years Eve Block party drew 250,000 patrons each. For the former I managed the largest vendor concentrated area with 350 artists and 20 food vendors. My area for the block party had 3 stages, a carnival and 25 street vendors.


zen benefielNow comes the part where I reference removing the liabilities, limitations and excuses in finding virtual work as a blogger, instructional designer, technical writer and/or WordPress developer.

As a ‘possibilities coagulator’ I’ve also got great interpersonal skills; able to actively listen and resolve challenges with advice, direction or well- crafted solutions.

Thanks for coming and I hope I passed the audition.

You can reach Zen Benefiel directly here by email or by phone.

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