I remember the day I met Rain Bennett. It was a wonderful summer day, and I was meeting up with my coaching client Chris Luera down at the green space below the Loews Hotel on Santa Monica’s famous boardwalk. Chris is a three time Calisthenics World Champion who has an amazing story of redemption and re-creating himself. Part of his story was told in the documentary “Raise Up: The world is our gym”, which was produced, directed and mostly shot by Rain Bennett.
The green space is next to the bars that the calisthenics athletes and aficionados use to practice their routines, make friends, and learn new skills. There’s a close community of people from all different worlds there, who have found a common ground in their athletic pursuits. As I was walking down the boardwalk to meet my client, I saw this shaved headed dude, skin glistening with sweat in the summer heat, and holding a camera jump over the short wall that separates the beach from the boardwalk. It was Rain. He was excited and in his element of filmmaking as he captured more footage of the athletes.
As I was talking with my client, Rain was introduced to me and we made a fast friendship. He’s an innovate and creative young man with a passion for his art. Over the ensuing years we’ve kept in contact, and had long conversations about what would be good next moves for his business. I started coaching him and we’ve had several sessions around the country. He lives in N. Carolina and so we’d meet up in the middle of the country, or I’d fly to Raleigh or he’d fly here.
During our coaching sessions we’d discuss his goals and options and plan for his future. About four or five years ago we were sitting in a Denver hotel lobby and he said “I want to give a TED talk.” I asked him why and as we discussed it, the goal was kept, but backburnered as I thought making money was a better focus for awhile. But the urge to speak and tell stories kept burning in Rain.
Over the past five years he’s built his brand, Six Second Stories, into a highly successful podcast, The Storytelling Lab, which has 108 episodes so far where he teaches how to use your story as your message. Bennett’s book, A Storytelling Workbook for Beginners, is a best selling workbook on Amazon in the Direct Marketing category. His upcoming book, Six Second Stories: Maximize Your Impact in Minimal Time with Video Storytelling is available for resale right now in the Kindle edition for 99 cents and will be released on Nov. 23.
I was just in Raleigh, N. Carolina for the weekend because Rain was giving that TEDx talk he dreamed of. This past Sunday at the downtown Raleigh Sheraton about 200 people gathered to hear a selection of twelve speakers address the topic of Reset. There was one doctor who spoke on resetting the medical community’s approach to dealign with diabetes. One woman spoke on her history of physical challenges and then Rain spoke on how we can use our story to make an impact in the world by standing out, not by blending in.
His message is all about being the most authentic you there is. He’s built his brand around the idea that people don’t hire you for your expertise, they hire you for your difference, and how you make an impact in the world. His position is that you are hired for your uniqueness and what makes you stand apart from.
The example he used was of the time that he was judging one of those calisthenics competitions. Most athletes just try to improve on the same moves that other people did. The group thinking is to do what others are doing, but technically better. Rain’s perspective is to leave the crowded field and find your uniqueness and push on that. He says we should lean into what makes us different. The athletes he judged who tried something totally different from all the others, they were the ones who stood out and received higher marks.
Years ago I had a coach tell me, “We don’t take credit for the wins, or blame for the losses. Our job is to give people the tools to build their dreams. Whether they do or not is their job.” I can’t take credit for the great success that Rain Bennett has become as a podcaster, author, professional speaker, and filmmaker - he did the work. But I can take pride in calling him a friend, and feel immense joy in seeing his success.
David Pisarra is a Los Angeles Divorce and Child Custody Lawyer specializing in Father’s and Men’s Rights with the Santa Monica firm of Pisarra & Grist. He welcomes your questions and comments. He can be reached at dpisarra@pisarra.com or 310/664-9969. You can follow him on Twitter @davidpisarra
