Elevate Springfield featuring Designing and Building Mid Illinois

Summary

In this engaging conversation from the Designing and Building Mid Illinois Podcast, Beni Harmony shares her journey from local journalism in Central Illinois to becoming a White House correspondent. The discussion delves into the challenges she faced in the media industry, her passion for highlighting first responders, and the importance of authenticity in storytelling. Beni reflects on her experiences at News Channel 20, the impact of her departure, and how she found new opportunities in the wake of adversity. The conversation emphasizes the significance of staying true to one's values and the personal growth that comes from overcoming obstacles. 

Takeaways

• Beni emphasizes the importance of authenticity in journalism.
• She highlights the need for local stories to be told.
• Benny's passion for first responders shaped her career.
• She faced significant pushback from management at News Channel 20.
• Her departure from the station was a pivotal moment in her career.
• Beni believes in serving the community through her work.
• She found liberation in speaking her truth on air.
• The support from her peers was crucial during her transition.
• Faith played a crucial role in Beni's journey.
• Support from friends helped Beni navigate challenges.
• Beni experienced overwhelming attention after her story broke.
• She learned to find her voice in a new media environment.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Elevate Springfield, where we will dive into strategies and stories that help you rise to your full potential. Each episode, we'll talk about how you can take intentional steps to elevate your life and your business while making a meaningful impact on those around you. Along the way, we're gonna bring in the change makers from our community that are already elevating. We'll bring the actionable strategies, you bring the discipline and follow through, and together we can elevate Springfield. Alright, let's go, Springfield. Time to TEDx your life, your business, all of it. Time to crush those goals, time to get after it. Let's go. You are listening to the Elevate Springfield Podcast. Robert Farrell here, certified TEDx coach, speaker, and mentor here to bring you actionable strategies. You bring the discipline and follow through. And together, we're gonna Elevate Springfield. We're coming to you again from beautiful downtown Springfield in the Big Dog Construction Studio. Hey, we've got so much going on in Springfield right now. Make sure you are participating. Get out there, network with folks, be a part of the community, support local businesses, support local nonprofits, and let's go. We can all grow together. So, hey, another great episode for you today. We're gonna get right to our guest after the break. Hey, Springfield, when it comes to reliable, high-quality roofing, you don't want to leave things to chance. That's why you should reach out to Acosta Angeli Ruffing, your local roughing expert serving Springfield and surrounding communities. From quick, dependable repairs to full replacement, from residential to commercial, they are your trusted pros. Call them today at 217-993-2748, or visit their website to book your free quote and inspection. Don't wait. A little leak now could lead to major damage later. Trust the local experts, protect your home, and get peace of mind with Acosta Angeli Roofing. And we are back. A little bit different episode today. If you've been listening to Elevate Springfield for a while now, you know that uh we occasionally highlight our friends over at the Designing and Building Mid-Illinois podcast. You know, Chris Hartsuck, my business partner in our coaching and training company, is one of the hosts on that show, and we love to highlight what they have going on as well. Uh, their guest that they had this week was on Elevate Springfield a little over a year ago. But today, you're gonna get an update on what she's had going on over the past year or so, and some of the updates in her professional life and where she went just a few months after she was a guest on Elevate. So I'm gonna let Chris and Caitlin introduce her. Check out Designing and Building Mid-Illinois Mondays and Tuesdays every single week, but also right now.

SPEAKER_02 3:14

Hey, welcome back to Designing Building Mid-Illinois One Home at a time. I'm your host with Big Dog Construction, your local window depot, USA. And back with me again, as usual, is the lovely Caitlin. Hi. And you know what? We have a special guest today, and we're going to get to that special guest in a special location. But if this is your first time tuning in, hey, welcome. If you've been with us from the beginning, by golly, thank you for joining us and continuing the journey as we help mid-Ellinois homeowners design smarter, build better, and make confident decisions about their homes, and give them some damn information that they might need along the way, right? So, plus entertaining conversations, right, Caitlin? It's gonna happen. And so today you might notice that we're sitting side by side and not across from each other because we have a special guest up in front of us on a Zoom because they're not local with us. They're local, but they're not locally in the location we are today.

SPEAKER_08 4:03

Presently.

SPEAKER_02 4:04

Presently, presently. Okay, yeah. So I'm excited. And today's guest is somebody with an incredible story. And if you're from central Illinois, there's a good chance you've already known her name. Yes, her, right? Benny Harmony first became a familiar face to so many of us, trusted voice in Springfield's Channel 20, bringing stories into our homes, keeping our communities informed, and doing it with authenticity, professionalism, and a presence that just connected with people. But here's what makes her story really incredible. She didn't stop there. Benny took the same drive, talent, and passion for asking meaningful questions all the way to Washington, D.C. Yes, folks, the capital, Washington, D.C., of these here United States, where she now works as a White House correspondent, covering the biggest stories in our country, interviewing key leaders, and operating right at the center of national conversation. Think about that for a second. Okay. Journey from Central Illinois to the White House press cores. That doesn't happen by accident. It takes courage, it takes vision, and I can't wait to unpack that journey today, Caitlin and I both. But beyond the titles and the career accomplishments, what I'm really excited about is getting to know the person behind the camera lights, behind the headlines, behind the tough questions, behind the microphone. What shaped her? What drives her? What has she learned making that kind of leap? And what it really like is being in the rooms where history is literally unfolding in real time. This is going to be a fantastic conversation. Benny, welcome to our show.

SPEAKER_06 5:36

I mean, how about that introduction, Chris? Come on. It's a red carpet for you, baby.

SPEAKER_05 5:43

We got to put you on a pedestal, Benny.

SPEAKER_06 5:45

Thank you so much. I'm so happy to be talking with you guys today. Just two people that are truly making a difference in our community. So thank you guys.

SPEAKER_07 5:53

Oh, thank you. So I will go ahead and start off with our lovely listeners. Benny, so when did we meet? How many years ago was that? Now when was it?

SPEAKER_06 6:04

Oh, it was at 927. No, I think it would have been 2022, the end of 2022. Yeah. And you taught me everything I know, Katie. I mean, I'm here because of James.

SPEAKER_07 6:16

She's being nice, guys. Wow. But we worked together at 99.7. Really? The mix. I didn't know that. That's awesome. Was not Kiss FM, the mix. I mean, guys, we played 90s, 2000s, and beyond. Wait, what was the thing? We forgot it. 90s 2K in today.

SPEAKER_06 6:34

90s 2K in today. That's what it was. And I have to give Bonzi a shout out here because we love it. Because when I first started, I walked into the station and I was like, I need a job. I was like, I need a job, Kevin and Bonzi. And Bonzi was like, Well, do you know anything about radio? And I said, No, but I can learn. And he's like, You remind me of a younger KD B. And I was like, Who's KD B? Who's KD B? And that's when he really wanted you to take me out of your wing. And you did. And you taught me that that radio, you know, that the way to because people can't see us, obviously. And so the way to relate. Yeah. Yes, and relate and but with your voice. And you do so good at that. And so we just had to give Bonzi a shout-out for bringing us together.

SPEAKER_07 7:23

And I have to say that he probably highly regretted it. I don't think that he like assumed that we would be so much alike. I mean, with Italian, the family morals. I mean, the family. Yeah. And and I just feel like, and us being kind of like really larger than life and have to be true. He wanted to kill us multiple times. Celebrity bull bartending. I mean, we got in so much trouble for that, Katie. Because we didn't wear our things. We didn't wear our name passes, our badges. So, guys, I just wanted to give you a shout out of like why Benny was so you know easy to get on the show, guys, because we are friends and we have, you know, stayed in contact throughout this time, of course, have followed her. And I loved your lifestyle show. So let's let's go after 99-7. You even stayed there after I left for just a little bit longer. And then I remember you texting me saying, hey, I can't remember if it was an interview or or they I just left news channel 20. I'm getting ready to go. I was like, dude, I told you. So go on with that about your lifestyle show. How do you think that helped you to get where you're at today?

SPEAKER_06 8:36

Well, so I actually I remember sitting in the studio at 997 and I saw that WICS was hiring for a reporter. And I remember driving by the station multiple times and being from the area, we were so excited when News Channel 20 would show up to our games. I mean, we were going to be stars. We were going to be stars. Yes, hundreds. So I didn't tell anyone and I just sent in an application and I got a call right away. And uh it ended up actually falling through as a reporter. Some of the things didn't line up. And so a couple months go by and I get a call from News Channel 20 again, and they're like, hey, our lifestyle host uh is leaving, and we think you'd be perfect for it. You're from the area, you're from the community, and it worked out better than I could have expected. And I knew it was my chance to tell the stories of my community, of the people that raised me, my family, small business owners in central Illinois and back to my grandparents. And so I started working there, and I mean, the creativity and just I was so overflowing with ideas. I was like, how can I really touch every part of the community? And I mean, it started with artist highlights where I would bring in local photographers and musicians that perform acoustically, and then we started doing a lot of first responder stuff. And that was that was, and and Katie, I know you're with me on this, and that was where I really started to feel I was making a difference and feeling this fulfillment.

SPEAKER_07 10:09

Well, you could tell Benny through the camera how much that that meant to you with the first responders. I mean, that really made me inspired me to want to get involved with it more. I'm really serious. Like, I've got chills. Like you could tell how close you were with that Springfield fire department and how much that they were so thankful and grateful that you were giving them that spotlight that they so much deserve. Sorry, go ahead.

SPEAKER_06 10:34

No, Katie, it, you know, because I was in the newsroom environment, but I wasn't allowed to do stories. So like I wasn't allowed to go if there was a shooting or there was some sort of first responder accident. Right. I wasn't able to do that. And and I remember sitting in the newsroom and I would always go up there because they stuffed me in the very back, back in the sales department, like as far to the door as you possibly could.

SPEAKER_07 10:59

You had a cubicle.

SPEAKER_06 11:00

Right. I didn't get to be in the newsroom, but I would always go up there. And I remember listening to the scanners. The scanners would be on 24-7. And I'm hearing all of this stuff happening, and I'm like, guys, why aren't you going to this? There's a there's a structure fire, there's an accident. Why aren't you getting live reports from there? And then a light bulb just it it just clicked. And I was like, I want to highlight them. They don't get any attention, Katie. And currently they don't. None. And the only attention that they get is when something horrific happens or or one cop gets does something bad, and then it shows on the whole department and makes the whole department look bad. And so I just jumped right in and I started doing station highlights for the fire department. We started doing write-alongs with the cops. I was helping with recruiting for the sheriff's department and SPD, the fire department. And to see the way these guys and girls lit up for the first time when a new van shows up, they're not like here we go.

SPEAKER_08 12:05

Right.

SPEAKER_06 12:06

They are like excited. Oh, they loved you to death. You can tell. And and I saw this excitement, but we can get into this too a little bit. I mean, it was not easy. I was told I couldn't do that. I was told you have to stop. You have to stop doing the first responder stuff. It's too much. I was called into the office almost after every single segment that I filmed with the fire and cops. And they told me that's not airing. And I said, What are you gonna do about it? I'm the producer and I'm the host. You're not gonna sideline everything I do. I don't want to turn this into bashing of News Channel 20 because I truly did learn so much about the type of journalist, the type of uh not entertainer, but but just the type of person that I wanted to be.

SPEAKER_07 12:50

Well, you gotta be a performer. You you you have to be a performer or else you can't get your message across. But I think that this is good that you're saying this stuff because most people, Benny, when they're getting pulled in the office and they're feeling like a superstar because they're on news channel 20, I would probably be one of these people. Maybe we don't know. But most people would be like, all right, you know, I'll pull back, I'll pull back. But you kept with your heart, and this is one reason why we wanted to have you on here to show how you designed and built, right? Built your life. You went through all these challenges, you didn't fit this, you didn't keep to the status quo. And that's okay, because now look at you. And you stuck up for what you believed in for firefighters in central Illinois.

SPEAKER_02 13:32

And Benny, if I can, I picked up on something a few minutes ago that you were saying about it was filling filling a void that you had. And so it sounds like you did you have this longing and and just you wanted to do more good out there, and that was an avenue you felt that was filling that niche there.

SPEAKER_06 13:52

No, Chris, for sure, because one of the things they always tried to get me to highlight the local Barbie collectors and woo do stories and and no shade to Barbie collectors, but they wanted to be they wanted me to really not actually contribute. And when I started doing the firefighters and the cops, I saw that I was actually making some sort of difference. I could see recruitment numbers going up, I could see the way these people truly felt their message and what they do for a living was getting told. The inside going in the academy and showing what they're teaching these guys. And and I could see fruit coming from it. Whereas a lot of the other things that I did, you know, and I'm so blessed, I got to talk to so many local businesses, Robert Farrell, you know, my business partner, the incredible people here in central Illinois, but there was something with that first responder content that really not only filled something inside of me, but I felt I was being of service. And and I felt I felt it called by God to do that. And it never went away. It still doesn't. I still see a fire truck or a cop going down the road here in DC, and and I wouldn't report on it. And so it holds a really special place in my heart. I feel I was called to to be a voice for them.

SPEAKER_02 15:18

And and that's you said it's a service above self. I mean, that's what we're taught in a good book. I love the story.

unknown 15:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 15:24

So as you and and you know, I do, as a as, and you know, me and you, we love our skincare and our beauty product. No, no, I did enjoy those segments. I gotta throw that in there, okay, that you did. But I know what you mean because when I was fortunate enough to be a part of a local campaign here, it does really get to your heart because you really see the human that is behind the badge or the firefighter outfit, for lack of a better word. It just so I can see why you really enjoyed that. So you're at New Shield 20. You you fought through the first responder.

SPEAKER_06 16:01

Yeah. Let me just, let me just say, I almost got fired probably over 10 times for going and doing these shoots after they told me I was doing too many of them. And I just kept pushing back and and I did not allow at first. At first, I did, and I was like, oh, I don't want to step on any toes. But then it got to a point where I was like, you guys, I'm the only one from Central Illinois here. You guys aren't even from here. You weren't raised here. You know the roads in this town. You have to use a darn GPS. So, no, you're not going to tell me who I can highlight and who I can't. You told me I have full creative control. Well, guess what? Here's the creative.

SPEAKER_07 16:44

And I also, they had to have seen their numbers going up. They had to have. I mean, the way you were posting and and really getting it, there was no way that they did not see their own numbers going up.

SPEAKER_06 16:56

Zero. Katie, they lost probably about five to seven uh sponsorships after I left. I'm not surprised one bit. And they had to get security at their doors after everything happened because people were showing up and and telling them how big of a mistake they made.

SPEAKER_02 17:13

Definitely. But don't you think that when that happened, it was probably the best thing that could happen for you in your career?

SPEAKER_06 17:21

Well, Chris, when all of it was happening, I told this story. I went on Dr. Phil and a couple other shows. I didn't know that. Yeah, oh my gosh, you have to go watch the episode. It was a whole hour episode. Phil, this is big time, girl. Okay. But Chris, when I that day because I I had worked for Turning Point, I had worked for these companies before. I hadn't been in the political world for a very long time. I gave it up because it was so toxic and because the divide and because I could the hatred that it felt, I couldn't talk to someone without them rolling their eyes at me when I'm we're not even talking about politics. And so I made it a point to leave this world behind a long time ago. And so when Charlie died, there's no other way to describe it but the Holy Spirit, whether you're a believer, whether you're not. I had absolutely no idea that I was going to go in the studio and make some sort of tribute. But I started seeing people messaging me on Facebook because I'm very active and I always listen and watch what people. And they're like, why isn't your station saying anything about Charlie Kirk? Why is it your station mentioning this death at all? And it was that Monday, what was it, the September 15th. I went on the show and I was really just struggling a lot. And one of the things I really pride myself on is the authenticity and just not trying to be someone I'm not, not faking a smile. If I have an emotion, I want to show that because I'm human. And so I went on the show. And towards the end of the show, there was two minutes left. It was our outro, which we then tossed to the next show. And so I'm sitting there at my little desk, and I just felt this overwhelming sense of say something, say something, say something.

SPEAKER_04 19:13

Right.

SPEAKER_06 19:14

And I just looked at the camera and I started talking and crying. And it felt like an out-of-body experience. I I didn't want to throw my career away. I had just signed with an agent. I was gonna go the normal route and work my way up the ladder, go to go to Fox or do whatever. And in that moment, I I kind of blacked out. And afterwards, when the show wrapped, I fell to my knees and just started sobbing. And I had never felt so light in my life. I had never felt such liberation because I knew it was coming from something deeper than myself. And so, as hard as that journey was, as hard as it was leaving News Channel 20, because that was my heart. I I wanted to tell the stories of my community. I didn't necessarily maybe want to leave Illinois again. I had left a lot of times. There was nothing in me that was like, I'm gonna go back to DC. Right. And so when that happened, as hard as it was, there was just this sense of I'm going to be okay. Like this all was for something. I don't know what it was for, but I didn't feel sad. I was a little angry. Right. I was a little angry at how things worked out, but there was this light surrounding me. And I can't describe it, but it all went into where I am now and the growth that I have had at 24 years old would not be.

SPEAKER_03 20:42

There it is. That's what I wanted to hear. 24 years old.

SPEAKER_06 20:46

At 24 years old, I would not be where I am if it was not for that experience, for the getting called in the office, for the pushback, for having to learn how to deal with criticism and finding compromise and knowing when to push back and when to stop. The life experiences that I learned at that place will nothing will ever compare to the way WICS is held in my heart because it's why I'm here now.

SPEAKER_02 21:15

Well, it's God's plan, obviously. You know what I mean? And that's why he spoke through you that day to put you where you are to make a difference. And you're obviously making a difference at 24 years of age.

SPEAKER_06 21:26

And you don't have to agree with Charlie politically or exactly or this is not political. I am not saying I'm a Democrat or a Republican. This was somebody that I knew went on there. I didn't say one thing political. I said that if this teaches you anything, speak your mind, speak, use your voice, be loud, and don't be quiet. There was nothing political.

SPEAKER_07 21:52

Benny, it was a very powerful thing. I cried when I watched you. Okay. I thought it was very well done. Never one. Never once have I seen, and I'm not just saying this because I love you, but never once have I seen you be unprofessional. Of course, we want you to be lively, or I don't want to watch, and and I'm glad that you're beautiful. Like that that's part of being an inner too. You're easy to watch, you know? So that really upset me because here's the thing I never even knew of Charlie Kirk until of his death. Okay. So when I go back and I'm just going back at all his things, all I could sit there and think about is his kids, is a dad, man. Like I don't care if he is a rock star up there and and this happens. Like it, he's a dad.

SPEAKER_06 22:38

He's a And Katie, as a woman, that's exactly how I felt too. It wasn't about, you know, we lost this man that changed the world with his views and created a movement, which he did. Yeah. But it was this man was just shot in the neck. And I just had to watch blood of someone that I knew running down his neck and dying for being on a college campus. There, right, right. It was it was so far from political. It was there was nothing. Yeah. It was nothing. It was death. Death is, it doesn't matter if you like the person or not. Death is instant. Death is gone. But I'll never forget getting called into the office after I made the tribute. And they told me you have to remove it. Was that the same day? Uh yeah. So I was actually going to shoot with the firefighters right after the show.

SPEAKER_05 23:30

Right.

SPEAKER_06 23:30

So after I finished the tribute, I sent a message to our YouTube editor and I said, Hey, can you clip that for me and send it to me? He sends it to me right away before I leave the station to go to shoot with the firefighters. My last firefighter shoot, oh, it can make me cry. I posted it real quick because somebody asked. They said, Will you please post? I saw a message come through on my Facebook. Will you post what you just said on air? And never in my mind did I think, oh my gosh, I'm gonna get in trouble for this. And I posted it. I turned my phone on do not disturb because I had a little bit of a feeling because of just how much I got in trouble for everything that I did. Right. So I turned on my phone on Do Not Disturb when I when I went to the firefighter shoot. And I just was present. I was present. And I think in that moment, I kind of knew this might be the end. And I just Katie, it was a I started crying at the firefighter shoot, actually. And the guys were like, Are you okay? I was like, it's fine. But I just sat there with them. And I kind of we did it, it was a lot longer of a shoot than anything before. And I just kind of sat there and we were playing shooting hoops back after outside of the firehouse. And I got in the car to go back to the station and I turned my fire, I turned my phone on, do not disturb. And I got have a text from my boss who says, Are you here? Can I see you? Can you come in my office? It's like this, this might be it. I go in his office and he says, You need to take down. You need to remove that video you posted from your social media. And I was seeing red at this point. I so my one of my camera guys actually gave me a microphone to put in my pocket so that we could record the conversation.

SPEAKER_05 25:10

I have no way.

SPEAKER_06 25:11

Shut up now. Shut up now. Love you more than life. So we have a microphone in my pocket. I go in there, I have it all recorded. And he says, You need to remove that. And I said, But it's my personal social media page. What? It's not the station. It's not the stations. He says, That's our content. It can't be on your page. You need to remove it. And I said, okay, so I said, I post every single one of my segments on my personal page. All your companies that pay, do you want me to remove those as well? I said, every single bit of dollars that you get is on my page. So let me, I'll remove them all. They can all be gone. And he said, I don't know, Benny. I was just told that you have to remove it. And I said, okay, or what? This is where the disrespect a little bit, the sash is. I said, or what? And he said, I don't know. And I said, okay, well, you let me know what they decide. And so this was a Friday. So I leave, I turn my phone off for the weekend because I can feel it brewing. I know it's brewing inside of me. So I go in on Monday morning and I had a great weekend. I go in, I get there at 5 a.m. like I did every single day and work my 12-hour days, have my full glam on, and I get a text from my boss. And he says, Hey, will you come in my office? And I was like, Okay. I go in. I go in there. This was a daily occurrence. I go in there and he says, Uh, you're not having a show today, and you don't have a show until I'm told you do. I said, Why? He said, I don't know.

SPEAKER_07 26:44

And I said, This is shocking to me. I don't know.

SPEAKER_06 26:47

I said, Okay. Uh he goes, you can go ahead and do your couple interviews that you had scheduled, which was Robert. He was my one of my last interviews, Chris.

SPEAKER_05 26:56

Right, right.

SPEAKER_06 26:57

And I go in there, and then after I finish my interviews, he's like, you can go home. And I said, Okay. I said, well, why? And we're sitting in his office at this point. After my interviews, I go back in there and um he said, There's something I need to tell you. And I said, What is it? He goes, My last day is next Friday. And I was, he, he, as as harsh as he was on me, it was because of management coming down on him. And he just kind of, I felt so bad. I mean, him and I still talk actually. And this was none of this, none of this was him. It was all higher management.

SPEAKER_05 27:32

Everyone has lost.

SPEAKER_06 27:34

He said, I have to tell you, I have to tell you, Benny, my last day is next Friday. And I just started crying. I'm like, what do you mean? Like, I what do you mean? And I said, Well, I'm suspended from my show until further notice. You're leaving. I said, I'm done. I said, I'm done. And he said, Are you sure about this? And I said, Yeah, I am. He said, Okay, send me your send me your resignation letter. So I was suspended, sent in my resignation letter. So then after the show, this is where I went home. He said, You can go ahead and go home. Like there's nothing to do for the rest of the day. I go home and I get a call from him and he said, Your key card, are you guys ready for this? This this isn't a span of like two to three hours. You can't tell me they didn't want me gone a long time ago. He calls me and he says, because I put in my two weeks. I didn't like, not like immediately. Right. So he calls me and he goes, There's no need to finish your two weeks. Your key card has been uh deactivated. Be here at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning to clear your office, and you're gonna need to wait for me to get here so that I can let you in. And I was like, Wow. Dude, that's rude. But you know, I'm glad you're saying this because you know I'm not told this is my first time speaking about really all of this. I have not been into any of it. It kind of feels very liberating because I've been holding this inside for so long.

SPEAKER_05 29:03

Love it out, buddy.

SPEAKER_06 29:04

Yeah, I'm glad. And so actually, Katie, the amazing jammer, best human on this planet, he actually let me in even earlier than 7 a.m. because I didn't want to be there with it. I didn't want anyone, I had so much stuff to move out. I had a whole dressing room, I had my desk. Right. So I load everything up and I go home. And um, yeah, it was done the next day. The next day.

SPEAKER_03 29:32

Did he call you later that day and say, where were you?

SPEAKER_06 29:34

or Well, I think Jammer got in a little bit of trouble for letting me in actually. But I just told him, I said, no need, I'm already done, everything's cleared out. And he's like, Who let you in? And I was like, Chris, it's not that deep. I'm gone. I'm gone. Yeah, you got your phone, you got your computer, you got all your stuff. Yeah, so that was the end. And then I made a post on Facebook because I was like, goodness, I was like, I have shoots this week. I have the companies that have literally booked specifically for my lifestyle show because they want me to interview them. And I made a post, and that's when somebody reached out to me from DC and they said, Have you is this real? Because I said, you know, due to values not aligning. And they said, Is this real? And I was like, Yeah. And they were like, You need to get this on social media now. And so I made a tweet about it, and the rest is history.

SPEAKER_03 30:27

I know Robert did some recordings for you, I think at our downtown studio.

SPEAKER_06 30:31

He is, Chris, when I tell you the soul of that man.

SPEAKER_02 30:37

Yep.

unknown 30:37

Ugh.

SPEAKER_02 30:38

That's why a business partner.

SPEAKER_06 30:39

I mean, Chris, I don't even have the words to describe to you what he means to me and his family, and the way he stood behind me, stopped recording everything with them, and welcomed me into a place of his because I was in need. I I'd never met anyone like him, and I don't think I ever will again.

SPEAKER_02 31:00

He was he was ready to go to battle for you. He and I talked. He was ready to go take up arms for you.

SPEAKER_07 31:07

So was this with Robert right after right after that happened? And that that's what I'm saying. To meet someone like that when you're at you're so confused, maybe you're you're feeling did I do it right? Did I do it wrong? You know, to have someone like that behind your back says all my gosh.

SPEAKER_06 31:23

And he made me confident in myself because he he kept repeating, and maybe this is the 10x in him, and and the all the growth that he does, but he made me realize and believe it was all gonna be okay.

SPEAKER_05 31:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 31:39

And all I had to do was text him. I'm still to this day. All I have to do is text him.

SPEAKER_05 31:44

Yep.

SPEAKER_06 31:45

And I actually have some things next time I'm home, I need to give to him. I have some souvenirs from Air Force One and stuff. But I just, yeah, he's amazing. He's truly amazing. And he he let me use his studio for everything I needed for all my hits that I was doing. I was supposed to go on Jesse Waters, but um Sinclair or whoever owned in my station ended up calling Fox and getting the interview canceled.

SPEAKER_07 32:06

And so okay, can we tell that story? Because I actually never knew what actually happened. Because remember, you're like, yes, I'm gonna be on Fox tonight. Like, we're so excited. I'm like texting everybody. I'm like, dude, Benny's gonna be on Fox, like after all this. And then something happened. So tell tell us about what happened there.

SPEAKER_06 32:24

So I don't really know what went down between the corporates, but I was at Robert's studio, the van, our mobile studio that Fox had sent from St. Louis was sitting outside of the studio. Um, the makeup artist that Fox had sent was doing my glam, was getting me ready. And all of a sudden the van leaves. And I'm like, wait a minute. I'm like, wait, what? What's what's going on?

SPEAKER_03 32:51

That was at our downtown studio?

SPEAKER_06 32:53

Yeah, right outside of the studio.

SPEAKER_03 32:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 32:55

And so I call the van driver and I was like, hey, where where'd you go? And he goes, Oh, the interview's been canceled. I'm heading back to our headquarters. And then I get on social media and it was such a whirlwind. UICS, they had released something that said everything that I was saying was a lie, that I'm lying, that I was a salesperson, I wasn't even on TV, and all this stuff. I remember people coming after them and being like, Are you guys dumb? Like, look, her videos are she was on TV. You're trying to say she was a salesperson. That's what you're that's your defense.

SPEAKER_05 33:32

Wow, wow.

SPEAKER_06 33:33

And so from what I know at this point is that RenCon Broadcasting, who had bought our station, they called Fox headquarters or corporate and basically said she's lying and and just completely blacklisted me.

SPEAKER_05 33:51

Wow. Dude. Wow.

SPEAKER_07 33:53

Well, I'm glad you cleared that up. So, but at this point now, how did you end up? Because we know, and guys, she had talked about before how she had been a part of Turning Point. That was basically, what were you 18? Yeah, I was young.

SPEAKER_06 34:07

I was really young.

SPEAKER_07 34:08

So that was before she came back to for 99.

SPEAKER_06 34:14

That was before I moved to Nashville, before I moved to Illinois. This was when I was still out in Arizona, and that's how I got involved with them because that's where they're based.

SPEAKER_07 34:24

Right. Right. So so then you you probably had contacts, obviously, still and friends. And then, so is that how you got into this now?

SPEAKER_06 34:32

Like this is Well, this is a fun, this is this is the fun part. And I think I've healed from all of the things that it took me a long time to realize all happened for my benefit. But this is where God really started to work. And and it's it's really unbelievable, actually. So one of my friends, uh, he is he works at the Pentagon. I used to work with him when I was in a congressional office interding. He was the communications director. He's actually the one that reached out to me. He's the press secretary, the deputy press secretary for the Pentagon. And he reached out to me and he said, You need to get this on social media. He's the person. And he stuck with me from when I was 18 years old working in a congressional office to we're still very close to this day. And so he did that. He was like, You need to get this out, ASAP. This is going to be big. And I was like, Right, right, right. What? I was like, what do you mean? And all of a sudden, all my old people that I used to know, everyone from which I thought was kind of like my old life, these people have forgotten about me. They all came and just marched next to me, side by side. I start getting calls from Newsmax. I'm getting calls from OAN. I'm getting calls from, and I'm at this point, I'm still getting this is a couple kind of a couple days after. The way it took off, it was very overwhelming. All I did was just cry and praise God. I'd never had that much attention. And to be quite honest, I didn't really know what to do with it. All I knew is I don't know what happened. Like I blacked out. Like I all I can say is the Holy Spirit. I don't even know what's happening. And so all these companies are reaching out to me. I'm getting job offers. And oh, do you want to come work for the Tennessee Secretary of State? Do you want to come work for this candidate in Texas or the GO here? I mean, I am at this point, like I just turn everything off. And I stayed pretty quiet for a couple weeks there.

SPEAKER_02 36:32

Did you go hang with your chickens?

SPEAKER_06 36:34

Yeah. I was gonna say and your dog. Yes. My mama went to church. And I'll never forget that Sunday after everything happened. I went to church and my parents were sitting at West Side. My parents were sitting way in the front, and I got there a little bit late, so I couldn't, I couldn't see them. So I find this seat in the very, very back. And I'm honestly during the sermon, I'm just crying. I had my I have my journal open and I'm so overwhelmed by everything. I just am crying. And the couple next to me, they look over and they're like, You're you're Benny. You're Benny Harmony. And I just start sobbing. And this wife and husband and older couple, I wish I knew their names. They wrapped me up. They didn't say a word. They not one word. They said, You're Benny Harmony. And I start crying and they hug me and they just said, It's all gonna be okay. We're so proud of you. And I yeah, I'm just I'm sobbing at this point. But to get back on track, there was just a lot of very God moments that week and week after that happened that nothing can describe it besides for God was literally with me that entire time and was walking next to me. And so back in actually 2023, somebody had referred me to Real America's Voice. Okay. I had already moved home at this point, Katie. This was after I was at the radio station, and it was between Real America's Voice and News Channel 20. I had an offer from RAV to go down to West Palm and work in the West Palm studio, and I had an offer from WICS for lifestyle. And I chose WICS because I didn't want to do politics. I wanted my community. That's interesting. I'm glad you you said that. It's crazy. It's crazy how everything kind of comes back around. So the week after everything happens at WICS, I get a call from a number. And he's like, hey Benny, this is Mark Serrano with Real America's Voice. And I we just we start talking, and the only thing we're talking about is God. There's no mention of the job, there's no mention of absolutely anything but God and Christianity, the movement, Holy Spirit, not even politics, really, just like serving. And I didn't even have to think about it. I got on the call with the dad and son that own the company, Real America's Voice. And I just said, I'll take it. I said, I want to work with you guys. I want to be with you guys because Charlie's show was on Real America's Voice. It was so perfect that I it there was no way of turning and and not knowing it it was it wasn't God. And so I accepted the job. And my mom was like, Benny, do you think you could like maybe should have like, can we wait a little bit? Like this is all happening really fast. I said, I said, my starting date is October 6th in DC. It's like September 20 something. It was like she probably and I go out and I'm staring, I'm staring at my chickens in the yard, and I'm on the phone with the owner. And I said, I know I need to be with you guys. And I started, moved up here October 6th, started as a congressional correspondent. It was a very hard transition from knowing you're gonna be on TV every day anchoring to this more like you, you're kind of independent and you you're a number. You're you you there's not somebody, and here's the thing I was so beat down constantly and micromanaged that when I started here, I almost didn't know what to do with myself because I was so used to people being hounding me, do this, do this, you can't do this. And these people were giving me so much like control. Yeah, so so then you're like, I'm freaking out, Katie. I'm like, guys, am I doing a bad job? I'm like, I'm awful. And now I realize like that was that kind of PTSD from being in such a toxic work environment. And now my boss is to send me scripture daily. They call me after every hit that I do and tell me how great of a job I did. Uh, they encourage me, they push me, they advocate for me. They want to see me win, not a career, not as a professional. They want to see Benny win.

SPEAKER_07 40:56

They want to see my that is very refreshing to hear. And I want you to know like, I have watched even your personal growth from when you started Real America's Voice to where you are now. I want to talk about that timeline. I mean, you were starting off on Air Force One. You didn't start off being Caroline Leavitt's favorite reporter. We can see it. We can see it, Danny. And we love her. I mean, I I love her.

SPEAKER_06 41:21

Yeah, let's let's talk about that. So when I first started, I had no idea how this uh media industry complex worked in DC. All I knew was I didn't want to take a strong stance on one side or the other. And this is where WICS really did teach me something. As much as I hated it in the moment and got me in trouble for reposting videos on TikTok of Donald Trump or something, they taught me to be not biased. They taught me to stay as much in the middle as you possibly can. And so when I started, I really, really was trying to find my voice because I'd lost it for so long and I didn't know what I believed in. I I hadn't been in the political world in years. And now I'm thrown back in and now, okay, report on the peace deal between Israel and Gaza. And I'm like, what is Gaza? This is why I was, you know, and I'm terrified because I'm like, what if I say the wrong thing? Right. That's scary. It's terrifying because when I lived here before, I made a lot of mistakes. I got really in the the MAGA, not cult. They're not a cult, but I just movement, the movement, the the group. I followed them so intensely, and I would repost everything, and I shared hateful messaging, and I I didn't know what I was talking about. I was 19, but I did it anyway. And so coming back this second time, I was like, I'm gonna do this different. I really want to learn about these things before I talk on them because I don't have a college degree. I went to Arizona State and then I went to UIS for a little bit, and I've never had a college degree. Every job that I've had knows I didn't have a college degree, and I'm around these people that have gone to Yale, Georgetown, Harvard. These journalists, technically on paper, are the best in the world. They might be biased, but they're Pulitzer winners. They are the best in the world. And I look at myself in the mirror and I'm like, I'm a girl from a small town. What I do for fun is play with my chickens and sit on my back porch. And now I'm around people that have every single accomplishment you could think of. They've interviewed world leaders. The president knows their name. I'm what do I do? I'm so overwhelmed. And so our White House correspondent at the time was Brian Glenn. And he had been on the campaign trail for about 10 years at this point. So Trump knew who he was, and he just he was a very active voice in the White House, and he really took me under his wing. He introduced me to every single person that came in our path. He introduced me to the Girls at the White House. He introduced me just to anyone that he was talking to. And if I walked up, he would introduce me to them. Very at this point, I was a congressional correspondent, but it was pretty clear early on they wanted to really get me to the White House. And so I just I put in the work, I put in the time. I sat there even when I was terrified. Katie, I came out of the Oval Office, my first time in the Oval Office, sobbing. I was sobbing. I go to this Pulitzer winner. His name's Doug Mills. He works for New York Times. He's like, he took the fight, fight, fight picture of Trump and he won the Pulitzer for it. Incredible man, incredible photographer, but even a more incredible man. And I just go to his desk and I just start crying. And he's like, wait. He's like, hold on, hold on. He's like, what, what's wrong? And I said, I can't get my hand up. I cannot get my hand up in the air. And I'm just sobbing. And he goes, hold on, sit down. He goes, I'm gonna sit down. I would be terrified. He goes, I'm gonna tell you what I would tell my daughters that are your age. They are your age, Benny. And he just basically told me, like, do you know how long these people have been doing what they're doing? These journalists that yell the questions, do you know how long and how old they are? He said, give yourself grace. He said, You have been here for four months and you're already in the Oval Office. He said, Do you know how you go? Do you know how long it takes people to get to that point? I said, I see Marco Rubio sitting there and Pete Hegseck and Donald Trump and the leader of a different country. And Trump is looking right at me in this moment, and all I have to do is put my hand in the air. It won't. It won't go up. And it was a lot of hard moments like that. And then uh Doug, he he goes, Benny, I want you to go sit down with Caroline. Love it. He goes, I'm gonna send you her number. I want you to go sit down with her. And so I text her. She's like, come into the West Wing, come to my office. So I go sit there with her. And we're sitting in front of her fireplace at her desk. And she had just announced, I think she was pregnant.

SPEAKER_07 46:08

And oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 46:10

I just told her, I said, Caroline, I said, even when we're with you at the gaggle, there's this place outside the White House called the Sticks, and it's where people, like secretaries and stuff, will be doing media hits on Pebble Beach where all the tents are. Then they walk over to this little gaggle area where they talk. And I said, Caroline, I said, I can't even yell at you. I can't yell a question. I cannot get my hand up. I why am I so like I don't want to be disrespectful? Like screaming at someone, that's just not me. I will not fight for someone's attention. Right, right, yeah, because you have to be like Caroline, Caroline, like, yeah. Yes, over and over and over. And she said, she looked to me, she goes, You have to, Benny. She said, You have to do it. She said, It's the only way. And so the next white house. When she looked at me and she said, You just have to. Yeah. And I just was like, okay. So the next uh press briefing, I'm over in the corner. She tells me, Caroline had told me in that little meeting that we had, she goes, Wear a wear bright colors during the briefing so that I can see you.

SPEAKER_05 47:22

Yep.

SPEAKER_06 47:23

Oh, that's helpful. Very helpful. So I wear a bright pink suit. Okay. I'm in a bright pink suit. And when I tell you, I am terrified, but I am determined. I am determined. I'm over in the corner because we don't have a seat. Uh, like a lot of the mainstream has seats, we don't have seats. So I'm standing over in the corner and she just happens to glance over and she sees me. And I think she forgets my name at this point. We've only met once. She goes, Rap. And the whole room looked at me. I'm so scared. And I look at Caroline and I'm not, I'm not, I'm like, is this is this she actually call on me? And the first thing I think of is JB Princer and Darren Bailey. So I just I I start asking about Illinois because that's that's all.

SPEAKER_07 48:11

But hey, you know what? I think that's good because you know. I'm glad you did that.

SPEAKER_06 48:17

And he's mainstream. I said, I heard that there's a bill in the Illinois legislator that is giving tuition, free tuition to illegal immigrants while kids can't get financial aid and citizens of the state of Illinois can't. Like, what's the president's response to that? Actually, she goes, I haven't heard about that. I'll look into it and I'll get an answer back to you on it because that's unacceptable. And so that was my first one.

SPEAKER_02 48:42

And you didn't have to raise your hand either, did you?

SPEAKER_06 48:44

No, no, not really. No, all you need was the bright pink suit. I was kind of like this, yeah, and I had the bright pink suit on. And uh it kind of just that gave me the courage. And every time though, guys, Chris and Katie, when I tell you this just happened to me when I was standing literally two feet from Trump on the South Lawn for the construction of the ballroom.

SPEAKER_05 49:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 49:08

It doesn't matter how many times you do it. It doesn't matter if he knows your name. It doesn't matter. You can hear your heartbeat in your ears. You know those moments where your body is heating up from the inside. You can hear your heartbeat in your ears, you can feel it in your arms, you can feel it in every ounce of your body. That adrenaline that that push, knowing like you are uncomfortable. You don't know what he's going to say back. You don't know what Twitter is gonna clip and post. You could get roasted. I've been roasted for literally asking a question that I literally thought was good. Well, that's so sad. I'm gonna and so I I had to stop reading comments a long time ago. But you have to that moment, I my mom looked at me the other day and she said, Benny, she goes, I don't think anything will ever be. I was I was beating myself up and like, oh, I hated the question I asked. He he wasn't in a good mood and he looked mad at me and blah blah blah. And she goes, Benny, she goes, think about this. She's like, you've asked the president of the United States, the most powerful man in the world, you've talked to him, you have had to ask him a question. She goes, Do you think anything will be scary ever again?

SPEAKER_02 50:25

Right.

SPEAKER_06 50:26

I was like, damn. Mama always knows, man. I was like, Yeah, you're right. And um, so it's just pretty surreal, and it's still surreal every single time that I get to do it. But I really don't take it lightly. And that's a big thing I've really been trying to understand is is like when I'm in front of him, I don't, I don't think, oh, I'm I'm so cool because I get to be here. I am so grounded in the fact that I I don't know that I should be here. I've been given this opportunity for some reason. And so I just I don't take any of it lightly. I I thank everyone. When the press girls reach out to me and say, hey, do you want to come on the trip this weekend? I'm just like, thank you so much. Like, thank you for this opportunity because I don't take it lightly. I don't think that I expect I'm expected to be there and that I should be there. I'm blessed to get to be there. I've been given this opportunity, whether, you know, it's my hard work, it's my determination, it's my not giving up when all I wanted to do was sit and give up and cry and lock myself in my room or not get up. And as lonely as it is here in DC, I mean, it's awful. It's it's truly awful. I I cry myself to sleep a lot because I know that I'm doing what God wants me to do, but also I feel like I'm missing out on so much. And so I actually am splitting my time now between Illinois and DC. My home base is Illinois now, and I go back and forth. So I'm coming back home on Friday, but well, dang it, we gotta see ya.

SPEAKER_07 51:54

But I want to say something real quick that I noticed about you way back when, and you're sitting here saying, I don't know why I'm here, I don't know why I'm here. Vinny, I know why you're there. And I know you are the most determined girl, woman I have ever met. And I I've met a lot of people too. But I'm just saying, at your age, even back then, she'd sit there for just our little three-minute breaks, one minute breaks. She had it organized. She had her notes down. You think I ever did that?

SPEAKER_02 52:20

No.

SPEAKER_07 52:21

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. So she that I mean that's moral. Wait, it really is. And she was always like, I remember showing up late to the celebrity bartender. She's texting me. Yeah, where are you at? Where are you at? She's like, come on, get in here. We gotta go. Like, we, you know, so that is why you are so determined, you're so motivated, you have a heart of gold, you're not judgmental. So that is why you're there. I'm serious, and all while, and I hope you don't mind me bringing this up, your mother was really battling your closest person in your entire life, your world, your your literal twin going through this health scare. And still you persevered, and so did she. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_06 53:04

And I think I've always felt this calling that I was put on this earth to do something great. And I've I've never really understood what it was, and I'm only 24, a lot of life left to live. Hopefully, praise God, I get to live it. But I I just always felt this thing inside of me that I was born to be a voice for people. And I think that's why I was drawn to radio, that's why I was drawn to TV, that's why I'm now drawn to doing what I'm doing. I know that I was given this strong, sturdy, powerful voice that I'm not afraid of confrontation. I'm not afraid to actually, before I go on this spiel, I literally yelled in the Oval Office a couple weeks ago, no, to the president. He was asking one of his advisors, do antidepressants work? Because women, the statistics were huge that women are very much on antidepressants. And he asked his advisor, do they work? I'm in the press pool, guys. I say no. Joe Rogan is behind him. The whole room, the whole room turns and President Trump goes like this. Like, continue. I said, Well, no, I said, Mr. President, I said, I'm on a few of them and they don't work. The whole room starts laughing. Then the president turns to a doctor that's behind him and says, Why don't they work? Give me the statistics right now. And she goes, Well, they only our statistics for it is it only works, they only work 15 to 20 percent of the time. He goes, That's not good. No, I'm on them. I'm sorry. Katie, and I just something came over me to speak, and I spoke to power as a 24-year-old. And the president looks at me, he goes, I would have never known that you were on. I said, that's the whole point. So anyway, back to the but that is the whole point.

SPEAKER_07 54:57

But this is what I'm trying to say is that you now are giving a voice for some for the biggest issues on the planet. And even something that might be so small in the Oval Office isn't, and that's women's health. So good job, sis. Way to go.

SPEAKER_06 55:13

Yeah. So I just I I want to use this voice that God gave me and that I was I was blessed with, and the mind that I have that dissects everything and drives my own self crazy, which I know you kind of get that, Katie. Just when you're when your mind you overthink and you're you're just going a million miles.

SPEAKER_07 55:34

You just go in the mirror. I said, You go to work, you're nice to your kids, and you sleep. You exercise.

SPEAKER_06 55:40

It's easy. It's easy, but it's not. No, but it's not. And so I I just I like to believe that I was given this madness in my brain and this passion for speaking and this talent that I sometimes forget that I have. And when I'm doubting myself, I mean, and I can be the most insecure person in the room, and you'd never know, but I'm just tearing myself apart. And so I just I feel I was given a voice for a reason, but mainly I want to be a voice for my central Illinois community. That's all I want. And and when when I tell people that, like they're like, but you have all the like you could be in the Hamptons, you could be doing this and doing that. I'm like, I just want my home.

SPEAKER_07 56:23

I just want my home. And you've always been a family girl and and home hometown girl, and I love it. And so for people, our listeners, and everybody on here today, you know, obviously I follow you.

SPEAKER_03 56:34

I follow her.

SPEAKER_07 56:34

Are you on Instagram? Everything every single thing.

SPEAKER_06 56:38

I'm on Facebook, TikTok, which my TikTok I like to post. I've used to do a lot of lip syncing, you know, like, you know, Gen Z things on there. So I'm gonna done. I'm trying to remove some of that, you know, but no, I'm kidding. But I post a lot of my vlogs and stuff on TikTok, like day in the life, traveling with the president. My Instagram is my favorite place. It's where I have pictures, my goofy witty stuff, just you get a little bit of everything. I kind of steer clear of X. I get on there to see what's going on in the world. Right, right. It's very toxic. And so, but yeah, I'm all over the place. I actually am about to post a whole video of my last trip with the president flying on the Osprey helicopter on Air Force One and stuff.

SPEAKER_07 57:19

So I That's some of my favorite stuff to see of yours, I have to tell you.

SPEAKER_06 57:23

It's where my creativity comes out, but also I want to show people this honor that I get to do that people don't get to do in their life, and I'm getting to do it. I want them to feel like they're there with me, you know? I do. You're doing a good job.

SPEAKER_07 57:38

I swear to God, I do. Me and my aunt were like, oh, do you see what Benny's there she's at today? So I think you're doing a great job. And I see your little reels that you'll do like after you get an answer from Caroline or the president that you'll kind of do a little recap. And I love how you're doing the walking and talking because that is some hard shit, man. It's some hard shit to do. And and she's out there doing it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 58:00

Sometimes wait a minute. She has those comfy shoes she throws on every once in a while.

SPEAKER_07 58:03

Oh, yeah. Yeah, I've seen that before.

SPEAKER_06 58:04

Oh my gosh, you guys are so cute. You guys notice. It's hard. It can be very hard. And I'm gonna, uh Katie, I'll send you some bloopers. You need to do like a blooper reel. Because you're so cute. Your nervous system, you just asked the president seven questions, and now you gotta go remember what you asked and deliver it. But I I think that's also a good way, like, because I don't just want to post videos of him. I want people to feel the person asking the question too and heart behind the question. And so I'm glad you guys like those. I'll definitely I like those better. I'm telling you.

SPEAKER_07 58:39

I like all your stuff, but I like to see where you're at and what you're doing. And one thing I really like that you're doing, I know you've already said this, is that anytime before you go with the president, you are putting out a post. I'm getting ready to go with the president. What would you guys like to ask? Okay. You're still sharing stuff from shentral Illinois, tagging all this stuff. So if you guys don't know how to spell her name, I'll go and tell you. But obviously, you're living in a hole. It's B-E-N-I, and that's harmony, like you live life in harmony.

SPEAKER_05 59:10

That's right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 59:11

So it's easy to find. But Benny, I just love you and I want to like see you in person sometime now that you're gonna be back in Illinois. So we can get together.

SPEAKER_06 59:23

Well, I'll I fly back on Friday and then I'll be there until they need me wherever. So I'm like, my home base is now Central Illinois again, and I am just we have our garden. I I planted all my seeds. I'm so excited to get back and tend to my little garden and and just watch Keda and Caden's running in state this weekend. Nice. He holds the school record, and so I've realized I'm not willing to miss the moments. As amazing as this is, my first and and biggest priority is my family and and being in touch with the woman that God created and becoming the woman that, you know, I want to have a family, I want to get married, and I know I want all those things. And so I'm just really trying to stay in touch and grounded with with who the girl is inside of me, aside from the beautiful craziness that I get to do here in DC. So I love you guys so much. And Chris, I know Katie kind of took over. She didn't really let you ask.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:19

No, you're fine. We that's kind of what we set up.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:21

I've said this before.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:22

But uh, but I've got a little bit that I just want to collate. And if this helps you any, I've had that same poll my whole life. Like, I'm here for a bigger purpose. What is that purpose? And about 10 years ago, I was I've been real big involved with the scouting program of the United States, right? Boy Scouts of America, scout leader, and then moved up to the highest adult leader training you can take. And when I was honored to be my own course director, we had to come up with our own theme. And so I I dwelled on that for so many years because I knew I was gonna be a course director, and I kind of culminated all together of three little letters C, P, R, and not what you think it is, right? But it's commitment, passion, and relationships. And I have I have seen that throughout this whole interview with you is that you've been committed to everything you do, and when we say committed, you're 100% in, all in, right? And you're passionate about what you're doing, and your relationships that you create and get and maintain. And I can count on one hand how many bridges I've burned with relationships that I felt that I did not need anymore because they're so key. And that's actually the book I'm writing, is literally titled CPR, performing CPR on your life, checking your commitment, passion, relationships. And I see that in you, and I applaud you for that because you're 24, and don't worry about the pedigree of everyone in the room you're with because you have CPR, and that has gotten you where you're at. And something I came up with on the show, one of our podcasts, is that haters be hating. That's why you're gonna leave them in the shadows of your success.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:58

And you do it, dude. And yeah, I've always said one of my biggest things, and I went on Robert's podcast uh last year, and I said to him if you want to do something in your life, once you find passion, the money follows. Once you mend those relationships and build them up, that's where you develop meaningful connections. And I'm not a big the network, network, network and do your networking, but I believe in in connecting with people on a deeper level because once you understand somebody and they can understand you, the vulnerability that comes with that, but my big thing is once you find your passion, money will follow. I don't definitely, and yes, I've been very blessed with growing up and my parents doing well, but I'll take a job, even I was making $30,000 at WICS for the job. Right. I know and and so what but I just I I do things, I stay with it, I commit to it because I know that if it is meant for me, every harvest and and bounty and fruit that God has will follow. But she needs to know that you are committed to it. And so, Chris, I love that that CPR. That is that's truly amazing. Yeah, very good.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:15

Well, Benny, I appreciate it. And we both appreciate the time you've committed because you're in DC and just devoting this much time for us so that we can help share your message of how you're designing and building your life and designing and building, helping us in Mid Illinois and across the United States and beyond. Right. But thank you for being here today. What an incredible conversation we had, right? Your story is such a powerful reminder that big journeys rarely start with big stages. They start with small steps, consistent effort, courage, and willingness to keep showing up when nobody sees the work behind the scenes. From Central Illinois to Springfield Television to Washington, D.C., and now having seat in rooms where history is being written in real time, you know, about antidepressants. That's an extraordinary journey. But what stands out even more than the titles is the person behind them, your discipline, your faith, your resilience, the willingness to keep growing, keep learning, and keep leaning into opportunity. And that's what those relationships. And I think that the message all of us can take away today from you is you don't have to have your entire path figured out. You just have to be willing to take that next step and then the next one after that, and so on. So to everyone listening, whether you're building a business, chasing a dream, making a career pivot, or simply trying to find clarity in your next season, let this conversation be a reminder that where you start does not define where you can go. Big things can come from humble beginnings and humble continuings as well. Benny, thank you again for sharing your story, your perspective, your heart with us, and to all of our listeners, thank you for spending time with us today. If this conversation inspired you, challenged you, or gave you something valuable to think about, make sure to share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. They may find a nugget out of this that changes their life moving forward, right? So until next time, keep building, keep growing, and keep believing that your best chapters may still be ahead of you. We'll catch you on the next episode. Benny, thank you.

unknown 1:05:24

Bye.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:25

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SPEAKER_01 1:07:13

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