John Benz is proof that you are never too old to find your way back
home. At the age of 64, Benz launched a second career as the Major
Gifts Officer for Gilda’s Club in Grand Rapids after
spending more than three decades on the road as a furniture salesman.
Benz talks with Deb Moore about leaving his comfort zone, reconnecting
with the community, and his need to believe in what he is selling.
Tell me about your career as a salesman, John.
I
was an independent sales representative for various lines of
residential furniture, traveling weekly through my territory that
extended as far west as Rockford, Illinois and east to Toronto, Canada.
It included Michigan, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Rochester. I figure I
spent about a year-and-a-half of my life in Highpoint, North Carolina,
alone, traveling there twice a year for the furniture market.
As
a sales rep, I worked on commission and paid my own expenses – food,
hotel rooms, automobile, gasoline. At the end of the year I got a 1099,
not a W2. I had no health insurance or retirement package through the
position. Still, financially it was lucrative for most of those years.
I loved it, especially the rapport with my customers.
Then last summer my main company for the past 22 years, Norwalk
Furniture, got into some financial difficulty and there was talk they
might be bought out. As a commissioned representative I wasn’t sure if
I would get paid, so I backed off a bit. I stayed home in August, then
traveled to Toronto for three days to visit one of my retailers. When
I came back home I said to my wife, “I don’t want to do this anymore.”
I had a little taste of not traveling and I liked it.
You were 64 years old. Why not retire?
I
didn’t want to retire. There’s only so many sudoku and crossword
puzzles and golf rounds you can play. I wanted meaning in my everyday
life. I started thinking, “What else can I do?”
My wife Micki, a vice president at St. Mary’s Health Care,
suggested that a non-profit organization would be a good, rewarding fit
for me. I invited my friend John Jackoboice to breakfast for his input
and he suggested I apply at Gilda’s Club. Unbeknownst to me at the
time, John is the Board Chair and he knew they had an opening to fill
for the Major Gifts Officer. I went through a series of four interviews
to reassure Gilda’s Club staff that I had the skills for the job and
would fit in with the culture.
What is the culture of Gilda’s Club?
Gilda’s
Club is a place where patients and their families come for
informational programs, activities, meals, camaraderie and support
during their cancer journey. Our clubhouse at 1806 Bridge St. NW opened
eight years ago. We have a large dining area, kitchen, many meeting
rooms, an exercise room and a library. Members come to be with other
people or to just be alone and relax. They might enjoy a family dinner
served before an evening program where they learn about treatment
options or how to discuss their diagnosis with their family. They are
accepted for who they are, despite their hair loss or lack of energy.
Spouses and children of cancer patients are also given support. We are
the opposite of the institutional environment where they see doctors
and have medical treatments. About 500 people a week come through our
red door. Over 1000 volunteers help us out, 350 who assist on a regular
basis. Gilda’s Club is for men, women and children alike and all our
services are free.
Our
president and CEO, Leann Arkema, has been with us since our founding
over ten years ago. She sets a culture of caring and giving and the
positive tone that makes us the busiest and largest clubhouse in the
network.
What skills do you have, John, that made Gilda’s Club
believe you could transition from a sales rep to a fund raiser for
their program?
My previous career was
relationship-driven and I believed in my product. I’m a big believer in
Gilda’s Club’s mission and procuring donations and major gifts also
relies heavily on relationships. If I can get someone’s ear and educate
them to what we do, they’re going to want to participate in some way.
I
had a little unease initially, because I was used to selling tangible
products. I knew about the fabric, the style, the construction of the
furniture I was selling. I’m still selling what I know, but now I’m
selling an emotion, a feeling, a way of life. It’s more difficult in
some ways. I was a bit nervous about that at first, but every now and
then you have to test yourself.
Even though my career had been largely solitary, there was no doubt
in my mind that I’d be able to fit into a team atmosphere such as the
one at Gilda’s Club. I played athletics in high school, was involved
with a fraternity in college, and was a Marine – that’s all teamwork.
What adjustments did you have to make as a result of your career change?
Truthfully,
not too many. My health insurance has been covered for years through my
wife’s employment, and that remains today. As an independent rep, I
always planned for my own financial future.
Being home every night was an adjustment at first. I was used to
motel life, flipping on the television after dinner for the night. I
don’t miss that at all.
Another thing I don’t miss is the driving. As a sales rep, my home
office was 256 miles away from my home in Grand Rapids. Now it’s
six-and-a-half miles to work everyday. Last Sunday I set my odometer to
see how many miles I would travel this week. By Thursday I had put 85
miles on the car. Before, I typically drove 800-1000 miles per week.
Another easy adjustment has been my connectivity to the community.
Before, I was out of town more than half the week and big events often
happened while I was gone. My wife Micki would go alone and people
wondered how our marriage was doing.
I didn’t feel completely a part of the Grand Rapids community
because I wasn’t here so much of the time, despite wonderful friends
who always included us in various activities. Now I feel a part of the
community. I’m getting a foothold with people I’ve known for years,
because I can establish a better relationship with them. I can call
someone and schedule lunch for two weeks from Wednesday and know I’ll
be here. Working at Gilda’s Club has given me a way back to the
community.
What advice do you have for people looking to make career changes, John?
Don’t
be afraid. You just have to jump into the pool. Even though I will be
65 years old in November, I have skills to contribute to the community.
I can help improve the quality of other people’s lives here at Gilda’s
Club by raising money for our continued operation.
Get out of your comfort zone and discover new parts of the wide
world. Try something different. We all have gifts, and some of yours
may be hidden in your current job or career and might be revealed in a
different environment. The learning I’ve done has been phenomenal. If
you give it a chance, you never know what path your life will take.
My life as an independent rep was a solo one. It was eye-opening for
me to become part of a warm and comforting team. One of the nice things
about making a change is that you look at the world differently.
The changes I’ve made in the past six months have all been positive.
I’ve realized there are people fighting to stay alive, people grieving
over the loss of a spouse or child; it makes your “bad day”
insignificant and puts it into perspective. I feel I was meant to be
here at Gilda’s Club.
Deb Moore, a Grand Rapids resident, is a freelance writer, personal
historian and contributor to Rapid Growth. She mostly recently has
written for Rapid Growth about
Kayem Dunn.
Photos:
John Benz photographed at Gilda's ClubPhotographs by Brian Kelly - All Rights Reserved