We recently had the chance to connect with Wade “Benji” Benjamin and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning “Benji”, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
“What I’m being called to do now is trust myself and my gut. Throughout my career, I’ve realized that the only times I’ve felt unhappy, disadvantaged, or regretful were when I followed someone else’s journey or instruction instead of my own. Now, I’m exercising discernment and wisdom in my choices, but I’m also leaning fully into my creativity and faith. Every time I’ve trusted those two, they’ve either led me to blessings and success—or to a much-needed lesson that was meant for me, not for anyone else.”
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Wade ‘Benji’ Benjamin, and I’d say I’m a quintessential creative and entrepreneur at heart. I’m the CEO of BENDOLL Productions and the Founder of the I AM WE Foundation. My work spans across media, business consulting, and home care—but lately, I’ve really found purpose in expanding into property and housing initiatives for individuals in need.
For a long time, most of my relationships were in entertainment, but over the years that’s grown to include politicians, business owners, and health professionals. It’s been amazing to bridge those worlds—helping professionals in healthcare and business see the importance of media and storytelling, while also showing entertainers how to really build and run their businesses effectively.
This year, I made my directorial debut for a major record label and produced both indie and big projects with some incredible talent. But honestly, what excites me most right now is seeing my influence extend into philanthropy—especially through housing ventures for those less fortunate. And with new content and collaborations set to roll out at the top of the year on platforms like Prime and HGTV, I can’t wait to show how creativity, business, and community truly come together.”
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
While I’ve learned from all my meaningful relationships—with my father, my brother, and my mother—the one that has shaped me most recently is my relationship with my late mother. From her, I learned the importance of giving myself grace while staying true to my faith. I work on my belief in Jehovah God and His promises every day, because, in all honesty, that’s what truly matters and shapes the ground I walk on—where each step is ordered by Him. My mom taught me to be a vessel, and I’ve learned that I remain blessed when I make my existence about serving others rather than simply receiving or taking. Of course, that desire is sometimes challenging, because as a human I often feel unappreciated in situations where there’s so much work—but at the end of the day, I’m here, and I get to serve others and share how good God is.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear that’s held me back the most in life is not being liked or accepted. The funny thing is, I don’t outwardly show it because I work and preach against it—but deep down, I told myself that lie too many times. It wasn’t until I realized that I actually did care about what people thought that my ‘no’ became more understood and fair to me. I believe in everyone and want to cheer on the masses, but not all are deserving—and we have to be careful of people-pleasing, especially those who aren’t deserving.
That fear of being alone sometimes outweighed the importance of establishing myself—something we all eventually have to do. I’ve made countless decisions outside of what I’d consider wise, simply because my belief in others sometimes superseded my belief in myself. And to be honest… I’m a beast! I’ve learned, though, that trusting myself and my instincts is the only way to live fully and powerfully.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
To me, in application, the important truth that very few people seem to agree with me on is faith—specifically, that one must always operate in faith. I’ve noticed that following my belief in what HE wants for me sometimes borders on delusion! But I’m okay with that because I’m also okay with however things play out. And to be honest, I’ve yet to regret a single time I’ve executed my faith—my trust, my belief in something—even when it’s controversial or not accepted by the masses. I am still very pleased and content with those choices.
Anxiety is real, and we live in a world where logic often takes the lead. But logic, while safe, can sometimes limit growth. In my experience, the moments where I’ve truly grown were never about comfort or safety—they were about trusting faith and stepping into the unknown.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
What I understand deeply that most people don’t is the power of forgiveness. Over the past two or three years, I realized that a lot of things—plans, friendships, relationships, gigs, even my own struggles with weight and feeling silenced—didn’t work out the way I expected. All of it needed to be addressed, and ultimately, the culprit needed to be forgiven. So, I forgave myself.
Forgiveness is powerful because it reinforces accountability, and accountability is the road to peace. Once you step into that awareness, you start to recognize more clearly who disturbs your peace—or who simply isn’t at peace themselves. From there, you can extend love and forgiveness to them, too. Too often we judge people solely by their choices, without considering the situations they were in when they made them. Compassion, not contention, is the answer. And I’ve found that once you forgive yourself, it becomes very difficult not to forgive others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://BENDOLL.COM
- Instagram: https://INSTAGRAM.COM/BENDOLL.INC
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bendoll-inc/
- Twitter: https://x.com/Bendoll_Inc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bendoll.inc/
Image Credits
BENDOLL
