Podcast | Mindset
Episode 37| May 25, 2024

Finding Strength in Vulnerability w/ Ben Keech

He Taught Kids About Marriage. Then His Own Fell Apart.

Ben Keech had it all lined up. Married with kids, a high school teacher coaching every team, telling students how much relationships matter.

From the outside, every plate was spinning perfectly.

Then his marriage fell apart, and the plates shattered all at once. Finances. Kids. Career. His sense of himself.

He had to decide whether to hide the wreckage, or let people see it.

In this episode of the Happy Healthy Hustle Podcast, coach and speaker Ben Keech shares how he rebuilt from that fall-apart moment, why a few real friendships mattered more than looking strong, and how vulnerability became the thing that put him back together.

Vulnerability means showing the part of you that could be judged, to the few people who will not.

If your plates are shattering right now, this conversation is a hand on your shoulder.

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“I get to write my own script. I am in charge of my life.”

– Ben Keech

Fast Skim & Timestamps

0:00 Meet Ben: Coach, Speaker, Helper of Men
0:54 His Superpower: Being Intentional
2:09 When All the Plates Shattered
5:12 The People Who Got Him Through
6:25 Being Vulnerable, Even With His Kids
7:25 Am I a Hypocrite, or Just Human?
8:23 Writing His Own Script
9:07 Why Sharing Your Story Matters

Key Takeaways

Being intentional is a quiet superpower. Zero in on the next necessary step and do not get derailed.
Life can look perfectly aligned and still shatter. When it does, you rebuild one plate at a time.
A few real friends, and a parent who says the exact right words, matter more than looking strong.
When you do not know what to do, do something small.
Vulnerability is showing the part of you that could be judged, to the people who will not.
Sharing your story gives other people permission to share theirs.

Three Petite Practice® Questions

1. Which plate in my life needs the most care right now?

2. Who are the few people I can be fully real with?

3. What small next step could I take today, even without the whole plan?

Transcript Chapters

0:00 Meet Ben: Coach, Speaker, Helper of Men

[00:00:00] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Welcome to another episode of the Happy Healthy Hustle. Today I am talking to Ben Keech. Ben, please introduce yourself. [00:00:18] Ben Keech: My name is Ben Keech. I have a podcast, the Ben Keech Show, and I do a number of things. I run a lawn and landscaping company here in Kansas City, I am a speaker, and I am a coach. My passion is helping men. Knowing all the help I have needed over the years, I try to return the favor to other guys.

0:54 His Superpower: Being Intentional

[00:00:54] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: What would you say is your superpower? [00:00:54] Ben Keech: The superpower I wanted as a kid was to be a fly and be invisible. That never worked out. But my real superpower is being intentional. If something needs to be done, I can zero in on the necessary steps, and I do not get derailed easily, even through setbacks. [00:01:34] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: I just created a workbook about getting things done, and one of the steps is setting intentions, aligning your mind, body, and soul with an action step.

2:09 When All the Plates Shattered

[00:02:09] Ben Keech: Even as a young person, my goal was family. I got married, started having kids, and I was a high school teacher who felt like I was changing the world. Everything felt in line. But it is amazing what happens when your marriage falls apart. I picture four or five glass plates, my finances, my kids, my love life, myself, my career. When the marriage falls apart, they all shatter at once. Everything was crystal clear, and then it was gone, and I had to figure out how to put it back together. It was very tough. [00:04:12] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Transition times are challenging. I picture the circus performers spinning plates on sticks, adding more and more, and then one by one they tumble, and it feels like starting from scratch.

5:12 The People Who Got Him Through

[00:05:12] Ben Keech: I had to rely on a couple of key friends and hours of conversation, because my reality was not always what was real, my perspective was off. My dad was a big influence. He is a simple man who says a handful of words, but the exact ones you need to hear. I rekindled friendships, because when you are married, a lot of it is just the two of you, and when that is gone, you rely on people you have not leaned on before. I started reading more. And when you do not know what to do, you just do something little.

6:25 Being Vulnerable, Even With His Kids

[00:06:25] Ben Keech: Sometimes with my kids I have to be a little vulnerable and say, I do not know, here is what I am trying to do. You almost vocalize all the chaos in your mind, and sometimes it gets clearer, and sometimes your kids say, it is okay, I understand. [00:06:46] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: We see people’s external image and think their life is perfect, then realize they carry a lot too. The more vulnerable you are, the more authentic you are, and the more we connect with you, because we see that person is just like us.

7:25 Am I a Hypocrite, or Just Human?

[00:07:25] Ben Keech: My life before looked like everything was together. I was coaching all the teams and talking to students about relationships and marriage, believing all of it, and then I fell apart. I had to ask, am I a hypocrite, am I a failure, and walk through that self-doubt. Vulnerability is showing a weakness, something you might be judged for, and it can be scary. But if you have a few people you can be real with, it helps you rebuild.

8:23 Writing His Own Script

[00:08:23] Ben Keech: Starting this podcast was an extension of that. People asked, you are going to talk about relationships when your own relationship failed? Yes, I question myself, but that is part of it. I get to write my own script. I am in charge of my life, and that is how I am moving forward.

9:07 Why Sharing Your Story Matters

[00:09:07] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: If you put yourself out there and share your story, you realize how many people needed to hear it. If you do not share your story, you are almost stealing from others, because you are not letting your true self come through. [00:09:48] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: How can listeners find you? [00:09:55] Ben Keech: Just search the Ben Keech Show on Apple, Spotify, and Instagram. I am on a journey, and I would love for people to come along so we can help each other. [00:10:23] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Thank you so much, Ben.

Meet My Guest

Ben Keech

Coach, Speaker & Host of The Ben Keech Show

Ben Keech runs a lawn and landscaping company in Kansas City, and is a speaker, coach, and host of The Ben Keech Show. His passion is helping men navigate the hard seasons of life.

After rebuilding his own life through honesty and vulnerability, Ben now invites others along for the journey. Find The Ben Keech Show on Apple, Spotify, and Instagram.

Meet Your Host

Dr. Christiane Schroeter

TEDx Speaker & Leadership Strategist

I’m Dr. Christiane Schroeter, TEDx speaker, leadership strategist, and host of the Top 1% ranked Happy Healthy Hustle Podcast. I help leaders think clearly, speak with conviction, and take the next step during change.

About Dr. Christiane

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