I’m Nes, Benny’s Marketing Director, and usually the person behind the scenes helping bring all the brand content to life. But this week, I stepped out from behind the laptop and into the room.

I flew into Pittsburgh to work with Benny in person for the first time since August. We had content to plan, creative to shape, and new ideas to bring to life. But what I didn’t expect was to walk into a moment that would stay with me long after the cameras stopped rolling.

That afternoon, Jeff Hancher walked onto set to record an episode of The Big Fish Cares Podcast.

I knew Jeff’s background. His leadership coaching, his military service, his Fortune 500 success. But I didn’t know the story behind all that. Not the way he told it.

From the moment he sat down, something shifted in the room. He spoke with a depth and clarity that made everything else fade into the background. He talked about growing up in poverty. About watching his mom cut her medication in half just to make it last. About holding her during seizures. About wondering if he’d ever escape the weight of where he came from.

And he didn’t just say it. He felt it. So did we.

I’ve worked on podcasts before, but this was my first time in the room as one was being recorded. I thought I’d be focused on angles, lighting, social content. But instead, I found myself locked into every word. There were moments when I had actual goosebumps. You could hear it in the silence, in the weight of the pauses. It was real. And it was rare.

But Jeff didn’t just speak about struggle. He spoke about leadership with a kind of intentionality that stuck with me. He talked about the power of culture. How the environment we create can either crush people or call them into something greater. He talked about feedback, mentorship, and what it means to show up for others with strength and softness.

He told stories of mentors who taught him how to lead. Not just in theory, but in practice. Who helped him find his voice, carry himself with confidence, and rise without forgetting where he came from.

And when he talked about losing his mother — the heartbreak, the timing, the unraveling that almost followed — it didn’t feel like a story. It felt like grief in real time. And then came the turning point. One leader stepped in and refused to let him quit.

That moment hit me. Hard.

It reminded me why I do this work. Why stories matter. Why leadership, when done right, isn’t just about strategy. It’s about people.

Jeff’s new book, Firm Feedback in a Fragile World, goes even deeper into these lessons. It’s a book about leadership, yes. But also about healing, purpose, and what it means to lead from experience, not ego.

If you’ve ever felt unseen, unsure, or like your story disqualifies you, listen to this episode. Then read Jeff’s book. Let it remind you that some of the most powerful leaders are the ones who had to fight their way forward and chose to bring others with them.

🎙 Watch the full episode with Jeff Hancher on The Big Fish Cares Podcast
Now available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

📘 Grab Jeff’s book, Firm Feedback in a Fragile World, here → https://www.firmfeedbackbook.com/

And if you ever get the chance to be in the room—take it. Some stories deserve to be felt up close.