EO Q&A: Personalizing Your EO Experience
For nearly 30 years, EO has been committed to maximizing membership value through the introduction of new programs, events and resources designed to enhance the EO experience. One of those programs is MyEO, a dynamic platform that gives members the keys to personalize their EO and entrepreneurial journey. Jim Benjamin, an EO Cleveland member and MyEO champion, shares his experiences engaging MyEO and the personal and professional value it provides.
How does MyEO contribute to a stronger EO experience?
JB: Finally— an easy and fun way to maximize your membership! MyEO has quickly become one of my favorite EO benefits. With more than 10,000 members worldwide, why would anyone not want to connect, learn and share experiences? My chapter is great and my Forum experience has been top-notch, but MyEO takes EO to the next level, offering once-in-a-lifetime experiences, specialized business or interest groups, Forums that match your business or life experiences, and more. Best of all, if there isn’t an event, group or Forum you want to engage, you can start your own and invite the EO community to join. I’ve always said about EO: ‘Make your own experience. Don’t wait for it to land on your lap.’ MyEO helps you do just that.
What was your most impactful MyEO experience?
JB: I went to the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, USA, to experience Burning Man, an annual art event and temporary community based on radical self-expression and self reliance. I spent a week in the desert experiencing incredible cultures and bonding with EOers from around the world. Trust, confidentiality and respect served as drivers of the trip. The experience made me want to encourage others to push themselves out of their comfort zones and see the world; to open minds to other perspectives and encourage people to share more openly and deeply. I’ve found this to be quite satisfying, and that your EO peers are very receptive.
How did you get involved as a MyEO champion?
JB: I’ve always been very involved with EO on the chapter level, and constantly encourage others to go outside of their chapters to experience all that this organization has to offer. As a former Chapter President, I made a big push to get members to engage beyond the local, and while many hesitated, those who expanded their horizons were glad they did. In many ways, MyEO is the next extension of this type of global engagement— one that offers limitless opportunities. Naturally, it was something I wanted to be a part of.
You recently started a MyEO event about flying. What was the process like?
JB: Creating a MyEO event can be as easy or complicated as you want. I recently put together a fighter pilot event where members got to fly a plane and conduct laser-tag dog fights. After only an hour of training, people couldn’t believe that they would be the actual pilots. Loops, rolls, pulling up to 6 G’s … it was an incredible experience! Creating the event was easy, and I learned that presenting people with a chance to do something that others only dream of is quite powerful. Who hasn’t dreamt of flying? I really wanted to do that someday, and it turned out others did, too. Thanks to MyEO, 14 of us shared something that will forever unite us.
Why should your EO peers engage MyEO?
JB: Where else can you leverage your lifetime of learning, share your dreams, connect with like-minded peers from around the world, enjoy once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and form powerful and lifelong connections? Who wouldn’t want to do all of those things and more? As a member, it’s easy to settle into your Forums and chapter events, but when you step out of your comfort zone and experience all that EO has to offer, you’ll find there’s so much more to enjoy. MyEO helps you do that. The program teaches you how to make your own experiences, own your own journeys and boldly go!
